Religious Exploration
Mission Statement
The mission of the Religious Exploration Program is to provide our faith community with opportunities to intentionally learn about and integrate into their daily lives the Principles, Traditions and History of Unitarian Universalism.
Statement of Vision
We seek to help our faith community:
- Grow in faith;
- Realize their individual worth and potential;
- Integrate the Principles into their daily lives
The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Augusta offers a variety of religious exploration opportunities for people of all ages who are seeking a community of faith at the same time they are seeking their own path to truth.
On Sunday mornings, at both services, we offer nursery care for children age 4 and younger, and religious exploration for grades K-8, ages 5-14. We offer a Sunday evening Youth Religious Exploration Program for young people in grades 6 through 12, ages 11 to 18. We also offer a variety of adult growth opportunities through Small Group Ministry, long-standing affinity groups, and adult religious exploration classes. (Please see below for details on each of these programs.)
Sunday Morning Religious Exploration
At 9:15 a.m., during our first service, our Director of Religious Exploration, Karen Fisk, offers Young UU Worship in the Fellowship Hall. Karen gathers the children and interested parents and youth for a circle worship. We sing, pray/meditate and share a story. Although Young UU Worship began as a way to ease the overcrowding in our sanctuary, the service has grown to be an important aspect of our spiritual life at the UUCC. After our service, the children and youth join age-specific classes to explore curriculum about Unitarian Universalism.
At 11 a.m., during second service, we offer Spirit Play, a multi-age, child-driven program. Karen shares a story in the Sanctuary with all the children, youth and adults present. Then the children and youth leave the sanctuary with adult leaders and head for our Spirit Play room in 71 Winthrop Street where each participant chooses an art response to that day’s story.
Sunday Evening Youth Religious Exploration Program
On Sunday evenings, youth gather with adult leaders for a variety of programming.
First Sundays from 5:30 to 8 p.m., our youth ages 12-14 participate in our Coming of Age Program. The Coming of Age Program allows young people to explore the principles and history of Unitarian Universalism while also exploring daily spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, drumming, movement, art, etc. The year features a ropes course to explore teamwork, a weekend trip to Boston to explore UU history, and a culminating service during which the Coming of Age youth share their personal faith statements.
The Coming of Age Program alternates years with OWL, the UUA Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education program for ages 13 to 15.
Second Sundays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. youth ages 14 to 18 explore the Peace Jam Program, which gives our youth an opportunity to put their faith into action by answering the Global Call to Action put forward by a group of Nobel Peace Prize winners. Our youth will develop and implement a faith-in-action project throughout the year and then spend a weekend in April with a Nobel Prize winner. Last year the youth tutored Somali refugee children and held a diaper drive to benefit the Somali families. They met Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams and learned about her successful efforts to ban land mines worldwide. This year the youth will meet Rigoberta Menchu Tum and learn about her efforts to affirm the rights of indigenous people throughout the world, and especially in her homeland of Guatemala.
Movie Night: Fourth Sundays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Junior Youth, ages 11 to 14, and Senior Youth, ages 14 to 18, meet to watch movies together. The youth choose movies they believe have a Unitarian Universalist message.
Adult Religious Exploration Program
Adults at the UUCC have many opportunities to enhance their spiritual journey by participating in Small Group Ministry, a variety of affinity groups such as Meditation and Nonviolent Communication, and various Adult Religious Education Programs offered by the Adult Religious Exploration Task Force, headed by Helen Zidowecki.