Workshop 2: A Journey of Faith

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of A Place of Wholeness

In This Section

Introduction
From A Place of Wholeness

I was humbled, I was confounded, I saw clearly, that I had been all my life expecting good fruit from corrupt trees, grapes on thorns, and figs on thistles, I suspected myself, I had lost my standing, I was unsettled, perturbed and wretched. — John Murray (founder of American Universalism) on…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 5 Activity 1: What is Faith? 10 Activity 2: Faith as a Process 30 Activity 3: Story — Challenged in Belief 25 Activity 4: I Believe, I Feel, I Act 5 Faith in Action: Present Challenged in Belief to the Congregation Closing 10 Alternate Activity 1:…
Spiritual Preparation
From A Place of Wholeness

This workshop explores multiple models of faith development. Look at the developmental models presented in Handouts 1 and 2. What stage do you think you occupied during your high school years? Do you see yourself clearly in one of the stages now, or, are you more of an amalgamation of different…
Welcoming and Entering
From A Place of Wholeness

Materials for Activity Journals for new participants Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Have journals available for participants who do not have one. Set out supplies for them to personalize the journals during the Welcoming and Entering time….
Opening
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Focus table and cloth Chalice, candle, and matches Five smooth stones about the size of a fist Handout 1, Responsive Reading — Five Smooth Stones, from Workshop 1 for all participants Preparation for Activity Set up the focus table with an attractiv…
Activity 1: What is Faith?
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Write at the top of a sheet of newsprint: “What is Faith?” On a second sheet of newsprint write the following quote: One’s faith qualifies and gives tone to one’s entire way of interpreting,…
Activity 2: Faith as a Process
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, Stages of Faith Development, for all participants Handout 2, Faith Development Tasks, for all participants Leader Resource 1, Pathways of Faith Eight pieces of paper Masking tape Participants’ journals Preparation for Activity Read Hando…
Activity 3: Story - Challenged in Belief
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Three copies of the story “Challenged in Belief” Small table, table cloth and two chairs Teapot and two teacups Optional: Video camera Preparation for Activity Make three copies of the script for the story, “Challenged in Belief” and highlight the…
Activity 4: I Believe, I Feel, I Act
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Participants’ journals Pens or pencils Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Write I Believe (world view), I Feel (loyalty of my heart), and I Act (way of life) on newsprint. Write the reflection questions on newsprint and post.
Closing
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Singing the Living Tradition for all participants Copies of Taking It Home Optional: A piano or a recorded version of “My Life Flows On in Endless Song” Preparation for Activity Optional: Arrange for musical accompaniment. Description of…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From A Place of Wholeness

Talk with your co-leader about the workshop. What do you think went well? What might you have done differently? Did you learn anything about your working relationship or how you lead an activity that would be important to note for future workshops? Thinking about the content of the workshop, what…
Faith In Action: Present Challenged in Belief to the Congregation
From A Place of Wholeness

Materials for Activity Three copies of the story “Challenged in Belief” Small table, table cloth, two chairs, a teapot and two teacups Optional: Costumes Description of Activity Participants share the John Murray play (Activity 3) with the congregation. Decide on the best time for the production.
Alternate Activity 1: Spiritual Autobiography
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 45 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Handout 3, Spiritual Metaphor-Spiritual Autobiography, for all participants Participants’ journals Markers, crayons, colored pencils Description of Activity In this activity, participants explore their spiritual autobiography….
Alternate Activity 2: Faith Development Interview
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Handout 1, Stages of Faith Development Copies of Handout 2, Faith Development Tasks Copies of Handout 3, Spiritual Metaphor-Spiritual Autobiography Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Find two to three adults from the…
Alternate Activity 3: Walking Meditation
From A Place of Wholeness

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Music player Soft instrumental music Preparation for Activity Find a quiet open space outside. If the weather does not permit this, find a large room with space for participants to wander around….
Taking It Home: A Journey of Faith
From A Place of Wholeness

I was humbled, I was confounded, I saw clearly, that I had been all my life expecting good fruit from corrupt trees, grapes on thorns, and figs on thistles, I suspected myself, I had lost my standing, I was unsettled, perturbed and wretched. — John Murray (founder of American Universalism) on…
Challenged in Belief
From A Place of Wholeness

Make three copies of this story and highlight the appropriate parts for each of the actors. Although there is gender differentiation in the characters, the character’s gender does not need to match the actor’s gender. Parts: Old John Murray (the Narrator) Young John Murray Young Lady Two or three…
Handout 1: Stages of Faith Development
From A Place of Wholeness

Page 1 Stages of Faith Development Pre-Stage: Undifferentiated Faith Generally children from birth through about 2 years of age. Have the potential for faith but lack the ability to act on that potential….
Handout 2: Faith Development Tasks

Dan Harper

From A Place of Wholeness

Adapted from an essay, Learning Types and their Needs. In Essex Conversations: Vision for Lifespan Religious Education, ed. The Essex Conversations Coordinating Committee (Boston: Skinner House. 94-5). First Task: Learn basic Unitarian Universalist religious skills; learn how we Unitarian…
Handout 3: Spiritual Metaphor-Spiritual Autobiography
From A Place of Wholeness

Adapted with permission from Search Institute®. Copyright © 2008 Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN; … href=”www.search-institute.orgwww.search-institute.org…
Leader Resource 1: Pathways of Faith

Dan Harper

From A Place of Wholeness

Lay out the pathways roughly as they are presented in the diagram below. Use pieces of paper to mark eight developmental stage points. On one side write the number and on the other write the name of the developmental stage. Use masking tape to create paths between numbers as shown below….
Find Out More
From A Place of Wholeness

Faith Development For more information on faith development, and other developmental issues for children and youth, see Tracey Hurd’s Alban Institute, is a series of essays about different aspects of building multigenerational community in churches. It includes a very good essay by Robert Keeley…