Call and Response: Journeys in UU Lifespan Faith Development

Education for the Religious Educator: What's New with the UUA Renaissance Program?

By Pat Kahn

asset_upload_file352_9887 torch chalice bridenbaugh from uua dot com

Chalice: Steve Bridenbaugh

Looking for opportunities for professional development or continuing education? Check out the UUA’s Renaissance program!

The Renaissance program has a distinguished tradition of on-site training for religious educators, musicians, lay leaders, seminarians, and parish ministers. It is also a major component of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Religious Education (RE) Credentialing program.

Each 15-hour module provides standardized basic training in a topic area useful in religious education leadership. The modules may be used in any order:

  • Administration as Leadership
  • Adult Faith Development and Programming
  • Curriculum Planning
  • Ministry with Youth
  • Multicultural Religious Education
  • Philosophy of Religious Education
  • Teacher Development
  • Unitarian Universalist History
  • Unitarian Universalist Identity
  • Worship for All Ages

Any group—a UUA region or district, a LREDA chapter, a cluster of congregations, or a camp/conference center—can sponsor a module. A step-by-step planning guide is available online and helpful UUA staff only an email away (renaissance@uua.org). There may already be a Renaissance module scheduled convenient to where you live. Check the UUA’s calendar of events.

Soon, participants will be able to take a Renaissance module without traveling. Funding support from the Panel on Theological Education has enabled the Faith Development Office to develop distance-learning modules, making the program more accessible than ever before. The in-person UU History module has been re-developed by Gail Forsyth-Vail into a distance-learning format: eight 90-minute sessions via phone or video conferencing, reading and assignments for each session, and a final project. A distance-learning module on UU Theology, by Rev. Lynn Ungar, is in development now.

About the Author

Pat Kahn

Pat Kahn served as the Professional Development Programs Manager in the Faith Development Office, with responsibilities that include the RE Credentialing Program, the Music Leader Certification Program and the Renaissance Program. She worked for the UUA in November, 2011 until June, 2019 as the...

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