Religious Educators & Teachers

Professional Religious Education (RE) Credentialing

• The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) works with people seeking credentialing as professional Unitarian Universalist (UU) religious educators. In coordination with UUA district staff, the RE Credentialing Office helps religious educators with professional development, settlement, and employment issues.

Teaching and Facilitating

• Tapestry of Faith Curricula
  UUA-developed, flexible programs for children, youth, adults, and multigenerational groups provide stories, activities, and ideas for RE time and to extend faith development into the home, community, and wider world. Online for religious educators to use at no charge.
  Browse curricula by age group, topic, or key word.
   
• Tapestry of Faith Resources
  Family Pages in UU World (PDF) is a four-page, themed, magazine insert geared for the whole family with stories, activities, and faith development guidance.
  Visit the UUA Bookstore for Toolkit Books including Nurturing Children and Youth: A Developmental Guidebook by Tracey Hurd, and Stories in Faith by Gail Forsyth-Vail.
  Discover more Tapestry of Faith resources for planning and leading RE programs.
   
• The Multicultural Growth and Witness staff group of the UUA provides extensive resources to plan and lead RE that intentionally and fully welcomes the many aspects of identity children, youth, and adults bring.

Philosophy and Applied Theory

• Essex Conversations: Visions for Lifespan Religious Education
  More than 30 religious educators discuss the role of and priorities for RE in our faith movement.
   
• Full Circle: Fifteen Ways to Grow Lifelong UUs
  Religious educator and lifelong UU Kate Covey surveyed other lifelong UUs, exploring common threads in their commitment to our faith.
   
• The Soul Only Avails: Teaching as a Spiritual Act
  Rev. Barry Andrews, 2011 Angus MacLean award recipient, articulates spiritual benefits of teaching RE.
   
• The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life
  Parker Palmer describes how teaching enriches both student and teacher.

Worship with Children

• Come Into the Circle: Worshipping with Children
  Michelle Richards' collection offers readings, song suggestions and ways to worship and welcome children in your congregation.
   
• Come Sing a Song with Me
  The UU Musicians Network's songbook presents 25 of the most popular, accessible songs from Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey for families, summer camps, religious education, and multigenerational worship.
   
• Adapting Small Group Ministry for Children (PDF, 63 pages)
  In this Tapestry of Faith resource by Gail Forsyth-Vail, eight sample sessions model integrating a worship service for school-age children and junior youth with age-group reflection and activities.
   
• Stories for All Ages
  Stories are central to Tapestry of Faith, and dozens are now available online. See a list of Tapestry of Faith stories, or Search for a story by age group, topic, or keyword.
  Two award-winning story collections by Elisa Pearmain, Doorways to the Soul: 52 Wisdom Tales from Around the World and Once Upon a Time: Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying, guide teachers to choose, tell, and process a story with a message.