“We want to deepen our personal conversations with God and with each other, since we know that authentic connections sustain the Spirit in us. We value curiosity about the wonders of faith even as we affirm our Christian traditions. We want to equip ourselves and the children among us for life-long spiritual journeys. We find meaningful encounters with God and each other in worship, prayer, study, dialogue in small groups, and other spiritual practices.”
From the United Parish Vision adopted by the Congregation in 2009
These words shape how we approach education at the United Parish. We see education not as an end in itself but as something that shapes our faith journeys and sustains us in the midst of them. We draw from the tradition of the reformers who placed emphasis on study, discernment and spiritual practices both in our individual and communal lives. We undertake education always with an eye to understanding the journeys of our ancestors whose lives were true, lovely, and brave and to taking responsibility for making our faith our own in this generation.
At United Parish, education takes many forms from Bible Study to trips to different and diverse houses of worship; from meditation groups to book clubs; from Sunday church school for the very young to Sunday classes for those of many years, from confirmation classes to small discussion groups and more. We recognize that people have varied interests, learning styles and abilities, and so we intentionally craft opportunities that both meet people where they are and also deepen their connections to God, each other and the world. Come and see!
Together we explore and learn about ways we can embark on our individual journeys in community with others. We have separate focus areas for: