Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Virtue Ethics: An Ethical Development Program for High School Youth

Alternate Activity 2: Worship Service

Part of Virtue Ethics

Materials for Activity

  • Hymnbooks, meditation manuals, and other Unitarian Universalist Association or congregational worship resources
  • Newsprint, markers, and tape

Preparation for Activity

  • Arrange a date for the youth to lead or co-lead a worship service on virtue ethics.
  • Consider inviting your minister, religious educator, music director, or chair of the congregation's worship committee to help plan worship. If any youth have worship experience, invite them to co-facilitate this activity with you.

Description of Activity

Participants plan a multigenerational worship service around a virtue ethics theme.

If you invited a guest to help with planning, introduce them to the group.

Plan a worship service:

1. Start by defining the goals of this service. Will youth invite the congregants to wrestle with one or more of the virtues the group has studied? Will the youth share about how these virtues play out in their lives? Defining the goals will help keep the conversation focused.

2. Help the youth decide what elements the worship will include. For example, will there be a sermon? A homily? Or, sharing of personal stories? Will there be a Story for All Ages? Hymns and/or recorded music?

3. Assign "To Do" items, with deadlines and clear lines of communication.

Plan to hold a second meeting to put all the pieces together. Depending on participants' access to technology, small groups might meet via phone or Skype.

4. Plan a rehearsal date.

5. Publicize the worship service to the wider congregation.