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“I will not sink to your barbaric behavior.” I was ten; my sister was six. I knew more multisyllabic words than she did and she leapt at me with her little fists. I just sat there until mom arrived and punished her for hitting. Of course I loved my sister, but I’d already learned that words can be weapons.
There’s a dangerous trend sweeping through congregations. Maybe it’s political polarization. Or the scarcity of resources. Maybe anxiety about our post-pandemic future - whenever that will be. Likely it’s a confluence of all of these, plus the dopamine rush we get when posting to social media and watching the “likes” roll in. As leaders in your congregation, maybe you’ve also seen an increase in weaponized words.
Regrettably, I’ve been on both the sending and receiving end of this phenomenon. Years ago, my church board decided to halt a favorite spring tradition, wherein helium balloons were tied to the backs of random pews. Children and adults pulled on the strings, the colorful orbs bobbing throughout Sunday worship. One year the board made the decision to end it. They cited the danger of broken balloon scraps to wildlife and latex allergies. I had some feelings. I became activated. I had one thought: How can I make them keep the Balloon Service?
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Sustaining Practice!
Our community of practice will convene next In November 2022. The specific theme and pre-work will be communicated in early November. Specific dates for these next gatherings will be:
- Evening offering: November 29, 7:00 PM (ET)
- Daytime offering: November 30, 1:00 PM (ET)
Thank you to all who participated in our September gathering. It was great hearing about practices congregations have cultivated to be in right relationship with change.
If you have not already joined the community of practice, you can do so using this form. The community is open to all — religious professionals and laity. Once you join, you will automatically receive registration details and the pre-work assignment before each gathering.
To learn more, follow these links:
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General description of this community of practice and a listing of scheduled gatherings
- Community Expectations and Covenant Practice
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The Spiritual Leadership for Culture Change Resources list, which includes links to pre-work assignments and follow up notes, if any, for each session:
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January 2022 Gathering – (Re)orientation to Practices of Spiritual Leadership in support of our response to and shaping of culture change
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March 2022 Gathering – Responding to Racism through the Practices of Spiritual Leadership
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May 2022 Gathering – Reactivity to Resilience: Inner Work in Congregations
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September 2022 Gathering – Being in Right Relationship with Change
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Join us for the last Meet & Eat of 2022!
All sessions will be held from 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. eastern time. Each session will have some content provided and the opportunity to delve into questions and conversations with colleagues in small breakout groups.
Join us for the last Meet & Eat of 2022!
Join us on Zoom on Tuesday November 8th from 12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. eastern time for shared conversation with colleagues on the topic, Being the Light in the Dark Days.We are in the season of shorter days, leading us into the busy-ness of the holiday season. Set aside 90 minutes to join us for the last in the NER / CER Meet & Eat Series for religious educators. This month, as you prepare for the upcoming holidays, we will invite your ideas about:
- Right-sizing rituals - how do you balance honoring beloved church traditions while responding to covid-era realities?
- Supporting your families - are you finding new ways to be present to families who are attending in person less regularly?
- Keeping your battery charged - to be a beacon to those we serve is a blessing, but we can’t do it without keeping our own flame lit. What are your commitments to self care in this season?
This is the final 2022 Meet & Eat session of 2022 - we hope to see you there for collegial connections. And please look for an announcement of a new series of collegial meetings in 2023 hosted by our UUA’s Office of Lifespan Faith Engagement, for religious educators across the country!
Registration is free, and required. Deadline to register is Tuesday, Nov. 1 or until max capacity is reached.
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Congregational Board/Trustee Quarterly Gathering (Online)
This is the NER quarterly zoom gathering for congregational board members/trustees.This is open to Current board members and people who will be on the board within the next several months. Join with your peers to share ideas, strategies, questions, concerns, and support. Tuesday, November 1, 7:00-8:30PM (ET) We’ll send details for logging in to the conversation to all registered participants a few days before each session, along with a survey about what issue(s) you’d like to discuss. Please register as soon as possible.
Registration is free and required. Deadline by Tuesday, Oct. 25 or until max capacity is reached.
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Family Ministry Training (online)
New England Region is offering the Family Ministry Training Renaissance Module in an online format! Starting Wednesdays, October 26th to December 7th (skipping November 23rd) from 5:00pm-7:30pm EST / 2-4:30pm PT / 3-5:30pm MT/ 4-6:30pm CT. This training will be led by Kathy Smith and Rev. Samaya Oakley. Registration is limited to 15 participants and the standard fee is $225. If the standard rate price is prohibitive, please take advantage of our community rates. If you are in a position to support others in this training, please add what you are able. Register and find more information here. The registration deadline is Tuesday October 11th, 2022. Sponsored by New England Region UUA.
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Keep Online Ministry Interactive | |
With widespread availability of Covid 19 vaccines, the world is beginning to open up. This year, most UU congregations are holding Sunday services in person. Many also have some kind of online worship component. Some offer a live Zoom service, others offer live streaming on platforms like Facebook or YouTube, and others offer pre-recorded worship services on their web pages.
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Young Unitarian Universalist Project
Have you heard of YUUP yet? The Young UU Project began in 2020 as a way for young UUs to keep in touch with each other and their faith during the pandemic, and is held by Lifespan Faith Engagement. The purpose of YUUP is to be a national community care network and multi-directional communication channel that centers BIPOC, trans/non-binary and neurodivergent youth and offers a transition zone for young people moving into emerging adulthood.
Anyone (youth, caregivers, religious professionals, lay leaders, everyone!) can tap into the social ministry of YUUP by following them on Instagram @yuup.uua and signing up for the YUUP newsletter. YUUP also has a community sphere just for youth, those who bridged in 2022 and support adults. These “Third Monday Meetups” are where youth swap ideas they can take home to their local communities. In August they swapped Favorite Check In Questions. In September they swapped favorite youth group games, which will soon be released on Instagram and in the newsletter.
Adult readers - We need your help connecting youth to this community! Please point them to UUA.ORG/YUUP to connect at whatever their capacity is.
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Post-Imperial Futures Conference (Online and multiplatform on MLTS campus in Chicago )
UUA's International Office and Meadville-Lombard Theological School are hosting multiplatform conference "Post-Imperial Futures: Addressing Legacy and Living Into Promise," October 6-8, 2022 (CT) , with leading theologians and activists to equip ordained and lay leaders with the tools to educate their congregations and decolonize their ministries. Registration for online attendance closes on October 6 at noon. All times are Central Time.
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UPLIFT Action Launch Party
Join Side With Love for the official launch of our latest organizing campaign, UPLIFT Action!
Thursday, Oct 13, 5pm PT / 6pm MT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET. We'll be honoring the sacred importance of bodily autonomy with several of our partners and Unitarian Universalists from around the country who are faithfully organizing for LGBTQIA+, Gender, and Reproductive Justice. Come be a part of this special event where we proclaim "Every Body is Sacred!" and celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of every person and launch ourselves into action! Register now to join live or get the recording!
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UUA Legacy Giving Webinar for Congregations
The UUA’s Legacy Gifts Office offers a number of services, including an online workshop to assist congregations in creating legacy giving programs. This webinar, to be held via Zoom on Saturday, October 15, 2022, from 1 pm to 3 pm ET, covers the basics of legacy giving and how to set up a legacy giving program in your congregation. We aim to equip congregations with the knowledge they need to start a legacy program. To register for the 10/15/22 webinar, email us at legacy@uua.org or call (888) 792-5885 (select option 3).
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United Nations Sunday
UN Sunday packet is here! Every year the UU Office at the United Nations buts together a packet for congregations to create their own UN Sunday. This year's theme is "Displacement & Human Rights: All In for Climate Justice." The packet includes quick background information, links to short videos, easy to use worship planning resources, plus one-session intro to UU@UN for each child and youth. As UN Day is October 24, we invite you to hold the 2022 service and/or event on Sunday, October 23. If this date in unavailable, try another weekend in October or another date that works for your congregation.
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Climate Disaster Response: Mobilizing for Action
Climate disasters impact our communities - how can UUs be prepared? Join this series of workshops with activities to help you identify the climate risks, understand who is most at risk and how your community will be impacted. From there, make a plan to prepare for and respond to climate disasters in your neighborhood. This workshop is part of a series. Sessions: All sessions are 90 minutes long and begin at 7pm ET/ 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT. The Upcoming session is, Tuesday, October 25, 2022 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET & Nov 15: Community conversation. To prepare for these workshops, we encourage you to watch "Fostering Local Climate Resilience through Disaster Response and Community Care" webinar. Invite your congregation to watch with you, then bring your team to the trainings!
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Right Relationship Team Training (Online)
Creating beloved community requires intention and practice. Our covenants articulate our intention, but how do we live into the practice? Right Relations Teams (RRT) are lay leaders entrusted to help the congregation practice faithful communication and creative conflict based on values of mutuality and consent.
This training is for congregational teams who will be helping their congregations (or other covenantal communities) live into their covenants.Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm EDT
Your team can take the training on your own, or you can take a facilitated version with other congregations and 6 live practice sessions Learn more about the facilitated RRT Training. (Payment must be received to reserve your spot.)
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Welcoming Neurodivergent People: Skill Up
This series is jointly supported by the UU Ministers Association and your UUA staff. It is aimed at religious professionals but open to all. Religious educators can get credit for credentialing and UUMA members continuing education credit.
Next up in our series will be a panel presentation in November focusing on supporting neurodivergent children and youth. Joining us will be Katie Resendiz, Rev. Sierra-Marie Gerfao, April Rosario, and Meredith Plummer.
Look for this the week of November 14th. We recommend having watched at least one of the first three sessions and read the recommended 101 document to get the most of this experience. Start on our Welcoming Neurodivergent People: Skill Up Page for Heather’s presentation, for upcoming events, to subscribe to our announcement list, and to access the UUMA’s website where you can purchase the full presentations and Q&As for all of our events.
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Essentials for Lay-Led Congregations
Is your congregation operating without a professionally-trained minister? Your UUA Congregational Life Staff is offering a program this Fall just for you: Essentials for Lay-Led Congregations.
The program includes an email subscription to a newsletter (full of helpful tips, tools, training opportunities, and other resources), and admission to the December 10, 2022 Lay-Led Congregation Convergence. There you will get to connect with leaders from other lay-led congregations. Register Now. Deadline is December 2.
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