Religious Education and Family Ministries

Religious Education is community-owned and multi-layered. Leadership development is important Religious Education.

Dear Members & Friends ~

I found the above quote on the blog site of Tandi Koerger, our UUA Pacific Northwest District’s Program Specialist.  It perfectly captures my belief that Religious Education is analogous to the village raising the child, and that an important part of helping our children to embrace a UU identity is providing them opportunities to develop their skills as leaders.  As we roll into spring, I would encourage each member and friend of UUFCO to find a moment to talk with one, or a few, of our children and youth.  Ask them about their interests, their dreams and their wishes for our world, and as you listen to their answers imagine where their talents could be used to strengthen our congregation. 

We have begun a new Tapestry of Faith curriculum called Faithful Journeys. I am very excited about this program because our children will learn what UUs believe and how we act our faith.  Our children will be equipped with language and experiences to help them answer important questions about our faith tradition, and they will be on their way to developing a strong Unitarian Universalist identity.  Parents and other interested parties are welcome to peruse the curriculum online at http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/faithfuljourneys/index.shtml, and I welcome any of your questions.

There are a couple of important events coming up that include the participation of our children.  The first date is the morning of April 10th when we’ll have an informal “Garden Tour.”  This walking tour (with accommodations for those that need them) will include visits to the gardens of some of our members in order to gather ideas for how to start your own backyard garden.  This event would best be enjoyed by children 10 years of age and up.  The second date is the morning of May 1st when we’ll have a “Garden Planting Party” at Heather Starr’s home.  This event is for children and adults of all ages as we start Reverend Heather on her way to a beautiful, backyard garden.  Check the calendar and/or newsletter for further details.

Our youth group is meeting Sunday evenings from 5:00pm – 7:30pm in our cottage at the Old Stone Church.  Cameron Clark is our Youth Advisor and is providing an enriching and meaningful experience for our youth, not to mention lots of good food!!  If you know of any youth ages 14-20, please invite them to join us or encourage them to talk with Cameron or myself.  The possibilities for our Youth Group are endless.


With gratitude and joy,
Rebecca Fender, Director of Religious Education