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What is a lifespan learning community?
A lifespan learning community is a community which
intentionally encourages and creates opportunity for
spiritual growth and learning at all ages of our lives and
all stages of our faith development. A lifespan learning
community can be of any size and any mix of demographics. A
lifespan learning community might have professional
leadership or be entirely lay lead. What marks a lifespan
learning community is its intention, its willingness and its
forethought to setting an environment of growth and learning
for all.
Why is it important to become a lifespan
learning community?
Unitarian Universalist communities across Canada share a
desire to support their membership in growing and learning.
Congregations want to become thriving, exciting places where
free-thinking, spiritually-questing individuals join
together in common support and action.
Unitarian Universalist communities across the country
already do much to support lifespan learning. We offer
programs and courses, events where generations learn from
each other; we dedicate funds to the continuing education of
their members; we hire staff to lead them; we stock
libraries and bookshelves with thought-provoking works.
This guide is based on our research and experiences with
congregations across the country and throughout North
America. It is a collection of the key elements which we
have observed are necessary to bring into reality that dream
of the thriving, learning, growing congregation. We have
presented these keys together as a comprehensive list,
because the effectiveness of each key area is not only
reinforced but amplified by successes in the other areas.
A community that can comprehensively bring together all
twelve keys can know that they are truly demonstrating a
full commitment to empowered, growing individuals and a
community whose collective spirit is equally as vibrant,
exciting and impacting on the world.
For more information or to get help started, please contact
the Director of Lifespan Learning at
lifespan@cuc.ca
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