Adult Spiritual Growth & · PDF fileAdult Spiritual Growth & Development ... Voters, IPJ (Interfaith ouncil ... other UU congregations across the country to pilot test the UUA Disabil

Adult Spiritual Growth & Development

Courses & Workshops Spring 2014

First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor

4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103

Phone: 734-665-6158

www.uuaa.org

The First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor

Guided by Section 1.1 of our Governing Policies, the Adult Education Advisory Team

plans to engage the minds, hearts, and whole selves of adult learners in our community.

With the understanding that the Unitarian Universalist (UU) journey is one of an ongoing

quest for truth and meaning, we will provide adult participants with opportunities to:

Develop an integrated sense of their own UU and UUAA identity;

Find resources for negotiating the various stages of their life journey;

Be empowered to live their beliefs through their actions;

Cultivate spiritual deepening and develop spiritual practices;

Enrich their understanding of the world around us;

Build connections with others.

Members: Charley Burleigh, Bruce Gibb; Bett Weston, Bev Black. Design: Angelina Zaytsev

About the Adult Education Advisory Team

Dear All,

Welcome to the Spring 2014 Adult SGD Program. The Adult Education Advisory Team, guided by its mission statement, has put together the following offerings. These pages contain descriptions of the courses offered by Adult SGD, Pastoral Care, Social Justice, Challenging Racism and Membership. If you have any questions or comments about the Adult SGD Program, I welcome them.

With care,

Sandy Garges

Director of Spiritual Growth and Development

Adult Spiritual Growth & Development Course Catalog – Spring 2014 2

The First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor

Course Title Page No.

Membership

Introduction to OUUr Faith 4

Offered by Other UUAA Programs

“Inequality for All” Film Showing and Discussion 5

Community Health Resources for Seniors 5

End of Life Resources at Your Service at the UUAA 6

The Dream of Inclusion for All 6

Reproductive Justice 7

Offered by Adult SGD

The Art of Storytelling 8

Awareness of Mind 8

True Love 101 9

Sit & Laugh Bunch 9

The Stages of Religious Evolution 10

The Inclusive Message of the Aramaic Jesus 10

Freethinkers: Our "Unofficial" UU Pioneers 11

Cakes for the Queen of Heaven I, In Ancient Times 11

Bible 101 12


The First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, MI has

been deeply committed to liberal religious thought and action since

1865. We join together in community to encourage and inspire each

other’s spiritual journeys, to honor and care for the natural world

around us, and to join forces in furthering social justice in the Ann

Arbor area and the wider world.

Introduction to OUUr Faith

This class is an introduction to Unitarian Universalism for both newcom-

ers and long-time members. Taught by UUAA ministers with assistance

from lay members of the congregation, topics include history of Unitari-

an Universalism and this congregation, how this congregation is gov-

erned, how to get involved at UUAA, the meaning and responsibilities of

membership, and participants’ own spiritual journeys. Register at least

two weeks prior to class.

Offered by Membership

Facilitator: Rev. Mark Evens

Register: At the Involvement Table or by contacting Hannah Hotchkiss,

Welcome Ministries Coordinator, at [email protected].

Details: Single-session Introductions; Saturday, March 8, Saturday, April

19 and Saturday, June 21, 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Location: Fahs Chapel Max # of participants: 20

Course & Workshop Descriptions


HOW TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES Registration opens for most classes starting at 10:30 am on Sunday, February 23rd, using one of the following two op-tions:

by email to the address provided in the course/workshop description (mention class by name)

by delivery of a completed form at the Adult Spiritual Growth & Development table during Social Hour on Feb-ruary 23rd or March 2nd

Registration by email is already open, or registration is not necessary for some courses under specific provisions found in course descriptions.

“Inequality for All” Film Showing and Discussion

This documentary follows former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich as

he looks to raise awareness of the country's widening economic gap.

Guest panelists TBA. There will be a facilitated question and answer pe-

riod with the panelists following the film showing.

Offered by Challenging Racism.

Additional Sponsors: UUAA Social Justice Council, League of Women

Voters, ICPJ (Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice)

Details: Saturday, May 17, 1:00-3:00 PM

Location: Fahs Chapel

Community Health Resources for Seniors

The Pastoral Care-Education Team brings Barbara Zaret, LMSW, Assis-

tant Director of UM’s Turner Senior Wellness Program at the Turner

Senior Resource Center, and a specialist on resources needed for the

independence and wellness of the elderly to the UUAA. Ms. Zaret’s

presentation will focus on resources available in Ann Arbor for our sen-

ior citizens. Contact Sandra Breck or Carolyn Roberts with any questions.

Offered by Pastoral Care

Register by email: Sandra Breck <sbreck@umich> or Carolyn Roberts

<[email protected]>.

Facilitators: Carolyn Roberts and Sandra Breck

Details: Monday, March 10, 1:15 – 2:15 PM

Location: Jackson Chapel



End of Life Resources at Your Service at UUAA

Join us for an informative session on utilizing three prime “end of life”

services offered at UUAA:

Planned Giving Opportunity - Tom Darnton and John Erdevig will

discuss end of life “estate plan review” and “planned giving” op-

portunities.

Memorial Service – Rev. Mark Evens, UUAA Associate Minister, will

describe what goes into the planning of a Memorial Service at the

UUAA.

Memorial Gardens - Kim Clugston will describe her vision of the

Memorial Gardens at the UUAA. After the session, everyone is in-

vited to walk over with Kim to the Memorial Gardens.


Facilitators: Meredith Ley and Terry Madden

Details: Sunday, April 6, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Location: Jackson Chapel

The Dream of Inclusion for All: “Taking Steps To-

ward Strengthening Accessibility

The First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor joined nine

other UU congregations across the country to pilot test the UUA Disabil-

ity/Ability Certification Action Program. The focus of this national pro-

gram is on welcoming, embracing, integrating and supporting people

with disabilities and their families in UU Congregations. As a part of this

pilot program, in this participatory panel session, six members of the

UUAA congregation who have a (dis)ability will share their stories about

overcoming barriers, and will offer suggestions about strengthening ac-



cessibility and inclusion.


Facilitators: Carolyn Roberts and Pauline Loewenhardt.

Register by email: Terry Madden <[email protected]>.

Details: Saturday, May 3, 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Location: Fahs Chapel

Reproductive Justice

Rooting us in our religious history and theological callings, this six-

session curriculum outlines the distinctions between reproductive

“health,” “rights,” and “justice”; opens awareness of reproductive op-

pressions; offers opportunities to learn about ourselves and each other

as sexual and reproductive beings; and equips us to move forward, out

into the world, with integrity and vision. Participants are invited to

attend the final two sessions:

Session 5: Right of Conscience

Session 6: Conclusion: Moving Forward

Offered by Social Justice and the Denominational Connections Team.

Resource: The course materials for the reproductive justice curriculum

were created by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

Facilitator: Each session will be led by a different team of two facilita-

tors from the sponsoring UUAA Programs.

Register by email: [email protected]

Details: Two sessions; Wednesday, March 19 and Wednesday, April 16,

7:00 – 9:00 PM

Location: Jackson Chapel Max # of participants: 30



The Art of Storytelling

Telling and listening to stories is a way for people to enjoy and cherish

one another’s company. Storytelling is also an effective way to teach, to

inspire, to heal, and to delight. Whether you want to hone your story-

telling skills to use in front of an audience or around a fire with friends,

this class is for you. Have fun while learning to relax in front of other

people and let your creativity blossom. This interactive course will help

you shape ideas, and gain experience in the effectiveness of body and

vocal techniques. Beginners are welcome as well as those with more

experience.

Facilitator: Bev Black

Register by email: Bev Black <[email protected] >.

Details: Four sessions; Mondays, March 10 & 24 and April 14 & 28, 7:00

– 9:00 PM

Location: Brown Room Max # of participants: 12 Minimum #: 6

Awareness of Mind

Discover meditation as a form of yoga based on awareness practices

adapted to everyday life and our natural capacity for moral uprightness.

Supported by discussion, practice, and readings drawn from Mahayana

Buddhist sources, class members experience Awareness of Mind as the

compliment of our Upright Mind as addressed in the fall class. Note that

the two classes may be taken in any order. Awareness of Mind provides

critical support for the practice of engaged Buddhism.

Facilitator: Charley Burleigh

Register by email: Charley Burleigh <[email protected]>.

Details: Four sessions; Thursdays, March 6, 13, 20 & 27, 7:00—9:00 PM

Location: Emerson Room Max # of participants: 16 Minimum #: 6



True Love 101

Being able to create successful relationships is the basis of living a life of

meaning where we thrive and not just survive. This workshop is based

on the book True Love 101: Guide to Discovering, Creating, and Sustain-

ing True Love by Nancy L. Davis, LMSW, LMFT, as well as her thirty-seven

years of working with individuals and couples. During this interactive

workshop we will explore the experience of love, the power of thought,

projection, and judgment, the power of our needs, as well as how to

make very different choices which result in discovering, creating, and

sustaining truly loving relationships. Come and learn, laugh, and leave

knowing how to create successful relationships with ourselves and oth-

ers.

Facilitator: Nancy Davis

Register by email: Nancy Davis <[email protected]>.

Details: Single-session; Saturday, May 10, 1:00 – 4:30 PM

Location: Fahs Chapel Max # of participants: 40 Minimum #: 20

Sit & Laugh Bunch

Learn to release your happiness by laughing with a certified facilitator of

the American School of Laughter Yoga. Programs have been held at UU-

AA, First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Senior Center, Carpenter

Place and National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

Facilitator: Barb Gales

Register by email: Barb Gales <[email protected]>.

Details: Single-session; Thursday, March 6, 6:30—7:30 PM

Location: Young Room Maximum # of Participants: 25 Minimum #: 5



The Stages of Religious Evolution

The spiritual impulse has existed at all stages of human cultural evolu-

tion. However, its expression and institutional embodiment has changed

over time. This program traces this evolution and provides a framework

for understanding the cultural underpinnings not only of spirituality but

also its echoes in the economic, political, and social systems that exist

today. We will explore through readings, music, and conversation

our personal spiritual/cultural development as well as the evolution of

the major religious/cultural institutions which surround us.

Facilitator: Bruce Gibb

Register by email: Bruce Gibb <[email protected]>.

Details: Six sessions; Tuesdays, April 15, 22 and 29 and May 6, 13 and

20; 7:00 – 9:00 PM


The Inclusive Message of the Aramaic Jesus

Although Jesus spoke and taught in the Aramaic language, we know

these teachings through serial translation, first into Classical Greek and

then into the English of the King James Bible. Neil Douglas-Kloz suggests

that fresh translations from the Aramaic will open a more nuanced, live-

ly understanding of such texts as the Lord’s Prayer. We will explore this

suggestion in light of two books by Douglas-Kloz: Prayers of the Cosmos,

and The Hidden Gospel. The class will focus on readings, discussion,

short meditation and body prayers, all in the spirit of discovery, ac-

ceptance and fun.

Facilitator: Robert Kropf

Register by email: Robert Kropf <[email protected]>.




Details: Three sessions; Saturdays, March 8 & 22 and April 5th;

10:00-11:30 AM


Freethinkers: Our "Unofficial" UU Pioneers

Susan Jacoby's Freethinkers offers a powerful defense of the secular

heritage that gave Americans the first government in the world found-

ed not on the authority of religion but on the bedrock of human rea-

son. Join us in rediscovering our past and in identifying the individuals

who were instrumental in laying the secular foundation for our First

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor cultural heritage.

Facilitator: Terry Madden

Details: Five sessions; Mondays, March 17, 24, 31 and April 7 & 14;

2:00—3:30 PM

Register by email: Terry Madden <[email protected]>.


Cakes for the Queen of Heaven I, In Ancient Times

Cakes for the Queen of Heaven I is a five-session religious education

curriculum in feminist theology for adult women. "Cakes" is an im-

portant resource for experiencing and learning about the connection

between long ago ancestors and our lives today. Our ancestors' under-

standing of the divine in female form can inform our work for the

equality of all people and for the rights of women worldwide.

Facilitator: Bett Weston and Carol Acitelli

Details: Five sessions; Mondays, March 17 & 31, April 7 & 21, and May

5; 7:00-9:00 PM

Register by email: Carol Acitelli <[email protected]>.



Bible 101

An opportunity to satisfy your curiosity or find answers to your ques-

tions. This is an introduction to Hebrew and Christian Scriptures for

adults who’ve never opened a Bible, or who have forgotten anything

they ever knew about what is between its covers.

Facilitator: Rev. Fran Dew

Register by email: Rev. Fran Dew <[email protected]>.

Details: Three sessions, April 3, 10 and 17, 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Location: Emerson Room Max # of Participants: 15 Minimum#: 6



CHILDCARE Childcare needs should be identified by the participant at the time of registration. Childcare will be provided to participants if care is requested at least 2 weeks in advance by at least 2 families for the same time period.

Documents

Adult Spiritual Growth & · PDF fileAdult Spiritual Growth & Development ... Voters, IPJ (Interfaith ouncil ... other UU congregations across the country to pilot test the UUA Disabil