During this time of pandemic, it’s more important than ever to maintain our connections with each other. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia will be nurturing faith development for adults in two ways:
- Through small group ministry that we call Reflection Groups at UUCC
- And through Adult Religious Education classes
This year, all our faith development efforts will be virtual, either through Zoom, or asynchronously via online bulletin board applications that allow us to interact with each other.
Reflection Groups
The Unitarian theologian, James Luther Adams, has said that what draws people to our churches is a need for “intimacy and ultimacy.” Our Reflection Groups are designed to provide a sense of belonging (intimacy) and to nurture spiritual growth (ultimacy) through monthly small group meetings. Reflection Groups further explore our monthly worship themes at UUCC in an intentional way: to listen to each other deeply and with discipline. We will experience the themes, not just analyze them, and offer suggestions for a spiritual practice to try before each monthly meeting. This year, all groups will meet through Zoom or asynchronously via Slack.
Book Discussion Groups
Our book groups this fall will all be asynchronous. We’ll read on our own, 10 pages per day while you drink your morning coffee, and discuss at any point during the day on an electronic bulletin board via Slack. It’s a simple no-pressure way to read a book, no zoom meetings required!
October 2020: A People So Bold
In October, discuss Unitarian Universalist Theology with A People So Bold, edited by John Gibbs Millspaugh. We’ll read one essay every two days, and discuss asynchronously on a Slack bulletin board. This book group will seek to answer these theological questions:
- How does our faith ground us in social justice, theologically, historically, with spiritual practices?
- How does our faith hold brokenness, injustice, suffering?
- How do we develop prophetic voice?
- How do we create prophetic congregations?
- How do we mend a broken world?
Click on the button below to register for the class and order the book from the UUCC Bookstore. The book is $17, and they’ll deliver it to your doorstep!
November 2020: How to Be An Antiracist
In November, join us for a discussion group on the book How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. We’ll read 10 pages a day and take a turn posting a discussion question. Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Kendi weaves a combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.
Click on the button below to register and order the book from the UUCC Bookstore. The book is $18, and they’ll deliver it to your doorstep!
February 2021: Raising White Kids
In February, join us for a discussion on Raising White Kids by Jennifer Harvey. Read 10 pages every other day while drinking your morning coffee, post your response to the discussion question at any point during the day in a private Facebook group.
Jennifer Harvey provides a long-awaited and much-needed answer to a question often posed by white anti-racist allies: How do we raise our children to be allies in the struggle against racism? Raising White Kids provides practical advice and examples for parents that are well-grounded in the scholarship on racial identity and racial socialization. Raising White Kids is a book for families, educators, and communities who want to equip their children to be active and able participants in a society that is becoming one of the most racially diverse in the world while remaining full of racial tensions.
Click on the button below to register and order the book from the UUCC Bookstore. The book is $17, and they’ll deliver it to your doorstep!
Parents & Caregivers as Sexuality Educators
First Thursdays of each month, starting October 1, 2020 // 7 – 8:30 pm
Are you ready to answer the difficult questions your children will ask? Have you thought about how to communicate your values around sexuality? Do you have unhealthy sexual scripts lingering from the messages you received from your family and friends?
The information and attitudes that adults share with their children—intentionally or by default—carry extraordinary power. It is a power that many adults struggle to wield effectively and confidently. Often, their own experiences, perspectives, and worries get in the way. Join us for Parents and Caregivers as Sexuality Educators, a new program is to help parents and caregivers to get comfortable with sexuality topic discussions with their children. These sessions invite you to find support and courage with one another.
Parents and Caregivers as Sexuality Educators consists of a series of up to 12 sessions (90 minutes each). The aim of the program is to help parents and caregivers to get comfortable with sexuality topic discussions with their children. Join Robin Slaw, Director of Religious Education, and Paige Getty, Minister, as we explore how to raise healthy children and youth!
Starting October 1, for up to 12 sessions to be decided upon at the first meeting.
Contemporary Ethics Issues Based on Bible Stories, presented by Ken Walsh
Contemporary issues will be derived from selected Bible stories and discussed in a seminar manner seeking individual perspectives and comments on that perspective and then other perspectives and comments. The purpose is to develop your initial thoughts on ethical issues with the consideration of other perspectives and clarifying comments. Uses the companion book, Bible Stories for All Without the Dogma, for optional pre-class readings. Available at registration through the UUCC Book Store ($15 including tax and delivery).
Tuesdays, January 26, February 2, February 9. 7:00-8:30 pm via Zoom.
- Session 1: Course description in detail, presenter background, Biblical influences in Western culture, description of modern seminars; ethics & morals; discussion routine; and issues derived from the stories of Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, and Abraham.
- Session 2: Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Laban, and Joseph
- Session 3: Moses, Ruth, Saul, David, Solomon, Esther, closing
The ethics, morals, and responsibility issues will cover the following themes: personal responsibility, the responsibility to care for others, relationships, morality, and fairness.
Saturday Advance Directive Series with Rev. Paige Getty and Robin Slaw, DRE
Rev. Paige Getty and Director of Religious Education Robin Slaw are offering a two-session workshop series on preparing for and composing 
your Advance Directive, using material from Speak(easy) Howard and Five Wishes.
Saturday mornings, 10:00-11:30 am, February 20 and 27, 2021.
Women in the Old Testament (with Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Commentary) presented by Ken Walsh
We will discuss how women have been portrayed and not portrayed in the Old Testament. Topics include women in activist, non-traditional roles, including Eve, Shiphrah & Puah, Deborah, Ruth, and Esther. And the portrayal of women in traditional roles, including Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Hannah. We will also discuss how Elizabeth Cady Stanton came to write The Woman’s Bible, her commentary, and the reactions to her Bible. Her insightful perspective was buried for decades. Women Biblical scholars did not re-emerge until the 1970s. This is definitely Ken Walsh’s liveliest workshop due to her pointed commentary. No pre-reading required.
We will use Ken Walsh’s companion book, Bible Stories for All Without the Dogma, and the Bible for your optional pre-class readings. His book is available through the UUCC Book Store (for $15 including tax and free delivery as a registration option), or at Amazon, bn.com and bookshop.org (which supports independent bookstores). You can read the Bible online for free at https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/ or search online for Bible Study Tools. Scroll to Bible versions. He recommends the Good News Translation for easy-to-understand, common language.
Tuesday, March 23, 7:00-8:30 pm