Workshop 1: Wading In: An Introduction

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Faith like a River: Themes from Unitarian Universalist History

In This Section

Introduction
From Faith Like a River

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? — Paul Gauguin This workshop explores Unitarian Universalist history as one current in the stream of human history, with its own themes of thought and action that swirl, eddy, and bubble to prominence at different points in time. A selection…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Faith Like a River

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 5 Activity 1: W.H.G. Carter and a Step Toward Reconciliation 25 Activity 2: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?…
Spiritual Preparation
From Faith Like a River

Reflect on a time when you learned something new about the history of your congregation, or about Unitarian Universalism, that shifted your sense of identity as a Unitarian Universalist. What feelings were associated with the shift? If you heard a story of achievement and courage, did you feel…
Welcoming and Entering
From Faith Like a River

Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Sign-in sheet and pen/pencil Name tags and markers Leader Resource 1, Schedule Template Preparation for Activity Download and adapt Leader Resource 1, Schedule Template. Copy it for all participants. Create and post a workshop agenda on newsprint.
Opening
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle Optional: Decorative cloth Preparation for Activity Set up a worship or centering table with the chalice and (optional) decorative cloth….
Activity 1: W.H.G. Carter and a Step Toward Reconciliation
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “W.H.G. Carter and a Step Toward Reconciliation” Preparation for Activity Read the story. If you plan to invite volunteers to read the words in the story spoken by Walter Herz, Leslie Edwards, Starita Smith, and Rev. Mark…
Activity 2: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, Litany — Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?…
Activity 3: Time Line of UU History
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 2, Time Line of UU History Pens/pencils (for handouts); markers (for posted display) Optional: Newsprint or other display paper, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Download Handout 2, Time Line of UU History….
Activity 4: Building a Group Covenant
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity For your own use, list the elements of covenant that you would like to suggest as the facilitator. You might include: Start and end on time. Practice respectful dialogue….
Closing
From Faith Like a River

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Taking It Home Optional: Faith in Action from this workshop and/or Spiritual Preparation from Workshop 2…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Faith Like a River

After the workshop, co-leaders should talk together to evaluate this workshop and plan future workshops. Use these questions to guide your shared reflection and planning: What parts of the workshop worked well and which did not? Why? How was the success, or lack of success, related to the topics?
Faith In Action: Sharing Insights from UU History
From Faith Like a River

Materials for Activity Handout 1, Litany — Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Description of Activity Create and implement a plan to share a story from Activity 1 of this workshop with your congregation, perhaps with the youth group; a children’s, youth, or adult religious…
Taking It Home: Wading In: An Introduction
From Faith Like a River

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? — Paul Gauguin Consider where your personal Unitarian Universalist identity comes from. What has it made of you? How does it lead you into the future? Write your reflections in your journal or engage friends and family members in…
W.H.G. Carter and a Step Toward Reconciliation

David Whitford

From Faith Like a River

Adapted from “A Step Toward Racial Reconciliation”, UU World, May/June 2002, used with permission. Reverend W.H.G. Carter was a big man with a big personality. Light-skinned, six-feet-two, a man of charm, energy, imagination, and learning, he towered over his wife, Beulah, who was only five feet…
Handout 1: Litany: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
From Faith Like a River

Stories in this litany are used by permission. “A Child Discovers She’s Not Alone” by Rev. Pat Guthmann Haresch I remember in my UU childhood, I went to a grade school where there weren’t any other UU kids, and sometimes that felt isolating….
Handout 2: Time Line of UU History
From Faith Like a River

You can download a word document of this timeline here. Timeline of UU History (PDF) Date Historical and Religious Events Unitarian Universalist Unitarian Universalist 230 C.E….
Leader Resource 1: Schedule Template
From Faith Like a River

WORKSHOP TITLE DATE/TIME 1 Wading In — An Introduction 2 Against the Flow — Orthodoxy and Heresy 3 Rising Tides — Reason as a Religious Source 4 The Verdant Springs — Reform(ation) 5 God’s Gonna Trouble the Water — Martyrs and Sacrifice 6 Shall We Gather at the River? — Religious…
Find Out More
From Faith Like a River

This is a general bibliography for Unitarian Universalist history. The Find Out More sections of individual workshops offer thematic resources. For the duration of this program, you may wish to borrow these key resources from your congregational library or your minister….

Download all of Faith Like a River (Word) to edit or print.

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Workshop 1: Wading In: An Introduction

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