Our Lifespan Faith Formation program is founded on several core beliefs that are woven throughout our classes, curricula, and small groups. At the Unitarian Universalist Area Church in Sherborn…
- We have respect for minds, bodies and souls.
- We affirm that grace is real, and that we must be grateful for unearned gifts.
- We affirm that revelation is continuous. We are seekers, questioners and stewards of hope.
- Love is our religious ethic.
- We affirm that the universe is benevolent. Love wins.
- We know that we are connected to one another in our humanity: in our celebrations, our capacity to love, our sorrows, and our brokenness.
- We affirm that suffering is a part of life, not a punishment for living.
- We affirm that the force of love, which some call God, offers us presence, not protection.
- We affirm that diversity of belief is an asset and not an enemy of religious community, and that the answers we give great religious questions are as varied as we are.
- We affirm that religion is horizontal, not only vertical. God is present in relationship.
- We offer a ministry of radical hospitality. We seek to provide a grand welcoming table for all.
- We affirm that we must not think alike to love alike.
- We affirm that to whom much is given, much is expected, and thus we use the gifts we have been given wisely. We claim that stewardship matters.
- Our task is to grow souls so that we may send forth visible saints into the world.
- We seek to build what Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to as the Beloved Community. We come to church not to be a beloved community, but to practice the ethics of the Beloved Community for use outside our church walls. Practicing being beloved community means treating all people who we encounter as though they are beloved, unique, children of the divine.
- As such, we see church not as a sanctuary from the world, but as a training ground that helps us to live in the world in a way that transforms the world.
The Pillars of Lifespan Faith Development:
We hope that the children, youth, and adults who participate in our Lifespan Faith Formation programs will glean the following:
- An understanding of the Judeo-Christian sacred scripture/narratives that shaped our ancestors’ faith.
- An appreciation of the sacred scriptures/texts of other world religions.
- Unitarian Universalist responses to the “big questions” of the human experience.
- A reverence for the human body as sacred temples of the holy.
- An age-appropriate understanding of the theologies that inform our faith.
- An appreciation for, and practice of, holidays and holy days recognized and celebrated within and beyond our faith tradition.
- An appreciation of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism and their application in our daily lives.
- Knowledge of the prophetic words and deeds of Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists throughout history.
- Regular experience of meaningful worship and ritual that enhances the spiritual lives of our participants.
- Experiential opportunities to put our faith into action and work for justice in the world.
- Parenting support for faith formation at home.
