Curriculum and Learning Resources

Narthex Conversations

Mary Marsh, DRE
Edmunds UU Church
Edmunds, WA

The Narthex Conversations

Twenty-five years ago, Unitarian Universalist religious educators and other leaders gathered at the Stonehouse Club in Rhode Island to answer the question: "What is our vision for lifespan liberal religious education?" Their reflections, published as The Stonehouse Conversations, were part of an Association-wide process to determine our needs for curriculum and resources. Then, in the spring of 1998, a coordinating committee composed of religious leaders in our movement began to organize a new convocation to bring the threads of those Stonehouse Conversations together with a vision for the future of Unitarian Universalist lifespan religious education. They selected religious leaders from across the continent, representing a large cross-section of our movement. The participants were invited to submit papers and to join in conversation regarding those papers. They were asked to reflect on three core questions for our religious education movement. These conversations were held in Essex, Massachusetts and are now published in book form entitled, The Essex Conversations. You are invited to begin a process of bringing these ideas home to EUUC. Beginning on November 18, we will start our own conversation. Gathered around a table in a corner of the Narthex, we will explore the three core questions, and some of the papers that were written in response. We will be modifying the popular "Conversation Café"* format, so this will be an informal setting. Please join us.

When: Begins November 18, 2002
Conversation goes from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church in the Narthex
Please call Mary Marsh if you will need childcare

What will happen at the Narthex Conversations?

• Using the "core questions" to set the stage, we'll explore various essays from the Essex Conversations. Purchase of the book will be helpful, but is not required. We will have the various essays and reading guides available at the RE table prior to the conversations.
• The evening's host will welcome everyone, introduce the theme for the conversation, read the agreements, set an ending time and call for a moment of silence to relax, reflect and become open.
• We will follow the Conversation Café format by having two rounds, inviting each person to say their name and speak to what is on their heart and mind regarding the theme (pass if you like). Remarks should be succinct to allow time for everyone to speak. No feedback or response. The second round allows time to introduce topics that you might wish to delve into more deeply.
• Open up the conversation. Keep in mind the agreements.
• To close, we'll go around the circle again, giving each person a chance to say briefly what they are taking away from the conversation.

The Core Questions

1. As we enter the 21st century, what is the core of our evolving Unitarian Universalist faith?
2. What is our vision of the goals for lifespan religious education?
3. What are the vital components for Unitarian Universalist curricula?

*Conversation Cafés are open, hosted, drop-in conversations among people with diverse views but a shared passion for engaging with others. Held in public spaces like cafés, restaurants and bookstores, Conversation Cafés provide a safe setting for talking with neighbors about things that matter over a cup of coffee or tea. For more information, go to www.conversationcafe.org

Changing Lenses
By Pat Ellenwood
Study Guide by Mary Marsh
(from Essex Conversations - Visions for Lifespan Religious Education)
"The Essex Conversations" is available for purchase at the UUA Bookstore

Summary

In calling for a clear and coherent focus on religious education, Pat Ellenwood proposes 4 strategic programs. She states that we can not ensure steady, long term growth if religious education is not seen as central to Unitarian Universalism.

The four programs are:

1. Encouraging Covenantal Relationship - A covenantal model can help a community strengthen relationships and find new ways to work in partnership. The covenantal language between leaders and among congregants can provide a new intentionality. This approach can help us to recognize and alleviate the marginalization many of our religious educators feel in our congregations.
2. Develop a Coherent Curriculum Plan - We must have a well-articulated scope and sequence at a continental level. And we must differentiate our selves from the traditional school model. She gives three primary areas where this curriculum should focus
   a. Experience and explorations to develop spiritual lives
   b. Understanding of complexity and importance of social responsibility
   c. Understanding of other worldviews
   These new quality core materials would free up religious educators for reflection, study, pastoral care and time with families. And because of the limits of our program, we need more materials for families to use independently.
3. Model for Intergenerational Faith Community - We need to intentionally model the behavior we say we value. If we say children and youth are an important part of our community, we need to involve them in the real work and real joy of the movement.
4. Recognize the Liberal Religious Educator's Association (LREDA) contributions - Through alliance building, the development of professional standards and the education of congregations around good practices, LREDA has been helping to lift up religious education in our denomination. As they make gains, the profession stabilizes and our programs improve.

Ellenwood closes with a plea to each of us to work towards a vision of religious education as integral to the health and spiritual growth of Unitarian Universalism.

Questions for Reflection and Conversation:

1. Do you feel the religious education program at this church has a coherent focus?
2. What is your understanding of covenants? Do you believe our congregation operates as a covenantal organization?
3. Who are the people and groups in the congregation who should covenant with each other around the religious education program?
4. Ellenwood gives 3 primary areas for focusing a coherent curricular plan. Do you agree with these areas? Are there others you would add?
5. What would a program completely unlike a traditional school model look like?
6. What are some of the ways we could begin to develop a true and coherent curricular plan here?
7. Given the limited nature of our program both in time and staff resources, how can we help families gain the full benefit of our curriculum?
8. In what ways do we model intergenerational community? In what ways could we be doing a better job?
9. How does increased professionalism and respect for religious educators help local congregations?
10. Are there ways that you see yourself working toward a vision of religious education as integral to the life of the congregation and denomination?

Sunday School is Dead - Long Live Sunday School
by Rev. Greg Stewart
Study Guide by Mary Marsh
(from Essex Conversations - Visions for Lifespan Religious Education)
"The Essex Conversations" is available for purchase at the UUA Bookstore

Summary

Rev. Stewart sees the church school as the ideal place for innovative reform and wants us to find the vision for our programs. He describes his early efforts to confuse Sunday School and Social Action and his process for taking religious education out to the community. He talks of the three UU programs he has worked with and the evolution of his "Way Cool Sunday School" model of experiential learning.

Stewart outlines his most recent incarnation of his approach which is a blend of the more experiential program he developed for Chicago and the more traditional at Cleveland. This blend of learning formats uses the following rotation:

1. First Sunday of the month - Worship Sunday - this is community worship with the adults or Way Cool Worship in a separate location.
2. 2nd and 3rd Sundays - Classroom Sundays - Teachers use curriculum and lead age appropriate small classrooms.
3. 4th Sunday - Outreach Sundays - They go out into the community
4. 5th Sundays - Art Sundays

Stewart discusses his views and use of curricula on the classroom Sundays. He believes very strongly that we need to give our children a solid grounding in Unitarian Universalism and emphasizes our principles in curricular planning. He sees curriculum as a resource not a specific recipe.

The essay closes with a very enthusiastic statement regarding the success of his model. He not only points out growth in numbers, but comments on the new connections and diversity this model has brought. His joy is infectious - how can we not consider what this model might look like here? II. Questions for Reflection and Conversation:

1. Stewart doesn't have much trust that the traditional Sunday School is an effective method for teaching religious education. Do you agree or disagree with his concerns?
2. He found a big difference between the urban congregation in Chicago and the suburban Cleveland congregation. The latter was more uncomfortable with the spontaneity and open time-frame. Would these factors be a limitation here?
3. In Pasadena, Stewart has modified the program to incorporate traditional and experiential elements. What do you think of the rotation he uses? How do you see the logistical pieces of such a program working for families?
4. What are some of the ways a congregation could ensure that everyone found a place in this kind of program?
5. How would a program like this feel to children who attend sporadically or are just visiting?
6. What are some of the things this congregation would do with outreach Sundays?
7. Stewart believes the primary curricular goal ought to be Unitarian Universalism? Do you agree or disagree?

Stewart writes, "What would it mean to 'do church' and 'be the church' if we saw ourselves primarily as community centers for education rather than houses of prayer, pew, and pledging units?" well….what would it mean?