Lighting the Fire: A Unitarian Universalist Youth Worship Handbook

Abstract

Lighting the Fire: A Unitarian Universalist Youth Worship Handbook is a guide for youth (and those in youth ministry) for creating collaborative and nourishing worship and ritual grounded in youth empowerment and Unitarian Universalist theology. In Chapter One: “Find Stones”, you will find sections about the frameworks and theologies that ground UU youth worship; covenant, interdependence, collective liberation, and creativity. In Chapter Two: “Gather Stones”, we describe how to create the relationships necessary for youth worship; collaboration, mentorship, and boundaries. In Chapter Three: “Stack Wood”, you will find suggestions for doing what is in your power to keep your people safe emotionally and physically. This chapter covers preparation and ethics work before worship begins. In Chapter Four: “Light Fire”, we discuss the process of worship planning and design, this chapter is full of ritual theology and sacred imagination. In Chapter Five: “Tend Fire”, you will find the building blocks of worship, including all of the ritual elements. In Chapter Six: “Fire Safety”, we describe the short and long-term impacts of worship, emotional processing, and resources for leaving spiritual communities. In Chapter Seven: “Extinguish Fire”, you can find community safety frameworks and processes for dealing with harm. In Chapter Eight: “Glowing Embers”, we write about the cycle of continuation of youth worship, and how youth worship fits into intergenerational legacy. In Chapter Nine: “Final Blessing”, we bless you on your journey towards worship. In Chapter Ten: “Appendix: List of Rituals & Works Cited”, you can find a written-out list of descriptions of rituals and the sources we drew upon for this book.