Adult Programs

The Adult Religious Education Committee plans a rich menu of adult reflection and growth throughout the year to:

Spring Offerings • [See below for Ongoing Offerings]

Book Discussions
Facilitator: Kimberly Wootan
Dates: Thursdays, April 3, 10, & 17
Time/Place: 7:00, Parsonage

Here When You Need Me by Kate Braestrup
Here is a book for all Unitarian Universalists who want to explore how our faith can translate into our lives. It is the true story of a woman who lost her husband in a senseless accident and how she went on to become a chaplain to game wardens in Maine. Alert to comic detail even in grisly circumstances (bears, for example, like to play ball with human skulls), she tells stories of lost children, a suicide, drunken accidents and a murder, always with compassion and a concern for the big questions inescapably provoked by tragic events. Why did Dad die? her children ask, and her response describes not only her theology but also her reason for being a chaplain: Nowhere in scripture does it say ‘God is a car accident’ or ‘God is death’. God is justice and kindness, mercy, and always — always — love. So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love. We will meet to discuss this book.
Limited to 15 participants.

Group Quilt
Leader: Polly Friedrichs
Dates: Tuesdays, March 25, April 1,8 & 15
Time/Place: 7:00 pm at The Ridge, Riverwoods

Come help make a quilt and join in donating a wonderful gift to our Church at the same time. Polly Friedrichs will offer a 4-week course focusing on the art of quilt making and all the facets that entails. Learn the artistry along with a focus on color and the importance of putting all the elements together in a way that portrays your vision. Each participant will help in the creation of a design and help make a square to produce a work of art for a wall in our church.
Limited to 12 participants.

Kripalu DansKinetics
Leader: Chris Chance
Dates: Saturdays, March 15, 29, April 19, May 10
Time/Place: 10:30 am in the Parish Hall

Kripalu DansKinetics is a yoga-inspired dance form designed to allow your body to do the dance it wants to do. It has been described as transformative, spirit-moving, and just plain fun. During each class you will stimulate all the yogic energy centers of the body in sync with evocative and inspiring music: starting with stretching and warm-up, moving into heart-pumping exuberant rhythms, and ending with relaxing meditation. This is the dance for all of us, enjoyable and modifiable for all ages and fitness levels. This is not a competitive dance, or a dance with “right steps”. Chris was drawn to DansKinetics because when she first tried it at the Kripalu Yoga Center, it made her feel like a kid again. This Fall she completed her 136 hour intensive training at the Center to become an instructor, and can’t wait to share the dance with UU friends! The only experience required is a history of breathing. So let’s celebrate together!

What to bring: comfortable layered clothing for play/workout, comfortable soft-soled shoes or bare feet, a yoga mat or beach towel, a bottle of water, and an open heart.

Letterboxing
Leader: Sara Gangai
Date: Sunday, May 18
Time/Place: 12:30, starting in the Parish Hall

Did you know that Letterboxes are hidden all over the world, waiting for you to find them? Learn about this hundreds-year-old “treasure hunt” tradition which started in England in the 1800s and is (secretly) sweeping the imaginations of Americans, particularly since the advent of the internet, It’s a great outdoor intergenerational activity that incorporates orienteering techniques and sleuthing skills and will pique the interest of even the youngest member of your family. Participants should bring a bag lunch, a small tupperware-type container, a sandwich sized zip-lock bag, a mini-notepad, and a rubber stamp with them as their “signature” stamp for the day, or may borrow one for the adventure. After we create our own letterboxes, we will use mystical clues to find a letterbox planted in Exeter.

Pathways to Membership
Facilitators: Kendra Ford, Doug Flockhart, & Elizabethe Plante
Dates: Monday evenings, March 10, 17, 24, 31, and April 7
Time/Place: 7:00pm in the Community Room

What is Unitarian Universalism? How did it get that way? How is it different today, and how is it practiced in this church? What goes on in this church, and how may I get involved? What is the difference between the Caring Committee and the Outreach Task Force? Between the Knitting Ministry and the Group Quilt? Between the Welcoming Newcomers Committee and the Welcoming Congregation Task Force? Do I have to audition to sing in the choir? How do you make coffee in that scary looking urn, and where do you keep the extension cords anyway?

This program will answer these and many other questions, in an attempt to explain who we are and what myriad things go on here. Whether you’re a newcomer just starting on the pathway to membership, or a not-so-newcomer still scratching your head trying to figure out how to get more connected, we will try to provide a smooth and lively transition from first introductions to getting you actively involved in the life of the church.

Personality and Relationships: Knowing Yourself, Understanding Others
Facilitator: Mollie Allen
Dates: Wednesday evenings, March 5, 12, 19, & 26
Time/Place: 7:00pm in the Community Room

From tots, to teens and into adulthood, people are different. Some are easy to get along with while others can drive you crazy. Unwrap the mystery behind personality patterns and have fun while doing it. In this course you’ll gain personal insight and increased appreciation for others; you’ll take away communication tips and learn a framework for human understanding. The course uses video clips, interactive exercises and lecture to learn about the Myers-Briggs personality theory, its relationship to Carl Jung’s typology and his ideas on the self and personal development (individuation). Participants will have the opportunity to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Step 1, compare its results to their own self-assessment and begin to discover their personality type. There will be an estimated fee of $20 for materials for this course.
Limited to no more than 20 participants.

Small Group Ministry
Facilitator: Paula Wall
Dates: Every other Wednesday, March 12 to May 21
Time/Place: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Paula Wall will facilitate Small Group Ministry (SGM) Sessions for people who would like to meet in a safe, structured environment to make connections and discuss the spiritual aspects of a variety of topics.

Consistent attendance is important. For more information: contact Paula Wall: or 679-1926.

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Ongoing Offerings

Beyond Coffee Hour (Small Group Ministry)
We offer small groups for deepening discussions around topics of religious and spiritual interest. Groups are facilitated by trained group leaders.

Knitting Ministry meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Parsonage to work on healing/spirituality shawls or other articles for our congregation. Beginner and experienced knitters and crocheters are welcome.

Midweek Mindfulness — every Wednesday 6:30 to 6:50 pm
Join us for meditation at the Parsonage as often as you like. No experience necessary, only a willingness to be in the silence with each other. This is good preparation for the evening meetings and the rest of the week.

Contra Dance
Monthly Saturday contra dances are held in our Parish Hall with Richky Holt calling. live music is provided by Jim DiCarlo (Irish flute and pennywhistle), Silas Robinson (fiddle), Brad Robinson (guitar), and Nancy Fiske (pennywhistle, recorders, clarinet). You do not need experience or a partner. All dances will be taught and kids are welcome. Bring clean soft-soled shoes. Donations are reuqested, under 10 free.

Men's and Women's Pot Luck Suppers
Fun, food, and fellowship each month. We usually split into a men's group and a women's group, but ocassionally combine the two groups. Watch the Calendar, the Order of Service Announcements, and monthly Newsletter for details.

Community Forums
Kendra and the Social Justice Committee collaborate with the Exeter Congregational and Episcopal churches and the Academy to sponsor a series of communityh public forums entitled "We the People: In Search of the Common Good." These forums feature well-known speakers and authorities on diverse topics. Presentations stress ethical values and changing complexities of political, economic, and minority life in America.

Lit FUUSE
The Lit FUUSE is a creative arts magazine that includes poetry, prose, photography, and fine art on a wide range of topics by, and for, FUUSE members.

Submissions are currently invited for Volume 3 with a proposed publication date in early 2008, and may be emailed to Bob Moore at

Spiritual Parenting
[Info to come.]

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12 Elm Street, Exeter, NH 03833 · 603-772-4002 · Office: