Spotlight On: Coming of Age

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From the Editor

Leslie Ross, Director of Children’s Religious Exploration

With this month’s newsletter, the Children’s Religious Exploration (CRE) Ministry Team will once again offer a “Spotlight On...” piece. We’ll take a closer look at each of the curricula that we offer this year so that our wider congregation can see the great work that our children, youth, and teachers are up to. Let’s start at the end of the journey!

Coming of Age (COA) is the last class offered in our CRE program, the culminating class and our rite of passage into adolescence. It is offered to our 9th graders. The curriculum is rich in substance, as facilitators partner with youth in deepening their understanding of themselves, their religious and spiritual beliefs, and the complex world of which they are a part. COA facilitator Bryan Rainey shares, “When a ninth grader looks at the flawed world they’re inheriting, I get why it might be compelling to conclude that nothing really matters. My favorite part of Coming of Age is watching them reject that worldview. It’s a time to step back, reflect on what they care about, and start building their lives around what’s important to them.”

Throughout history and all over the world, people have recognized the transition out of childhood as a profound time of change. We refer to COA as a transition into adolescence rather than adulthood because while the media exposes youth to many of the adult issues of our day, youth are also able to take on adult responsibilities at a much slower pace than, say, youth in indigenous cultures. In current times and in our culture, ritualized experiences have largely fallen by the wayside. Coming of Age strives to create a ritualized rite of passage for our youth. As COA facilitator Becky Burns observes, there is little space in teens’ life for such substance. “The teen years are a tumultuous time of life. The COA curriculum provides a calm in the storm; a place to figure out who you are going to be as you proceed through high school. It is one of the only places in their lives where they can quiet the cyclone of peer pressure, social media, technology, etc., and focus on exploring their authentic self.”

During the year, there is much exploration of how their lives led them to where they are today. They are challenged to think intentionally about what they want to bring forward into this next phase of their lives, and what it might be time to let go of. They explore their beliefs about God, death, why bad things happen, and different perspectives on theism. They deepen their understanding of Unitarian Universalism by looking at what it means to truly live our principles and by writing an “elevator speech”--a brief and concise description of UUism that can be shared with someone while going seven floors up on an elevator. There is a lot of inward searching to balance the outward examination of others’ ideas and perceptions. Each week they hear a “This I Believe” statement (www.thisibelieve.org) that explores how life experiences shape our beliefs. At the end of the year, our COA youth put on their own worship service where they deliver their “This I Believe” statement to you all, our congregants. Former COA participant Phoebe Yancey describes her experince: “Coming of Age meant that I had to really think what I really, truly, believe and it didn’t have to be to a higher being. ...At the end of Coming of Age, I realized that I had gotten stronger and wiser with every lesson and every day.... [It] made me reflect about myself and the person I want to be now and in the future.”

(con’t on page 9)

SPOTLIGHT ON: COMING OF AGE

(con’t from page 8) The class, however, is not all seriousness! There is plenty of time for fun and deepening social relationships. Mirabel Roffers is a current participant who describes her experience in Coming of Age so far. “I’m currently in Coming of Age, so I can’t speak on the full curriculum, but what I’ve noticed so far is that through the retreat and our classes, I’ve bonded a lot with fellow classmates, and made thoughtful and deep friendships with a lot of people with whom I haven’t really interacted before. The lessons are complex and interesting, and very engaging. I’m really enjoying the class so far!” Like so many teachers, our COA facilitators don’t always see the ripening of the COA experience. “I feel like we are planting seeds that may bloom at a later time. (Of course, many will be eaten by squirrels!) I hope that we help the teens construct a framework that they can use to build their lives.” We hope so too! We also hope that our program’s committment to our youth’s healthy development of self and spirit communicate to them that the FUS community is here to support them on their journeys, now and in the future.

Coming of Age youth at their fall retreat in Delavan, WI