Activity 3: Reflection
Part of Faith like a River
Activity time: 45 minutes
Materials for Activity
- Newsprint, markers, and tape
- Lined paper and pens/pencils
- Time Line of UU History from Workshop 1
Preparation for Activity
- Write on newsprint, and post:
- What have you learned from these workshops that shifted your understanding of Unitarian Universalism or your sense of your identity as a Unitarian Universalist?
- What feelings were associated with the shift? Recall both the circumstances of your new learning, and the feelings you experienced in response to that learning.
- Prepare a sheet of newsprint or a handout to refresh participants' memories of events and people discussed in the workshops. Use the Workshop-at-a-Glance table at the beginning of each workshop to help you.
Description of Activity
This closing activity is designed for the final workshop in a series.
Display or distribute the list of workshop content you have prepared. Share time line handouts or remind the group where the time line is posted. Invite participants to reflect on what they learned during your time together. Prompt the group to think of something they learned about the history of your congregation or about Unitarian Universalism that somehow shifted their sense of identity as Unitarian Universalist.
Indicate the questions you have posted. Distribute paper and pens/pencils. Ask the group to take ten minutes to reflect on the questions in silence and jot notes if they wish. If you sense uncertainty about how to respond to the questions, you might offer:
If you recall a story of achievement or courage, did it make you feel unexpectedly proud? If the story that comes to mind is about a time when our forebears fell short of Unitarian Universalist ideals, what feelings did you experience? If the story told of a struggle to find the right thing to do in the face of difficult choices, did you feel a sense of connection to the struggle?
After ten minutes, invite participants to form groups of three and share their reflections. Allow ten minutes for sharing.
Re-gather the large group. Invite participants to share any appreciations or reflections on their workshop experiences.