Religious Exploration Guide

Grounded in San Gabriel’s mission and vision, the RE Guide facilitates and delivers a religious exploration program, primarily with elementary age children, in collaboration with the Director of Religious Exploration (DRE).

We are a congregation that welcomes all, promotes personal and spiritual growth, and works for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Together we are building beloved community where all are valued.

The emphasis of San Gabriel UU’s Religious Exploration program centers on the teaching of practices (physical, social-emotional, spiritual, etc.) that give our children and youth the skills to self-regulate, cooperate, collaborate, develop, and express empathy with others. It exposes them to the wide array of sources that inform modern UU congregations, these include: UU & other liberal Christian sources, science, both secular and spiritual humanism, earth-based traditions, indigenous wisdom, and an inclusive post-colonial approach to all world religions, spiritual traditions, and diverse cultures.

The RE Guide will be a consistent, safe presence for elementary aged children. They will communicate with the DRE and families regularly. We are seeking an RE Guide who is knowledgeable about neurodivergent children (including ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, giftedness, and PDA profiles) and who approaches the learning exploration process through a nervous-system-aware, autonomy-supportive lens. This role prioritizes children’s agency, regulation, and authenticity over behavioral compliance.

Our program minimizes correction, redirection, and coercion, and instead, centers relationship, choice, and trust. This is not a role focused on behavior management. We are not seeking someone whose instinct is to enforce uniform participation or "bring children back on task."

February through June 2026, weekly. In person on Sundays.

Hours:

Up to 5 hours per week, paid hourly as W-2 hourly wages.

Pay: $25 to $30 per hour (depending upon qualifications)

Extension:
Continued employment contingent upon performance and church budget.

• Facilitate the elementary children’s religious exploration program.
• Collaborate with the DRE to refine and deliver RE curriculum, programs, and stations.
• Provide a nurturing and supportive learning environment for children with a variety of learning styles, behavioral needs, and neurodivergences.
• Embody the San Gabriel emphasis on community over compliance.
• Typically 2.5 hours per week in person at SGUUF: 9:45am - 12:15pm on Sundays.
• Additional 2.5 hours per week for planning, preparation, coordination, and meetings.

• Pass criminal background check.
• Experience with curriculum interpretation, delivery, and/or development
• Experience with child safety & security practices and policies.
• Experienced with and/or knowledgeable about neurodivergent children.

• Degree in Education, Child Development, World Religions, or a related field (or similar experience)

Our half-time DRE, Candice White, has been with the congregation for over a year. Our previous DRE was here for six years and helped shepherd the congregation through the pandemic. Our Pulpiteer (half-time lay minister) has been with San Gabriel for two years, and we are experiencing growth in attendance and membership. We just completed capital campaign that will support new roofs on our buildings, retiring our mortgage, and some planned facilities improvements - including our RE spaces.

This puts us in a good financial position for continued growth. It is our aspiration that this position will be funded next fiscal year (July 2026 through June 2027) and beyond as our programs mature.

Please email the following in PDF format to:

pulpiteer with subject "RE Guide Application".

• Resume
• List of 3 References (these will not be contacted without your prior consent)
• Any other materials you’d like us to consider (credentials, letters, curricula, portfolio, etc.)

Tues. Feb. 3rd