Religious Exploration

In defining the content of our program of religious education, we take our cue from the words and lives of many persons, but one in particular we find ourselves citing often is William Ellery Channing:

"The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own;
Not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own;
Not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to inspire a fervent love of truth;
Not to form an outward regularity, but to touch inward springs... "

We expect parents to play an active role in supporting their children's involvement with RE by volunteering to provide back up support for teachers. We hope that parents will share their special areas of expertise and wisdom through one-time program offerings, help with special projects, substitute teaching, providing snacks, or by participating in our cross-age, “4th- Sunday” activities, and seasonal celebrations and festivities.

Parents can promote the importance of religious exploration and help build and strengthen bonds of community which link us together as a liberal religious family by encouraging regular attendance on Sunday mornings and participation in retreats and special programs. We welcome program suggestions and ideas and encourage adults who are able to do so to serve on the RE Committee or to explore the possibility of co-leading a class during part of our RE year. The rewards and satisfactions are enormous!

Rosene Beachy, Director of Religious Exploration (DRE), is usually in her Fellowship office Tuesday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM. She can be reached at the Fellowship (248- 3737) during these hours. Please feel free to call with any questions, concerns, or suggestions that you may have.

Our RE spaces include a lending library, of books which were chosen to illustrate and support our UU principles and their application. Our library is located in the RE Office, downstairs at the fellowship. Paula Smith is our dedicated and diligent librarian. You and your children are welcome to browse and borrow these books. Check out procedures are posted on the bookshelves and we have adopted an honor system for our library. All of our curricula are also available for your examination. Please note titles of any books that you take home and the date they are borrowed.

We maintain a subscription to INWARD SPRINGS, a bimonthly publication intended for UU parents which is kept in a binder on display in the RE area. We strongly recommend subscribing to this excellent publication, but please feel free to borrow and read the copy in the office. We only ask that these resources find their way back to the office for the use of others.

Due to budget cuts throughout the UUA, the YRUU publication Synapse will, after 20 years of being a printed magazine, become exclusively an "on-line publication." It is one of many publications of the UUA having to change format due to lack of funding. Those of us in the Youth Office are greatly saddened by this occurrence. However, there is an on-line alternative well worth checking out at Connect UU. Go there and sign up for what looks like a fine replacement!

We believe that our children are valued members of our congregation and we wish for them to feel the importance of their presence and contribution to the life of our religious community. For this reason, on the first and third Sundays of every month, we begin our Sunday morning RE activities by joining the congregation upstairs to be a part of the adult 10:45 AM service. On the 2nd and 4th Sundays, we begin our morning together in the downstairs Social Room with a ?Singing Circle? at 10:30 AM, followed by a "Chalice Circle" at 10:45 and classes at 11:00. Children are encouraged to join the adults upstairs during the Social Hour which follows the 10:45 AM service.

We encourage you to fill out a visitor Form for your child even though you may be just trying us out - it is important that we have pertinent information on each child for whom we are responsible during the RE class time. These forms are available from teachers, the ?RE Info Spot? at the bottom of the stairs, or here on our web site. They should be completed and placed in the RE basket, the first time your child joins us on a Sunday morning.

We welcome your interest in the Religious Exploration program of the Anchorage UU Fellowship, and we hope that you and your child will enjoy your time with us.