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PCD Connections
The newsletter of the Pacific Central District of the  Unitarian Universalist Association
PCD Connections
BIG FAITH * NO BORDERS

Serving Unitarian Universalism and 
the Ministry and Mission of our congregations in Pacific Central District and the Pacific Western Region - UUA

October  2016


 
 
 

In This Issue
PCD Logo Small

November 12, 2016

Interdependence Day!

Registration Closes on October 30th!


Saturday, November 12, 2016. 
9:30  - 4: 30; Check-in  begins at 9:00

 
$10 covers refreshments and materials!

Lunch will be on your own.  We will encourage people who are attending to join together and meet someone new.  

Looking for a way to understand what separates us and what can bring us together? Wanting to help things go right and have strategies for healing when things do n't go right? Looking for something after our national election that will feed your spirit and inspire you for the challenges ahead? Please bring a leadership team from your congregation to Interdependence Day: Building Beloved Community.
 
Clergy and Lay Leaders are invited to a day of deep connection, celebration and learning. Our day will begin with a worship service with a full band, and end with a blessing of the leaders.
 
The learning will include:
 
Our Covenantal Faith and Beloved Community / Exploring the Connections. Exploring the connections and the diversity among us.
 
Helping Things Go Right in Your Congregation: An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure, or maybe even more.  Much of the conflict in congregations can be avoided by paying attention to these basic things.
 
Paths to Healing: No matter what steps we take, conflict is inevitable. When responded to in healthy ways, it can be used to create and strengthen relationships and our congregations and help us serve as a beacon to the world.
 
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UUA Flaming Chalice
District Assembly:
May 5 & 6, 2017
Save the Date!

Dear Friends:
 
We will gather together on Saturday, May 6, 2017, for the PCD-sponsored "UUA Presidential Candidates Forum," as well as the 2017 PCD Annual Meeting. 
 
Please plan to attend this "meet and greet" with our candidates!

You can acquaint yourself with the candidates on their websites:

 
 
There will also be special workshops starting on Friday afternoon, May 5th. Stay tuned for more details!

We would like to thank the  Mt. Diablo UU Church in Walnut Creek, CA for hosting this year's event.

DRUUMM / ARE Co-Conference in Walnut Creek on Oct 29th!
 
Registration is now open for the DRUUMM- ARE East Bay Conference, on Saturday, October 29th, at   Mt. Diablo UU Church in Walnut Creek, California.  

Although this will be primarily a regional gathering, all are welcome to attend.  More information about lodging, logistics, and conference schedule are now available. 
  


MUUGS Retreat!


Hi Fabulous Folks!
 
Registration is now open for our next Middle School Retreat, which will be November 4-6 at the UU Church in Livermore.
 
Our retreats are open to youth in grades 6-9 who have not yet bridged into YRUUP. (Young Religious UU's of the Pacific), the youth organization for people 14-20.).
 
The youth spend a weekend at a host church (thank you, Livermore!) enjoying daily worship, workshops, small group activities, lots of food, and more, all designed to reinforce UU values.
 
We have a webpage at  http://www.pcdmuugs.org/  where you may see photos and read further information on the District's Middle School program.
 
I have attached a registration form.  I encourage you to share the form with the families of middle schoolers in your congregation.
 
We look forward to seeing many young UUs!

Congregational Highlights




PROGRESSIVE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY SEEKS MUSIC DIRECTOR

The Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo is seeking a Music Director, 15-17 hours a week. Position open until filled. The Music Director strives to vitalize the worship experience and congregational life through music in partnership with the minister and lay leaders. 

The Music Director will develop an inspirational and diverse music program and provide professional leadership for the choirs and encourage the musical talents within the congregation. 

Candidates should be knowledgeable of and sensitive to UU principles and values. 

Duties include planning and overseeing music for worship services; rehearsing and conducting the adult choir; coordinating and/or supervising a children's music program; and scheduling special music. 

Full job description at:  uusanmateo.org/music-director-position.

15-17 hours/week, 12 months/year

Compensation based on UUA and UUMN compensation guidelines 

International Women's Convocation

The Third International Women's Convocation will take place on February 16-19, 2017, Asilomar Conference Center, Monterey Peninsula, California.
 
For more information on the Convocation, please visit our website, IntlWomensConvo.org . There, you will find a link to our Program Guide with up-to-date news about speakers and the rich variety of workshop and discussion topics, as well as discounts and scholarship opportunities for ministers, young adults, and international participants. 
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Join Us on Facebook!

Keep-up with the "goings-on" in the Pacific Western Region by joining us on Facebook!
 
You can also keep up with PWR news through our "news blogs" issued from the PWR website: sign-up at:  http://www.uua.org/pacific-western/blog

Be sure to pull down the menu on the "LIKE" button and turn on notifications to ensure that our posts enter your stream.  Don't miss the latest news - sign-up today!
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Contact us:

Pacific Western Region, Regional Lead


PWR-UUA Youth Ministry Specialist

PWR-UUA Congregational Life Staff

PWR-UUA Congregational Life Staff 

PWR-UUA Congregational Life Staff

PWR-UUA Administration Team
Oakland CA Office
(510) 530-1437

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Board Buzz 
Steve Burns,
PCD President

October 2016

I recently spent a week in the world of an 18-month-old boy, our grandson. It was fascinating and illuminating. Many of the things I witnessed are applicable to ways that we wish to behave or become.
 
Beginner's mind: There is no need to struggle with this concept, as all very young children and infants have this to start with. It is fascinating to watch though as new objects are studied, often with multiple senses, and initially not with much success. But there is an intensity of focus, and lack of success does not seem to deter future efforts. Somehow it is just intuitive that without continuing effort, mastery will not be achieved.
 
Resilience: Watching M interact with a new toy-a hula-hoop. He didn't yet have the ability (body control or size) to use it as a rotating device around his hips. But he found a way to hold it over his head while he paraded down the street. It would occasionally bounce off his heels, and seemed to delight him. Passing by his parents, he looked to them and then managed to tangle up his feet. With his hands high above his head and clinging tightly to the hoop, he careened over straight forward onto the street. Luckily his head was turned slightly but his chin was banged and so was the side of his face. After crying a few minutes (and needing the magic of his Mother's arms) he calmed down and realized things were all right. Shortly afterward all was well with the world, and he proceeded to the next meal with his usual joy.
 
Study of behaviors around him: While swinging in the neighborhood park, M intently studied all the interactions of the children in the area. This included some not very nice behavior, where brothers were ganging up on the smaller sibling and punching and poking them. I wanted little M to not see this sort of thing, but of course the real world is always there and less than ideal behavior is often on display. My mind wondered what he was making of these interactions? Was he feeling concern or sadness at the plight of the underdog?
 
Imitation: M is not yet speaking in either real words or proper sentences. But he still demonstrated both an intense interest in conversing with words that he constructed. Through use of inflection, volume and tone he varied the nature of the 'conversation' depending on how far away the other person was, what the subject was, and even made different sounds when 'reading aloud' from different books. "There's a Wocket in my Pocket" had completely different sounds than when he 'read' from a prayer book. It gave both insights into how eager he was to connect, and also how accurate the expression "Fake it until you make it" really is.
 
Guardianship: We want to protect M from the rough edges of the world, but of course he must find them on his own, and learn how to deal with them. Whether that is being more careful when running off a curb, climbing high on some playground equipment, or encountering bullies or cruelty he will eventually have to have strategies and techniques for all of these. And luckily his parents recognize that they do him a disservice if they isolate him from all these learning opportunities. They let him explore, discover and learn right up to edge of serious danger and they draw a line there. And of course we know in the depths of our being that we cannot truly protect anyone from serious danger or harm. If it is coming there is sometimes no preventing it from happening. But there is also great wisdom in not obsessing over this reality, and still finding the beauty and goodness in the world where it lies.
 
Delight in developing mastery over his world: It is fascinating to watch someone this age, as they approach each day with vigor and delight. Whether it is simply turning some object over and over to study the details of it, or taking things apart, watching the wonder of birds or airplanes, they appear to simply be sponges absorbing and working at interpreting everything they see, hear and smell around them. For M this includes an intense interest in how things work: Opening and closing a toy car door, entering and exiting the car, playing with buttons, levers, and controls can take endless number of repetitions and boredom does not seem to enter at all.
 
Sharing of toys: This is where even our darling M had some problems. Though the neighborhood he lives in is practically a commune in terms of outdoor toys, he still had difficulty when another child was in his favored toy car, or if someone wanted to play with what he was momentarily interested in. And of course the allure of any toy dramatically increased if someone else took an interest in it first. In this area I suspect he will develop much more when his new sibling arrives and even the exclusively private family domain will need to be shared.
 
Having a week to live with and inhabit the world of a toddler was a good reminder of how to not let the adult worries, bothers, and irritations distract us from continuing to develop our mastery, push our boundaries with resilience, and live with joyous delight in all the wonders that surround us.
 
May your days be blessed, and as the Halloween season approaches perhaps we can try to remember the excitement of trick or treating for the first time, or possibly being out and approaching strangers' doors with unknown results. What boundary do you wish you could stretch?
 
Steve

smburns@uua.org


PWR Webinars

Registration is now open for these webinars - organize your teams today! Use the link above to register for any webinar.

Facebook is Not Your Congregation's Newsletter or Bulletin Board
Thursday, October 27, 2016, 7-8 pm 
 (Pacific Time)
Presenter: Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh Sponsor: Sarah Gibb Millspaugh

Ways to Improve Congregational Giving (Some Tried and True and Some Very New)
Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 6:30-7:45 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Presenters: Kay Crider & Rev. Jan Christian

Some of the techniques we'll explore: Tying the congregational budget to our values and how they intersect with our pledges and gifts, creating opportunities for open discussions about money, broadening the ways and opportunities to give, creating the next generation of generous Unitarian Universalists, building a stewardship ministry team, mentoring and more. 

Unitarian Universalism 101 for Non-UU Congregational Staff
Tuesday, November 8, 2016, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Rev. Christine Robinson Sponsor: Tandi Rogers
 
Helping Your Congregation De-Stress for the Holidays
Thursday, November 10, 2016, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Katie Covey Sponsor: Sarah Gibb Millspaugh
 
Serving as Leader: Effective Leadership in Small Congregations
Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Rev. Sarah Schurr Sponsor: Sarah Schurr
 
Difficult Conversations
Wednesday, November 16, 2016, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Rev. Laura Shennum Sponsor: James Kubal-Komoto
 
Creating Successful Teams for Accessibility & Inclusion
Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time) 
Ministry  Presenter: Michelle Avery Ferguson, Coordinator the Accessibility & Inclusion Ministry Certification Program, a collaboration between EqUUal Access and the UUA Sponsor: Tandi Rogers
 
Untangling Triangles
Thursday, December 1, 2016, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Rev. Carol McKinley Sponsor: James Kubal-Komoto
 
From Visitor to a Full Spectrum of Member Engagement
Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 7-8 pm   
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Lori Emison Clair, Consultant to the UU Association of Membership Professionals Sponsor: Tandi Rogers
 
Introduction to Conflict Dynamics
Wednesday, January 18, 2016, 7-8 pm
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Rev. Margaret Kiep and Dave Mentz Sponsor: James Kubal-Komoto
 
A Theme-Based Approach to Full-Week Faith
Thursday, January 19, 2017, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Eric Bliss Sponsor: Sarah Gibb Millspaugh
 
SpiritJam: Fun, Engaging Faith Formation
Tuesday, January 24, 2017, 7-8 pm
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Katie Covey Sponsor: Sarah Gibb Millspaugh
 
Just a Few Kids: Creative Strategies for Congregational Engagement
Tuesday, January 31, 2107, 7-8 pm 
(Pacific Time)
Presenter: Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh & Rev. Sarah Schurr Sponsor: Sarah Gibb Millspaugh
 
Reaching Out to Millennials & Young Families
Saturday, February 18, 2017, 9-10 am 
(Pacific Time)
Presenters: Revs. Annie Gonzalez Milliken and Sarah Gibb Millspaugh Sponsor: Sarah Gibb Millspaugh.

Register your team today!
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