Religious Education Committee
The Religious Education Committee consists of approximately 12
persons nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the
Yearly Meeting, and the Clerks of the Religious Education Committees
of all Monthly Meetings. The Committee is an avenue through which
the Yearly Meeting exercises its responsibility for the spiritual
nurture of its young people and adults.
The Committee supports Monthly Meeting Religious Education Committees
and First Day School teachers in their work with all age groups.
This is done through curriculum planning, resource information,
and consultation with committee members, as well as through workshops,
teacher preparation programs, and retreats.
The Committee appoints two persons to serve on the Ethel Reynolds
Fund Committee for one-year terms, and names a member to serve on
the Sue Thomas Turner Quaker Education Fund Committee for a two-year
term.
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Manual of Procedure, July 2004, p32
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Advance Report - 2008
The BYM RE Committee in 2007 continued its focus on program at BYM sessions. Our Friendly RE Consultant/Visitor this year was Marc Conaghan, an official of the Muslim American Public Affairs Committee in North Carolina, who made a very interesting and well-received presentation on Islam, its history, major doctrines, and art. We sought out an opportunity for insight into Islam in part as a continuation of our memorial for our late Friend Tom Fox. The Committee has since made plans for a Consultant/Visitor to our 2008 sessions, and will report on that in due course.
Chuck Fager, clerk
Advance Report - 2007
The BYM RE Committee continued to pursue its effort to support RE work at Monthly Meetings, mainly by offering programming at annual sessions.
In 2006 our offerings centered on bringing RE consultants who could assist friends in processing the loss of our Friend Tom Fox, killed in iraq in the spring of the year. There were three of these: John Calvi, a Quaker healer from Vermont; Jennifer elam, from Kentucky & Pennsylvania, who shared with us a "Godly Play" lesson about Tom; and Lisa Schirch, a professor from eastern Mennonite University, who helped Tom prepare for his work in Iraq, and was very active in the efforts to free him safely.
In 2006 we also renewed our program of offering RE Scholarships of $100 to help Friends who were active in RE work to attend annual sessions. Nine RE scholarship were awarded.
The Committee also endorsed the publication of a memorial book for stury and reflection for Tom Fox, entitled "Tom Fox Was My Friend. Yours, Too." compiled by RE Clerk Chuck Fager. Several BYM Friends were among the contributors to this book.
And not least, we offered another large RE cake for the Intergenerational Celebration, which was used as a venue for urging Friends to teach First Day School in their Meetings in the coming year.
We also held initial discussions on what kinds of new projects we might explore with a portion of the Ethel Reynolds funds, should that fund be laid down and the funds disbursed among committees, including ours. Many possibilities were mentioned, including ventures into new media.
For 2007, we are planning to organize workshops at annual sessions on Islam, to be conducted by the head of a regional Islamic association. More on this in our next report.
We are always seeking active new members for our Committee.
-- Submitted by Chuck Fager, Clerk, RE Committee
Interchange, Summer 2006
The Religious Education (RE) Committee has arranged
for Friend John Calvi of Putney, Vermont Friends Meeting
to be with us as our RE Consultant for Yearly Meeting
session this summer. John has long experience dealing
with trauma and its aftermath. He also had the principal
leading to organize the Quaker Conference on Torture
at Guilford College in June. John will conduct workshops
and other sessions to assist Friends in processing
the events around Tom Fox’s departure from us.
Working along with John we will also have with us,
Lisa Schirch, professor of peace studies at Eastern Mennonite
University (EMU) in Harrisonburg. Lisa was
Tom’s professor at EMU’s Institute for Justice and
Peacebuilding as he prepared for his journey to Iraq,
and she has felt his loss keenly. Lisa has visited Iraq and
will bring an experienced international practitioner’s perspective
to this work.
The RE Committee is beginning to compile a memorial
and study booklet about Tom to help “let his life
preach” among us and other concerned persons. RE
Co-Clerk Chuck Fager will be editor/compiler of this
project.
The BYM RE Committee will again be offering a
number of scholarships of $100 for first Day School
teachers to attend the BYM sessions. Watch for details
in a separate mailing of the “Quaking Post,” soon!
Submitted by Chuck Fager, Quaker House.
Advance Report - 2005
The Religious Education Committee is charged with the support of Monthly Meeting Religious Education Committees and First Day School teachers in their work with all age groups. This year we have worked towards fulfilling our charge by continuing with successful activities at Interim Yearly Meeting Days and BYM Summer Sessions, working on publishing curriculum, and have begun discussing plans for creating a new retreat program.
We have been able to provide sumptuous "Religious Education Cakes" at each of the Yearly Meeting gatherings this year. We typically select a quotation form a well known Friend to have written on the cake, which is served after lunch at Yearly Meeting Days and at the All-Age Celebration at Annual Session.
This summer will be the fourth year that we will sponsor the "Friendly Religious Education Consultant" at Annual Session. We search out interesting, lively and seasoned Friends to share their knowledge in the area of religious education through workshops, interest groups and informal interactions with BYM attenders. In 2005 we will welcome Michael Gibson, Friends General Conference Religious Education Coordinator!
Another program that has become increasingly popular is our First Day School Teacher Scholarship to BYM summer sessions. The intent of the $100 scholarships is to support and recognize those Friends who find the time to teach First Day School in their Monthly Meetings. This year we were able to get the applications for the scholarships published earlier than in past years!
We currently have two ideas in the works for religious education publications. One involves a six-part curriculum for Young Adult Friends around the themes of life's transitions and choices. The other is centered around BYM Friends' experience of the power of the fire circle. These are long-term projects that we hope to publish by the end of the year.
We have begun a deep discussion about the needs of adult Friends, and are beginning to discern ways to create and offer a retreat program in support of adult religious education. Prominent ideas included visiting Monthly Meetings to further discern their needs in the area of religious education, and taking this retreat program "on the road" to Monthly Meetings or Quarterly Meetings. We trust that the Spirit will provide guidance on this leading.
We welcome Friends' questions and ideas about how our committee might serve your Monthly Meeting more effectively!
Sarah Buchanan-Wollaston and Josh Humphries, Co-Clerks
Interchange, Summer 2005
We are so pleased that Michael Gibson, the current FGC-RE Coordinator, will be joining us at BYM this summer as our Friendly Religious Education Consultant (FREC). He has experience working with a wide range of ages in a manner that establishes respectfulness and deep listening to gathered Friends and to the Spirit. He will meet with children’s groups, host interest groups, and lead 3 workshops.... “Experiencing the Bible and Our Quaker Faith through Godly Play,” “Engaging the Biblical Text in Friends Meetings,” and “Going Deeper: Facilitating the Spiritual Nurture and Growth of Adults in Friends Meetings.”
We are also happy to invite First Day School teachers to apply for the FDS Teacher Scholarships to attend BYM in 2005. You are eligible for a$100 scholarship if you have taught at least six sessions of FDS at your monthly meeting in the past year. Please see the application and details in this issue of the Interchange, in your Monthly Meetings copy of our newsletter, the Quaking Post, or on the website.
Our latest RE meeting rewarded us with a lively discussion of what challenges are facing Monthly Meetings, in terms of RE. Concerns were expressed about the need for more adult RE, especially for new members & attenders, the constant need for FDS teachers, and the renewal of energy for seasoned FDS teachers. We also discussed the possibility of developing a retreat or workshop simular to Quakerism 101, that could be shared at Quarterly Meetings. Finally, we have some publications in the works that we hope to finish and send out to monthly meetings by the end of this year.
See you soon, in Virginia!
Sarah Buchanan-Wollaston
Interchange, Spring 2005
Have you taught First Day School (FDS) at your monthly meeting,
to any age group, six times in the past year? If so,
RE committee has a $100 scholarship towards BYM summer sessions
waiting for you! Just be one of the first 15 people to send
in the FDS teacher scholarship application. We want you to come
to BYM sessions and participate in workshops, interest groups and
discussions with other FDS teachers. If you have thought about
teaching FDS and never tried, we have suggestions to get you started.
We learn so much by sharing experiences with one another! Michael
Gibson, current FGC RE Coordinator, is our Friendly Religious Education
Consultant. He has taught FDS to many age groups and will offer
workshops, interest groups, and consult with individuals about all
aspects of Friends RE.
Sarah Buchanan-Wollaston
Interchange, Dec 2004
Cakes and Guests
Josh Humphries
From the Quaking Post to the delicious cakes, the Religious
Education Committee continues its tradition of reaching out to the
Yearly Meeting. With our new co-clerks, Josh Humphries and
Sarah Buchanan-Wollaston, we intend to continue to reach out in
many aspects to Baltimore Yearly Meeting. We intend to continue
our tradition of bringing cakes to the Interim Meeting and to annual
sessions, as well as the tradition of bringing insightful guests
through our Friends Religious Education Consultant program. We have
several R.E. resources in the works, including a curriculum for
Young Adult Friends. Also in the works are scholarships for
annual session for those who do teach or intend to teach First Day
School. What we need most is YOUR input into how we can help the
cause of religious education in your local meeting. Send us
an e-mail at buchwoll@juno.com
Interchange, September 2004
The Committee has been active in finding concrete ways to fulfill
our mission of supporting religious education at the monthly meeting
level. Our newsletter, the Quaking Post, is sent to all monthly
meetings two-three times a year. It is full of useful information
and resources for First Day school teachers (both children & adult
levels). In recent issues we have included book reviews, web resource
lists, lesson plans and articles about our committee’s activities.
Look for the Quaking Post in the fall and spring at your home Meeting!
We have also published two resources for First Day School. Speaking
Peace, Living Peace (complied by Chuck Fager) is a collection of
historical case studies on Quaker peace witness for use with teens
and adults. A Quaker Response to Christian Fundamentalism (by Sallie
B. King) is a 7 lesson curriculum for Friends in middle school and
older. Both titles have been sent to each Monthly Meeting in BYM!
For additional copies please contact the BYM office.
For Friends who are able to attend summer Annual Session, there
is an additional resource provided by the RE committee. For the
past three years we have sponsored a “ Friends’ Religious Education
Consultant” (FREC). We seek out Friends from distant YM’s who have
a special gift to offer in the realm of Friends religious education
to attend BYM and offer workshops & interest groups, spend time
with JYM groups, and meet with individual Friends. Past FREC’s have
been Mary Snyder, Paulette Meier, Robin Wells, and Kevin Lee. We
are currently considering who to invite in 2005. If you have any
suggestions, please contact co-clerks Sarah
Buchanan-Wollaston (buchwoll@juno.com) &/or Josh
Humphries (a33josh@yahoo.com).
And, of course, the tasty RE cakes have been present (though not
for long!) at interim meetings and BYM sessions. Make sure to read
the quote on the cake before it is gobbled up! As a last note, we
hope to be on top of things in 2005, and offer our scholarships
to First Day School teachers for attending BYM in the summer.
We extend a warm welcome to our new members Patricia Berber (Goose
Creek), Elizabeth Johnsen (Sandy
Spring), Tom Wolfe (Adelphi),
and Jean Pfefferkorn (Patapsco).
And we bid farewell to long time committee member Chuck Fager, and
thank him for his motivating presence.
Annual Report 2004
In 2003 The BYM Religious Education Committee completed several
projects:
- We published three issues of the “Quaking
Post”, our Religious Education newsletter.
- We published two RE resource booklets, one on the Peace Testimony,
and the other on a Quaker approach to dealing with Christian fundamentalism.
- We offered an array of activities at BYM Session, including:
two RE visitors/consultants, Paulette Meier and Robin Wells; several
workshops; RE-oriented videos; a festive RE cake-decorating party
at the all-age celebration, which was a platform for promoting
the recruitment of First Day School teachers in Monthly Meetings.
Since the summer of 2003, the Committee has met by telephone, published
two more issues of “Quaking Post,” and is planning another set of
offerings for the BYM 2004 Session, including another RE Visitor/Consultant.
Chuck Fager, Clerk
Interchange, March 2004
We are pleased to announce the publication of our second original
curriculum booklet, A Quaker Response to Christian Fundamentalism,
by Sallie B. King of Valley Meeting. This resource is for middle
and high school youth, and could even be used by adult study groups.
The best introduction to this curriculum resource is in Sallie's
own words:
This curriculum was born of necessity. Valley Friends
Meeting, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, is located in an
area of strong Christian conservatism. Recently our Meeting discovered
that, despite their Quaker upbringing and First-Day School education,
a number of our children were unprepared to meet the challenges
of Christian fundamentalism. When friends, schoolmates or neighbors
accost them, as they frequently do, insisting upon certain theological
views, our children often do not know what to say or think. If the
exchange turns into a verbal attack, as it sometimes does, and our
children are told that they are going to hell because they don't
hold the "true" religious beliefs, they may be shocked, sometimes
quite frightened.
We live in a world in which religion can be quite aggressive, even
with children. I have always thought that one of the functions of
religious education for children is to protect their minds and spirits
while their own religious experience and insight is developing.
Instruction in Friends' beliefs, history and practices, instruction
even in the Bible, while necessary, has not been enough for our
children. They needed to directly talk and think about the challenges
they were frequently receiving from their Christian fundamentalist
peers. Upon investigation, we could find no curriculum suitable
for youth that directly addressed this problem from a Friends' perspective.
So I decided to develop one.
The objective of this curriculum is to help our Quaker youth understand
Christian Fundamentalism and our differences from it, so that they
will not be intimidated, overpowered or confused in their interactions
with their Christian Fundamentalist peers. The goal is not to enable
our youth to argue better with Fundamentalists, but to understand
their own religious tradition better in the context of a prevalent
challenge that they face in the world today.
There are seven lessons in the booklet, each of which can be adapted
to local needs and circumstances. Here are the topics they cover:
- What Is Christian Fundamentalism?
- The Light Within and Human Sinfulness - I
- Light Within and Human Sinfulness - II
- Religious Education
- Bible
- Jesus and Salvation
- Relations with Other Religions
Copies of this curriculum will be available at Interim Meeting
(Bethesda Meeting, March 20) or mailed to Meetings who do not pick
them up. Additional copies are available from the BYM office, at
$4.00 each.
A Quaker Response to Christian Fundamentalism is the second curriculum
resource published by the RE Committee. The first booklet, Speaking
Peace, Living Peace, for adult-level discussion and study, is a
collection of four historical narratives and documents which relate
to how Friends have lived the Peace Testimony in times of war and
rumors of war. Copies of this booklet are also available from the
BYM office, for $3.00 each, plus postage.
Chuck Fager, Clerk
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