Be ours a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere;

Its temple, all space;

Its shrine, the good heart;

Its creed, all truth;

Its ritual, works of love;

Its profession of faith, divine living.

— Theodore Parker

Big Question: What does Unitarian Universalism mean to me?

Unitarian Universalist youth often first think seriously about what our faith means to them when they enter a Coming of Age program, typically in eighth or ninth grade. Asking sixth graders to ponder the question can nurture and support their developing lives of faith through the middle school years. This session offers potential answers and a fun, thoughtful conclusion to Riddle and Mystery. It asks youth to identify common UU ideas about mystery, faith and big questions. They consider a UU teen's story about her Unitarian Universalist experience and create a final WCUU broadcast.

Plan to spend a little more prep time than usual on WCUU; it includes a presentation of WCUU lifetime press passes and a party.

Goals

This session will:

• Pose the Big Question "What does Unitarian Universalism mean to me?" and explore a variety of responses
• Guide youth to explore the roles of religion, spirituality, faith and faith community in their life journeys
• Offer one teenager's experience of Unitarian Universalism
• Help youth shape simple statements of what Unitarian Universalism means to them
• Celebrate the conclusion of Riddle and Mystery.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Deepen their understanding of religion, spirituality, faith and faith community, and how these concepts apply to their own lives
• Gain ideas about what Unitarian Universalism does or can mean to them
• Articulate what Unitarian Universalism means to them in a simple statement
• Celebrate the conclusion of Riddle and Mystery.