Religious education, music and summer services

Today, I share two presentations of Rev Dr Ed Brock’s ministry. Faith development of youth and children is one of the cornerstones of Unitarian Universalism. In his seven years' ministry at the Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church, Rev. Dr. Ed Brock emphasized "helping children make meaning of their experiences." Cathy Liu Scott presents Rev Dr Ed Brock's impact on Religious Education at EUUC.

In the second presentation, Nancy Gladow’s highlights Rev Ed Brock’s contribution to a robust music program and his introduction of summer services.


Helping children make
meaning of their experiences
Cathy Liu Scott

Ed, two years into your ministry here at EUUC, our religious education program entered into a difficult time. The end result of this period of difficulty was that a Director of Religious Education who had been here for several years, and who was well liked by many, decided to leave.


During this time, you provided stability, support and encouragement for our religious education program as we were trying to find our way.


You saw how essential a robust Religious Education program is to the life and future of our congregation. You understood the importance of finding a seasoned professional to help set the tone and stage for a permanent DRE.

Toward that end you sought the highest caliber leadership in the role of interim DRE.

In that first year of search for the right person, you spend much time and effort recruiting Lena Breen, who was both a UU minister and a DRE with a national reputation. In the succeeding year, you spent much time and effort recruiting Lynn Bacon, a DRE with a national reputation, and a wealth of experience, as for years she had led the largest UU religious education program in the country.

Under the guidance of these two women, the quality, tenor, and size of religious education programs grew. The teen program was strengthened, a new Coming of Age program was launched, teacher recruitment was strengthened, and the quality of the entire program increased and broadened in different ways. You encouraged both Lena and Lynn to become an integral part of our worship services.

In these and other ways you have helped us see the role and potential of DREs in new ways. And this has led to results. Laura McNaughton has carried forward the new standard of excellence. And now, for the first time in the history of this church, we have begun a search for a new full time DRE.

Ed, thank you for playing your part in the development of the religious education program of EUUC, both what has been and what is yet to be.




Music, summer services and
empowering members
Nancy Gladow

I will begin by reflecting on two quite different ways Ed has influenced our congregation’s life.


Recognizing how important music is to worship, Ed worked with the Music Committee and the board over a period of several years to create a position of music director, a broader position than choir director; and to give the role both more hours, and a much broader scope. As a consequence we have had a music program that, as you see this morning, has grown in depth, breadth, and quality over the years. Some of the changes have been adding a children’s choir, opportunities for youth group members to perform, bringing in special guest musicians, and of course the pleasure of hearing our regular choir perform, regardless of what service we choose to attend.

Recognizing the need that some members of the congregation have to get together in the summer, Ed got us started having summer services for the first time in the history of the church. In the first and second year of their development Ed planned the services and John Park carried them out. Many members now look forward to the summer services as a chance to consider a broad range of topics in an informal atmosphere that provides ample room for discussion. This addition to our congregation’s life, has greatly enriched our community.

While today’s reflections will focus on how Ed has affected our congregation, it is important to remember that anything that happens needs many hands. Although Ed helped birth many programs and activities, he was also very good at finding people within the amazing pool of talent within the membership of EUUC with just the right skills to take them over. It is only through a partnering of a minister with members of the congregation that positive changes are sustained. Now, although Ed is leaving for other endeavors, these programs live on.

Thank you, Ed.