Religious Growth and Learning

Kim Beyer-Nelson, RGL Director

A message from Kim Beyer-Nelson, RGL Director Welcome to the Unitarian Church of Lincoln, Nebraska! In our religious community, we are committed to the lifelong process of religious growth and learning. Our programs for children and youth have a foundation in Sunday morning classes, but extend to other opportunities in which young people can learn and practice UU principles and traditions. We seek to offer a safe and nurturing environment where young people can freely explore "the big questions," and are encouraged to live their lives richly, broadly, and deeply. Your family is invited to join in the exploration and celebration. We are delighted to have you with us!

Home Church Operations Sunday Services Religious Growth & Learning Committees Activities Church Administration Contact Us Staff Board of Trustees & Appointed Officers Lincoln Unitarian Foundation About Unitarian Universalism Bookshop Links

Note: Many of the linked documents below are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Our Religious Growth and Learning program is dynamic and continually expanding into new areas. To keep aware of our current activities, please regularly consult our Current Newsletter. Our RGL Director, Kim Beyer-Nelson, attended the Prairie Star District Lifespan Faith Development Conference in Windom, MN, in May 2005. Her notes contain the thrust of this important conference. Please take time to read through them. We also have an active Adult Education program. Please check back on this program regularly. Our program comprises several areas of action and philosophy: The Rotation Program Our Philosophy of Relgious Growth and Learning Participation in our Program Building a Community for Us All The Rotation Program The rotation program is a new effort, still being developed to help us learn what we are up to, and how we can learn more. When completed, the rotation program will include: Parent Rotation Resources Pre-First Grade Parent Christian Resources Parent Rotation Resources, Second - Fifth Grade Islam Parent Notes Islam Parent Resources Buddhist Parent Resources Youth Group Happenings Our Whole Lives Programming Kids' Art Galleries Our Philosophy of Religious Growth and Learning In the late 1980s, the Religious Education Committee of our church made a decision to rename itself as Religious Growth and Learning (RGL). The words "religious education" are often seen as meaning "school" or "classroom," rather than referring to the wide variety of experiences that help to promote religious growth and learning for children, youth, and adults within a congregation's community. Schooling is only one part of the church's religious education program. Worship, social life, service, and social action are just as important to the religious being and becoming of Unitarian Universalists. Using the term Religious Growth and Learning is a way to remind us of this larger context of religious being and becoming. Our RGL vision for children and youth encompasses a holistic relationship to the life of our congregation and community, which includes, but goes beyond, classroom instruction. Our philsophy is to provide a foundation for the lifelong endeavor of identifying that which is valuable and meaningful. We will create opportunities for children and youth to learn and practice Unitarian Universalist principles and traditions. We will equip our young people with the tools needed to live lives which reflect those principles and traditions. Our religious community will carry out this vision by weaving together: Education in classroom or group settings. Ritual and worship. Intergenerational activities. Social interactions. Social action and service. What does this mean for our young people? Religious Growth and Learning programs for children and youth will take place on Sunday mornings and at various other times throughout the course of the year. Within a safe and nurturing environment, our volunteers will endeavor to provide opportunities that will: Elicit the child's natural curiousity and sense of wonder. Promote the development of acceptance, compassion, and appreciation of others. Develop the tools for moral and ethical decision-making. Foster social awareness and urge social action. Acquire an understanding of our religious movement and heritage. Nurture a sense of community among the generations of our congregation. Encourage personal exploration of one's own values and faith, and provide the means and venue to articulate it. Celebrate life's meanings and mysteries. Allow us to have fun together! Participation in our Program Registration All children and youth participating regularly in the Religious Growth and Learning (RGL) Sunday Program must be registered. Registration forms are available in the RGL Director's office. Visitors We welcome visitors to our Sunday program classes. Please check in with the Greeter in the RGL Office each Sunday. Participants who bring a friend to Sunday School with them are asked to fill out a visitor registration form as well. Parent Involvement Our Religious Growth and Learning Program is a cooperative, volunteer effort. The richness and diversity of the program depends on our volunteers! Please have a conversation with the RGL Director or committee members about your hobbies, talents, areas of expertise, or whatever brings joy to your life. Also remember to fill out the volunteer sheet on the back of your child's registration form. Everyone has something to contribute. We look forward to working with you and getting to know you in our church community! Building A Community for Us All Here are some to the ways Religious Growth and Learning takes place beyond the classrooms. Intergenerational Services Children and youth are invited to attend a portion of the Church Service. These services are intended to appeal to all ages with a timely message or ritual celebration. Watch for announcements of upcoming services in the church newsletter. Beginning in February 2001, we will have a new way of including young people in Sunday Morning worship. Watch for information in the church newsletter. Celebration of New Lives Infants and young children are welcomed into our community during a Service of Dedication offered once or more during the church year. Please contact the Minister or RGL Director for more information. Coming of Age The Coming of Age program was designed to bring teenagers, ages 14+, into fuller church participation, to help them define their own beliefs, and to develop a sense of Unitarian Universalist identity. Participation in this program is voluntary and extracurricular. Adult members are needed to serve as mentors for the youth. Please contact the RGL Director for information. Intergenerational Gatherings Family- friendly, food, and fun! The church newsletter will keep you informed of upcoming events, e.g., Souper Supper, Secret Friends, and more. Join us!