New UUCT Children's Religious Education Teacher

My name is Debbie Carden and I am your new RE Teacher. I am an “army brat” and I spent my childhood moving around different states and countries. I became a Unitarian Universalist in Virginia at the age of 18.  My parents are both from Alabama and I graduated from the University of Alabama with several degrees (an undergraduate in psychology; a masters in early childhood special education; and a masters in school psychometry) and I completed all of the coursework for an EdS in school psychology and masters in both human development and family studies (with an emphasis in child life) and gifted education. 

I was a certified child life specialist and I am currently certified as a gifted teacher (k-12) and an early childhood special education teacher (birth-second grade) as well as a certified occupational therapy assistant (with an emphasis on pediatric occupational therapy). I am the mother of an amazing 30 year old son who currently resides in Atlanta and who grew up in the UUCT church. Zac attended the church from the time he was a toddler through teen group and beyond. He met his first, and only, girlfriend at teen group and married her in the church six years after they started dating. 

This July they will celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary. I taught RE while my son and I attended church for many years. Perhaps because I am an army brat, I have moved many times as an adult and I moved back to Tuscaloosa less than two years ago. My parents and brother live here and I have missed living near them and intend to stay. I had heard that the church was no longer in existence when I moved back, so you can imagine my surprise when I was looking for a second job and saw an advertisement for the RE position. I jumped at the chance and really hope that I will be able to be one part of the puzzle to help the church grow again. I did not grow up as a UU but I am so proud that my son did and I want that for other families. I am looking forward to being involved with the church again and I am here to help in any way that I can.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NEW UUCT Blog News Feed

Image
Hello and welcome to the new Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tuscaloosa (UUCT) Blog . We will be sunsetting the newsletter in favor of using this blog as a new means of disseminating information quickly and efficiently.  The reason we've decided to create a church blog rather than continue using newsletter is:  1. Blogs are dynamically updated; 2. Information can be posted as soon as it's available; 3. Posts can be embedded on the website; 4. Posts can easily be shared on social media; 5. Auto archive of posts; You can subscribe to our blog by entering your email and clicking "subscribe" on the left-hand sidebar.
Read more

UUCT BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGE; JUNE 2024

Vision We the members of UUCT aspire to: build an inviting, caring, community,  promote an open intentional search for truth and meaning,  foster its members' and friends' interpersonal connections and support, create opportunities for spiritual growth through inspiration, outreach and study, stand against oppression, exclusion and injustice in all their forms, and, e mbrace the call for a multiracial, multicultural, multigenerational congregation through active stewardship- for our congregation, our wider community and our fragile planet. Mission INVITE all into a welcoming community. INSPIRE a free and responsible spiritual journey. INVOLVE all in building a just and compassionate world.   THANK YOU  UUCT MEMBERS AND FRIENDS . My tenure as UUCT Board of Trustee President  ends on  June 30, 2024.  The past year, similar to previous years has been one of change.  I resist the urge to quantify or rank , in relationship to  previous  years the amount of  change currently  underwa
Read more

UUCT members and friends are invited to share their [secret] family recipes!

Image
Calling all culinary enthusiasts and home chefs! UUCT is embarking on a delicious journey and inviting you to be a part of it. Do you have a cherished family recipe that always brings everyone together? Or perhaps a creative twist on a classic dish that never fails to impress? Whether it's a comforting soup, a vibrant salad, a hearty main course, or a decadent dessert, we want to feature your culinary creations in our upcoming cookbook! Share your recipes with us and join us in celebrating the diverse flavors and stories that make cooking such a joy. Together, let's create a cookbook that not only fills stomachs but also warms hearts with every turn of the page. Submit your recipes today and let's savor the art of cooking together!  In order to submit a recipe, please use our new submission form by clicking here.  Any art or photos of the delicious dish can be submitted to the UUCT administrator, Sarah Potts .  The form will ask for equipment/prep work, a list of ingredient
Read more