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.

Ongoing and Recurring Classes

Monthly Q&A

For newcomers, we offer Visitor Question & Answer sessions on 3rd Sundays at 11:45 am in the Pickett Room.  This is an informal session led by the membership committee.  Pamphlets and handouts will be available and we’ll try to answer your questions about Unitarian Universalism or our church.

UU101: Watch the website for dates of the next class

What do we believe in?  Are we the kind of people you want to hang out with? This is a good time to get to know Unitarian Universalists and ask questions. Meet others who are searching for community and purpose.

For those who want to learn more about our faith, Unitarian Universalism 101 classes are scheduled 2-3 times a year, and are scheduled for two consecutive Sundays.  These classes give you an in-depth understanding of our faith and qualify you for membership, if you choose to take that step.  See our Membership page or write membership@uucbham.org for more information.

Meditation Group

Facilitator: Mary Williams

Time and Place: Sunday mornings from 9 – 10 am; Volker Room

Description: Silent meditation in the Thich Nhat Hahn Buddhist tradition occurs for the first 30 minutes, followed by reading and discussion.

New Moon Astrology Group

Facilitators:  Tara Bawden and Leigh Shaffer

Time and Place:  8 Sunday evenings, 7-9 pm, on 9/17, 10/15, 11/12 , 12/17, 1/14, 2/11, 3/11, 4/15, and 5/13; Room 122

Description:  Each month, ahead of the meeting, we’ll read a short section of Jan Spiller’s “New Moon Astrology: The Secret of Astrological Timing to Make All Your Dreams Come True”. Group is open for drop-in participation.

SUUnday ForUUm

Facilitators:  Jim Albea and Janice Williams

Time and Place: Sunday morning from 9 to 10:30 am, Room #122

Description: To participate, just show up! Visitors and newcomers are welcome.  For most sessions, participants will view a 30 minute video from a Learning Company series (“Great Courses”) first, with discussion to follow.

One-Time Classes

Bird Walk

Facilitator:  Susan Barrow and Bob Koehler

Time and Place: Saturday, October 7th at 8 AM at the entrance of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, weather permitting.

Description: Bring your binoculars for observing birds in the garden and expect an easy walk at a slow pace.

Book Discussions

Stolen Beauty

Facilitator:  Marilyn Kurata

Time and Place:  Thursday, November 9, 6:30-7:30 pm, Pickett Room

Description:  Book discussion of a novel by Laurie Lico Albanese based on real-life people:  Adele Bloch-Bauer and her niece Maria Altmann.  The novel alternates between the Vienna of the early years of the 20th century, when Adele models for two of Gustav Klimt’s most famous paintings, and the Vienna of the Anschluss and the Nazi Occupation when Maria is a new bride.  The last section of the novel deals with Maria’s attempt fifty years later to recover Klimt’s portrait of her aunt as “The Woman in Gold.”

The Constitution

Facilitator:  Darryl Hunt, attorney at law

Time and Place:  Two Sundays, November 5 & 12, noon-2:00 pm, Volker Room

Description:  We keep hearing the terms “constitutional” and “unconstitutional” bandied about by both politicians and the main stream media these days. But what do those terms really mean? In this two-part discussion we will address the main clauses and amendments of the Constitution and how their interpretation (and misinterpretation) has shaped our past and current social and political environment.

Enneagrams

Facilitator: Lisa Moyer

Meets: Wednesday, October 18; 6:30 pm – Volker Room.

Description: As described by Lindsey Jayne Mullen, the Enneagram is a tool to understanding peoples’ underlying assumptions about the world and the ways we each make sense of our own behavior, expectations and of others’ behaviors.  There are 9 types within this model, each with “wings” or particularities that connect to the other types.

Facebook

Facilitator: Lisa Moyer

Time and Place: Sunday, October 15, 12-1:30 pm; Grady Nunn Library

Description: A class for Facebook beginners. Learn how to create, curate and maintain your own Facebook page, as well as how to interact with other Facebook friends, groups and event pages.

Resilience: What is it and how can we increase it?

Facilitator:  Rev. Ed Brock

Time and Place:  Three Sundays, October 8, 15, and 22, noon-1:00 pm, Room #103

Description:  An exploration of what resilience is, how it can be understood as a confluence of influences in and around a person, and how our resilience can be learned so that it increases.

Sermon Seminar for Lay People

Facilitator:  Ruth Vann Lillian

Time and Place: Days and times as agreed on among the students (limit of 8 students)

Description: Based on The Shared Pulpit by Erika Hewett, this 8 session workshop of 3 hours each will meet twice a month. We will consider the nature and purpose of sermons, and through reflection, journaling, and sharing we will combine external inspiration with experiences and feelings to weave together sermons which each student will present to the group. Like any small group ministry, gentle, trusting communication is essential. Cost of book is $14. Contact Ruth Vann Lillian.

Tai Chi

Facilitator: Susan Putnam (contact Susan with any questions)

Time and Place: Starting in October, in the Memorial Garden, days and times as agreed upon among the students.

Description: focusing the mind solely on the movements of the Tai Chi form helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity along with general health benefits and stress management.  A sign-up sheet will be available in the back of the Sanctuary starting in late September.

Transgender 101

Facilitators: Cortney Johnson and Corey Shum

Time and Place: Sunday, November 12, 12-2 pm (please bring a bagged lunch)

Description: Come to this workshop to educate yourself on some of the frameworks and ideas that transgender people use to understand and describe themselves and their gender. We’ll cover the basics of gender identity, how the T fits into the LGBTQ acronym, and some of the new and evolving language and terminology. Then we’ll focus in on how we can be respectful and welcoming to this community of people and those who care about them.

WordPress

The WordPress class scheduled for October 1 has been postponed.  Please watch the website and Friday emails for further news.  Thank you!

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

• Beaded Jewelry Making
• Book Discussions
• Building Your Own Theology
• Dealing with Difficult People
• Developing Beliefs, Principles and Goals: A Pragmatist’s Guide to Spirituality
• Ethical Controversies in Elder Health
• Flower Arranging
• Google Drive
• Guided Hikes, Bird Walks and Wildflower Walks
• Let’s Write, also known as the Monday Writers, has been meeting during the summer at noon on Mondays. Contact Lyn Stafford.
• Less is More: Declutter and Organize Your Way to Joy
• This I Believe—Developing a Personal Credo
• Tours of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham Museum of Art, and other destinations
• Transgender 101