Adult Education Programs

You are cordially invited to join our classes and activities of interest to you and to be part of our multi-generational Lifespan Faith Development program, which offers education and spiritual support to those of all ages. We offer classes to deepen the understanding of our faith, our history, and our connections. They are also a great way to get to know others and to become actively involved in this wonderful church and community.

Classes are open to everyone and there are no prerequisites. There is usually a $5.00 administrative fee requested for a class series, unless otherwise noted, and there may be a charge for materials. Waivers for financial hardship are available by speaking to our Minister or our Program Coordinator.

Please sign up for adult classes and programs on the labeled class sign up sheet on the table in our alcove. If you have any questions about our program, want more information or want to suggest a class, please contact Betty Kirk, our Adult Education Program Coordinator at 302-645-9061.

Regular Classes

Great Decisions Class:

Date/ Time: Fridays, March 16, 30, April 13, 27, May 11, 25, and June 8 and 22, 7 – 8:30 pm.
Facilitators: Dan Payne, Anne Riley, Betty Kirk, Martha Keller
Place: UUSD Religious Education Room
Cost: $20 for the book, plus shipping and handling; $5 class fee. You may go online to Great Decisions to order the book and an outline of the decisions by topic.
Registration: A signup sheet will be placed on the UUSD registration table starting Feb. 26 or contact Betty Kirk at 302-645-9061. There is a limit of 25 participants. It is recommended that you register for the entire series even though you may miss some classes.
You are invited to attend sessions, even if you cannot attend the entire series. Please let us know you are coming to help us with set up.

The League of Women Voters of Sussex County and the Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware (UUSD) will conduct a Great Decisions class starting March 16. Every year the Foreign Policy Association creates a series of videos and readings covering the top eight important foreign policy issues of the year. This year’s issues are: Middle East Realignment; Promoting Democracy; Mexico; Cyber Security; Exit from Afghanistan & Iraq; State of the Oceans; Indonesia; Energy & Geopolitics.

The program is America’s longest running TV Series on US foreign policy aired by PBS in nine (9) ½ hour episodes giving armchair diplomats an in-depth analysis and expert opinion on the eight critical global issues. We have the DVD to play at the beginning of the session. The Foreign Policy Association began in 1918 and the Great Decisions groups, which didn’t begin until 1954, are bipartisan & balanced.

New UU Class:

Several times a year we offer a class for those who are considering membership. This one-session class discusses UUSD and what it means to be a member, and is required before deciding to join formally by signing the membership book. This is an opportunity to ask questions, get the answers, and make your own decision. There is no charge for this class.

Owning Your Religious Past:

This class provides an opportunity for participants to reckon with their religious upbringings and integrate them into their current religious lives. Class exercises invite participants to revisit religious spaces and people from childhood in a way that promotes greater self-understanding and personal peace.

UU History Class:

Unitarianism and Universalism have deep roots in the history of religious evolution in Western society going back two thousand years. But many UUs are not fully aware of this history and its connection to our denomination today. In four 2-hour sessions, our goal is to connect the development of Unitarian and Universalist thinking to the issues that gave rise to religious dissent and change over time. A booklet containing the readings is provided to all participants at the first session.

Recent Classes

UUs – An International Odyssey:

Using board games adapted from a Unitarian Universalists (UU) Religious Education (RE) curriculum, this three session class provided a fun and informative way of learning about UU partnership churches and customs and practices in different regions of the world—Transylvania, India, the Philippines, North America, and England

Practicing your UU Faith Every Day:

Readings, prayers, meditation and mindfulness practices have long been essential to deepening the spiritual paths of many religions. How can we as UUs strengthen our understanding of our tradition? Using material from Rev. Guengerich of All Souls of NYC and Buddhist traditions, we learned daily experiential practices to connect more deeply with our UU faith.