Lifespan Learning
My many years as a hands-on professional religious educator with elementary, youth, and adult populations have shaped my view of lifespan learning as an essential component of a well-rounded spiritual life. At its best, UU religious education builds community, it promotes a life of exploration and integrity, and it grows joyful souls.
Philosophically, I believe that as we pursue both a lived and an examined life, we can draw on what RE matriarch, Sophia Lyon Fahs, calls "the living yeast of human experience" to explore and interpret both our interior and exterior worlds. This process of interpreting is at the heart of my understanding of UU religious education as a lifelong learning community in pursuit of usable truths.
My approach to RE is one in which, age-appropriately, learners are opened up rather than poured into. I believe even the youngest mind (or an older one fixed in its ways) can be inspired and challenged if we provide creative facilitation, a safe space for questioning and a haven for doubt. This haven is especially critical for our UU teens, who have few other places in this culture of conformity to explore openly their feelings, fears, and beliefs. I am a trained OWL facilitator and strongly support this program for our youth.
In nurturing a cooperative lifespan religious education program, I will encourage a strong connection to our UU living tradition so that learners can feel grounded in something more durable than whatever happens to be spiritually trendy. I'm a great fan of Yoga, Tai Chi, Enneagrams, Sacred Dance, writing courses, and the like, as long as we don't sorely neglect Emerson's essays, the principles, ethics, the big life questions, or the active pursuit of religious self-understanding as UUs. Moreover, I will do whatever I can to create links between RE and other aspects of congregational life (and worship) so that the Sunday School doesn't feel like its been annexed to Siberia!
Adult Faith Development has been a major component of my lay leadership and in all of my congregational ministries. I was a founding Board member of the adult faith center at First Parish in Concord, and in subsequent ministries have worked with Adult Education committees to develop and provide a full spectrum program of meaningful and well-facilitated offerings that dovetailed with other program areas in the church, such as Social Justice, UU Identity, and Membership. At First Unitarian, we were successful with new formats such as one-day Pop-Up InstitUUtes and full-day mindfulness retreats. At the district level, as well, I have offered workshops on Adult RE topics.
Teaching is a large part of my ministries (congregational and community) and an aspect of my vocation which I relish. I've found that everyone benefits when the minister actively spends time with children, youth, and adults in a small-group discussion/learning format. I look forward to that.
My approach to RE is one in which, age-appropriately, learners are opened up rather than poured into. I believe even the youngest mind (or an older one fixed in its ways) can be inspired and challenged if we provide creative facilitation, a safe space for questioning and a haven for doubt. This haven is especially critical for our UU teens, who have few other places in this culture of conformity to explore openly their feelings, fears, and beliefs. I am a trained OWL facilitator and strongly support this program for our youth.
In nurturing a cooperative lifespan religious education program, I will encourage a strong connection to our UU living tradition so that learners can feel grounded in something more durable than whatever happens to be spiritually trendy. I'm a great fan of Yoga, Tai Chi, Enneagrams, Sacred Dance, writing courses, and the like, as long as we don't sorely neglect Emerson's essays, the principles, ethics, the big life questions, or the active pursuit of religious self-understanding as UUs. Moreover, I will do whatever I can to create links between RE and other aspects of congregational life (and worship) so that the Sunday School doesn't feel like its been annexed to Siberia!
Adult Faith Development has been a major component of my lay leadership and in all of my congregational ministries. I was a founding Board member of the adult faith center at First Parish in Concord, and in subsequent ministries have worked with Adult Education committees to develop and provide a full spectrum program of meaningful and well-facilitated offerings that dovetailed with other program areas in the church, such as Social Justice, UU Identity, and Membership. At First Unitarian, we were successful with new formats such as one-day Pop-Up InstitUUtes and full-day mindfulness retreats. At the district level, as well, I have offered workshops on Adult RE topics.
Teaching is a large part of my ministries (congregational and community) and an aspect of my vocation which I relish. I've found that everyone benefits when the minister actively spends time with children, youth, and adults in a small-group discussion/learning format. I look forward to that.
Youth ExplorationAs a religious educator, I have served as: Assistant DRE, First Parish in Concord, MA 1992-1993 Director, Creator and Facilitator of Youth Programming: Coming of Age Director, First Parish in Concord, UU, (MA) (1993-95) A full-year personal and spiritual development program for senior high youth, including values assessment, decision trees, and a Vision Quest. (1993-95; now an established part of the First Parish youth program.) Teen Life Issues Conference Co-Director, Ferry Beach Park Association (1995-1999) For four summers, I served as the co-director of a week-long conference/camp for senior high youth. Our curriculum included worship, arts, small group exploration and reflection, fun and frolicking. Rev Robin is trained as an “Our Whole Lives” facilitator (Grades 7-12) |
Adult Faith DevelopmentAs a layperson, staff member and minister, I’ve created and led adult RE programs to inspire congregants to connect to themselves, one another, and the world around them.
My goal has been to provide a framework for others to grow and deepen (personally, intellectually, spiritually, and ethically) as individuals, as members of the community, and as Unitarian Universalists. |
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These programs have included:
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A full list can be found on Robin’s Resumé/CV and her Ministerial Record