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Dear Readers,

As you can see, this packet of resources (formerly known as the REACH packet) has a new name, UU Faith Works, and looks a bit different. In the past few months the UUA has undergone a major restructuring to better serve the needs of our congregations. In the restructuring the Religious Education Department is now the Lifespan Faith Development Staff Group. We wanted this resource to reflect the changes that are emerging in our staff group.

Faith means very different things to different Unitarian Universalists, and is definitely a concept we need to explore in our work together. Some of the ways in which faith has been defined include:

• "The state of being ultimately concerned." (Paul Tillich)
• "Faith is often better understood as a verb than a noun, and as a process rather then a possession." (Frederick Buechner)
• "An expression of meaning revealed in a person’s life style, or the foundation upon which persons live their lives." (John Westerhoff)
• "A lifelong developmental process involving the total person that addresses issues of ultimate concern, such as the meaning of life and death, the nature of being, the existence and nature of Deity, and the like." (Thomas Groome)

The mission of UU Faith Works is to share resources that inspire faith development, educate for religious identity, connect ethical and spiritual practices, and empower religious educators, ministers, and lay congregational leaders in their roles and responsibilities of serving Unitarian Universalists throughout their lives.

The organization of UU Faith Works is the same yet different from that of REACH packets. In the six sections there are materials and resources for professional and lay leaders -- minister, religious educator, president and board of a congregation, youth advisors, young adult leaders, lifespan religious education teachers and leaders -- as well as parents, families, social justice activists, and pastoral caregivers. Things you have counted on are still here -- seasonal worship resources, book and video reviews, original stories. Some things are different: adult education materials are in various content areas; youth resources are in most sections; hyperlinks from Faith Works contributions are made to UUA web pages and other web sites.

We felt the need to include a timely reflection and renewal component on 9/11 in this issue. Most of us work in congregations, communities, and homes, and we put our grieving process on hold in order to meet the needs of children, youth, elders, and congregants. And because it is common for reactions to traumatic events to surface later, we hope you have found some time this summer for recovery and renewal. We invite you to take some time right now -- put on some music/take a walk/talk with a friend/find your journal -- and work through some of the reflection exercises on the following page. May this be an opportunity for you to give meaning to experiences that may have, until now, eluded your understanding.

May you greet the coming year renewed and re-dedicated to the principles of courage and community, justice and equity for all people. Remember that you are not alone! We are partners in our faithful endeavors in our UU congregations and across our Association of congregations.

Shalom,

Pat Hoertdoerfer and Jacqui James
Lifespan Faith Development Staff Group, UUA, Boston