UU Adult Religious  Education--Fall 2017   Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Welcome.  We hope you will join a class this season!
 
Registration:
To register, contact the church office at  [email protected]  or  812-332-3695, ext. 204. All classes are free.

Childcare:
Childcare may be available if at least two families need it for a given class: contact Kitty McIntosh at  [email protected]  at least two weeks in advance to reserve childcare. 
 
Additional Info:
Please contact Reverend Emily Manvel Leite if you have questions about Adult Programs: [email protected]

How to Talk to Kids about Race
With Nya McCarthy-Brown
Session 1--Thursdays September 21 & 28, 6-8pm: focused on 1st-12th graders
Session 2--Sundays October 29 & November 5, 1-3pm: focused on babies-kindergartners
Fellowship Hall
    These two-day workshops provide opportunities to develop a nd refine strategies to talk to children about race and racism in our lives. A  team of facilitators, led by IU professor Nya McCarthy-Brown, will share resources and g uide participants through challenging dialogues. You will be asked to think about your racial identity and how it shapes your daily experiences, as well as the experiences of your children. 
    Have you ever been uncomfortable with stereotypical images in a cartoon your child is watching, or uncomfortable with a conversation your child is having about race? Here is an opportunity to explore these challenges with others.  We will have one session for babies-Kindergarten age children, and another for 1st-12t h graders. 
     We recognize that by the time children get to school they already have a lot of information about race. We also recognize that race matters are different for kids of the 21st century so we use media as a reference point for the older kids. While these classes are designed for parents and educators, all are welcome.  Bring your own comfort or discomfort level with the topic.
Expressions of the Divine Feminine
with Sara Steffey McQueen, [email protected]
Third Thursdays
Sept 21 and Oct 19, 7-8:30 p.m., Room 112
Nov 16 and Dec 21, 7-8:30 p.m., Room 210
How is the "Feminine" showing up in your life? Where have archetypes and expressions of the Feminine manifested throughout history, and in world cultures?   In these classes, we will explore expressions of the Divine Feminine in books, music, art, and in our own lives, as we explore what "She" is asking for the earth, and of us at this time in history.  This is an opportunity for women of all ages to come together to contemplate and discover the ways the divine feminine is whispering to us. The class is experiential and each month we will cover different expressions of the Feminine archetype.
Developing Capable People
With Debbie Fish, [email protected]
5 Mondays, Sept 25, Oct 2, Oct 16, Oct 23, Oct 30, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Room 112
This five-session course will utilize the book Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World, focusing on positive discipline approaches as developed by H. Stephen Glenn.  Parents will receive practical strategies for providing consistent, predictable and natural consequences that set the groundwork for their children to feel capable, enjoy a sense of belonging, and understand that their own choices matter.  These strategies go beyond leniency versus strictness to teach children to be responsible and self-reliant through inner-directed behavior.  At each session, parents will be given "homeplay" to practice and then to discuss at the next session.  Childcare will be available if at least two families request it by Sept. 18.
 

Unitarian Universalist History
With Stuart Yoak, [email protected]
Sunday, October 8, 2:00-4:00 p.m., Library
Unitarian Universalism is an ever-evolving spiritual practice advanced by courageous and thoughtful women and men. Our history begins in Europe over 500 years ago and can be traced through the questions and challenges that faced our forebearers. Their legacy inspires us today, and we draw strength from their progress as we confront the uncertainties of our own time. Please join us for a romp through history as we meet historic leaders and discuss the questions and challenges they faced in bringing us to where we are today.   Everyone is welcome.
 
Owning Your Religious Past
With the Reverend Scott McNeill, [email protected] 
4 Wednesdays: Oct 11, Oct 25, Nov 8, Nov 22, 6:30-8:00 p.m.,  Room 210
This workshop provides simple tools through which people can examine and retrieve positive aspects of their past religious connections, especially the affective dimensions.  It will include opportunities for both individual reflection and group sharing. Minimum 5, Maximum 10.
 
U Poet U
With Carol Hill Marks, [email protected]
3 Saturdays, Oct 21, Oct 28, and Nov 4, 9:30-11:30 a.m, Room 110
This three-session writing workshop will include plenty of time for free writing, composing poems based on a common prompt (or not), reading aloud what we have written (optional), and discussion of 1) writing as a spiritual practice, 2) poetic forms and 3) the impact of a variety of poets, contemporary and old-time.  Suggested reading: The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.  Other readings will be provided.

Exploring Humanity and Spirit in the Lyrics of Leonard Cohen
With Chris Haynes, 812-360-0296, [email protected]
2 Wednesdays 
October 25 and November 1, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Room 112
We will listen to a dozen or so Leonard Cohen songs, selected for their deep spiritual content and profound humanity, followed by group sharing of the meaning we find in the lyrics.
Continuing Classes--join at any time!
Shambhala Meditation
Mondays at 12:00 Noon, Library
Info, email Sarah Flint: [email protected]

Open Mind Zen Buddhism
Mondays at 7pm--Newcomers please come at 6:45 pm, Room 110
Info, email Frank Diaz: [email protected]  

Taiji
Tuesdays 5:30 pm and Saturdays 8:00 am, Fellowship Hall
Info, email Brian Flaherty: [email protected]

Unitarian Universalist Church