Lifespan Religious Education Program

Structure - Roles - Mission - Goals - Programs

 

Mission Statement of the Lifespan Religious Education Committee

To provide education and ministry which will nurture the religious growth of our members and friends throughout their life spans. We are guided by our UUSG mission statement, covenant, and the Unitarian Universalist Association purposes and principles.

Goals

• Share and explore the meanings of Unitarian Universalist values
• Create opportunities for growth
• And create opportunities for intergenerational connections

Educational Objectives

• To promote the concept that all of life is religious education
• To provide opportunities for shared spiritual experiences
• To promote healthy connections between individuals of different ages
• To provide an understanding of Unitarian Universalists as a group and as individuals, past and present
• To help individuals answer the question “What is a Unitarian Universalist?” effectively
• To provide opportunities for learning about our Jewish and Christian heritage
• To provide opportunities for learning about world religions
• To provide opportunities to act on UU principles and purposes

Role of the Lifespan Religious Education Committee

The role of this committee is to guide, direct and support the Lifespan Religious Education (LRE) program at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva (UUSG) by providing:

1. Definition of policy in relation to the LRE program at UUSG
2. Identification and definition of goals for the LRE program at UUSG
3. Defining the LRE Prospectus (curriculum and events for the year)
4. Liaison with UUSG parents and staff
5. Recruitment of volunteer staff
6. Guidance and direction to the Associate Minister in charge of LRE
7. Marketing and Communication of LRE programs/activities to congregation
   
   

 

LRE Programs

There are three major programs within Lifespan Religious Education at UUSG Children’s RE, Youth RE, and Adult RE:

• Children’s RE which starts with the Nursery Program and completes with 6^th or 7^th grade depending on the year.
  • Child Care: In a loving and safe environment, our very youngest children explore and play together.  Stories, art projects, and snacks are a regular part of Sunday mornings.  Child care is staffed by two paid people who are experienced with this age group.

                                                               i.      for infants and toddlers up through age 2 on Sunday morning.

                                                             ii.      for young children up through age 4 Saturday evening.

                                                               i.      Sunday morning only for children 2 to 3 years old.

                                                               i.      Sunday morning only for children 4 and 5 years old or 5 and 6 years old depending on the year.

(Example special projects are: AD29 and Hogwarts)

During each of these sessions the students will follow defined curriculums that are provided by the Unitarian Universalist Association or other member UU Congregations.  The current curriculum for 2006/2007 is:

The proposed curriculum for 2007/2008:

• Youth RE: which comprises the Our Whole Lives (OWL), Challenge, Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) and Young Adult Committee (YAC) programs.
  • Our Whole Lives (OWL):  This is a two quarter program that provides comprehensive sexuality education.  OWL helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, OWL provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.  OWL is taught by teachers that have gone through specific training for this class.
  • Challenge:  Youth in 8^th grade engage in a coming of age program called the “Millennium Challenge.” At this age, youth are ready to find their own religious identity, and determine if they want to commit more deeply to Unitarian Universalism.  The Challenge program includes learning about Unitarian Universalism, exploring other faith traditions and participating in a mentoring program.
  • Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) / Habitat for Humanity (H4H): Youth in high school can participate in the YRUU youth group.  YRUU is governed by the Youth Adult Committee (YAC).  Youth provide primary leadership for group meetings while adult advisors provide ongoing mentoring and support for youth leaders.  YRUU activities include building community, worship, social action, workshops, leadership development, and participating in district YRUU conferences.  YRUU youth can also participate in the Habitat for Humanity program.  This year-long youth social justice program includes fundraising events, planning meetings, and training sessions which culminate in a ten day out-of-state trip in July.  While the core objective directly supports Habitat for Humanity’s purpose to bring decent and affordable housing to those in need, it simultaneously affords each participant personal involvement and growth in areas such as leadership, teamwork, communications, planning, etc.

                                                               i.      Sunday mornings for students in high school

• Adult RE: which provides programs to the adult portion of the congregation
  • Adults have many options for religious education: small groups, covenant groups and other programs.  The Adult RE program is not divided into quarters.  Classes may consist of a single session through all year regularly scheduled meetings.

                                                               i.      Small groups are always open to new members and the current groups are

1.      Theological Study Circle

2.      Simple Living Circle

3.      Women’s Guild

                                                             ii.      Covenant groups are ongoing small groups whose members agree to covenant with each other.  Covenant groups typically offer support or outreach to the wider community.

1.      Arts covenant group

2.      Men’s group

3.      Reiki group

4.      2^nd Sunday evening group

5.      4^th Tuesday evening group

                                                            iii.      Other programs include classes, discussions, movie nights, etc.  These programs are announced in the church newsletter.

The LRE programs are detailed each year in a Prospectus for Lifespan Religious Education Programs which is sent out to parents of registered students prior to the 1^st quarter of the year.  The Prospects comprises the following information:

• LRE calendar summary for the school year
• A note from the Associate Minister for Religious Education
• A note from the Senior Minister of UUSG
• A description of the Mission, goals and objectives of the LRE program
• A description of the Programs for Children, Youth and Adults
• Contact information for the Associate Minister and LRE Committee Members
• Registration Instructions for Programs
• Saturday Evening LRE Schedule
• Sunday Morning LRE Schedule
  

Special Projects

 

There are a number of special projects throughout the year such as Halloween, the Holiday Pageant, etc.  One or more committee members may take responsibility for one of these events.  It is expected that several volunteers will be recruited to help with the setup and execution of the special event.

 

Communications

LRE Bulletin Board in Common Room

A bulletin board located in the UUSG common room is dedicated to the LRE program.  This bulletin board is used to communicate to the congregation.  The following information is normally displayed on the board.

• A listing of classes being run and the teachers assigned to each class
• A map of the facility showing where each class is being held
• A copy of the minutes to the last LRE Committee meeting
• Any announcements
  
  

Web

The UUSG Web site has an EDUCATION section which is used to provide information similar to the prospectus as well as any announcements.

Pioneer and Mini Pioneer Newsletters

Announcements and other information can be placed in the Pioneer and Mini-Pioneer church newsletters.

Announcements at the Beginning of Church Services

While announcements at the beginning of church services must be kept to a minimum, there are times when the LRE Committee will need to as the minister to make such an announcement.  Quite often this will relate to teacher recruitment.

 

LRE Committee

 

The LRE committee consists of a total of six volunteer members of the UUSG congregation plus the Associate Minister.  One of the volunteer members of the UUSG congregation is named as the LRE Committee Chairman.  The chairman runs this committee with the support of six committee members as shown in the org chart below.  Each committee member with the exception of the “At Large” member has a defined role.  This is an active committee that provides both guidance and direct services to the church community.

The LRE Committee meets for two hours starting at 7:00PM on the third Thursday of each month.  There is one retreat per year to establish any changes to curriculum, class structure, etc.

 

Roles and Responsibilities for each member of the LRE Committee

 

LRE Committee Chairman

 

The committee chair is responsible for scheduling, setting the agenda, and running of the LRE Committee Meetings.  The chair also calls the LRE retreat and sets the agenda for that retreat.  The LRE budget is the responsibility of the chair.  Before the beginning of each school year (by the end of August) the chair will work with the Associate Minister for Religious Education and appropriate committee members to create the Prospectus for Lifespan Religious Education programs.  This will be mailed to all registered student’s parents at the beginning of the school year.  The chair will provide support to each of the Program Committee members as needed.  Ultimately the chair provides the spirit and vision of the committee.

The chair can be nominated by any committee member and should have participated in the LRE committee for at least one year.

Associate Minister – Religious Education

One of the board members is the Associate Minister (AM-RE) who is primarily responsible for the day to day operations of the LRE program and works with each of the program board members to run the three major LRE programs.  The AM-RE is part of the permanent paid staff of the church.  A part time paid LRE assistant supports the AM-RE.  The AM-RE has numerous duties in relation to the LRE program which are:

• Teacher Recruitment (primary role)
• Locating replacements or filling in for teachers that cannot make a class (primary role)
• Conducting the new volunteer teacher training session (primary role)
• Management of the Nursery Staff
• Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning RE Coordination (primary role)
• Summer RE Coordination (primary role)
• Children’s Chapel (primary role)
• Provision of Supplies (primary role)
• Ensuring that each classroom and the nursery has the needed supplies, books, materials, facilities, etc to conduct a safe, fun and efficient class
• Scheduling and assigning facility space for all RE programs (primary role)
• Scheduling provision of child care during evening RE programs (primary role)
• Conducting the “For All Generations” program during normal church services
• Creation and Distribution of the Prospectus for LRE Programs (primary role)
• Creation / Maintenance of Class Folders / Roster
  • Class Roster
  • Page on kids with special medical needs that the teacher needs to be aware of
  • Messages to the teacher
  • Handouts for parents
• Maintenance and update of LRE statistics
  • # present each week, categorized by Session (Sat, Sun 9:00 and Sun 11:00), and grade level
  • These statistics will be presented at each LRE Committee meeting
• Conducting LRE survey with parents once each year and reporting on the results of the survey
• Registration of Students
  • Student Data Form
  • Release to call for medical help
• Provision of an LRE budget report at each LRE Committee meeting
  • Budget report shall include actual expenses for the month, budgeted expenses for the month, actual expenses year to date, budgeted expenses year to date and total budgeted expense for the year by budget line item
  • This report can be e-mailed to Committee members prior to the meeting in order to save time during the meeting.
• Maintenance of LRE records
• Researching available curriculums and making curriculum recommendations to the committee
• Ensuring that there are enough copies of curriculum books to provide to each teacher.
• Providing and retrieving curriculum books from teachers at the beginning and end of each quarter
• Communications with committee members and volunteer teaching staff with reminders or events, plans, and other need-to-know items
• Update and Maintenance of the LRE Web site (primary role)
• Update and Maintenance of the RE bulletin board in the common room (primary role)
• Other duties as assigned from time to time by the LRE committee
  

Children’s RE Committee Member

This committee member is responsible for the guidance and direction of the children’s RE program.  This committee member will work with the AM-RE to ensure that the program runs smoothly, efficiently and above all fun.  While the AM-RE will take a primary role in certain tasks such as teacher recruitment, the committee member must help with the task and make sure that it is completed on time.  The areas of responsibility for this committee member are:

·        Circle time through 6^th/7^th teacher recruitment (secondary role)

• Conducting the new volunteer teacher training session (secondary role)

·        Contact with Senior Teachers/Master Teachers

·        Parent Liaison (secondary role)

• Curriculum Planning (primary role)
• Special Events Coordination
• Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning RE Coordination (secondary role)
• Summer RE Coordination (secondary role)
• Locating replacements or filling in for teachers that cannot make a class (secondary role)
• Scheduling and assignment of facility space to classes (secondary role)

The Children’s RE Committee member can be nominated by any committee member or congregation member.  This person should have taught a class in the LRE program at least for one quarter.

 

Youth RE Committee Member

This committee member is responsible for the guidance and direction of the Youth RE program.  This committee member will work with the AM-RE to ensure that the program runs smoothly, efficiently and above all fun.  While the AM-RE will take a primary role in certain tasks such as teacher recruitment, the committee member must help with the task and make sure that it is completed on time.  The areas of responsibility for this committee member are:

·        7^th/8^th through 12^th grade teacher recruitment (secondary role)

• Conducting the new volunteer teacher training session (secondary role)

·        OWL Coordination

·        Challenge Program Coordination

·        Parent Liaison

·        YAC Coordination

·        YRUU Coordination

• Curriculum Planning (primary role)
• Sunday Morning RE Coordination (secondary role)
• Summer RE Coordination (secondary role)
• Locating replacements or filling in for teachers that cannot make a class (secondary role)
• Scheduling and assignment of facility space to classes (secondary role)

The Youth RE Committee member can be nominated by any committee member or congregation member.  This person should have taught a class in the LRE program at least for one quarter.

Adult RE Committee Member

This committee member is responsible for the guidance and direction of the Adult RE program.  This committee member will work with the AM-RE to ensure that the program runs smoothly, efficiently and above all informative and fun.  Adult RE is quite different from Children’s and Youth RE as the curriculum for each class is suggested by the teacher who will teach the class.  The Adult RE committee member will work with the AM-RE to find adults who may have an interest and might be willing to teach a class that has one or more sessions.  Another key aspect of the position is to help to market the Adult RE classes to the congregation.  The areas of responsibility for this committee member are:

 

• Teacher Recruitment (secondary role)
• Scheduling Facility Space (secondary role)
• Scheduling provision of child care during evening RE programs (secondary role)
• Curriculum Planning
• Marketing (works with communication)

The Adult RE Committee member can be nominated by any committee member or congregation member.  This person should have an interest in adult RE and have participated in or taught an adult RE class.

Secretary / Communications

The Secretary has a dual role in the RE Committee as both the recording secretary and communications coordinator.  The recording secretary records the minutes of each LRE Committee meeting or retreat.  The minutes will be posted on the bulletin board.  The Secretary also coordinates LRE Committee / Program communications through e-mail, web, newsletter and church announcements.  This is done in cooperation with the church staff and volunteers who manage these forms of church communication.  The Secretary will work with the AM-RE to create and deliver announcements, and other information to the congregation as needed by the LRE Committee and program staff.

• Recording and distribution of the LRE Committee minutes (primary role)
• Maintenance of the LRE Web site (secondary role)
• Update and Maintenance of the RE bulletin board in the common room (secondary role)
• Announcements and other information for the Pioneer Newsletter (secondary role)
• Announcements for the Mini Pioneer (secondary role)
• Announcements to be read at the beginning of Church services (secondary role)
  
  

Member At Large

One committee member has no assigned role.  This position is open to a member who may not have the time to take an active role, but may have experience or knowledge that can help the rest of the members of the committee.

Other positions related to the Lifespan Religious Education Program at UUSG

 

LRE Contact Person

 

Each Sunday morning, the LRE Committee will ensure that a LRE Contact person will be available for questions during 9:00 and 11:00 classes.  Primarily the LRE Contact is there to help ensure that the LRE programs run efficiently.  This may involve:

• support volunteer teachers as needed
• answering questions
• ensuring that kids are in the right class
• verifying that all classes have a minimum of two teachers
• verifying that all classes are under control
• the point of contact for teacher recruitment after a church service announcement

As such, the LRE Contact must know where to find, snacks, supplies, and other materials that teachers may need.  The LRE Contact person can be a member of the LRE Committee or other such person that the committee determines can meet the needs of this role.

 

Children’s RE Teaching Volunteers

 

Teachers for the Circle Time through Intermediate classes are recruited from the UUSG Congregation.  Teacher need not be official members of the church.  All new teachers should go through a volunteer teacher training session to determine the policies and rules of the LRE program at UUSG.  They will also learn some basics of teaching a class, the child safety rules, where to find supplies, materials, etc.

Teachers sign up by quarter and can take on one or more quarters per year.  There will always be a minimum of two teachers in each class room for child safety reasons.  In the event that one or more of the teachers cannot be present, then a parent can be recruited for that class, one of the LRE Committee members can sit in on the class, or the class must be cancelled for that session.

 

Child Safety and LRE

 

The LRE committee takes child safety very seriously and has put policies into place to maintain a safe and secure environment for the children participating in the LRE program.

• Each parent is asked to fill out a student data form that has a section on special medical needs.  This form also contains space for contact information in case of an emergency.
• Each parent is asked to sign a release form allowing the LRE volunteers, staff and committee members to call for help in an emergency.
• Each parent will be required to sign a permission form for any field-trip or similar activity that takes the children out off of the school grounds.
• A minimum of two teachers will always be in each classroom.  In the event that one of the teachers cannot make a class, a parent will be asked to participate in the class.
• The Church will supply snacks and drinks in order to ensure that children with food allergies are taken care of.
• Nursery through 3^rd grade classes are held in first floor rooms in order to facilitate easy egress during an emergency.  There are two stairways out of the 2^nd floor and two stairways out of the lower level areas.
• The house where church school is held is quite old and has lead based paint.  All of these surfaces have been sealed as have the windows.  The nursery is held in a room where there has never been lead paint.

 

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