Our Mission Statement

As religious educators, we strive to accomplish the following goals for the children of our community:

• To enhance self-awareness in an environment in which each person feels supported
• To promote an understanding of Unitarian Universalist religious heritage, principles and values, as well as familiarity with other religions of the world
• To provide a tolerant, open environment in which to explore religious education, growth, moral development, and experiences of tradition and ritual
• To enhance the development of tools with which to deepen one's spiritual life
• To provide opportunities for our church community to demonstrate Unitarian Universalist principles in action by contributing to the larger community in which we live
• To promote the development of our congregation, youth and adults, into a joyful, loving community that offers routine and crisis support for all its members

Welcome to Our New Interim Director of Religious Education!

On June 17th, the Board of Trustees approved Carla Leslie to be our Interim Director of Religious Education. Carla is a former member of Community UU Church who has recently resumed her active membership. In previous years, she taught in our Religious Education program and has worked with children at a variety of grade levels. In addition, she is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate.

Carla says,

Many of you have known me for a long time, some of you have just met me, and some have yet to meet me. To all of you, I extend a warm greeting and my gratitude for creating this vibrant, healthy church community. I am tremendously pleased to be a part of this church and honored to serve as the interim Director of Religious Education.

Last month, Rev. Price wrote that “mixing it up” helps us stay fresh and alert. That has certainly been the truth for me. When I first joined this church, I was a software engineer, and then later a software engineering manager. In 2002, I was laid off along with thousands of others in the wake of the dot com bust. It appeared as the perfect opportunity to act on my long-held desire to become a psychotherapist, so I began my studies at Texas Woman’s University and in 2005 I earned my Master of Science in Family Therapy. While learning about family systems, we studied various theories that guide therapeutic models. Social Constructionism is one of those theories. Social Constructionism says there is no objective reality, but that reality is socially constructed through conversations and relationships. This idea ties directly into the main reason that Unitarian Universalism fits for me. I find value and truth in many religious traditions, and I find it hard to believe that any of them are the one and only truth. I enjoy being part of a community that embraces a free and responsible search for truth and meaning as one of our seven principles.

While acting as DRE, I will also be working part time as a therapist. While these are two very different roles, they are both in harmony with my interests and ideals in helping people grow. I look forward to working with you as I also grow through our work together at Community Unitarian Universalist Church.

Warm Regards,

Carla Leslie

Unitarian Universalist Principles

~ In Children's Language ~

• All people are important
• We should be kind in all that we do
• We're free to learn together
• We're free to search for what is right and true
• All people need a vote
• Working together, we can build a peaceful and just world
• We care for our Earth
  

The Four Pillars of Our RE Program

Each year our children focus on one "pillar" of our RE program. These pillars are the foundations on which our children learn to develop the ability to think for themselves and make sensible decisions about their own religious identity. We are using a four-year cycle of the pillars, with short summer programs to augment the process.

The four-year cycle runs as follows:

2006-2007 Unitarian Universalist History/Identity
Summer 2007 World Cultures

2007-2008 World Religions
Summer 2008 Peace and Justice

2008-2009 Peace and Justice
Summer 2009 Unitarian Universalist History/Identity

2009-2010 Judeo-Christian Heritage
Summer 2010 World Cultures