By Beth Williams Minister for Religious
Education

In January I took an Intensive class at Meadville/Lombard Theological School titled Faith and Development Stages. The most prominent theory we studied was James W. Fowler’s Stages of Faith theory. Fowler’s theory holds that children and youth (and even adults) move through stages in how they approach religion or meaning-making, much as they move through stages in physiological development.

Stage 0 encompasses children ages 0 to 3. It is really a pre-stage, where children approach life through ritual-play, and learn that they may place their trust in day to day living.

For Stage 1 children, from age 2 through 7, perceptions and feelings govern the world. The symbolic and the real are not differentiated. Thoughts about the world are collages of images given by trusted others. Objects, rather than stories, are the things remembered.

The children of Stage 2, or from ages 7 through 12, love stories, especially those that are literal and demonstrate cause and effect, predictability, and the tension between good and evil. Rules and fairness are of utmost importance.

The youth of Stage 3, or ages 12 and above, according to Fowler, begin to have difficulty differentiating their thoughts from their feelings, identify with others, tend to rely on external authority, and are hungry for acceptance by others.

Stage 4 is the period of late adolescence and beyond. It is a time for critical reflection when our youth hold others accountable for authenticity and consistency of worldview and beliefs.

I explain Fowler’s theory in such detail, because I believe that our Unitarian Universalist religious education is in some part based on these developmental assumptions. It may not explain all our children’s behavior, but hopefully it sheds light on our approach to learning. What do you think?

Guest at Your Table: It is time to put your last dimes and quarters into your Guest at Your Table boxes so we may turn them in to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. We will be collecting boxes during the month of March in the sanctuary in baskets marked UUSC - Guest at Your Table. Please write a check to UUSC for the amount of money you have collected during the past months. Insert the check into the box after completing the name and address information on the top of the box. Drop the box into a marked basket before or after church. It’s that easy! Call Rev. Beth Williams at (773) 324-4100 if you would like another box to fill.

In Appreciation of Our Teachers: If you are grateful for the work done by our Religious Education teachers, come and tell them during our Teacher Appreciation Luncheon on March 14, 1999 at 11:30 a.m. in the Garden Room. If you would like to show your appreciation by helping out at this event, so much the better — just give Rev. Beth Williams a call.

New Office Hours: Your Interim MRE has new office hours beginning March 1, 1999. I will be at church on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Appointments at other times can be arranged in advance.

March Calendar Events

Sunday, March 7: Spring Term begins for Voyagers, Pathfinders and Searchers Church School classes, 10:15 a.m., various locations in Pennington Center.

Thursday, March 11: R.E. Council Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Explorers Room.

Sunday, March 14: R.E. Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Garden Room.

Sunday, March 21: Kids’ Church - A Spring Festival, 10:15 a.m., Woolman Hall.