Adults at our church have many opportunities to learn and to share common interests.  Some are serious, and some are just plain fun.  And classes aren’t the only way to learn.  Committee work and Social Activities often offer opportunities to hone your skills or learn new ones, so be sure to visit those pages as well.

Below you’ll find

• Classes Especially for Visitors
• Other Ongoing and Recurring Classes and Groups
• Book Discussions and Free Books Table
• Past Classes (you might request a repeat!)

On other pages you’ll find more opportunities for learning and growth

• Social and Recreational Activities
• Opportunities for meaningful committee and social justice work
• Small Group Ministry

Especially for Visitors

Visitors’ Q&A

Facilitator: Rev. Julie Conrady

Time and Place:  Announced during the service

Description: The Visitor Q/A is for visitors who have questions about Unitarian Universalism or our church.  Rev. Julie will greet you, answer your questions, and will give a brief overview of Unitarian Universalism.

UUCB 101

Facilitator: Rev. Julie Conrady

Time and Place: These classes are currently scheduled virtually 2-3 times a year.  Let us know your interest by indicating on the connection card or by calling the church office at 205-945-8109.

Description: Join Rev. Julie to learn more about our church, our UU tradition, and how to get connected. An opportunity to join the church will be included in the final meeting, although membership is open at any time.

Other Ongoing and Recurring Classes and Groups

Qi Gong

Facilitator: David Roberts
Zoom host: Marion Fintel
Time and date: Saturdays at 9:30 AM
To sign up: contact Marion Fintel (she will email the Zoom invite)
Description: Qi gong is a Chinese exercise that is practiced by many people today. Some use a modified version to help balance and general coordination. It is also practiced to relieve tension and stiffness. The movements are for the most part stationary and can be modified according to needs and ability. Time of procedure takes 10 to 15 minutes. Persons should modify forms according to their wishes and doctor’s recommendations.

Book Discussions

The 5th Little Girl by Sarah Collins Rudolph

Moderated by Rev. Julie Conrady

Thursday, February 25, 2021 6:30 PM  (Contact the church office to be added to the list for the zoom link)

For more than a decade, Sarah Collins Rudolph, one of the victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, has traveled the country telling her story. Now, her full story will come out in a forthcoming book, published by Africa World Press and The Red Sea Press.

“The 5th Little Girl: Soul Survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing (The Sarah Collins Rudolph Story)” is now complete and available for purchase. Written by Wright State University political science professor Tracy D. Snipe after hours of conversation with Rudolph, the 406-page book is a chronicle of her life growing up in civil rights era Birmingham.

(Limited autographed copies available in the church office.)

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens  

Moderated by Marilyn Kurata

March 4, 2021 10:30 AM – Noon   (Call the church office to be added to the list for the zoom link)

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”   These famous opening lines of a novel published in 1859 could as easily be mistaken for the opening lines of an editorial today.  Besides looking at this novel set during the French Revolution in its own context, I’d like us to consider its relevance today.  Although not one of Dickens’ greatest novels, A Tale of Two Cities has remained perennially popular because it resonates with readers who want to laugh, cry, and be inspired.

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

Moderated by Josh Flores

March 7 and 14, 2021 11:15 am (Join the Coffee hour zoom link and ask for the Book discussion)

Join me for a two-part book study of Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility!” Bring your perspectives, experiences, and be ready to unpack empowering language and lessons for cultivating our community! This is one of the most important books I’ve read in the past three years and I look forward to sharing it with you!

Description: One of the most famous passages in literature and philosophy is excerpted from Plato’s Republic. Book VI, or The Allegory of the Cave, is frequently looked at in terms of perception, how we see the world and make meaning from it, or in terms of a theory of knowledge, how we know what we know. I’m wondering if the work still speaks to us today. Can it help us think about contemporary notions of living online and living IRL? Is this self-help or even enlightenment literature? There are many free translations available and those variants might be part of the discussion. I would encourage you to attempt to read it on your own and see what you take away from it first. What aspects speak to you personally? If still interested, there are many resources we could bring into our discussion, even animated versions! After our discussion, if there is interest, I want to know where we want to go next. Do we want to pursue works of literature and poetry, like The Great Books and Poems we’ve wanted to tackle, but haven’t? Do we want to pursue more classics in philosophy or nonfiction?

Special Interest Classes

Complete list of Offerings for February and March, 2021

Past classes, which may be repeated from time to time, include

• Jewelry Making
• Beekeeping
• Building Your Own Theology
• Dealing with Difficult People
• Developing Beliefs, Principles and Goals: A Pragmatist’s Guide to Spirituality
• Enneagrams
• Ethical Controversies in Elder Health
• Facebook
• Flower Arranging
• Google Drive
• Guided Hikes, Bird Walks and Wildflower Walks
• Gun Control and the Second Amendment
• History of our Church
• Less is More: Declutter and Organize Your Way to Joy
• Let’s Write, also known as the Monday Writers, has been meeting during the summer. Contact Lyn Stafford.
• Overview of the Federal Criminal Justice System
• Resilience: What is it and how can we increase it
• Tai Chi
• This I Believe—Developing a Personal Credo
• Tours of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham Museum of Art, and other destinations
• Transgender 101
• UUCB and the UU World