Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/285258
During a time when church membership is at an all-time low and in a city where the median age is almost 50-percent higher than the national average, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota (UUCS), a Welcoming Congregation serving Sarasota and Manatee counties, has a challenging goal, it says in a news release: "to increase the number of families with children that are members and to teach those children values that will serve them well in a diverse, compassionate and competitive society." In an effort to achieve that goal, the church has made new investments in its religious education program for children, focusing on changes in leadership, curriculum and facili- ties, the release notes. John Irvin, the newly hired religious education director, "brings passion and professionalism to the classroom," the release continues. He attended the University of Tennessee, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies. After graduating, he served three terms with AmeriCorps, working to help people with issues relating to Medicare, supporting the development of a youth lead- ership board for a state foster care program and working with Habitat for Humanity, building houses for disadvantaged families, the release notes. After completing his service with AmeriCorps, Irvin began working with teenagers and young adults dealing with mental health issues, the release says. He recently completed the UNITARIANS REVAMP PROGRAM TO ATTRACT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN John Irvin/Contributed photo A teacher talks with a child starting to draw a picture. Contributed photo Sarasota News Leader March 28, 2014 Page 123