REPORT on COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
submitted by Rev. Pat Hoertdoerfer, Lifespan RE Consultant
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
First Unitarian
Society of
Purpose: to give participants a chance to reflect together on important questions about purpose and identity of FUSS, intergenerational responsibility, and professional religious education leadership.
Community Conversations Small Group Ministry Circles of 10-12 participants
5 Adult Circles / 1 Senior Youth Group Circles / 5 Children’s RE Circles
*************************************************************************
CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
QUESTION #1
SPIRIT PLAY CLASSES
In our RE room on shelves are boxes of Spirit Play stories, each one of these stories is printed on a card and spread out on the floor. Invite each participant to take a story card that relates/is important to them. Why did you select the card you did? Can you give an example of when that story has or might help you? Do you have other stories or songs that you want to add to the selection? Why are they important to you?
The Promises – UU Principles - stories were named most often as the most important to the children. The Wise People and the Elephant and The Hunter and The Dog were favorite stories to many children. Some children drew pictures illustrating their chosen Spirit Play story. One child wrote what many other children said: “I love story time because the stories are great!”
OLDER R.E. CLASSES
In our RE room on the wall is a poster of UU Principles, each one of these seven principles is printed on a card and spread out on a table (or on the floor). Invite each participant to take a UU Principle card that relates/is important to them. Why did you select the card you did? Can you give an example of when that UU Principle has or might help you? Do you have principles or values that you want to add to the selection? How have they worked for you?
Each of the seven UU Principles were named by participants in every class, but Principles 1 and 2 (We believe that each and every person is important; We believe that all people should be treated fairly and kindly.) were named more often and Principle 7 (We believe in caring for our planet earth, the home we share with all living things.) was named most often. In choosing Principle 4 one participant wrote: “It is important to me because if you don’t search for what is right in life then you won’t get anywhere is life. I wouldn’t add anything and it helped me in life to follow things that I liked.”
QUESTION #2
Our congregation belongs to the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and we covenant to promote our Living Tradition and UU Principles drawn from many sources. Adults say the Bond of Union on Sunday mornings. Youth sign a Code of Ethics when participating at events at and beyond FUSS. We have our Classroom Covenants or Promises. How do we promise to behave in our RE room? Are there some behaviors that are not acceptable or should not be acceptable?
RE classroom Covenants and Promises include sharing with friends, work as team, help people of all ages, celebrating birthdays, stand up for one another, respect person talking, listening and paying attention, creating opportunities for shared experiences, regular attendance, fun. Some unacceptable behaviors were named: mean, hitting, stealing, “wild,” violence, put-downs, rudeness, not showing up, “don’t hurt anyone in any way.”
What we like best about FUSS RE: openness, questioning and talking, interesting topics, snack, STORIES …
*************************************************************************
YOUTH COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
QUESTION #1
The purpose of FUSS RE may be reflected in the words religious education, meaning RELIGION = “to bind together,” EDUCATION = “to draw forth.” How would you describe the purpose of SENIOR YOUTH GROUP at FUSS: Spiritual growth and learning? Leader in social justice? Safe place to heal from the hurts of life? Warm community nurturing friendships?
Every Senior Youth Group (SYG) member said in one way or another that the main purpose of Youth Group was to be in community – safe haven, comfort zone, accepting, open, nurturing, supportive – where friendship grow with shared meaningful experiences. An equal number of youth named spiritual growth and social action, “making the world a better place.” Also important to many youth was the opportunity to gain and increase their leadership skills.
One member wrote: “To me the purpose of SYG is to empower young people to realize their religious identity. Through conversation we realize what matters to us most, and are given the opportunity to discuss these ideas in an environment that is safe and accepting … and are given the tools and opportunities to try to create a better world and live out the principles of UUism.”
Another member said it this way: “Purpose of SYG at FUSS is threefold (1) to be a safe environment for self-expression, (2) to develop natural leadership skills through the planning of and participation in the function and events of SYG, RE program, the congregation, and the district, (3) embrace individuality while simultaneously embracing a shared identity,”
QUESTION #2
Our congregation includes people of all ages – babies, children, youth, young adults, middle aged adults, elders – in a UU community who “affirm and promote acceptance and support of one another in our congregation.” That’s called intergenerational responsibility. How do we live up to this principle? What might we do better?
Youth
mentioned these ways that youth and adults interacted/worked together: working
on Con, social justice trips –
Another youth expressed the need for deeper interactions between youth group and the congregation at large “to really understand each other and have a community in which all voices are heard. No group can isolate itself as we can’t survive on our youth group alone. The youth are the future of UUism and we need to be included and understood so that we can be leaders of the community in the future. The members also need to understand our points of view to incorporate it into our faith. We share the responsibility of keeping the dialogue open and the vibe of understanding flowing.”
To better live up to our 3rd Principle, these needs were named: need to be more welcoming, need for youth-adult spiritual growth and learning opportunities, need for all ages to get involved congregational/committee leadership, and the need for a Young Adult Group. One youth shared this insight: intergenerational responsibility is easy to define – responsibility to be a caring member of the community – but hard to do every Sunday.
*************************************************************************
ADULT COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
QUESTION #1
What does the name First Unitarian Society of Schenectady tell you about this group of people? What is the purpose of FUSS: Spiritual growth and learning? Leader in social justice? Safe place to heal from the hurts of life? Warm community nurturing friendships?
Community was named on every adult card with these words to describe FUSS community: love, support, safe, supportive, acceptance, sense of belonging, friendship, right relations, Beloved Community, first line of our Bond of Union. Some members responded that the purpose was a combination of all these elements [ministries] – spiritual growth and learning (including free thought and new ideas), social justice and social service, caring community, friendship and fellowship. Many members expressed spiritual growth and social action complementarily, one leading/flowing from the other. The democratic process was cited as an important FUSS practice. Many members talked about the need to balance individual freedoms and community responsibilities across the many generations.
The following excerpts invite further reflection and perhaps faith in action:
Ø “… we support each other to achieve peace within ourselves and outreach to make justice [and peace] in the community.”
Ø “… sometimes we are too comfortable with ourselves/our congregation and we are afraid to grow and expand.”
Ø “… in our name FUSS the Universalist is missing. Aren’t we Unitarian Universalists?
The following responses are representative of the beautiful UUs at FUSS:
QUESTION #2
Our congregation includes people of all ages – babies, children, youth, young adults, middle-aged adults, elders – in a UU community who “affirm and promote acceptance and support of one another in our congregation.” That’s called intergenerational responsibility. How do we live up to this principle? What might we do better?
All adults expressed the desire for intergenerational connections. Places where these intergenerational connections happen are: Child In Us, Youth Service, Coming Of Age program, intergenerational worship services plus multi-generational leadership, All Church Sleepover, Revels, Silver & Gold Dinners, pastoral care, music and choir, social justice projects. Places where intergenerational connections happened in the past but were not present today include young Adult Group and Single Adult Group (Singletarians was a social group that welcomed single adults of many diversities - ages, abilities, faiths, ethnicities, orientations), Small Group Ministry, and family events.
The following places were named as possible areas to increase generational interactions: after Sunday RE/service coffee-juice hour, after service/RE activities, mid-week worship/vespers, Soulful Sundown services, elder awareness (care, stories, mentoring), social justice projects and programs, and spiritual practices. Specific needed attention was named: child care at all events, upgrade FUSS website, evening RE opportunities, Waters House physical facility.
The following creative ideas were shared: