On Spiritual Leadership from the NER Team. . . | |
Discernment: What? When? How?
by Meck Groot and Joe Sullivan
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[This post is a follow up to "When We Wonder Together" (Practice Makes Possible - March 7, 2023)]
In March, the theme for the bi-monthly gathering for our community of practice Spiritual Leadership for Culture Change (SL4CC) was "Discernment for Faithful Risking." We distinguished discernment from decision-making and intentionally chose prework activities so members of the community would know what discernment is, when to use it, and how it might be done.
It gave us pause when people in the gathering shared these questions in the chat:
- When would you use discernment?
- How would we do this in our congregation?
The following comment in the chat spoke eloquently to the attractiveness of the practice and the bafflement about actually engaging it:
I found the reading and viewing all very powerful and helpful, but quickly stalled when I tried to imagine it being applied within my congregation. Basic things like knowing what issue discernment might best be applied to or what group would come together to do the discernment all seem to challenge me.
What's more apparent now than when we were planning the March gatherings is just how radically counter-UU-culture the practice of discernment is.
The first challenge is getting a group of UUs to admit they are staring into an uncertain future and no one really has a clue what to do. There's no easy fix, no meaningful plan, no map, no expert to call in to tell us what to do. More and more congregations are asking existential questions that baffle all of us:
- What are the needs of families and children of our community today and how are we situated to serve those needs?
- How will we serve our mission regardless of the outcome of our new minister search?
- What options are open to us to advance our mission and serve our ministries with our present financial and volunteer capacity?
- What are available options for uses of our building consistent with our values that could allow us to continue to fulfill our mission while helping defray the cost of upkeep? How might we pursue our mission without the building?
These are perfect questions to bring to a process of discernment.
A second challenge as noted in our earlier post on this subject, involves the key component in discernment of "listening to God or the Holy Spirit." Discernment is a faith practice, rooted in an awareness that while individuals may not have answers, there is wisdom within and among us that we may tap into if we get quiet enough and listen for it together. That may be a discernment deal breaker for many UUs.
But let's assume a group of UUs who overcome the first two challenges: they recognize they face a situation where answers are unclear and they are willing to exercise faith and listen together for wisdom to emerge from within and among them.
Now comes the next challenge: How do they do this? What is a process for discernment? There are many possibilities here. Quakers and Jesuits and other faith-based groups have much to teach about the processes they use. Translating those for UUs feels like a worthy project. (Anyone?) . . .
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Board/Leadership Retreats… Together!
(in-person)
Congregational Leaders: Do you find yourself asking any of these questions?
- Our congregation’s membership is aging. How do we get younger people to join the congregation?
- All our kids seem to have disappeared during Covid. How do we get them back?
- We don’t have enough volunteers! How can we get younger people to volunteer?
- Our financial future is feeling shaky. How can we ensure a sustainable future?
If so, you are not alone! We are hearing these same questions everywhere we go. As the new congregational year begins, we invite you to gather the leaders of your congregation with the leaders of your neighboring congregations. Instead of retreating separately, let’s retreat together.
New England Region staff will lead participating leadership teams in common discussions of our common challenges, and you will also have time specifically with the leaders in your congregation for team-building.
All participating teams will also be invited to join an online learning community to extend the conversation with regional staff and with each other through the whole congregational year.
Dates/Locations/Registration:
Saturday, August 26, 10:00am-3:00pm ET - UU Congregation of the Upper Valley in Norwich, VT - register here
Saturday, September 9, 10:00am-3:00pm ET - UU Society of Greater Springfield in Springfield, MAA - register here
Saturday, September 16, 10:00am-3:00pm ET - Follen Church in Lexington, MA - register here
Saturday, October 14, 10:00am-3:00pm ET - UU Community Church in Augusta, ME - register here
Registration is required and is on a sliding scale: $50 / $40 / $30 per person. Please note, registration includes lunch. If this fee represents a hardship, please email newengland@uua.org and we’ll see what we can do.
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Liberating Governance:
The Constancy of Mission and Practice (online)
Watch for more details in August.
This next gathering will be held on Thursday, August 31, 7:00-8:30pm ET.
Please sign up for our email list. You will automatically receive the registration link and all materials for this gathering, as well as the invitations for future gatherings.
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New England Region OWL Database (online)
Does your congregation or community center offer OWL? Want to? Are you seeking another congregation to collaborate with, or do you have members curious where they can bring their children to participate in the program? Please follow this link to NER's new OWL information form and submit your answers. We will be sharing submissions via our website soon.
We occasionally get inquiries about OWL curriculum offerings and trainings. This is an important program and our aim is to support congregations and members alike. The information collected on this form will be shared to help congregations that are offering OWL and families or RE programs seeking OWL find one another to work collaboratively. All information is self-reported by the congregation. We rely on congregations to update their information as necessary. The New England Region thanks you for your hard work!
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NER Fall 2024 Programming:
As we settle into summer, the New England Region team is looking ahead to the programming that will be offered this fall. Please keep an eye out for opportunities to engage with these offerings:
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Spiritual Leadership for Small Group Ministry - a planning guide and resource materials for seven small group ministry sessions on Spiritual Leadership as an orientation to living our deepest values. Available in August.
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Congregational Board and Trustee Quarterly Gatherings - Join with your peers to share ideas, strategies, questions, concerns, and support. These gatherings are open to current board members and those who will be on the board within the next several months. Our next gathering will be announced in our August newsletter.
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Congregational Administrators Quarterly Gatherings - Join with your peers from around the region to share ideas, questions, concerns and support. Our next gathering will be announced in our August newsletter.
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Responding to Far Right / White Christian Nationalist Threats (online)
Side with Love presents an on-demand webinar, Courage, Risk, & Safety: Preparing for Right-Wing Threats Against Congregations (June 2023).
As UU congregations are increasingly being targeted by right-wing hate, all of our congregations should be prepared to respond to threats with skill and courage while also remaining grounded in our values. In this space for all religious professionals, UUA staff from Congregational Life, LGBTQIA+ & Multicultural Ministries, Safer Congregations, and Side With Love will share some observations about trends on the national scale, offer resources for assessing security threats/creating safety plans/discerning and growing risk tolerance, and support building connections to fight back against overwhelm, fear, and isolation.
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The 3 C's of Staff Relations: Covenant, Conflict, and Community (online)
Thursday, September 28, 2:00-5:00pm ET
Good staff relations are a vital element in supporting healthy and vibrant congregations. Whether you are in a new transitional ministry position or serving a congregation where you are settled, connecting to and building collaborative relationships are of primary importance.
The Guild of Interim Religious Educators invites you to explore the 3 C’s of Staff Relations: Covenant, Conflict and Community. Understanding these elements can spell the difference between a collaborative, healthy staff team and one that finds itself adrift. This class will cover the importance of covenants – as they impact staff ministry teams and the congregation; examine conflict – both how it occurs and how to navigate it; and focus on building healthy staff relationships and the ways in which our relationships as religious professionals impact the communities we serve.
This three-hour class can be the key to starting your ministry off in the healthiest ways possible. GIRE educators Deborah Weiner, Leah Purcell, and Lily Rappaport are your facilitators.
Registration is required at a cost of $55; GIRE members receive a discount. The registration deadline September 15, or when maximum capacity of 20 participants is reached.
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Dimensions of Faith Development Renaissance Module (online)
Tuesdays August 15 , 22, 29 and September 5, 12:00-2:00pm ET
Dimensions of Faith Development Renaissance Module will enable a grounding in the original work of Natalie Briscoe which brings:
- A view of Faith Development that is central to the congregation's work and weaves together all of the primary ministries of a religious body.
- Develop a method for dismantling white supremacy culture within their congregation and in the world through the content and method of Lifespan Faith Development within their congregations.
- Envision a model for "What's Next" in our work of dismantling white supremacy culture that leaves participants feeling empowered to move forward with the work; and
- Take away a collection of stories that both forms a multicultural narrative for our faith journey and communicates our UU values.
This module will be co-led by Lillian Drab-Braddock and Nancy Combs-Morgan, Congregational Life Consultants in the Southern Region of the UUA.
Registration is required at a cost of $200 for all four sessions. Continuing Education Grant Funds may be available, please apply. The registration deadline is Tuesday August 8 or when maximum capacity is reached.
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System Theory Renaissance Module (online)
Fridays September 8, 15, 22, 29, 12:00-2:00pm ET
Central to our understanding of congregational systems is a grounding in the awareness that “everything we do is faith development; everything we teach is Unitarian Universalism and that the congregation is the curriculum.”
That expression, by Connie Goodbread, is the first part of going deeper into congregational systems, yet the second part must include an immersion into System Theory.
The “System Theory” Renaissance Module will:
- Examine human beings as emotional, intellectual, and physical beings.
- Everything that human beings create, discover, destroy and build is born out of our humanity.
- Explore and clarify what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist.
- Discuss the human qualities that help and hinder the growth of a beloved community.
The overarching lens of System Theory will ground the experience and aid religious educators, and other religious professionals to apply these learnings to their own professional context.
Registration is required at a cost of $200 for all four sessions. Continuing Education Grant Funds may be available, please apply. The registration deadline is Tuesday September 1 or when maximum capacity is reached.
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Next UUA Board Open House (online)
Tuesday August 15 7:00pm ET
One way the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees serves the more than 148,000 members and over 1,000 member congregations of the UUA is through open communication and transparency in its own work.
To further encourage this open dialogue, the Board hosts monthly Open Houses. All are invited to attend and participate. Bring your comments, questions, and suggestions, and chat about the Board’s work and the Unitarian Universalist (UU) issues that matter most to you.
Registration is free and required.
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Large Congregation Board Training (online)
Are you a board member of a large “corporate” sized congregation with multiple staff focused on mission, policy, and strategy?
Your LeaderLab team is offering a training especially for you! Self-paced pre-work will include frameworks such as Hotchkiss's Governance and Ministry partnership, conflict and change dynamics, cultural competencies, fiduciary responsibilities, efficient meetings, mission-based budgeting and decision-making, self-differentiation and boundaries, and spiritual grounding. In the live session you will be able to engage with board members from other large congregations as you work on case studies and creative problem solving. You will also be given planning tools for a self-directed goal-setting session.
Pre-work available: Tuesday August 1
Interactive Live Session: Saturday August 26, 12:00-4:00pm ET
Registration is required at a cost of $200 per congregational team. The registration deadline is August 19.
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Faith Formation REframe Retreat (in-person)
The course meets at Meadville Lombard Theological School (Chicago, IL) from 9:00am-5:00pm CT July 24-28.
This is a week-long immersion for teams (ministers, professional religious educators, committees) or individuals wanting to deepen and refresh faith formation in their religious community. This course is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to ideas and practices that give Unitarian Universalist Faith Formation its meaning and purpose for people throughout their lives. The course is designed with principles of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multicultural teaching and learning in mind, so as to model how this lens applies to religious education.
For more information please follow this link. Registration is required and available at a tiered rate depending on congregation size. The registration deadline is Friday July 7.
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Teacher Development Renaissance Module (online)
Mid America Region is hosting a Teacher Development Renaissance Module scheduled for five weekly sessions Tuesdays July 18 to August 15 12:00-2:00pm ET: July 18 / July 25 / August 1 / August 8 / August 15 (this final session will end at 2:30pm ET).
The Teacher Development Renaissance Module is an online learning experience comprised of four two hour plus one two and a half hour webinars with readings and other assignments between each session. The registration fee is $250.00 for all 5 sessions.
The registration deadline is Thursday July 13 or when maximum capacity is reached. An email with a unique Zoom link will be sent to registrants on each individual training day.
Please find more information here, and registration here. Registration is required and at a cost of $250.00 for all five sessions.
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