Decatur is also the perfect place for the conference’s topic “Multi-Faith is the NEW Ecumenical: Authentic Ministry in the 21st Century”. According to Wikipedia, in 2000 Decatur’s official motto changed from “A city of homes, schools”, and to “A city of homes, schools and places of worship.” The move this city made in such an open and public way is a model for the goal of this conference, and the nimble nature we all must accept in today’s religious landscape and in our ministries on ever-changing college campuses. As Unitarian Universalists, from a denomination have moved outside of Christianity, we bring a unique and important voice to this conversation of ecumenical to interfaith. I look forward to this discussion, and having many of you present with me.

Brian McLaren will  provide much of the brain food we’ll be chewing on for this conversation, and is the ideal person for the job. Brian is a leader in the emerging church movement, writing on postmodern Christianity, and most recently on existing in a postmodern and multi-religious world in his 2012 book Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Brian has been an incredible leader in the Christian Evangelical world and beyond helping, his communities become relevant and effect today. What can we as Unitarian Universalists learn from him and this conversation occurring amongst evangelicals, mainline protestant denominations and our own denomination in the form of Congregations & Beyond?

We will have an ingathering amongst our own selves as Unitarian Universalists on this topic and the unique opportunities and challenges our faith tradition has today. How can our more flexible ministries on college campuses lead our denomination; what are we already doing and what can we continue to do? We will also of course be discussing logistical support we can be providing one another and visioning for the future of UU campus ministry.

There will also be break-out groups on topics participants choose, and larger conversations with all conference participants. This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss challenges and share successes amongst a much larger group of colleagues than we would have normally been able to have amongst our own UU group. This conference enables us to have our own denominational conversation, and also engage with our peers and colleagues from other denominations and learn from their similar and divergent struggles and successes.

Register today for the conference ”Multi-Faith is the NEW Ecumenical: Authentic Ministry in the 21st Century”, and for the pre-conference training “Sexuality Toolkit for Campus Ministers“ – and if you register by June 1st you get $25 off registration cost! Scholarships are also available through NCMA, and information for these is available on their registration page.

Worship is a central part of the General Assembly experience and it’s not different for those who participate in Youth Caucus.  From fully developed worship services to small moments of reflection, the Youth Caucus staff aims to infuse the youth experience with meaningful worship moments.

Three worships to be especially excited for

Youth Worship: Thursday night.  Designed by youth, for youth, and open to the entire GA community, this worship takes place in the Youth Caucus room.  Our worship coordinators tell us to expect a meaningful, motivational and centering experience.

Synergy: All GA Bridging Worship, Friday night following the Ware Lecture.  This service is planned by a multi-generational team that includes the Youth Caucus Worship Coordinators.  Our Senior Worship Coordinator, Jaimie Dingus, describes Synergy this way: “Synergy is an all-GA worship that will lift up the greatness of multi-generational community as well as celebrate the transition from youth to young adulthood. This worship is very special, because it will feature a variety of voices and special music.”  Members of Cobalt and the Hired Guns  – a band formed partially by UU young adults who met at youth cons – will be part of the music for this energizing worship.

Joint Youth and Young-Adult Led Worship: Sunday morning before Sunday Morning Worship.  The Youth and Young Adult Caucuses partner to bring you this opportunity to reflect on your time at GA close out the week in community.  Hosted in the Youth Caucus Room.

So who are your Youth Caucus Worship Coordinators?

The Senior Worship Coordinator is Jaimie Dingus, from the UU Fellowship of the Peninsula.

Jaimie joined the Youth Caucus staff for GA 2012 and is finishing her term with GA this summer in Louisville.   We asked Jaimie what she was most excited about for GA:
“I am so excited to build community with everyone in the youth caucus. Coming together for general assembly is a unique opportunity for youth to network and support each other. I really believe that this community has the potential to nurture youth leadership and strengthen everyone’s commitment to Unitarian Universalism. I can’t wait to be a part of the energy and joy that embodies both GA and specifically the youth caucus.”

Junior Worship Coordinator is Olivia Schouboe Elzinga, of University Unitarian Church.

Olivia joins the staff this year for her first General Assembly!  She will also serve at GA 2014.  We asked Olivia to share why worship is a valuable part of the program:
“I think worship is amazing because it takes a person out of the average daily rush of activities and can transport them to a place of focused calm, and peace. To me, worship can be healing, fun, motivational, and deeply touching all at once. That is what makes worship such a valuable activity- it provides a place for us to reflect and really feel.”
 

Whether you’re 14 or 104, you are welcome to experience worship with the Youth Caucus at any of these services.

Links of Interest

Youth Caucus Descriptions and schedule
GA Preliminary Program
Connect with the Youth Caucus on Facebook

This workshop is designed specifically for campus ministers, and will enable you to support healthy sexuality in pastoral counseling with individuals and as a leader in your campus community. It will focus on building knowledge, gaining skills, and taking home resources to assist you in your pastoral and prophetic roles.

Led by Melanie Davis, PhD, CSE and Our Whole Lives (Sexuality Education) Program Associate for the Unitarian Universalist Association. Melanie currently teaches sexuality at Moravian College and has taught at Widener University and Marymount College as well.

Also present for questions: Rev. Stephen B. Boyd, Minister for Chaplains and Specialized Ministers for the United Church of Christ; Kayla Parker, Campus Ministry Associate for the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Participants will:

• become more comfortable using sex-positive language
• build knowledge in LGBTQIA identities and concerns
• gain skills in discussing sexuality with students
• learn techniques on how to most effectively affiliate with on- and off-campus resources to create more sex-positive campuses
• gain resources for themselves and students

Topics to be addressed:

• defining sexuality
• how to view sexuality within a spiritual context
• sexual decision making in the campus hookup culture
• LGBTQI issues
• current sexual slang used by college students — ways to keep current
• resources helpful to students
• resources for campus ministers
• how to make appropriate referrals
• how to partner with resources on campus to foster a sexually healthy campus
• partnering with off-campus local clergy
• how to use social media to foster communication between clergy and students

We hope you’ll be able to join us! Register for “Sexuality Toolkit for Campus Ministers” pre-conference training on the NCMA registration page, or if you’ve already registered, email Cody at j.cody.nielsen @ gmail.com.

Whether you come to General Assembly alone or with your youth group the programs offered by Youth Caucus are a great place to get connected!

Here are some highlights.

YOUTH MIXER On Wednesday night, the Youth Caucus Room will become a social space with games, music, conversation, crafts and more. Have an instrument? Bring it. Have a favorite game? Teach others to play it. Want to meet new people? Grab some of our conversation starters. Like crafts? Make a friendship bracelet, pipe-cleaner sculpture or creative mailbag gifts.

DANCE Alhough not organized by the Youth Caucus, the all-ages GA Dance always draws a huge youth crowd. Scheduled for after the Synergy Bridging Service on Friday night, it’s a great way to celebrate with your new friends.

CREATING CONNECTIONS, STRENGTHENING FAITH During Program #1 on Thursday, the Youth Caucus room becomes a networking space organized by our Connections Coordinator, Anna Ruth Hall. A mix of icebreakers, facilitated conversations and small groups, this session will introduce you to new people, help you share what you love about what you do, and get new ideas to take home to your community.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES You’ll find out about other opportunities to connect during the Youth and Sponsor Orientation on Wednesday, including mailbags, message walls, and potential meal meet-ups. Don’t miss orientation!

Connect with the Connector

YOUTH CAUCUS CONNECTIONS COORDINATOR

Helping to make all of the connecting happen is Anna Ruth Hall, the Youth Caucus Connections Coordinator. A junior from the Neighborhood Church of Pasadena, Anna tells us that she’s most excited to spend the week at GA with such a large group of youth. She describes her role as “facilitating interactions between all of the Youth Caucus youth, as well as integrating youth into the larger UU community.”

We asked her what she wanted youth and sponsors to know about GA. Anna’s clear response, “Youth workshops are fantastic, but also try branching out to the intergenerational workshops as well, because they can be equally fulfilling and enriching! Sponsors, encourage your youth to participate in youth workshops AND intergenerational workshops, too!”

Worthy links of interest:

Youth Caucus program descriptions (http://www.uua.org/re/youth/events/gacaucus/faq/158632.shtml ) and schedule.
GA Preliminary Program ()
Connect with the 2013 Youth Caucus on Facebook ()

In just six short weeks, thousands of Unitarian Universalists will gather in Louisville, Kentucky for our annual General Assembly.  Youth always have a strong presence at GA, and we expect this year will be no different.  As of May 3, we had over 180 youth registered.  We expect to exceed 200 youth participants this year and are looking forward to the high-energy of the Youth Caucus.
 
The Youth Caucus Staff has been working hard to put together programming offered for and by youth this year and are ready to share their work with you.  Over the next weeks, we’ll be sharing more about what you can expect at Youth Caucus this year and give you an opportunity to meet the staff behind those programs.

Led by Deans Asha Arora and Owen Huelsbeck, who you met in the fall, the Youth Caucus staff has put together a schedule that offers opportunity for connection, learning, worship and fun.

·      Read the program descriptions
·      See how the youth programs fit into the larger GA schedule
·      Youth are encouraged to explore all of the offerings at General Assembly – not just the Youth Caucus programs! – so check out the other programs being offered during GA 2013.
We asked Asha and Owen to share what they look forward to about GA in general, and this GA in particular.

Owen: I am most excited to see youth from all over the country come together to create our own community. It’s always amazing to see the youth who bring ideas and traditions unique to their regions, districts or congregations, and put them on display for people from all over the country to experience.

Asha: General Assembly only comes once a year and is always fantastic, so make the very most of it!  The Social Justice and Pop Culture session (Ed: Expecto Patronum: Youth, Social Justice and Pop Culture) will introduce ideas and skills that you can take home with you- but its connected to all your favorite media! In this session we will show you how to talk others about social justice using pop culture like the Hunger Games and Harry Potter. We will also explore what advice and warnings the media gives us about bringing justice to the world.

Keep watching Blue Boat to learn more about what to expect from Youth Caucus this year.

Shaira

Marathon 2012

In 2012, I was out of town on Patriot’s Day. Watching social media for Boston Marathon news, I started seeing reports that a student was found drowned in a local pond, less than a mile from our house. My heart sank; I did not want to believe that a child maybe from my community could die on what was reported to be a gorgeous day – marathoners were suffering in surprise early heat, but for others the warmth would be welcome.

Over the next several hours, the story emerged. Foul play was not suspected and, yes, the child was the sixteen year old daughter of friends we had known since our daughter’s first day of kindergarten. Shaira suffered from depression and died by suicide. I knew Shaira as loud and brilliant and creative and gorgeous.

Our hearts broke for our friends, Shaira’s family, who had done everything possible to support their daughter, whom I knew they loved and cherished with their every breath.

Read the rest of Helene’s story, including her running the Boston Marathon in 2013 here.

Start your time in Louisville with a Pre-GA Environmental Justice Tour on Wednesday!

There are two tours – one specifically for youth – so make sure you register for the right one!

These tours are offered for just $20 by local group Earth & Spirit Center and sponsored by KY Interfaith Power & Light in partnership with KY & WV UU Ministers Coalition, UU College of Social  Justice, UU Ministry for Earth, UUA Multicultural Growth & Witness and Standing on the Side of Love Staff Team, and UU State Advocacy Networks and UULM California’s SALT Fellows (Spiritual Activist Leadership Training).

The Earth & Spirit Center offers Environmental Justice Tours of Louisville’s contaminated sites for church groups. It is an opportunity to experience firsthand the issues facing our community.

America’s poorest neighborhoods are also its most polluted. What can be done? Members of your congregation can experience for themselves what is happening in our city:

•   See for yourself the environmental problem areas within Louisville.
•   Learn about the history, background and operation of polluting facilities.
•   Receive information on the threat industrial pollution poses to our community.
•   Find out more about environmental health concerns: toxic chemicals, particulate matter emissions, air and water quality.
•   Understand how our health is impacted by environmental pollution.
•   Obtain practical resources for action in your community.

The round-trip bus tour picks-up at the Kentucky International Convention Center, on Market Street between 3rd and 4th Streets. For more information click here. see

YOUTH TOUR
Wednesday, June 19th, from 1:00-3:00 (before Youth Caucus Orientation and Opening Celebration!)
This special tour for middle school and high school-aged youth, family members and adult advisors/sponsors, is $20.  Register here.

PRE-GA TOUR
Wednesday, June 19th, from 3:45-5:45 (conflicts with Youth & Sponsor Orientation)
$20 Fee — Register here.

If you want to get to know Rosemary a little better, click here to check out her campaign video.

Thanks to our other candidates, Nora Collins and Erick Ditmars, for their participation in this year’s election. Over 130 youth from a dozen congregations participate in this year’s voting process, thanks to all those who voted as well!

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The Youth Observer is a one-year position on the Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees, elected each spring by congregational youth groups across the country. The Youth Observer provides a youth voice on the Board. Here are some of the Youth Observer’s duties: staying current on issues of interest to UU youth in districts and congregations, linking and nurturing relationships between youth leaders, informing General Assembly Youth Caucus of relevant Board issues and discussions.

In the upcoming year, the new Youth Observer will have the chance to serve with a new moderator and a newly elected, newly structured UUA Board of Trustees. You can read more about the Board’s transition from 19 district representatives to 11 at-large trustees and this year’s election for moderator here.

Look forward to hearing about Rosemary’s experiences as a youth on the Board in the coming year.

Standing on the Side of Equality

Today, we celebrate marriage equality in Rhode Island. I want to thank and applaud all who worked tirelessly to secure this victory. Rhode Island now joins nine states and the District of Columbia where same-sex marriage is the legal right for all committed couples. In each of these states and the District of Columbia, Unitarian Universalists were at the forefront of the efforts to secure marriage equality. As a religious community, Unitarian Universalists are called to affirm the worth and dignity of every person regardless of sexual orientation.
On my recent visit to the First Unitarian Church of Providence in Rhode Island, I was joined by the Rev. Geoffrey Black, the general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, to rally supporters for marriage equality to continue their important work. I was humbled by the passion of our faith communities to stand in partnership for justice and love.

Today, more and more Americans realize that marriage equality strengthens families, protects children, and ensures the basic rights of citizenship for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples. It is my fervent hope that marriage equality becomes the right of all loving, committed couples. Until that day, Unitarian Universalists will continue to stand on the side of love in this struggle for equality.”

Read President Morales’ statement on UUA.org

Overinvesting in the Young

When American congregations hear “overinvest in the young,” they frequently think of stretching the budget to hire a full-time youth minister or find some other way spend more money on high school students.

Unfortunately, youth ministries are often segregated from the rest of the church. Pouring money into a typical youth program can result in young people being more lavishly entertained and, at the same time, more isolated.

“Overinvesting” means including the young in all of the life-giving dimensions of the community. If worship is at the heart of the community, how can the church engage youth more deeply in corporate worship? If service is at the heart of the community, how can the leaders engage in service alongside the young people?

Read this post on Building Faith here.

Read this post in its entirety on The Faith and Leadership blog here.

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