From Within These Walls Celebrating 100 Years at 10 South Gilbert

May 2008

Religious Education through the Years in our UU Community Charity Rowley

Our historical archives tell us how religious education for children, youth, and adults has evolved in our congregation. What happened often depended upon the talents of the “Sunday School Superintendent” and the involvement of the minister. Since the early 1800s, both denominations – Unitarian and Universalist – had developed materials that could be used by individual congregations. Our congregation also subscribed to these materials.  Early religious education called upon students to memorize Bible-based answers to questions about their faith. Universalists taught the hopeful message of a God of Love to distinguish themselves from other denominations, as did Unitarians. The lessons, which were the same for all children whatever their age, told stories of Jesus and other famous people. The aim was to inspire the young to lead a moral life. There were also periodicals for parents and teachers. By the 1850s, the Unitarians were following other denominations in using lessons written for specific age groups. We adopted the 1857 tradition of celebrating Children’s Day on the second Sunday in June. By the late 1800s, our Young People’s Religious Union met on Sunday nights for Fireside Room lectures and performances in Channing Hall. RE classes were held in the church basement, unless the number of children was too large for that space. When that happened, the older children met in the parsonage next door. Sunday School picnics and other outings involving all ages were a regular part of our church life. High on the shelves in our library are copies of the 1930s curricula for religious education, the New Beacon Series, which was ushered in by Sophia Lyon Fahs and seminary teacher Angus MacLean. [Boys] In the 1960s, curricula came in boxes of materials that the children could use to discover answers to questions about evolution, communication (Jane Latourette’s materials), decision making, and enjoyment of the wonder of being at home in this world. During this time we developed our first materials dealing with sexuality. Our board gave much time and consideration for its adoption.	When the number of children in RE classes increased in the 1950s, we used the church basement for class space for preschoolers, and the former parsonage at 10 S. Gilbert  (minus the rooms upstairs and downstairs that we rented to others) for the older children. In the fall of 1961 we tore out kitchen appliances and cupboards to make space for one more class. Then, in 1962, we were able to erect the Worthley Building. Lifespan Religious Education Today we are exploring what it takes to raise lifelong UUs. Our young people have said they have a hard time explaining to their peers what Unitarian Universalists believe, so through Life-span Religious Education we work to provide them with a strong sense of Unitarian Universalism in a variety of ways, such as using a chalice-lighting ritual in our classrooms, claiming stories from our past, choosing curricula that help young people develop a UU identity, and providing resources that parents can adapt to celebrate UU traditions at home. We incorporate our Judeo-Christian heritage in LRE materials, exploring the breadth and depth of our tradition. We have also begun to emphasize inter-generational events, such as Family FUUN Nights, Coming of Age, and youth service trips, most recently to New Orleans. UUSIC is also home to many learning opportunities for adults in our congregation, including monthly book discussions, Buddhist Sangha, Covenant Groups, Interweave, Secular Humanists, Social Justice, and Worthley Evenings. Our Welcome Home Wednesdays program, now in its fifth year, provides classes in the fall and spring on such topics as Bible studies, current issues, personal development, social service, spiritual practices (such as meditation and yoga), and UUism. Throughout the years, our RE program and other activities have provided opportunities for the meaningful participation of our members, young and old, in the lifelong learning that is so important to our UU community.
From Sunday School Superintendent to DLRE Marilyn Jennewein
Since the early days of our congregation, organizing a Sunday program for young people has been a priority. For more than a century, this was done through the efforts of the Sunday School Superintendent, a volunteer from the congregation, male or female, who made sure that a program for young people was provided. Among the early superintendents was Bertha Shambaugh. Along with changes in curricula and the erection of the Worthley Building in the 1960s came a change in the role of the superintendent. The job title became “Director of Religious Education.”  Faye  Strayer  was	the first DRE to be paid, earning $50 a month (“Peace Corps pay,” as Charity Rowley remembers it). Through the 1980s, the DRE position was supposed to be one-quarter time, but in truth our DREs have worked many more than 10 hours a week. In 2000, Lois Cole joined our staff as Director of Religious Education, the first DRE to come from outside the congregation. During the 2003-04 year, her job became a full-time position with a new title: Director of Lifespan Religious Education. In this role, Lois leads a program offering educational opportunities for UUs of all ages.
Check it out …	From Within These Walls is a project of the UUSIC Building Centennial Team: Jeanette Carter, Susan Eberly, Marilyn Jennewein, David Martin, Betty McKray, Charity Rowley, Faye Strayer, and Mark Yuskis, with the help of many others in our UUSIC community.
UUSIC timeline - Decade by decade historical highlights, located on the south wall of Channing hall, and updated monthly. Fireside Room Display: RE through the Years FWTW web page, with new information every month. UUSIC historical resources available at the State Historical Society of Iowa.

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