Tapestry of Faith: The New UU: A Program for Welcoming Newcomers to Unitarian Universalist Congregations

Activity 1: Introductions through Social Justice History

Part of The New UU

Activity time: 15 minutes

Description of Activity

Invite participants to introduce themselves and present a brief description of their own work with social justice using words such as:

In this workshop, we are talking about social justice. You may or may not think of yourself as an activist, but we have all done something to make a difference in the world. Making the world a better place is fundamental for Unitarian Universalists, because our focus is on this world, rather than the next. Our introductory question for this workshop is: "Tell us about a time you made a difference in the world. This may be an act you did independently or with a group; it could be any way-large or small-that helped to bring into being your vision of a better world."

Model the process for participants, encouraging brevity. Continue around the circle. Pauses for thinking are fine. Participants may pass. If a participant strays from the theme or is talking too long, remind them to focus their answer on the question.

Relate the work of Unitarian Universalists in social justice to the stories that participants have shared. Continue to introduce the theme by sharing these words from "Inspired Faith, Effective Action: A Social Justice Workbook for Unitarian Universalist Congregations":

Ours is a theology of engagement. We draw inspiration and truth from experiencing each other and the world around us. In doing so, we necessarily witness both the beauty and the brokenness of our larger community and environment. We are here because we want to help heal the brokenness...