Administration & Volunteer Management

“Creating a dynamic and sustainable Religious Education Program”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Record-keeping and budgeting
• Oral and written communication
• Working with the Religious Education (RE) Committee
• Advocating for the RE Program and for the needs of children and youth
• Setting goals, evaluating results, adjusting Program elements
• Securing funding and staff to meet goals
• Recruiting volunteers
• Developing and implementing training Programs for volunteers
• Matching volunteers to positions
• Assessing volunteer effectiveness, coaching, and reassigning volunteers when necessary

Examples

• Proposing, justifying, and managing a budget
• Managing a system that assures adequate volunteer coverage for Programs
• Scheduling, organizing, and coordinating events that are integrated with other events in the congregation
• Implementing a scope and sequence plan and curriculum map for the lifespan religious education
• Leading the RE Committee and other volunteers in goal-setting, curriculum mapping, and policy development
• Utilizing interpersonal skills to find allies and following congregational processes necessary to make effective change and achieve Program goals

Human & Faith Development

“Creating developmentally-appropriate religious education programming”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Theories of human development
• Theories of faith development
• Application of human and faith development knowledge to planning and implementing an Religious Education Program
• Ability to accommodate children with special needs
• Given the prevalence of trauma, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, learn how trauma affects people and develop skills that avoid retraumatizing practices. These skills should be culturally sensitive and spiritually grounded

Examples

• Making appropriate decisions with regard to staffing, curriculum selection and development, rituals, and Programs for various ages and stages of human and faith development
• Recognize adaptive responses to trauma, articulate strengths-based approaches
• Articulate de-escalation and trauma-prevention techniques

Safer Congregations, Right Relations & Professional Ethics

“Creating shared ministry and safe spaces”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Ethics
• Liberal Religious Educators Association Code of Conduct
• Interpersonal skills
• Staff team collaboration and support
• Safe Congregations

Examples

• Developing, implementing, and monitoring safe congregation policies and procedures within the RE Program
• Collaborating with other professional ministry staff to create and enact a ministry team covenant
• Collaborating with other professional ministry staff to ensure quality and continuity of Programming in support of the mission of the congregation
• Advocating for Religious Education and Religious Educators at the level of congregational staff and leadership

Sexual Health (one Our Whole Lives training counts as a Renaissance Module)

“Nurturing healthy sexuality”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Sexual health
• Sexual boundaries
• Sexual justice
• Gender equity
• Inclusion of LGBTQ+ siblings and awareness of the danger they face in the United States (and/or Canada, as applicable)
• Knowledge and use of Our Whole Lives curricula
• Sexual harassment/misconduct prevention and response.

Examples

• Developing, implementing, and monitoring policies and procedures within the RE Program with regard to sexual harassment/misconduct prevention and response
• Working knowledge of, and practice with, the Our Whole Lives curriculum
• Demonstrating comfort with body- and sex-positive language and concepts
• Advocating for sexual justice in the work setting and in the wider community
• Creating safe(r) spaces for LGBTQ+ siblings in our care
• Supporting self-care/care for LGBTQ+ siblings in our care

Sources of UU Inspiration

“Diversity of theological inspiration”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Familiarity with the diverse sources of inspiration as defined in Article 2
• Awareness of one’s own UU theology and which sources are most prominent
• Advocacy for inclusion and diversity of UU Sources in the RE Program
• Sensitivity to issues of cultural misappropriation
• Working knowledge of the basic stories, beliefs, and holidays (as applicable) in:
  • Jewish and Christian traditions
  • Major world religions (e.g., Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Taoism)
  • Humanism
  • Earth-Centered Traditions (e.g., Native American, “Neo-Pagan”)

Examples

• Educating children, youth, and/or adults about the importance of each of the Sources in the development of a rich UU personal theology
• Developing lessons or worship services based on the stories and/or tenets of major world religions, humanism, or earth-centered traditions
• Advocating for breadth and depth of personal and religious exploration within the Religious Education Program
• Exercising sensitivity to cultural misappropriation when exploring other faiths
• Participating in an interfaith event
• Preparing a youth group for a discussion of religious beliefs with a youth group of another faith, or for a visit to the house of worship of another faith
• Emphasize pluralism as a central value of UUism

Systems & Conflict

“Managing change and conflict in a healthy way”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Systems thinking
• Self-differentiated leadership
• Levels of conflict
• Resource-based vs. identity-based conflict
• Engaging resistance
• Interventions
• Covenanting & re-covenanting

Examples

• Utilizing systems theory in problem solving
• Conducting oneself with awareness of one’s potential impact on the congregational system
• Articulating one’s own personal style with regard to conflict
• Understanding systemic resistance to change
• Dealing effectively with people when they are experiencing differing effects related to the spectrum of change
• Staying in right relationship with people with whom you disagree
• Pursuing appropriate intervention strategies based on the type and level of conflict
• Leading a resolution process that results in healthy congregational change
• Highlight the use of covenant as a tool for conflict engagement

Unitarian Universalist Foundations

“Growing Unitarian Universalists”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist history
• Congregational polity
• Educational philosophy of key figures in U, U, and UU histories
• Emerging issues within UU religious education
• Article 2: history and implications for religious education
• Living tradition

Examples

• Using the values and covenant statements to shape/inform the explicit curriculum
• Using UU history to create and reinforce UU identity within children and youth
• Enhancing existing curricula with illustrations from UU history
• Making formal and informal presentations about UU history, respond to questions, and provide resources
• Articulating one’s philosophy of religious education by drawing upon the teachings of key figures within UU religious education
• Collaborating with the RE Committee to articulate an overarching RE philosophy and vision for your community
• Aligning the RE Program with the RE philosophy and vision of the Religious Educator, RE Committee, and Congregation
• Incorporating the concept of being a living tradition with Article 2 as a case study

Worship

“Creating meaningful worship”

Scope of Knowledge and Skills

• Goals and structure of worship
• Inclusion of multiple learning styles in worship
• Creation of ritual and worship elements
• Comfort leading worship for children and youth, co-creating worship with youth or adults, and involving children and youth in “adult” worship

Examples

• Participating on a worship team for a variety of worship experiences
• Teaching children and youth to create and lead worship services
• Developing skills in storytelling and adapting stories or creating new stories
• Developing and delivering sermons for children and youth
• Designing and leading worship for children separately or as a segment within worship for adults