Crossing Paths:
A “Neighboring Faiths” Curriculum from Soul Matters
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"Crossing Paths is dynamic, detailed, and flexible. It is clearly made for the young people of today and meets them where they are at in terms of emotional and intellectual content. The lessons are fun and memorable, and we're so grateful to have access to this curriculum." - Clare Fortune-Lad, DRE, UU Church of Haverhill, Haverhill, MA "Crossing Paths was a blessing. It allowed us to do true theme-based ministry while keeping with the well-loved Middle School tradition of visiting other faiths." - Ashley Johnson, Credentialed Educator, Columbine UU Church, Littleton, CO "I talked with one of my Crossing Paths leaders to check in about how it was going. He said he loves Crossing Paths and wishes it was a two year curriculum! I said it will be. And right at that moment he offered to teach again next year! Thank you!! I also got a chance to observe the class and they were reviewing everything they learned so far and it was AMAZING how engaged these kids were and the memories they shared. It made my heart sing!" - Sadie Kahn-Greene, Director of Faith Formation, UU Church of Nashua, Nashua, NH |
We are thrilled to offer Crossing Paths, a Soul Matters version of the impactful Neighboring Faiths youth programs used throughout our UU congregations.
Unique Components: Crossing Paths joins the long line of visit-based UU curriculum going back 70 years. Church Across the Street was published in 1947. More recently, we’ve seen Neighboring Faiths (1997) and Building Bridges (Tapestry of Faith). Our Soul Matters versions honor these previous curriculum and adds its own unique components, including an emphasis on theological grounding, a distinct take on religious pluralism ("Many Mountains, Many Paths"), an abundance of experiential learning and a deep commitment to family-centered activities.
UU Identity Formation: It's also unique in that, while the program is built around interfaith engagement, its focus is really on UU identity formation. We not only lift up the core pieces of other faiths, we compare and contrast those faith's beliefs and practices with those of our UU faith. By exploring those similarities and contrasts, youth are better grounded in their faith and clarify their own particular UU identity.
Modified for Online Use: During this time of Covid-19 and online church, we're doing a significant revision of the program so that youth can learn about the various religions through videos and online zoom conversations with religious leaders, rather than in-person visits. We're striving to maintain the experiential learning components by offering games and activities that can be done together online.
Weekly Sessions: As with most “neighboring faith” programs, ours is organized as a year-long program with sessions for every Sunday of the month.
The Faith Traditions Covered:
Purchases Include
Package Choices & Cost
The 2020-2021 online Crossing Paths subscription is $200
Samples
Check out a sample packet from our past in-person version here.
Questions
Email our Director of Religious Education Resources, Katie Covey.
Unique Components: Crossing Paths joins the long line of visit-based UU curriculum going back 70 years. Church Across the Street was published in 1947. More recently, we’ve seen Neighboring Faiths (1997) and Building Bridges (Tapestry of Faith). Our Soul Matters versions honor these previous curriculum and adds its own unique components, including an emphasis on theological grounding, a distinct take on religious pluralism ("Many Mountains, Many Paths"), an abundance of experiential learning and a deep commitment to family-centered activities.
UU Identity Formation: It's also unique in that, while the program is built around interfaith engagement, its focus is really on UU identity formation. We not only lift up the core pieces of other faiths, we compare and contrast those faith's beliefs and practices with those of our UU faith. By exploring those similarities and contrasts, youth are better grounded in their faith and clarify their own particular UU identity.
Modified for Online Use: During this time of Covid-19 and online church, we're doing a significant revision of the program so that youth can learn about the various religions through videos and online zoom conversations with religious leaders, rather than in-person visits. We're striving to maintain the experiential learning components by offering games and activities that can be done together online.
Weekly Sessions: As with most “neighboring faith” programs, ours is organized as a year-long program with sessions for every Sunday of the month.
The Faith Traditions Covered:
- Unitarian Universalism
- Judaism
- Christianity
- Catholicism
- Christian Evangelicalism (Mega Church)
- Black Church Traditions
- Quakerism
- Buddhism
- Hinduism
- Islam
- Paganism
Purchases Include
- Leaders’ Guide
- 11 Packets - The packets will come out in stages, giving us time to update each for online use this year. Click here for our publishing schedule.
- Online Leader Orientation Webinar - We offer this webinar every August. You can register for it on our Webinar Page.
Package Choices & Cost
The 2020-2021 online Crossing Paths subscription is $200
Samples
Check out a sample packet from our past in-person version here.
Questions
Email our Director of Religious Education Resources, Katie Covey.
PURCHASE TODAY!
Select one of our purchase options below:
Select one of our purchase options below: