Sign up sheets for adult education courses will be posted in Sandburg Hall three weeks before the first meeting, unless otherwise stated in the course description. You can also sign up through Matt Stollenwerk at adulted@uuasheville.org. Please include your full name, phone number, and preferred e-mail address for correspondence. You will be sent a reminder e-mail shortly before the first class meeting.

Interested in Leading a Course in the Fall of 2008?

Leading an adult education course is a great opportunity to help the church, meet new people, and learn about an aspect of our shared faith in depth. No matter what your background or experience, you can successfully lead a course from one of dozens of existing ready-to-use UU curricula including liberal religion, UU history, personal spirituality, social justice, and UU parenting. Of course, if you have your own area of interest related to UU for which you would like to develop your own course, we’re excited to hear what you have in mind. For more information, contact Matt Stollenwerk at adulted@uuasheville.org.

January-May 2008 Schedule

Our Unitarian and Universalist History and How It Affects Us as UUs Today

Led by Paula Robbins

Wednesdays, January 9, 16, 23 and 30, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

RE Common Area

This four-session course is based on Our American Roots, a video series developed by the All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for their local television station. We will look at how our denomination evolved from the Puritanism of the Pilgrims who came to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620, to early Universalism and Unitarianism at the end of the eighteenth century, to Channing and how Liberal Christianity became the established religion in Massachusetts, and to the Transcendentalism of Emerson, Thoreau and Parker.

Conscious Discipline: A Workshop for Parents

Led by Mindy Becker

Saturday, February 2, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

Sandburg Hall

This workshop is an introduction to Conscious Discipline, a fantastic technique in which parents, teachers, and other caregivers learn how to turn conflict into cooperation in a loving manner. Topics include a brief explanation of brain functions (why kids behave the way they do), calming and connecting techniques, the importance of routines and rituals, and discipline tips that work. The workshop will consist of lecture, interactive activities, and handouts. Child care will not be provided, but nursing babies are welcome. For more information, visit the website at www.consciousdiscipline.com. To sign-up for the workshop, e-mail Matt Stollenwerk at adulted@uuasheville.org ASAP. Mindy Becker, a.k.a. "Auntie M to the Rescue," is a certified trainer in Conscious Discipline.

Voluntary Simplicity: An Eight-Session Participant-Led Discussion Course

Coordinator: Jean Larson

Tuesdays, February 5, 12, 19 and 26. March 4, 11, 18 and 25; 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Registration is for this course is now closed. Registered participants will be sent a reminder e-mail the week of January 28.)

Jefferson House

As a society, we engage in patterns of material consumption and mental preoccupation that are damaging to ourselves, our relationships, and our environment. There is an alternative, however, to the fast pace and consumer orientation of our mainstream culture. The goals of this course are to understand the meaning of voluntary simplicity, explore the material and psychological distractions that prevent us from caring for the earth, acknowledge the connection between our lifestyle choices and the condition of the earth, and consider how life might be enriched through the practice of simplicity. The deadline for registration is January 6 to allow time to pre-order enough copies of the required companion book.

Pursuing Happiness: Psychology and Religion

Led by Dale Wachowiak and Melissa Himelein

Wednesdays, February 6, 13, 20 and 27, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

RE Classroom 5

The path to happiness is a major ingredient of most world religions. Now, over the past two decades, psychology has turned its attention to what Martin Seligman calls "the positive side of life--the knowledge about what makes life most worth living, most fulfilling, most enjoyable, and most productive." This four-session workshop will introduce participants to the concepts of positive psychology and, particularly, research related to optimizing human experience. We will discuss the essential ingredients of what Seligman calls "authentic happiness," and compare and contrast psychological research findings with religious/spiritual perspectives. Through readings, exercises, and personal sharing, participants will examine their own conceptions of happiness and their unique paths in pursuing it. Child care will be provided. Dale Wachowiak, Ph.D., is a retired counseling psychologist. His wife, Melissa Himelein, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at UNCA.

Being a UU Parent

Led by Taryn Strauss and DiAnna Ritola

Thursdays, February 21 and 28, March 13, 20 and 27; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

RE Classroom 5

Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World

Led by Patsy Keever

Tuesdays, February 26, March 4, 18 and 25; 6:30-8:30 p.m.

RE Classroom 5

In a world where challenges are pressing and often overwhelming, how can we kindle a sense of hope that we can make a difference and create a positive future for all of us? The goals of this four-session course are to engage participants in productive, reflective dialogues that explore purpose and meaning in our lives, inspire us to care more fully for the common good, and develop strategies that foster greater commitment within ourselves and our congregation. The companion book to this course, Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World by Laurent A. Parks Daloz et. al., is highly recommended for full participation and can be pre-ordered until February 4 for interested participants.

The Work that Reconnects

Facilitators: David Williams and Elizabeth Erb

Thursdays, March 13, 20 and 27; 7:00-9:00 p.m.

RE Common Area

This three-week interactive class continues our exploration of "The Work that Reconnects," a pioneering form of group work developed by renowned eco-philosopher Joanna Macy. Based on systems theory, spiritual teachings, and deep ecology, the program is designed to enable people to uncover and experience their innate connections with each other and with the systemic, self healing powers in the web of life, so that we may be enlivened and motivated to play our part in creating a sustainable world . Joanna Macy's "World as Lover, World as Self" is a recommended supplement to this course.

Building Your Own Theology

Led by George Yates

Wednesdays, April 2, 9, 16 and 23; 6:30-8:30 p.m.

RE Common Area

Ultimately, we are all theologians. We all ponder the great life issues. Although we Unitarian Universalists celebrate common values that unite us, we enjoy a diversity of religious perspectives that enables us to learn and grow religiously. This four-session course invites each participant to build a personal theology through exploration of liberal religious history, our own spiritual journey, human nature, values, ethics, and the imperatives that follow from these beliefs.

Global Warming: Changing Co2urse

Coordinator: Jean Larson

Tuesdays, April 8, 16, 22 and 29; 6:30-8:30 p.m.

RE Classroom 5

Registration Deadline is March 16.

This four-session participant-led course explores the history and science of global warming, personal values and habits as they relate to climate change, and personal actions to curb the effects of global warming. During the course we will explore our personal responses to climate change and why society has been slow to respond, break down the history and science of global climate change and identify our participation in this ecological crisis, explore new strategies for addressing climate change, and consider personal and collective action to mitigate the effects of global warming. The deadline for registration is March 16 to allow time to pre-order enough copies of the required companion book.

The Garden of Ruth: Biblical History from a Woman's Perspective

Led by author Eva Etzioni Halevy

Thursday, April 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

RE Common Area

Order book through UUCA until March 16.

The Garden of Ruth, by Eva Etzioni Halevy, deftly interweaves history and fiction to create a compelling exploration of the prominent biblical figure. Apart from offering a gripping plot with a touch of mystery, the novel conveys a feminist message about strong and intelligent women who participated in the shaping and recording of ancient Israel's history, exerting an influence on Judaism and throughout Western culture. Also enfolded in the novel is a message of interfaith tolerance, which is still eminently relevant today. Ms. Etzioni Halevy is a Professor emeritus in Sociology at Bar-Ilan University in Tel-Aviv. A discussion of the book will be followed by a book signing with the author. This book can be pre-ordered at a significant discount through March 16. Copies will also be available for purchase at the event.

Approaching the Qur'an

Led by Rev. Mark Ward and Matt Stollenwerk

Tuesdays, April 22 and 29, May 6, 13, 20 and 27; 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Sandburg Hall (May 13 in RE)

For the world's Muslims, the words of the Qur'an read or spoken in their native Arabic are a source of extraordinary power and beauty. Yet for those who do not read or speak Arabic, the effort to get even a basic glimpse of what this sacred text is about has proved frustrating. In this six-session course, through written translations and recorded recitations, we will explore the distinctive literary character and voice of the earliest of the Qur'anic revelations. These powerful prophetic passages, or suras, provide the foundation for faith, meaning, and justice for one-fifth of the world's inhabitants. The companion book and CD to this course, "Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations" by Michael Sells, is highly recommended for full participation, is available at Amazon.com and can also be pre-ordered through UUCA until April 6.

Michael Servetus, Radical Reformation Martyr to a Principle of Tolerance

Led by Bill Utz

Saturday, May 10; 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon.

Michael Servetus was a 16th century reformation protestant who rejected the theological doctrine of the trinity. He had the distinction of being persecuted by both the Catholic Inquisition and the Calvinist regime in Geneva, which burned him and his book. The burning of a protestant by another protestant brought a crisis of conscience to several protestant writers that became a significant part of a movement of European thought toward tolerance of diverse beliefs. We will move from lecture on Servetus and his times and how his death influenced attitudes toward religious tolerance to discussion of what Servetus should mean to today's UUs.

Also coming this Spring with dates to be announced

Mandala Meditation Circle

Led by Martha Kiger

One Saturday session in the spring

Come join a circle of UU friends to experience creative expression, insight, and inner peace as you create a personal mandala, a visionary art form in a circle. Mandalas, or "sacred circles," have been used for centuries in many religious traditions as a form of creative expression and meditative contemplation. Mandala meditation can inform our spiritual growth as UUs through the power of meditation, collective creativity, and celebrating the sacred circle of life.