A vital religious education program takes a team: professional staff and lay leadership work together to dream, plan and implement the program for all ages. Over the past few months, several key leaders have worked to create a new model of shared religious education leadership. A draft of the new model: a religious education council is HERE.

• Here are some key notes:
• These are exciting times and the vision of shared leadership is forming in a collaboration of staff, lay leadership and learning participants.
• This is a work in progress. Watch for the model to evolve until it becomes what works best for UUCUC.
• It looks complicated. However, most of the circles in this model are already happening. The goal is to take the working elements of our current program and weave them with the visions.
• Now we need key leadership to help coordinate the effort with UUCUC professional staff.
• Barbara Hudgings will be the first religious education council chairperson. She will work with Michele Grove, Interim director of religious education and other key leaders to implement the council model. Thank you Barbara, for stepping into this exciting and creative role!
• Now, we need to recruit key leaders to work at the heart of the council with Children’s education, Youth education, Adult education and Multi-age education. These leaders lead at the heart of the council in partnership with religious education staff.
• All council work is open to all involved in religious education. The council officially meets 3 times a year and all religious education leadership is invited to be a part of the creative process.
• The first religious education council meeting is Saturday, August 17th from 9 AM to 1 PM.

This is exciting work! If you are interested in working with the religious education council, reach out to Michele Grove.