Current Course Brochure for Adult Spiritual Development 

For more information, call USG at (215) 844-1157. To register, send an email to usguu@verizon.net stating which course(s) you want to register for. Please include your name, phone number and email address. You can pay at the first class.

You may also send registration & payment to the USG Church Administrator, 6511 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, PA  19119.

Enrollment is closed after the first session of the course; contact the course leaders with any requests for exceptions.

STARTING IN JANUARY

FRIDAY NIGHT FILMS AT USG: MOVIES TO INSPIRE, PROVOKE, AND ENTERTAIN
Dates:  3rd Friday of the month - January 18, February 15, March 21, April 18, & May 16
Time:  7:15 – 9:45 PM
Location:  Sullivan Chapel
Why do we love films so much?  Like books, films take us deep into the character of others as they struggle with all the tangled situations and emotions that humans experience.  Many of the films we’ll view take a non-traditional approach to understanding reality, further challenging our perceptions.
We have selected five films, each with a different theme.  We invite you to look at them through a “UU lens” as we discuss them after the showing.  Subject matter will be suitable for adults and young adults.  Yes, there will be popcorn!
Leaders:  Gale Gibbons, Sydel Seitlin, and Jonel Sofian are longtime members of the USG who share a love for films that have the power to move you.  We invite you to come, watch, and discuss with us.  You may contact Jonel Sofian: 215-247-3434 with questions.
Charge: $15 for members, $20 for non-members

UU 102 – THE SEVEN UU PRINCIPLES, ONE AT A TIME
Dates:  3rd Sunday of the month, continuously (January 20, February 17, March 16, April 20, May 18, June 15, etc.)
Time:  9:30 – 10:45 AM
Location:  Committee Room
UU102 is an informal sharing discussion of the covenant of seven principles, which reflect the core values of Unitarian-Universalism.  We will discuss different principles at each session.  This drop-in course, which may be attended repeatedly, is the perfect follow-up to UU 101.  Long-time members are also invited.
Leaders:  Mark Bernstein is a longtime member who has led services and many adult RE programs.  Co-leader Jane Eisenstein is a new member, and recent co-leader of the Adult RE course, “Voluntary Simplicity.”  Contact Mark at 215 842 0560, if you have questions.
Charge:  None

EXPLORING DEEP ECOLOGY
Dates:  4th Monday of the month – January 28, February 25, March 24, & April 28 PLUS four sessions in Fall 2008, TBD
Time:  7:30 to 9:00 PM
Location:   Sullivan Chapel
This is an 8-session course that explores the thoughts and images that color our relationship to Earth, as follows:

• Deep Ecology:  we are one of many interconnected species;
• Wild Nature:  the experience of awe and wonder;
• Native American Wisdom;
• The Gaia Hypothesis:  the Earth functions as a living organism;
• The Universe Story:  discoveries of the way the world works;
• Eco-Psychology: the effect of modern isolation from nature;
• Simplicity:  the challenges and benefits of a simple life;
• Bioregionalism:  understanding our geographic area.

Each session will involve a discussion based on short readings.  There will be 4 sessions in the spring & 4 in the fall.
Leaders:  Dennis Strain is a member of the Green Sanctuary Committee.  He recently retired after 33 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.  Joe Walsh has been a dedicated volunteer and activist in Philadelphia for the past 10 years.  Most recently he completed the Social Change Leadership Program of Philadelphia Cares and has been focused on Philadelphia’s vacant lot challenge.  Joe and Dennis will share responsibilities for leading discussions.  Dennis may be reached at 215-247-3823 or shannon.dennis2@verizon.net
Charges:  $10 for members, $15 for non-members.  Purchase of the text ($18) is recommended.

STORYTELLING FOR BEGINNERS
Dates:  Last Wednesday s of the month – January 30, February 27, March 26, April 30
Time:  7:30 to 9:00 PM
Location:  Sullivan Chapel
Some people are natural storytellers.  (Jude Henzy comes readily to mind.)  Most others are full of stories, but do not know how to begin.  Dennis Strain is not a natural storyteller, but he has been telling stories to adults for fifteen years.  Dennis will share what he has learned in a four-session course.  Jude will come by to show how it is done.  You may want to tell stories to your family.  You may want to tell stories to your friends.  Whatever stories you have to tell, this is your chance to begin.
Leader:  Dennis Strain is a member of the Patchwork Storytelling Guild.  He has taken many workshops led by professional storytellers.  He may be reached at 215-247-3823 or shannon.dennis2@verizon.net.
Charges:  $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

STARTING IN FEBRUARY

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST HISTORY
Location:  Sullivan Chapel
Time: Sundays,  9:30 – 10:30 AM
Dates:  February 10 & 24; March 9 & 30; April 13 & 27; May 4 & 11.
Unitarian Universalism may lack a formal creed, but it makes up for it in having a rich history. Knowing that history helps answer the question “what do we believe?” Come learn about the surprising origins and changing beliefs of our faith from the sixteenth century to the present. Find out about Unitarian martyrs, the impact of the Enlightenment, key theological disputes, struggles for social justice, and twentieth century humanism.
Feb 10:  Introduction: Alan Dawley 
Feb 24:  Reformation Origins:  Alan Dawley.  A look at the theological controversies in the era of the Reformation that gave birth to Unitarianism. 
March 9:  Rational Religion:  Tom Garrabrant.  An examination of the impact of scientific ideas in the Age of Reason.
March 30:  Major Thinkers:  Mark Bernstein.  A study of the “big three” American Unitarians Parker, Channing, and Emerson.
April 13:   Women's Rights:  Susan Bockius.   A review of the Women¹s Rights movement, and the special role of Unitarian and Universalist women in the Woman Suffrage movement following the Civil War.
April 27:  Humanism:  Kent Matthies.  An examination of the impact of humanism in the Twentieth Century.
May 4:  A History of African American Ministries in the Unitarian Universalist Denomination:  Fran Emery.
May 11:  Wrap-up: The Group
Leader:  Alan Dawley is a USG member and the author of four books on American history.  He works as a professor of history at The College of New Jersey and helps to make history through social and political action in and around Philadelphia.
Charge: There is a $10.00 fee for members, $15.00 for non-members.

RACE AND PARENTING – LUNCH & WORKSHOP
Dates:  Sunday, February 10
Time:  12:30 PM – 3:00 PM.  Meeting begins with lunch at 12:30, followed by the workshop from 1-3 PM.
Location:  Sullivan Chapel
Barbara Mathias & Mary Ann French, authors of 40 Ways to Raise a Nonracist Child, tell us that race in our society has an effect on our kids and parenting guides mostly ignore the topic.  As parents we have an obligation to recognize the importance of preparing our children for the multiracial world in which they live.  This workshop explores participants' experiences with race through dialog and activities, then offers an action plan to move forward confidently.  Parents are invited to bring their children to the multicultural playgroup that will be held concurrent with the workshop.  Cost includes lunch & children's programming.  Participants are encouraged to read 40 Ways to Raise a Nonracist Child, available for sale during coffee hour at the Social Action table.
Leaders:  Co-leader Jude Henzy is a candidate for the UU ministry & has been a Director of Religious Education since 1992.  She has attended many workshops on multiculturalism and ending racism.  Jude is also the mother of two children, ages 20 and 16.  She may be reached at usgre@verizon.net or 215-844-1157.  Co-leader Susan Zingale Baird is chair of USG's Ending Racism Committee and the mother of 13-year-old twin daughters.  Co-leader Kelli Jones is an actuary who is currently pursuing a PhD in Risk Management.  She is also the proud mother of a six year old daughter & a two year old son.  She has been attending USG since 2006.
Charges:  $25 for members, $30 for non-members.

INTIMATE JUSTICE: FINDING FAIRNESS IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS
Dates:  Sunday, February 24th
Time:   12: 30 - 2:30 PM
Location:   Sullivan Chapel
Fairness is so elemental and crucial that our guiding intuition about fairness is impossible to ignore.  Why, if it is so influential in relationships, is fairness so elusive, so hard to define, and at times so challenging to agree upon?  This workshop sets out to answer these questions, offering fresh insights that will transform your way of understanding fairness in the world of relationships, while providing a hopeful map for creating a more loving and enduring relatedness that is based on fairness.  Dr. Hibbstranslates the complexity of contextual theory and its focus on family loyalty, individual deserving, and relational ethics – who owes what to whom – into an easily accessible language.
Leader:  Dr. B. Janet Hibbs is dually licensed as a Psychologist and a Marriage & Family Therapist, and has 15 years of post-graduate teaching experience on the faculties of Hahnemann University, the Family Institute, and Widener University.  She co-founded Contextual Therapy Associates of Philadelphia and has been in private practice for 25 years.  In addition to academic publications, Dr. Hibbs has recently completed Intimate Justice: Finding Fairness in Love and Marriage, which is being prepared for publication.  Contact information and more is available at www.drbhibbs.com.
Charges:  $10 for members, $15 for non-members.  

STARTING IN  APRIL

THE POETRY OF RUMI
Dates:  April 9 & 23, May 7 & 21
Time:  7:30 – 9:00 pm
Location:  Sullivan Chapel
Jelaluddin Rumi's dazzling Sufi poetry portrays divine intoxication from every angle.  It is a reminder that the all-embracing divine love cannot be contained by any sectarian form.  Perhaps this is why his poetry is so often included in many UU church services.  The sessions cover historical context / biography of Rumi, discussion of selected poems, reading your favorite aloud to the group, and walking a labyrinth to the poetry of Rumi set to bluegrass music (an off-site field trip)!
. . . My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that,
and I intend to end up there . . .
Leader:  Suzanne Matlock is a USG “friend” with an interest in eastern theologies.
Charges:   $10 for members, $15 for non-members.