Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Activity 2: Story - My UU Experience

Activity time: 8 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Read the story and prepare to tell it interactively, as suggested.
  • Decide whether you want to do Alternate Activity 6, School Bus Talks, immediately after youth hear and process this story.
  • Find out whether your congregation has ever engaged its older UU youth to talk with adults or younger youth about their personal experiences with faith, religion and/or spirituality. Be ready to tell the group about such programs that have occurred in the past. If possible, plan a similar event for them. Alternate Activity 5, Youth Visits, describes such an event in more detail.

Description of Activity

Tell the group that in today's story a high school senior from Massachusetts talks about her experiences in Unitarian Universalism. Mention that the story is a little like an "elevator speech" about our religion-a very short explanation of Unitarian Universalism that a person could give in the time it takes to travel between floors on an elevator. You might also call it a "school bus speech." If youth will do Alternate Activity 6, School Bus Talks, suggest they listen for ideas in the story that they might include in their own elevator or school bus speech about being a UU.

Read the story interactively, as guided.

At the end of the story, ask:

  • In what ways does Margaret's experience sound like yours?
  • Did you hear any examples of religion, spirituality or faith in Margaret's story? (Affirm the examples youth contribute. You might restate a definition of religion, spirituality or faith, if appropriate, but do not worry too much about the shades of definition. It is most important that the youth identify aspects of Margaret's UU story that resonate for them.)
  • After hearing Margaret's story, what do you think "faith community" means? What do you think it means to Margaret?

Mention, as appropriate, any programs in your congregation where older youth speak to the congregation or younger groups about their own faith.