Courtesy Photo Lora Powell is the new director of religious education at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick.

"It's kind of a teaching role," Powell said.

Powell has experience teaching through home schooling her two sons; she has also spent nearly a decade working at The Chronicle of Higher Education in Washington.

"You're teaching your children from the moment they're born," she said.

After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Emory and Henry College in 1986, Powell worked at The Chronicle of Higher Education before leaving as a senior editor when she and her husband, Eric, had their first child.

She decided to teach both of their children (Owen is now 10; Ethan is 6). In September, however, the boys started in public school as Powell accepted her new 30-hour-a-week position.

Five years ago, when the family moved to Myersville from Silver Spring, Powell became involved in the UUC and her role has continued to grow.

She has volunteered in leading Sunday and storytelling services for children. Several years ago, she took a course in sermon writing offered by former UUC minister John Morehouse and later became a worship associate, helping out with the main services.

Powell has served as chair of the UUC religious education committee and has been acting director of religious education for the past six months.

"The key to education of any kind is to keep asking questions," she said. "Even very little children can think about questions at their level, and this is part of the foundation of lifelong learning."

Powell grew up in a Methodist household and attended a Methodist college, but left that church when she began having theological questions that weren't being answered.

She said she was attracted to the UUC in Silver Spring because her questions were -- and are -- encouraged. She became more active in the UUC in Silver Spring after she had her first child.

"Many of the new members are families with young children," she said.

At the UUC in Frederick , as many as 60 children from pre-school to high-school age participate in five different age-appropriate classes. Powell also helps organize adult spiritual enrichment classes built around themes such as "Building your own theology."

Every three years, she said, the children's religious education program covers the main world religions so that at least once, every student is introduced to Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism and Judaism.

"You should not be finished learning when you leave school," Powell said. "Keep learning, keep asking questions and keep exploring all the ways that spirituality can be expressed. The idea is that this is not something you do on Sundays and then forget about."

Powell hopes to instill a desire of lifelong learning in the UUC children.

"What I believe today is not what I believed 20 years ago," she said. "And what I believe today will not be the same thing I believe 20 years from now. But I can still be part of the UUC ... and share the same faith."