FAITH FORWARD
at GENERAL ASSEMBLY

We are excited to share that Faith Forward is a sponsor of General Assembly this year. You will see our information in several places, and we hope you will join us to learn more or help spread the word!

We know that using Faith Forward has impacted people and congregations in small and big ways. We have heard about members being more deeply connected to their UU faith because of a class they took, members who become a stronger facilitator because of their experiences with this program, and much more. 

If you have been considering Faith Forward for your congregation, this is a great time to learn about the forthcoming Leadership Path and how congregations are using Faith Forward in our new multi-platform world!

If your congregation already uses Faith Forward, we ask that you share your experiences of Faith Forward with other congregations by posting a message of support, liking the page, and inviting someone to attend an info session. FIND US on our Whova sponsor page.

Information Sessions:
Wednesday, June 23 at 4:00 pm Central 
Thursday, June 24 at 3:00 pm Central 
Friday, June 25 at 7:15 pm Central 
COMING THIS FALL: Biblical Literacy for Unitarian Universalists

We are excited to announce the arrival this fall of the newest series on the ADVANCED Path, Biblical Literacy for Unitarian Universalists. As Unitarian Universalists, the Bible is one of the sources of our living tradition – articulated as “Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves.” In order to live these teachings as part of our faith, we must understand the histories and stories in which they are rooted. The Bible is a collection of texts that have brought meaning to people across the world for thousands of years, and its stories and messages are woven into the society in which we live today. Because of the importance of the Bible to many religious traditions as well as its presence in secular society it is important to be biblically literate.  

Over the course of eleven 75-minute sessions Biblical Literacy for Unitarian Universalists explores texts and themes from the Hebrew and Christian scriptures and invites participants to reflect on connections to their own lives and to Unitarian Universalism historically and in our time. As with all scripture and story, we ask not “is this true?” but rather “what is true about this?” in order to discern its meaning for our lives. 

The pandemic has delayed the release of this class series, so the developers at First Unitarian Church of Dallas will be "testing" it at the same time it's released to you for use in your congregation. We may make adaptations to the curriculum based on what we learn during the first round. It will be available this fall to all Faith Forward Path subscribers and as an individual class subscription, so you can plan to offer it beginning in Winter 2021/2022. We hope you will explore this topic with us and help grow more biblically literate Unitarian Universalists!
SEEKING SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP PATH
PILOT CONGREGATIONS

The Faith Forward path is developing leaders from the start by giving them grounding in our Unitarian Universalist faith and helping them find their place in our communities. The Faith Forward Spiritual Leadership Path takes this to the next level. This program invites participants to deepen their faith, their connection to their congregation, and their service to Unitarian Universalism through reflection, discernment, and service. Participants come to understand their role in the stewardship of the institution and in the work of building heaven on earth. Our congregations need leaders who understand themselves as spiritual leaders, know what makes church leadership important and unique, and are guided by Unitarian Universalist values as they go about their work. This program prepares people for leadership in all areas of the congregation. 

Does this sound like something your congregation could benefit from? We are seeking congregations currently using the Faith Forward Path to pilot this program in 2022. We will offer training at the start and will ask you to offer the workshops as written and share feedback with us about your experience. There is no extra cost on top of the Path subscription to be a pilot congregation.

The part of the path being piloted next year is a nine-month program led by a minister and/or staff person and lay leadership faculty who are experienced church leaders. It includes an opening retreat and monthly sessions, as well as periodic one-on-one discernment check-ins between the participants and the facilitators. Additional components will be developed in the coming years to support those currently serving as leaders and to promote mentoring relationships within the congregation. 

If you are interested in being a pilot congregation, please email faithforward@dallasuu.org and we will arrange to have a conversation with you and any other key leaders to share more details and to discern together if this will be a good fit. We look forward to hearing from you!
If you are interested in learning more about the program, check out www.faithforwarduu.org for descriptions, a video, frequently asked questions, the newsletter archive, and testimonials from Faith Forward congregations.