Life-long Learning
Spiritual Growth
Building Community
We are pleased to present a wide variety of offerings this fall.
The complete course descriptions with contact information, schedules, and a
registration form are included in the
printer-friendly (PDF) version
of the program catalog, or, browse the offerings by the titles below.
Registration forms (and payment by check) can be deposit in the "drop
box" at the Adult RE table in the north vestibule or mailed to BUUF, attention
Adult RE). You may register for more than one class. Your registration will be
confirmed with a call to remind you of the start date for the classes or
workshops you have selected. If the class is full, we will contact you
and refund the fee.
Contact the office or Adult Education chair
Mike Philley (378-1714 or
) for more
information about events.
Unitarian Universalists are accustomed to speaking out and sharing
their diverse views, but sometimes we find it difficult to say just what
our individual theologies are. This class will explore participants'
evolving individual and collective theological perspectives by
reflecting on personal religious experiences, creating individual
credos, raising questions of ultimate reality, ethics, religious
meaning, human nature, the sacred or holy, good and evil, suffering,
community, authority, death, immortality and UU's Seven Principles. The
aim of the course is to come to a deeper understand of "where we stand"
as individuals and as a community of seekers. Participants will engage
in writing their insights and views.
Week 1: Religious Experiences and Credo Creation—Clarity
Week 2: What is a Theology?—Human nature and Ultimate Reality
Week 3: Individual and Community—Religious Meaning, Truth and Authority
Week 4: The Great Questions—The Holy, Justice, Suffering, Death and Immortality
Week 5: The Seven Principles and Our Theologies—Connections
Leaders: The Rev. Elizabeth Greene and Prof. Elton Hall
Schedule and Location: 5 sessions, Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., October
7, 14, 28; November 4, 11, (class will not meet October 21), junior high
room.
Registration Fee: $10
[+]
Christianity Revisited—Westar Institute Seminars
The Westar Institute is an organization of scholars, dedicated to
improving Christian religious literacy. The work of the Institute is
performed in Seminars. First was the Jesus Seminar, which Steve Scanlin
described at a BUUF worship service in the fall of 2007.
The study goal is to better understand the time lines and historicity
of the New Testament. Fundamental requirements are that debate be open
to the public and that results be published. To evaluate their product,
it is important to understand the methods and criteria that are used.
Session 1: The first class will examine the 23 year history of
the effort, fellows and associates, base materials, criteria of
historicity, voting and voting grades, meetings, general publications,
and suggested readings.
Session 2: The second class will examine four individual
seminars, on Jesus, Paul, Acts and Christian Origins. It will consider
their basic criteria, organization, working methods, and the published
products. It also will touch on criticisms of the work, and on the very
active and related writing activity of the participating
fellows.
Leader: Don Clarke
Schedule and location: 2 Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m.,
October 29; November 5; junior high room.
Registration fee: $10
[+]
Immigration/Guest Worker Issues and Solutions: A Treasure Valley Symposium
The Treasure Valley is a microcosm of migrant worker issues affecting
jobs, border security, and economic and social justice. Immigration
policy reform is complex and raises many questions regarding guest
worker programs, alien registration, workplace enforcement,
identification and driver's licenses, minimum wage laws, health care and
worker benefits, and rights to U.S. citizenship. Of overwhelming
importance to our economic and demographic future, what we do about the
immigration problem will greatly affect our standing as a free and
self-governing democracy.
This symposium will feature a panel of distinguished speakers
directly engaged in immigration and migrant worker affairs. The thrust
of the symposium will be to explore both the issues and the most
practical and workable solutions that address the economic and social
well being of all Americans.
Panel: Leo Morales, Executive Director of Idaho Community
Action Network (ICAN), Maria Andrade, Boise attorney specializing in
immigration and migrant worker issues, and several others to be
determined.
Moderator: to be determined
Schedule and location: Sunday, October 5, 7-9
p.m. in the sanctuary.
Registration fee: $15 (net proceeds after
expenses to benefit Idaho Community Action Network (ICAN).
In recent decades, economic globalization and the growing wealth
disparity have disrupted the community networks people once relied on.
Extended families are dispersed and communities are constantly in flux,
making it difficult to build a network of friends and neighbors for
mutual support during times of personal crisis. Our longer work hours
and commutes make it even harder for people to offer support.
Dr. John Gibson, co-author of the book, Personal Safety Nets:
Getting Ready for Life's Inevitable Changes and Challenges,
will show you how to intentionally create a personal safety net made up
of those plans, systems, resources and especially people who strengthen
your life. Enjoying this community of people in good times and having
them there in hard times brings pleasure, security and control. Given
life's inevitable changes and challenges, everyone needs to be part of a
strong team!
Leader:Dr. John Gibson,
professional counselor, coach, speaker, and author
Schedule and location: Friday, November 7, 7-9
p.m. (includes refreshments and book signing), north wing classrooms.
Spiritual trailblazer Thomas Nehrer will speak about his perceptive
and exacting look at the flow of Reality. His book, The Essence of
Reality, illustrates that all of one's life—health, success,
authority, abundance—reflect one's inner nature. He gives us
explicit tools for delving into our inner journey to accomplish real
positive change in our outer lives.
This presentation with Q&A and discussion is co-sponsored by BUUF
and the Boise chapter of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). A
book signing with refreshments will be included.
Schedule and location: Sunday, September 28,
6:30-8:30 p.m., north wing classrooms.
Registration fee: $10
[+]
Travels in Borneo: Tropical Timber, Palm Oil, Native Rights
Borneo, the world's third largest island, is a mosaic of ancient
rainforests, exotic plants and animals, myriad ethnic groups and languages,
coastal cities with modern shopping arcades featuring KFC and Starbucks, and,
unfortunately, widespread ecological degradation due to logging and explosive
growth of the palm oil industry. Borneo's political elites and corporate
interests are well aligned to exploit the global economy's burgeoning appetite
for wood, pulp and paper products, food additives, cosmetics, and
bio-fuels.
Mike Philley returned earlier this year from five weeks as a volunteer with the
Borneo Project, a Berkeley-based non-profit that works with local partners to
protect the rights of indigenous people to their ancestral lands. Mike will
speak about his experiences in Borneo as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early
1970s and describe the present efforts of the Borneo Project and its partners
to empower rural communities through legal aid and preschool programs for
native children.
Leader: Mike Philley
Schedule and location: Friday evening, 7-9 p.m., January 30,
2009, north wing classrooms (refreshments will be served).
(Note: originally scheduled for Nov. 14, 2008.)
Registration fee: $10
Donations to
the Borneo Project, a
non-profit affiliate of the Earth Island Institute, will be gratefully
accepted.
Calling all BUUF quilters and wanna-be's to learn basic
quilting techniques while making a beautiful table runner to take home.
Quilting materials and lunch are provided. Bring a portable sewing
machine if you can, but don't worry if you don't have one—we'll
have plenty to share.
Leaders: Barbara Alexander and Sandy Cruise (with assistance
from the other BUUF Q-UU-ilters, makers of the Sudoku quilt that sold at
the last BUUF service auction).
Schedule and Location: Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m. to
3:30 p.m., Junior & Senior high rooms.
Registration fee: $20 (quilting materials and lunch will be
provided)
Join a new six-week discussion course offered by the Idaho
Earth Institute (IEI). Based on the most current information about sustainable
agriculture and food security, this course has the following goals:
To explore food systems and their impacts on culture, society
and ecological systems
To gain insight into agricultural and individual practices
that promote personal and ecological well-being
To consider one's role in creating or supporting sustainable
food systems
Participants will use a course book of readings and discussion
questions created by the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) based in
Portland, Oregon.
Leader: An IEI-trained mentor will facilitate
the first session and join a celebration at the final session.
Schedule and location: 6 sessions, Mondays,
7-8:30 p.m., October 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10, 17; junior high room.
Registration fee: $18 (covers the cost of the
NWEI course book)
