Embracing Family Ministry #EMFamily
Waiting ~ Marta I. Valetin You and I, We make the circle If we choose to. Come, step in, I am waiting for you.
Introductions Large Group: Who is in the room? What city/town do you serve? Small Group: Where is the landscape of your heart? (1 minute each)
Singing ~ Music from Hal Walker Whoever you are, we welcome you Wherever you come from, we welcome you Whoever you love, we welcome you
Creating a Social Covenant Principle 1. Sankofa: Learn from the Past Principle 2. From I To We: From Individualism to Collective Identity Principle 3. Mi Casa Es Su Casa: A Spirit of Generosity
Whose Are We? Our goal = to create an embodied covenantal theology with: ● our Unitarian and Universalist tradition ● our participants: YOU ● those who come after us. *understanding that the Holy is found at our intersection.
Daily Feedback Process ● Email form ● Zip Time
David Mach
Small Group Exercise: What’s dying (changing) in your congregation/community? Each speaks for 3 mins uninterrupted (total 15/18 mins) Group spends your final 3 minutes answering: ● What did you hear in others’ responses? ● What were throughlines of the group? ● What were some key differences? Your group will need: a timekeeper & note-taker
Death of Sunday School “The stories of your faith were the stories of your ancestors--who were your heroes, for better or worse--they were your living protecting saints. They were your teachers. Your ancestors were your guides. They were the ones who framed the world for you. You wore your faith, you were your faith and your faith was you. You couldn’t leave it, and your faith couldn’t leave you. It was simply a core part of who you were. Faith was essentially passed down through your DNA. Faith, like DNA, was determined before you were born. It was not a choice.”
Kim Sweeney Courageous Faith Consulting https://www.courageousfaithconsult ing.org/ kim@courageousfaithconsulting.org
Why We Story Time Still Matter
Personal Reflection: One Story in 5 mins What are the people who come through your doors seeking? Tell one story of a family in your congregation. Describe them. What do they say they want? What do you think they really want? What is the story they tell?
Think Orange The Light from the Faith Community The Heart of a Caring Family Exponentially expanded potential to make a difference in the life of a child
The Question: How can the congregation build relationships with families in ways that are relevant, useful and spiritually fulfilling?
Rocks and Wins Rocks Foundational themes or what the group needs to know in a broad sense. Wins Specific goals for that group.
Take a deep breath
Creating Connection Nursery Preschool Creating a Safe Creating a Kind and Loving Home and Caring Community
Embracing Wonder K/1 2/3 4/5 Embracing Our Embracing Our Embracing Our Faith Family Seven Principles Ability to Heal the World
Growing Faith Junior Youth Our Whole Lives (8) Growing Our Understanding of Growing Into Our Faith Whole Selves
Engaging Spiritual Faith 10 Coming of Engaging Meaningful Age (9) Relationships 11 Engaging the Engaging Our Calling in the Wider Deep Questions World 12 Engaging Our Legacy
Exercise: Find Your Rocks/Discover Your Wins 1. Think of a small group in your congregation (of any age). 2. Name their Rock (foundational theme) 3. Identify your Win (specific goal) for the group Possibilities: One-Room Schoolhouse of many aged children ● ● Adult Small Groups ● Grief Group Elder Lunch Bunch ●
Sharing: With Your Partner 1. Share who your small group is 2. What challenged you about your Rock/Win? 3. What excited you?
Family Ministry begins when parents know that they don’t have to parent alone. A Family Ministry model is centered on relationship instead of personal competence or abilities.
Barna Group ▶ 9 out of 10 parents of children, 13 years and younger, believe they have the primary responsibility for teaching their children about religious beliefs/spiritual matters. ▶ Majority spend no time discussing religion with their kids. They rely on the church. ▶ 87% UU parents come from another or no faith tradition.
SHARING: What are some of your successes or challenges in encouraging families to bring their faith home?
KIM SWEENEY: “How can we assist parents in their own faith formation, so that they might be better able to embrace their role as the most influential nurturer of faith in their children?”
Juana Bordas refers to the African Xhosa concept of Ubuntu , translated as “I am because we are.” Like a tribal drumbeat, ubuntu resonates across African cultures and wraps people together. My humanity is tied to your humanity. It is not an ethereal spiritual concept of oneness, but a real day-to-day obligation to be sharing, open, and welcoming toward others. Since Ubuntu signifies that one’s identity and well-being depends on other people, it underscores the collective and the tribe.
Reclaiming Community From RE to Small Groups Parents Night Out / Fifth Grade Rite of Passage Building Bridges (Neighboring Faiths) Odyssey Program Being Mortal - TATE (Talk About The Elephant)
Family Ministry is becoming rooted in: ● Both age-specific and multi-generational relationships across the whole of lifespan ● Time: Finding Your Roots; Knowing Your Legacy ● Place: What sanctuaries are we building?
SHARING: How does this ring true for you? How does this challenge you? What are the new ways of reclaiming community you are trying in your neck of the woods?
Sabbath Sundays - Brooklyn, NY
Circle of Five
Reflecting Who are five people who you would introduce to your family? ● Who would root them in UUism? ● Who would show up for them (neighborhood)? ● Who would help them branch out (teach them to serve)?
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