Adult Enrichment Programs, 2007-2008

Take a look. The Adult Enrichment calendar is packed with programs to promote personal and spiritual growth. Open your mind, broaden your perspective, deepen your connections with the UUCR community – the opportunities are here. Courses are offered by a variety of professionals and trained lay leaders: the minister, UUCR members, and professionals outside our church community.

This symbol, next to the title of an offering indicates that registration is required. To register for an offering, simply add your name to the sign-up sheets at coffee hour, or email the Church Office (or call (781) 944-0494). Unless otherwise noted, no fees are charged.

If the specific schedule for an offering has not yet been tied, it is so noted. All offerings will be advertised in the various church communication channels (church newsletter, Sunday News, emails).

We invite your feedback, suggestions, and participation. Please contact Fran Sansalone (781) 944-2444, with questions or suggestions.

Printer-friendly version of the course listings.

Buddhist Meditation

Please join us for an hour of peace and mindful community. The Buddhist Meditation Group meets every Sunday evening in the old community hall at UUCR and is led by Rev. Laurie Thibault, Priest of the Buddha Heart USA. The hour consists of simple and enjoyable meditation practices that offer great benefit for the body and the mind. No meditation experience necessary. Please contact Rev. Laurie Thibault (781) 944-3243) or Andrew Furst  (978-276-0212) for further information.

Chalice Circles

Chalice Circles continue! Chalice Circles are an opportunity to slow down, check in with yourself and acknowledge how you are feeling in the moment, and participate in meaningful conversations and satisfying connections with others in our UUCR community. These groups of 8–10 people meet throughout the church year to discuss specific themes. It’s a great way to make new friends, deepen connections and do some spiritual exploring. Each circle includes an open chair for the new participant. This open chair may be for you.

The Mothers’ Group

A group for mothers of children of all ages, including women who are in a mothering role, the Mothers’ Group is meets twice monthly to discuss what it means to be a UU mother, explore spirituality, offer support, and lend an ear. Meetings are conducted using a Chalice Circle format, with opening and closing words and a topic for discussion each meeting. For the 2007-08 church year, Betsy Wilson will facilitate and host in her Tewksbury home. For more information, contact Betsy Wilson (978) 657-9777.

UU Single Friends

This new offering will provide opportunities for singles in the UUCR congregation to enjoy a variety of activities, excursions and social events. Stay tuned for more information during the church year.

Meditation on the Four Worlds: Jewish Mysticism and Meditation

This two-part class on Jewish Mysticism and meditation techniques will offer a basic introduction to Jewish mystical thought and Kabbalah. This class is experiential, and each week we will learn and practice a powerful meditation technique that can be used at home.
Facilitator:                           

The New UU

Are you new to the church? Would you like to meet other newcomers? Have you been here a while but want to learn more about Unitarian Universalism or get to know people in a small group setting? Are you thinking about becoming a member of UUCR? If you answered yes to any of those questions, The New UU class is just the thing for you. Join Rev. Tim and members of the UU teaching team in a four-week exploration and introduction to our faith.

What Is the Mormon Faith?

A Walk in the Woods

Join John Surrette for a picnic lunch and walk through Reading's Town Forest. Enjoy the colors, sights, and smells of autumn with someone who has a deep knowledge of the natural habitat in our little corner of the world. John's award-winning videos of the Town Forest, Spot Pond, and other natural settings in the area have been televised locally.

At 1pm on Sunday, October 21 (after the annual meeting), we will head over to the Town Forest, sit down for a picnic lunch (so please come prepared), and enter the forest for a leisurely walk with nature.                                                      

Unlimited Body

 You are invited to an introductory preview of this amazing holistic healing work. Unlimited Body is based on your body’s natural inclination to heal itself.  This is a powerful yet gentle hands - on healing art which promotes non-doing and deep listening.

During this introduction you will have a chance to experience your body as a mirror for your mind and emotions:

• Discover how the body speaks its own language and how it is always asking for what it needs
• Discover how to release cellular memory or trauma from our tissue by becoming aware of the subtle aspect of our body.
• Discover how to support the body to feel safe and relaxed so that the tissue can reveal and permanently let go of restrictions and find relief from pain, disease or anxiety.

Besides living in a healthier and free body, Unlimited Body can help you find clarity in your relationships, work or simply in feeling fulfilled and happy.

This Introduction is presented by Nora Buckley RN, MS who will introduce Dunja Carlson Moeller, PhD.

 Dunja is a Master Teacher and Practitioner of Unlimited Body.  She brings a wealth of experience to this material.  Dunja began her career as a medical anthropologist and authored Gentle Medicine, a book on oncology within the medical culture of anthroposophical medicine.  She has worked for the Center for psychology and Social Change at Harvard Medical School as a research social scientist exploring the different world views within our medical culture.

Caring for Aging Loved Ones

Paula Koppel and Elaine Ohlson will lead an adult enrichment discussion focusing on the challenges of caring for older adults and helping them prepare for their future needs. This program will provide an overview of the issues and resources available for older adults. It is a perfect program for individuals who are currently helping an older adult (family or friend) as well as for seniors who want to be proactive! This informal presentation will include information on health management, navigating the healthcare system, housing and care options and financial planning considerations. Paula is a geriatric nurse practitioner and Elaine is a lawyer. Both have professional and personal experience and are excited to share this with other UUCR members. There will be plenty of time for questions.                

Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals

Skeptics, seekers, and religious liberals often need a “way in” to understanding the complex territory that is the Hebrew Bible. Massive injustice has been and continues to be done in the name of the Bible. Meanwhile the Bible is also about the beauty and goodness of creation itself; about the ancient human struggle for freedom and liberation; about frustration with violence and injustice throughout the generations; and about experiences of exultation, expectation, and inspiration that can sustain the human quest for wisdom, justice, and peace. Together we’ll explore the Hebrew Bible (what has commonly been referred to as “The Old Testament.”
Participants will need to purchase and read selected chapters of Understanding the Hebrew Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals by John Buehrens (Beacon Press, $14.00). Participants will also need a Bible, a notebook or journal, and a pen or pencil for each session. Class limit: 12.       

Sanctuary

Join Rev. Tim for a quiet escape from the hustle and the bustle of the holiday season. In our candlelit sanctuary, we’ll share gentle readings, reflective music, chanting, and periods of silence.

What Do I Want to Do with the Second Half of My Life?

Are you at a point in your life where you're stepping back - taking stock of where you've been and thinking about what lies ahead? Are there interests that you yearn to pursue? Are there changes - big or small - that you want to make? Is the life you're living in alignment with your passions and principles? Join with others for a morning of personal exploration. Using exercises involving private reflection and group conversation, we will clarify values, articulate dreams and make commitments aimed toward creating lives of passion and purpose.
Facilitator:                                                  

Nina Simone: Voice of Justice and Jazz

Join us on Martin Luther King Sunday (January 20, 2008) for showing of rare concert and interview footage from acclaimed jazz and social justice prophetess Nina Simone. The film includes Nina Simone talking and singing about racial justice, and her musings on spirituality and religion.

This film will provide a deeper exploration of Rev. Tim’s sermon and worship service for the day, which will be entitled “Nina Simone: Voice of Justice, Voice of Jazz.” A light lunch will be provided prior to the film.

Race: Exploring a Powerful Illusion

What is race and what impact does it have? According to the latest science, much of what we know about race may be wrong, with racial dividing lines being anything but clear. At the same time, our racial identity has real, powerful, and concrete effects in our lives. Drawing on the engaging and provocative PBS documentary, Race: The Power of an Illusion, this interactive, 3-session course will use video segments, activities, discussion, and reflection to explore and expand our understanding about race and its implications for our own lives and our faith community.
Facilitator:                       

The Goldfish Went on Vacation: Talking to Kids about Loss and Learning to Tell the Truth

All children live with loss, whether the loss of a pet, a loved one, or the natural losses that come with growth and change. But how do we help our kids understand and deal with the losses of life? Join Rev. Tim for this workshop that will help parents learn how to directly talk about loss in age appropriate ways, understand healthy ways to support our children’s grieving, and learn to use our Unitarian Universalist faith as a resource. We will explore how we ourselves react to loss and grief, as our example is the strongest teaching we offer. This 3-hour session is appropriate for parents of children of any age. Please note: Nursery, childcare and snacks will be provided.

How, Then, Shall We Live? Four Simple Questions that Reveal the Beauty and Meaning of Our Lives

Set aside a little time to explore the four most important questions you can ask yourself, and discover how you can find the wise and ready spiritual guide that is alive in all of us. Using small group conversation, readings, writing, periods of silence and simple reflection, we’ll explore together this question posed by Leo Tolstoy: “My question...was the simplest of questions, lying in the soul of every person from the foolish child to the wisest elder: it was a question without an answer to which one cannot live, as I had found by experience. It was: ‘What will come of what I am doing today or shall do tomorrow? What will come of my whole life?’ Differently expressed, the question is: ‘Why should I live, why wish for anything, or do anything?’ It can also be expressed thus: Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?’” (Tolstoy, A Confession)

Class limit: 12 

Career Management Strategies

A job is not a career. I think I started out with a job. It turned into a career and changed my life. (Barbara Walters)

Do you feel in control of or controlled by your work life? Career satisfaction resides in the ability to know yourself, your values, your performance strengths and limitations and your most productive learning and working styles. In this 3-hour session we will explore strategies to manage our careers to connect with professional opportunities that allow us to grow, achieve our professional best and leave a valuable legacy to others.

Clean and Green in the Home

Eileen Barrett, with sponsorship of the Green Sanctuary Committee, will share information on how you can use environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials and products in maintaining your home.

Coaching Your Teen to Success - 7 Simple Steps to Transform Relationships and Enrich Lives

This series of workshops will teach parents how to use coaching techniques to improve their relationship with their teens. The program will focus on assisting parents to develop more confidence in their ability to support their teens progress in becoming respectful, accountable and contributing adults. Materials fee is $15 for the book, which participants will use for the duration of the series.

Marsha will be holding an informational session following Sunday services (date TBD) for interested people.

Forgiveness

In a course of four meetings, we will take a quick look at forgiveness, with a view towards forgiveness as a statement of equality and meaning behind "turn the other cheek." (Hint: It does not mean be a doormat!) A method of approaching forgiveness will be presented and practiced on simple real or fictional (your choice) situations. This is not meant as a substitute for therapy.

Religious Literacy

The United States is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy. Using Stephen Prothero’s book, Religious Literacy, we will explore what every American needs to know in order to confront the domestic and foreign challenges facing this country today.

Movie Nights

Join others in a relaxed setting to view thought-provoking and timely movies. No sign-up required. Just come to Loring House on movie night and enjoy a movie and discussion with others.