Because You Can’t “Over Engage”
We repost an excerpt of this thoughtful reflection by David L. Odom from our friends at Building Faith on involving youth more fully in congregation life and mission. This post originally appeared on the Duke University Faith and Leadership blog – Ed. 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”…
To: Shelter Rock – Thank You!
Earlier this month, from Friday, April 12th to Sunday, April 14th young adult leaders from across the country gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY for a leadership conference. Many were from the greater Metro NY area, with some traveling from Pennsylvania, and one participant from each Maine and Washington State! You can read more about the conference at the Leadership Con Blue Boat Blog article – this a note of thanks to our hosts! We all so appreciated being able to gather at Shelter Rock, that we wanted to say a big ol’ thank you for Shelter Rock for hosting us. Here are some words from the participants: “Having the event in…
The Ascending Spirit of Unitarian Universalism
UUism on CBS News CBS News spoke with UUA President Peter Morales, the Rev. Fred Small of First Parish Cambridge, and Boston area UUs about Unitarian Universalism for “Religion and Spirituality in a Changing Society“. The program airs on CBS affiliates at various dates and times across the country. It can also be streamed here. Morales and Small share their experience of the growth of UUism in the face of the decline of other organized religions. From the CBS press release: While we live in the most religiously diverse country in the world, attitudes towards religion and spirituality are in the midst of great change. A newly released survey by researchers at the University of…
Repudiate the Doctrine
Grants available for local action to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery At Justice GA 2012 in Phoenix, delegates voted to repudiate the doctrine that Europeans used as legal justification for conquest and colonization of the Americas. The GA resolution encourages Unitarian Universalists to identify traces of the Doctrine of Discovery that linger in our movement and in our lives as UUs, and work to eliminate them. Now the UUA is offering seed grants of $500 to $1,000 to Unitarian Universalist congregations, groups, and organizations for projects that teach about, repudiate, and mitigate the current-day effects of the Doctrine of Discovery. Successful proposals will describe plans for education, reflection, and action opportunities; outreach to partners in…
Strawberries for the Soul
Meditations by and for Unitarian Universalists Citing a Zen parable Abhimanyu Janamanchi, former Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees, and the Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, Minister at Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater, Florida, write that as Unitarian Universalsits it is when the tigers are circling that we mustn’t forget to savor the present moment, and “taste the strawberries”. With Falling Into the Sky, the new meditation anthology from Skinner House Books, Janamanchi son and father have callected 43 meditations by Unitarian Universalists to, “appreciate and savor the preciousness of each moment as if it were our last,” providing, “a sanctuary of the spirit where we can find strength and hope to face the daily challenge…
Reflections from a UU College Chaplain
Rev. Pamela Barz is the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Chaplain at Wellesley, a Womens’ College outside of Boston. Below is an edited portion of a sermon she delivered at The Eliot Church of South Natick on January 20, 2013. – Ed. Students at Wellesley come to talk to me for a variety of reasons. Some for ones you’d expect. They’re homesick. They have roommate problems. They’re overwhelmed by papers, exams, and stress. They think Wellesley made a mistake and they’re not really as smart as everyone else. They have financial difficulties. They’re dealing with grief, or family issues, or romantic concerns. They’re questioning their sexual identity. And they do come for all of these reasons. But…
UU Military: Equality Under Fire
“The military is widely understood to be the most racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse institution in the U.S.”, notes The Rev. Sarah Lammert, director of Ministries and Faith Development for the Unitarian Universalist Association, and president-elect of the National Conference of Ministry to the Armed Forces. The relationship between the United States military and Unitarian Universalism has not always been an easy one, and continues to evolve. Lammert believes there’s a direct connection between the lack of UU chaplains and the lack of support that people in uniform felt during and after the Vietnam War, but she adds that, “People began to understand that you could be for or against a war without being against the people…
Doing It Right – Philadelphia edition
A congregation of young adult-ly love While in Philadelphia for the January UUA Board meeting, I had the true pleasure of meeting a group of young adults from the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. In fact, the entire UUA Board came down to First Church for discussion and an open mic coffeehouse. It was just a lovely time. First Church is an urban, gothic church in downtown Philadelphia. And though it proudly proclaims its heritage dating back to its first minister 18th century Unitarian luminary Joseph Priestly, the church is very much a contemporary institution embedded in its own time and place. Describing itself as a “regional community center,” First Church leverages its unique facilities…
Doing It Right – Columbus Edition
I was recently back in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and wanted to share some of the great ideas for young adult ministry that I saw at the church I grew up in: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus. The Basics – FUUCC is a large church with more than 600 members and 400 adults attending on an average Sunday. Commitment to young adult ministry runs through the church staff and lay leaders, including both ministers and the Director of Religious Education. In addition to welcoming young adults into multigenerational church life and leadership, ministry programs specifically targeting young adults include: Twenties/Thirties Covenant Group (part of the church’s extensive small group ministry program) A campus…
Typhoon Pablo Hits UU Church of the Philippines
This story by the Rev.Eric Cherry is reposted from the Faith Without Borders blog, originally posted in International News, Philippines on December 6th, 2012 by the Rev. Eric Cherry. Read the story on Faith Without Borders to see more pictures and sign up to help! – Ed. Yesterday evening the UUA received news that Typhoon Pablo had impacted the UU Church of the Philippines headquarters in Dumaguette City. News from the UU congregations throughout Negros Island is still coming in, but so far most of the damage reported by them is to agricultural projects such as rice, corn and banana trees. In Siapo and Upper Nato some houses lost their roofs, and at least…
