RE Volunteers

RE Volunteers

Want to volunteer in our Religious Education program?

How to Become a Volunteer

  1. Ask yourself how long you have been at UUI.  Volunteers ministering in our RE program must be actively participating at UUI for at least 6 months.
  2. Read over the available volunteer opportunities and figure out what might be a good fit for you.
  3. Fill out the volunteer interest form.
  4. Wait for the Religious Educator to contact you, or contact the RE at re(at)uui.org or 317-283-4760.
  5. Once you have talked to the Religious Educator and depending on what role you are volunteering for, you may then need to fill out a volunteer application along with a UUI Background Check Release Authorization pdf form.
  6. Attend a training/orientation to get you started and on your way!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Do I have to be a parent to volunteer in UUI’s religious education program?

A: No, we encourage and welcome all adults at UUI to take part in our RE program.  Children and youth get a more well-rounded religious education when all adults in the congregation take part.

Q: Do all parents have to volunteer in the RE program?

A: We are a cooperative religious education program and ask that a parent/guardian volunteers some time in RE each year.  However, it is not the sole responsibility of parents to run and carry the RE program.  We honor our children and youth at UUI and need the talents of all UUI adults to help carry our wonderful RE program.

Q: I want to help out, but I do not want to work directly with children/youth, can I still volunteer in RE?

A: Absolutely.  We have a few volunteer positions in RE where you are not working directly with children or youth.  For example, an RE Associate welcomes new families to UUI before and after services.  There are so many RE volunteer positions; this is why we need the help of everyone at UUI.

Q: If I volunteer in RE, will I miss service?

A: The wonderful thing about UUI is that we have two services every Sunday.  If you are signed up to volunteer on a given Sunday, you can choose to go to the service before (or after) the religious education session you are volunteering for.  For example, if you are a story teller for Spirit Play (which runs during the first service), you can lead class during the first service and then stay to participate in the second service.

Q: If I volunteer in RE, will I have to teach every Sunday?

A: No.  The religious education classes are set up so the volunteers take turns leading/helping the class they have signed up for.  Most RE volunteers are only in their class one to two Sundays per month.

Q: Will I have to volunteer in RE all year long?

A: No.  The RE year is split up into three trimesters to better accommodates peoples’ busy schedules.Church school schedule:

  • The end of summer through end of December (first trimester)
  • January through May (second trimester)
  • June through August (summer trimester)

Many RE volunteers find they want to stay with their class during the school year and stay on in their position for both first and second trimester, but this is not required.  This trimester set up also gives volunteers a chance to try different volunteer positions throughout the year.

Note: There are a few classes that require volunteer commitments to span both first and second trimesters (e.g., the Coming of Age class).

Q: What happens if I begin to volunteer in RE and something comes up where I can no longer finish out my volunteer time?

A: Life happens.  Of course it is encouraged that volunteers finish their volunteer commitment.  However, if something happens to where you cannot finish your commitment, just talk to the Religious Educator.

Q: Do I need to fill a volunteer application and background check form?

A: If you are working directly with children and/or youth in their classroom, or outside of Sunday morning religious education time, you will need to fill out a volunteer application and a background check form. Volunteers who must fill out the application and background check forms only need to do so every three years.

Q: Does it cost anything to get a background check?

A: No. We go through a company recommended by our church insurance company to get our background checks. However, if you wish to get a background check through other sources other than what we provide, it will become your financial responsibility.

Q: I want to help but I have no idea where to begin or what would be a good fit for me.  What do I do?

A: Look over the “How to Become a Volunteer” section above for a step-by-step on what to do. Be sure to read about the volunteer opportunities available with the RE program.  If you still are not sure, please talk to the Religious Educator to get some help and guidance re(at)uui.org.  The RE will help you find your fit so that volunteering at UUI will feed your soul.