source/REsource

Days 20, 21, 22 of 30 days of PSWD fair share

2011-06-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Daily blog updates from General Assembly - almost impossible!

Day 20 - coaching for congregational leaders

Day 21 - district staff presence at congregational rites of passage, like installations and building dedications

Day 22 - district staff presence at ministerial rites of passage, like ordinations and retirement ceremonies

Thank you for your generous giving to PSWD fair share and UUA annual program fund.
We are stronger together than we are alone.

Day 19 of 30 days of PSWD fair share - congregational consultants!

2011-06-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

You want your congregation to be the best it can be. We have congregational consultants that can help.

Youth ministry, board retreats, finances are a few of the areas where you can find expertise.

When you hire a PSWD consultant by contacting Ken Brown or myself, we identify a consultant and pay their travel. You pay the honorarium.

We are able to do this thanks to your PSWD Fair Share and UUA Annual Program Fund dollars.

Day 18 of 30 days of PSWD fair share - district assembly!

2011-06-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Two worship services
24 worshops
One annual meeting
300 UUs from PSWD
Keynote speaker
Bridging ceremony
Youth caucus
Awards ceremony

It's our annual district assembly!

Your PSWD fair share and UUA annual program fund dollars support this annual event.

Mark yout calendars for next year: April 27-28, 2012 at First UU Church Los Angeles.

day 17 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - church finance workshops!

2011-06-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

did you know you can request a church finance workshop,

better yet, band together with a couple of churches in your cluster,

and Rev. Dr. Ken Brown, your PSWD District Executive,

will show up and do a day-long

church finance workshop that will help your congregation

get a firmer footing on finances?

well, now you do.

and it's all thanks for your generous support

of PSWD Fair Share and the UUA Annual Program Fund.

(will i be able to keep this up during General Assembly?

i leave early tomorrow morning ... tune in and see!)

day 16 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Family Camp!

2011-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

until i attended pswd family camp,

i didn't realize there is a theology of tie-dye.

the art of tie-dye can be a hot topic.

just as there are so many different versions of what a family looks like,

there are almost that many ways of doing tie-dye.

it seems like every church has their way of doing it.

do you put the rubber bands on before you soak the fabric in soda ash,

or do you put them on after?

how strong do you mix the dye?

do you squirt the dye on over or under the rubber bands?

family camp is many things to many people,

but at the heart of it i see it as a celebration of

how our UU values are lived out in the day-to-day existence of families.

regardless of how any of us may decide to structure our tie-dye,

they always turn out beautiful:

vibrant, unique, rich, with unexpected surprises.

just like our families.

thank you for your generous support

of PSWD Faire Share and UUA Annual Program Fund.

day 15 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Sr. High Camp!

2011-06-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

thanks to your PSWD Fair Share

and UUA Annual Program Fund,

we are able to offer not one, but TWO

week-long camps for high school youth every year.

camp de benneville pines is the place

high school youth from all over PSWD converge to immerse themselves

in the six components of balanced youth programs:

- worship

- social action

- leadership

- community building

- learning

- healthy youth adult relations

our young people gain invaluable leadership and people skills at camp.

not only how to create an enormous burrito (see elias, above!),

but how to lead people and organizations toward social change.

this summer's sr high camp is already SOLD OUT,

but your teen has a chance to attend

winter camp 2011, december 27 - january 1.

thank you for your generous support of PSWD Fair Share

and UUA Annual Program Fund.

day 14 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Small Congregation RE Workshop!

2011-06-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

thanks to your PSWD Fair Share

and UUA Annual Program Fund dollars,

your PSWD is able to offer

Small Congregation Religious Education Workshops!

This past Saturday, four small congregations from the LA Valley

came together to talk and play their way

toward making the most of what their congregation has to offer -

which is a lot!

the sub-title of the day's workshop was

"bigger isn't always better!"

sometimes small congregations (any congregation) can get

caught up in repeating self-defeating stories.

we spent time visioning success stories.

i love the big "WE CAN" on the poster above,

created by Verdugo Hills UUs.

Sepulveda UU Society created their new youth room

(it's really gonna happen - over the summer - woohoo!)

check out UUs of Santa Clarita Valley

excitedly showing off their vision for the newly-formed "tween" group.

one of their phrases is "prepared to be amazed." yes!

sara brown, also of UUSCV, showing off her group's

ideas for the younger aged group at their church.

lee marie sanchez co-created and co-led the workshop with me.

she is wonderful! and smart! and wise!

we covered:

- attracting and keeping families

- safe congregations

- when to hire RE staff

- curricula for multi-age groups

- creating sacred RE space

- and more!

emmalinda maclean, DRE for Emerson UU,

was our most fabulous host,

too bad i don't have a pic of her

b/c she was also very stylish that day.

thank you for being a generous supporter of

your PSWD and your UUA,

so that trainings like this can take place.

day 13 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Our Whole Lives!

2011-06-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

since 1999, your PSWD Fair Share

has brought Our Whole Lives Facilitator Trainings

to a congregation near you.

Our Whole Lives is the lifespan comprehensive sexual education program

developed by the UUA and the United Church of Christ.

each year, we sponsor at least two trainings.

one for Jr High/Sr High levels

and one for either Elementary or Adult Levels.

day ... hey - what day is it?

2011-06-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

how did it all of a sudden get to be day 13?

days 10, 11, and 12 must

be lost out in cyberspace!

so here's some catchup:

day 10 of PSWD Fair Share:

the PSWDExpress -

hits your inbox once/month,

with all the latest news you can use.

Ken Brown, PSWD District Executive,

pulls together the copy and

Mary Nelson, PSWD Administrator makes it beautiful.

day 11 of PSWD Fair Share:

RE Lending Library.

You can check out books for FREE,

for up to six weeks.

Check out our offerings here.

day 12 of PSWD Fair Share:

scholarship money!

we have scholarship funds

to help you attend district and national events.

The application can be found here.

thank YOU for supporting

PSWD Fair Share and

UUA Annual Program Fund!

day 9 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - membership workshops!

2011-06-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

thanks to your generous contribution

to PSWD Fair Share and

UUA Annual Program Fund,

we bring you "growing your membership" day-long workshops!

these day-long dynamic workshops are cluster-based

(meaning - we target them to membership issues

identified by a geographic cluster of congregations).

we bring in a few talented membership consultants,

and in large-group and small-group work,

we help congregational leaders come up with

strategies to address a wide array of membership issues.

newcomer vs. visitor,

following up with newcomers,

integrating new members,

and more are areas of focus.

to see about scheduling a membership workshop

for your cluster, contact tera, teral@att.net or ken, uurev@aol.com.

thank you for your fair share and annual program fund contributions!

day 8 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Adult Faith Development Training!

2011-06-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

your PSWD Fair Share and

UUA Annual Program Fund dollars

support day-long workshops like

the Adult Faith Development Facilitator Training.

At the AFDFT (could we think of a longer name?)

participants tell their own faith odysseys,

because we believe the key to a meaningful

adult RE program is to have facilitators

who are grounded in their own sense of the spirit.

we also learn facilitating tips and tricks,

get an overview of popular adult RE curricula,

and talk about how to incorporate a program

into the life of your congregation.

(ok, we also play with modeling clay.)

our next AFDFT will be Fall 2011,

at Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes.

see you there!

day 7 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Counselor in Training Program!

2011-06-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

thanks to your PSWD fair share

and UUA Annual Program Fund dollars,

we are able to offer an outstanding

Counselor-in-Training program

each summer at de Benneville Pines.

youth, ages 15-18, learn valuable leadership skills:

- active listening

- positive guidance

- leading programs

- teamwork

- flexibility

- making decisions under pressure

- first aid/cpr

these young people train to be our next generation of

outstanding cabin counselors at Camp de Benneville Pines.

this summer is our 11th summer of offering a counselor in training program.

hurray to you for supporting it through your PSWD Fair Share!

days 5 & 6 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Ministerial and DRE Transitions!

2011-06-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

thanks to your

PSWD Faire Share

and UUA Annual Program Fund dollars,

your congregation receives help

during times of ministerial and DRE transitions.

from the time your religious professional announces a departure,

your UUA staff walk with you as you take the steps

to hire or call a new professional.

The following are services we provide:

- exit interviews with departing professional
- transition interviews with congregational leadership
- fair compensation consultants help you determine appropriate packages

- guidance during the actual search process

- start-up sessions once the hire has been made

- ongoing support throughout the term of your religious professional

thank you for giving your fair share!

day 4 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - the netwuurk!

2011-06-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

in honor of the weekend

today's post is short!

thanks to your PSWD Fair Share and

UUA Annual Program Fund dollars,

four times a year

you receive a colorful newsletter, the Netwuurk,

keeping you up to date on life in the PSWD-UUA.

mary nelson does a fabulous job

of formatting & editing it (thank you, mary!).

and each issue has newsy bits of info

from local congregations.

if you don't receive the netwuurk,

email mary at pswd@aol.com

to get on the list.

day 3 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - chalice lighters!

2011-06-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

the best part of being UUA District Staff?

handing people a BIG check!

and the best place to find a big check

is through our district chalice lighters program!

three times a year,

because people like YOU give $20.00 or more,

we are able to grant congregations around $16,000.00!

chalice lighters funds building projects, renovations, and hiring new staff.

your PSWD Fair Share and UUA Annual Program dollars

helps us administer and do PR for the chalice lighter program.

all the money you give for chalice lighters goes directly to the congregation.

to find out more about the PSWD chalice lighters program,

to sign up to be a chalice lighter,

or find out if your congregation is eligible to apply for a grant,

visit here.

day 2 of 30 days of PSWD Fair Share - youth advisor training

2011-06-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

What's one of our most precious resources

in our congregations?

Our young people.

Each year, with the help of your PSWD Fair Share

and UUA Annual Program Fund dollars,

we are able to offer a youth advisor training.

These trainings help your advisor

learn the ins and outs

of working with high school youth.

The six components of

dynamic youth ministry programs

are covered:

Worship

Social Justice

Community Building

Learning

Leadership

Healthy Youth/Adult Relations.

Thank YOU for giving to PSWD Fair Share and UUA Annual Program Fund!

30 days of PSWD Fair Share - Elementary Camp

2011-06-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to every congregation that pays their Fair Share dues

to the PSWD and the UUA (called the Annual Program Fund).

I wonder if congregations and their leaders

understand what that money goes toward.

So during the beautiful month of June

each day I'll lift up one program or ministry area

that is funded by

YOUR PSWD Fair Share and

UUA Annual Program Fund dollars.

The first one is the PSWD Elementary Camp,

held at our Camp de Benneville Pines.

Every summer between 40-65 elementary-aged campers

come to Camp de Benneville Pines

for a week of UU fun.

We worship, play, eat, sing, hike, swim, craft, think, laugh together,

practicing the art of being human,

living in UU community for a week,

and responding to issues out of our shared UU values.

worship coordinator Celeste and Chaplain Jonipher

We have a wonderful volunteer staff of 20-25 people,

who help our campers have the most successful week possible.

Your dollars underwrite the total cost of camp for each camper

by providing scholarship money,

paying the costs for staff to be at camp,

paying salary of your Director of Lifespan Programs (that's me!)

to direct the camp,

funding the supplies needed for camp,

providing support for staff training and development,

and a portion of your PSWD Fair Share goes

directly to Camp de Benneville,

Thank you for doing your part

when you give your PSWD Fair Share!

Essential reading for new religious educators

2011-04-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so old school - I still like reading books. Real books, with paper pages that I have to literally turn with my hands. Books that can lie open on the table, that I can stack precariously on my desk, going higher and higher until I finally give in and put them on my crowded bookshelves.

Recently, someone asked me what did I consider essential reading material for new religious educators?

I came up with five books, then realized it is 2011, and quickly added some electronic resources, too.

I'm sure you have your own sacred texts for new religious educators - what are they?

Here are mine:

1. Essex Conversations, collected by the Essex Conversations Coordinating Committee, 2001.
It may be a decade old, but I find many of these essays to be really energizing, and challenging to the way we "always do RE." Read it and be inspired!

2. Claiming the Past, Shaping the Future: Four Eras in Liberal Religious Education, edited by Roberta M. Nelson, 2006.
Fascinating history of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist religious education. Did you know that back in the day, many ministers pursued their M.Div. as well as earned a credential in religious education? Find out more fun trivia about our rich history of religious education innovations in this gem of a book.

3. Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus, by Mark Yaconelli, 2006.
Love. This. Book. It really helped deepen my understanding of not just youth ministry, but in developing a ministry of presence with all ages. This book is just as much about faith development of your adult youth leaders as it is about building a sustainable youth ministry program.

4. What If All the Kids Are White? Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families, by Louise Derman-Sparks & Patricia G. Ramsey, 2006.
Compelling read on how to work with your teachers to help them bring anti-oppression into the classroom. Lots of tips and suggestions.

5. Nurturing Children and Youth: A Developmental Guidebook, by Tracey L. Hurd, 2005.
Quick and dirty overview of the spiritual development of children and youth. It is really easy to read, and the lists would be ideal to use in a teacher training or to add to teacher notebooks.

And now, for a few non-book resources:

1. Michelle Richard's UU Parenting blog. She writes twice a month on pertinent issues, like how to talk to children about all the bad things happening in the world, love, and importance of being part of a religious community. She also has a great book on worship: Come into the Circle. Michelle is awesome - read her blog!

2. REACH-L. Every new religious educator needs to subscribe to the voluminous e-list, REACH-L for at least a year. Ask any religious education-related question, and within a day you will receive at least a dozen wise, practical responses from DREs in the U.S. and Canada. When I was a new DRE, this list saved my life and I learned so much. It's easy to subscribe: go to www.uua.org/lists, scroll through the alphabetical list, and follow the subscription instructions.

3. Browse the UUA Website. Learn all you can about Unitarian Universalism. Look at the online bookstore.

4. Call your District Staff! Join LREDA (Liberal Religious Educators Association)! Attend a Renaissance module!

I'm sure there are more websites, blogs, twitter feeds out there ... what did I miss that you think are essential for new religious educators?

the pink backpack

2011-03-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

The pink backpack was innocuous enough on its own. "The School of Cool" was emblazoned on the front, and faded panels of light pink, fuschia, and purple butterflies, flowers, and images of the Bratz dolls. It was the kind of backpack you might see any girl wearing on her way to school.

Had this backpack been found along any highway, or in any thrift store, no one would give it a second glance. It was dirty, tattered, and clearly not salvageable. Even my dear Ryan, who loves giving cast off goods a second chance, would give this one up for lost.

But this backpack was a symbol: of hope, and of despair. Yesterday, a group of Unitarian Universalists on a border trip, found this backpack along a migrant trail in hills outside of Green Valley, Arizona. The backpack had been abandoned. Why, we will never know. Was it dropped to the ground in order to help its owner make better time across the desert? Was it dropped because Border Patrol closed in on its owner, taking her into custody and later deporting her? All we know is, that backpack and its owner was in the midst of a perilous journey across the hot, harsh, yet beautiful southern Arizona desert.

There were twenty of us on our border trip, discerning how we liberal religious people can create a faith-full response to the complex and heart-breaking issue of human rights and immigration.

As the pink backpack was held up, our group stood in silence, the late afternoon sun create a golden desert glow around us. We took pictures of the background, hating ourselves for taking photos, yet knowing that we must serve as witnesses to the pain and suffering and death occurring along our border, because of U.S. economic and immigration policies.

We left the backpack, knowing the sun and rain and wind would continue to destroy it. We saw so much that was heartbreaking, and yet ... we are grounded in our life-affirming faith. We will not let our broken hearts stop us from telling the stories. We are in the struggle, and we commit to using our power, and to listen to the spirit, and keep on moving forward until our borders are no longer places of death, but can become places of hope and promise.

Teambuilding with Teens

2010-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Sara LaWall, who turned me on to a great new games book called Teambuilding with Teens: Activities for Leadership, Decision Making, and Group Success, by Mariam G. MacGregor.

You probably already have half a dozen teambuilding books on your library shelves. I know I did, and I'm very wary of buying new ones. I've been disappointed by lackluster games and wonky directions too many times!

But I trust Sara's judgment, and when she told me I should check out this book, I did!

The thing that sets this book apart from all the other games books is the attention spent on background for each game/activity and the discussion questions offered so the group can unpack what was going on in terms of group dynamics and group process during the activity.

The book is organized into sections like "Self-Awareness," "Working with Others," "Qualities of Leadership," "Social Issues," and more.

Sara is using ideas from this book with ages as young as 6th grade, and I know I'll pull out some of the activities for youth camps staff.

I ordered mine from Amazon for around $23.00.

If you try it out, let me know what worked/didn't work for you.

Finding balance at GA

2010-06-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

I arrived at General Assembly confident that I would find balance this week between rushing around at the convention center and having some time to read and be.

Wrong!

I also had grand hopes of blogging everyday. But most days I leave my room around 8 am and don't return until after 10 pm. And my roommate and I then stay up chatting about our GA days until 11 pm. Too much good stuff!

I did catch an hour of the Peter Mayer concert on Thursday night. What a great performer!

He tells great stories, in songs and between songs.

Off for another day of GA madness!

Don't go changing ...

2010-04-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

I like to think I'm above such mundane anxieties that come with change, but I am not!

Yesterday, I received an email from Adam Gerhardstein, from the UUA Standing on the Side of Love campaign, announcing his planned resignation.

What??? I thought anxiously. We are losing the fabulous Adam, with his energy and excitement and YES to life??? Who will help me stand on the side of love?

Well, yes. Adam is heading to Law School. Go Adam! But my knee-jerk reaction made me think about how easy it is for any of us to connect to the person leading a campaign/church/ministry program, rather than to the greater mission we are working toward.

That is OK. That is human. And we need to recognize when that is happening and re-orient ourselves to that larger mission.

Adam is leaving. The Standing on the Side of Love campaign remains vital. The UUA will hire another person to help us connect directly with the issues, to help us get our liberal religious message out to the greater community.

In church life, personnel changes happen all the time, whether we lose a minister, board president, DRE, committee chair. But the work remains, and it is up to us to carry the vision and mission forward. Our collective actions matter, and are larger than any one of us, larger even than the dynamic face that may stand at the front of that vision.

I wish Adam the best. He sure gave a great jump start to an important campaign in our movement. Where will we take it?

Why go to Pacific Southwest District Assembly?

2010-03-01T20:42:00.001-08:00

What's all the hoopla about a District Assembly, anyway?

Imagine 250 - 300 Unitarian Universalists in one spot for 24 hours. Need I say more ?

April 23-24 at the Unitarian Society in Santa Barbara, there will be worship, conversation, aninspiring keynote from Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, workshops on everything from spiritual practice, to faith formation, to anti-racism, to church leadership.

District Assembly is a time to be inspired and renewed. To connect with church leaders from all across our district and learn new tips on how to be a prophetic liberal religious voice in the 21st century.

Ministering with Technology

2010-02-05T10:38:00.001-08:00

Several PSWD congregations convened at Chalice UU in Escondido to explore how we can best minister with technology. It's been a morning that old technology (newsprint and markers) morphed with early 21st Century technology (websites & projectors). We are blazing a way into the next decade, discerning how we can use available technology to make our liberal faith shine out in the world.

I spy a PSWD UU

2009-12-09T16:44:00.001-08:00

I spied several current and former PSWD UUs in the Fall 2009 issue of the UU World magazine.

You can see them on pages 37, 41, & 49.

Did you find them?

Who did I miss?

Faith Formation 2020

2009-12-06T18:54:00.001-08:00

Stop what you are doing and check out Faith Formation 2020 - http://lifelongfaith.com/faithformation2020.htm.

Why? Because I guarantee you the trends and analysis coming out of this national initiative, which asks the question, "What will Christian faith formation in churches look like in 2020?" will be an audible buzz in UU circles by General Assembly 2010. Be on the cutting edge now!

I don't know that any one idea here will seem new or extraordinary. The compelling piece is seeing them listed together.

Let me know what you think.

Philosophy of Religious Education

2009-11-24T21:48:00.001-08:00

Wondering what the future of Unitarian Universalist religious education is?

You don't need to wonder for long ... just ask your Director of Religious Education.

Distinct themes ran through the recent Philosophy of Religious Education weekend at Camp de Benneville Pines.

Intergenerational, family-focused, multicultural, multi-sensory, fun, steeped in intentional UU community ... those were some of the concepts that surfaced.

I'm looking forward to hearing more ideas about the future of lifespan faith development.

Views of the Bible

2009-10-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

Recently the Barna Group published findings about how different generational groupings view the Bible.

In our Unitarian Universalist churches, I experience a range of attitudes about the Bible, from reverence to painful past memories.

The Barna group discovered that the Mosaic generation (ages 18-25) and the Buster generation (ages 26-44 - hey, do we get a say in that name?) have some pretty significant changes in the way they view the Bible, versus the older generations.

Some changes in Bible beliefs in these age groups:

Less sacred than older generations believe it to be
Less accurate - they are less likely to believe it is accurate
More universalism - they see the Bible teaches same spiritual truths as other world religions
Skepticism of origins - more questions about the authenticity of the texts
Less engagement with the Bible - younger generations spend significantly less time reading the Bible than older ones
Bible appetite - among the Mosaics, there is slightly significant more interest in learning more about the Bible

How might this affect our ministries and programming with people under 44?

I am especially intrigued by the finding that the Mosaics are above average in their quest to just know more about this sacred text that is referenced so many times in Western culture. When I started my university education, not knowing anything about it was a big hindrance in my understanding of art, western history, and western literature. Could a class on a liberal interpretation of the Bible be a draw for a campus ministry group?

Just wondering.

post GA ponderings

2009-06-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

The UU "big dance" is over for another year. Surprisingly, I was sad to miss the last day (and happy to be home with my man ... life is all about holding disparate emotions). The past few years I've dreaded GA a little bit (don't tell anyone!). But this year seemed different.

It might have been the snow-capped mountains, the clean city, the abundance of vegan food, the discovery of the quiet, lovely "City Creek Park" with the stream bubbling through it. As I was leaving, and dreaming about an eventual move to Salt Lake City, I realized while those things were cool, they didn't completely create the warm and fuzzy feeling I had.

It was the people. All the Unitarian Universalist friends - coming together to Stand on the Side of Love. To laugh, pray, think, reason, dance, share meals, converse, and play together. I feel like we spent a week saying a great big "YES" together - yes we can change the world, yes we can agree to disagree, yes this faith touches us deeply, yes each of us matter. We are not alone. I can't wait til Minneapolis. With love.

into the future with Peter

2009-06-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

The word is out; as soon as my plane landed at LAX I was on my phone, checking the Twitter updates to see who had won the UUA Presidency. It was Peter Morales with 59% of the vote.

Congratulations, Peter. As you say on your website, "we begin our campaign to govern together," and you will honor the "diversity of our districts and our congregations."

We've had a great 8 years with President Bill Sinkford, and in some ways tonight we begin again; we get to reimagine who we are ... or perhaps not reimagine as much as continue to deepen who we know ourselves to be. We continue that journey of becoming a great faith movement that stands on the side of love.

UULMCA healthcare curriculum

2009-06-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

UULMCA is an amazing organization. Their executive director rocks (go Lindi!); they are creating an energetic, skilled, passionate staff team; and they are doing better and better and mobilizing volunteers in CA to make a real difference at a policy level.

And now they have a new healthcare curriculum - if you are at GA, drop by the table, flip through it, and put your name on the order list!

Healthcare reform can be really confusing (what's the difference between single payer and public option?); what's the history of healthcare? what's the real cost of our current healthcare system?

This well-written and well-thought out curriculum leads groups through those, and other questions; handouts, readings, opening words, hymns to sing, questions and activities - all are included.

And if you DO swing by the UULMCA table at GA, make sure to say HI to Anne and Betty Jeanne, healthcare reform enthusiasts in the accompanying photo - watch out, they may sign you up for something!

Standing on the Side of Love

2009-06-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

The UUA's new public witness campaign, Standing on the Side of Love, was kicked off yesterday. A huge banner was hung outside the convention center and GA attendees heard about the goals and strategies during the opening plenary address by President Bill Sinkford.

From a recent USA Today news article on the campaign:

The “Standing on the Side of Love” campaign will try to rally local leaders and clergy to publicly oppose violence and mobilize their more than 1,000 congregations online. Their goal: to counter the estimated 7,500 hate crimes nationwide against individuals motivated by race, religion, political ideology or sexual orientation.

The UUA is also hoping the campaign will help shape public policy on issues that impact human dignity — particularly immigration reform and hate-crimes legislation that is currently stalled on Capitol Hill, said the campaign’s directors.

The best thing from my perspective? All the amazing volunteers at GA wearing bright yellow "Standing on the Side of Love" T's, asking people to contact their legislators to support and co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Yeah ... we're not just standing, we're MOVING.

veg food in SLC

2009-06-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Eating a plant-based diet is key to my own identity as a religious person, and sometimes it's frustrating to go to a church event and find there is little to eat. That's certainly not the case this year in Salt Lake City at our annual General Assembly.

There are vegan-specific restaurants, like the wonderful Sage's Cafe just a short 20 minute walk from my hotel. www.sages.com. Meals there are hearty and satisfying, and it feels very warm and comfy inside.

And many restaurants around the convention center boast vegetarian menus, and/or clearly have vegetarian and vegan options clearly marked on the menu. Naked Fish, Blue Iguana, and Squatters Pub are the three names I can remember right now.

This is especially great this year as we delve deeper into the Ethical Eating study action issue.

Happy eating!

Thank you, Alison Crotty

2009-06-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hey, there she is, Ms. Fabulous DRE of UU Fellowship of San Dieguito, Alison Crotty. You can find her beaming smile amidst the large group of senior high youth from her congregation.

What did Alison do to deserve a thank you? Many things, but this time in particular a big YES to her amazing efforts in getting the children and youth in her church to go to PSWD Youth Camps.

Last year, there were 47 campers from her church at the six youth camps held at de Benneville Pines. That is way amazing. I realize it wasn't only Alison doing the recruiting, parents, youth and other leaders have a role in it. But hey, she's the face of the RE Program, so she gets all the affirmation on this one. Way to go, Alison and UUFSD!

UUA Presidential Election

2009-06-11T10:51:00.001-07:00

This summer at General Assembly, congregational delegates will have a chance to choose a President from two candidates, Rev. Laurel Hallman and Rev. Peter Morales.

As UUA staff, I stay out of the fray. But on Tuesday night I got to attend a Board meeting of the UUs of Santa Clarita Valley in PSWD, and I was so impressed with the careful thoughtfulness they gave in deciding which candidate their two delegate votes should go for.

The Board members had read information about the candidates ahead of time, asked questions of their minister who had heard both speak at a forum, and then pretty much came to consensus on who to support. It was refreshing watch them help shape the future of our religious institution. Way to go, UUSCV!

District Assembly!

2009-05-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

It is starting! The Pacific Southwest District Assembly in Mesa, Arizona officially kicks off with the opening celebration tonight at 7 p.m., but Unitarian Universalists from Arizona, southern California, and southern Nevada are already descending upon the site.

Excitement is in the air as people greet old friends and see new faces.

Living Deeply

2009-04-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

This year I'm teaching 8th Grade Rites of Passage (Coming of Age) at my home church. After 10 years of doing district-level ministry, I was ready to get "in the trenches" with young people again.

A couple of weeks ago we did a session on after death beliefs, and we were sharing quotes about death. One quote was from Anais Nin: "People living deeply have no fear of death."

That started a conversation about living deeply, and I asked, "Do you feel like you live deeply?"

One of the youth looked at me like I was crazy, and responded, "No, we're in Jr. High and have tons of homework and stuff. We don't get an opportunity to live deeply."

Wow. That's sat with me for a few weeks and I keep coming back to it. As liberal religious people, I think Unitarian Universalists are searching for ways to live deeply, and that includes our young people. Based on my work with Jr. High and Sr. High youth over the past 13 years, they yearn for it and I think their regimented school (and even church) lives can keep them from truly experiencing life. Instead it can become a series of lessons and appointments.

We can offer better than that in our congregations. For one outside the box way of living deeply, check out uuroadtrip.blogspot.com.

zone of genius

2009-04-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I drove up to Santa Barbara, and I heard a couple of things that made me think about ministries in our churches.

One was a KPFK radio program featuring Gay Hendricks, author of The Big Leap, and he suggests a "zone of genius" that each person should find in order to find a super fulfilling work and personal life.

The other was the idea that when you are doing something you love, you go to bed thinking about it and wake up excited to get to work, making your vision come alive.

Both resonated with me. One, because most days I feel like I've gotten super lucky and get to operate within my "zone of genius" here in PSWD, and two because I think an important aspect of being a religious leader is asking the right questions and encouraging others to find their "zone of genius." Getting into that zone might be uncomfortable for some, because it may require giving up current comforts in order to take a leap into the unknown. But if we are operating out of that place that gives us deep fulfillment, emanating out of our passions, many good things will come from it.

Nominating and Leadership Development Committees

2009-03-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago Ian Evison, a colleague in the Central Midwest District, posted on his blog some questions and musings about Nominating and Leadership Development Committees. I found his questions intriguing, and in this spring nominating time, I thought it would be helpful to share the link and encourage you to check it out: http://tiny.cc/D5BMT.

a long sabbatical from the blog

2009-03-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's been 6 months since my last blog post - obviously I am not a very adept blogger!

The long hiatus was partly because of my work sabbatical (three months), partly because of my January term in Chicago, and partly because after all that time away I could not remember my password.

I've been experimenting a big with twitter - if you twitter, add me - UUTera. I'm going to use Twitter as a way to keep people up-to-date with various things from District Assembly and General Assembly.

Hope you are having a happy spring!

2008-08-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Look! It's three members of YOUR PSWD Board of Trustees. From the left: Tom Loughrey, UUA Trustee; Nancy Edmundson, Vice-President, and Ellen, YRUU Board representative.

The Board met last weekend for its annual retreat in Palm Springs, and they set an intention to connect more with congregational leaders this coming year. They are excited and ready!

If you want to keep up to date with PSWD news, make sure you are subscribed to PSWD-L. The Board email list is also open to subscribers (you can read the emails but cannot post as a non-Board member). Subscription information can be found at www.pswduua.org.

We are going on a Road Trip for Justice!

2008-07-31T20:33:00.001-07:00

We are doing it ... a group of young adults and their allies are jumping in vans and heading onto the open road, embarking on a Road Trip for Justice to learn all we can about Climate Change and the impact it has on California water. We'll travel from Mt. Shasta to Sacramento to the Delta to the central Valley - over 1500 miles, dozens of stops, and culminating in leading the Sunday morning worship at UU Church of Fresno.

Keep in the loop by checking out our blog: http://uuroadtrip.blogspot.com/.

Yes!!!!

Liz and Tera at BCM

2007-12-03T11:36:00.001-08:00

Liz and Tera, originally uploaded by psdlund.

Yes, this year the UUA Big Complex Meeting was as filled with spirit and good energy as this photo suggests.

Each year all the UUA District Staff come together for six days to collaborate and share ideas so we can better serve and minister to our districts and congregations.

This year we spent several days working with Congregational Services. I made a great connection with Nancy DiGiovanni from the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office - we are plotting to get her to our District Assembly! We also learned how to ask powerful questions, we engaged with the Report on the Summit on Youth Ministry, we talked about how to do our work with a lens on multigenerational congregations, and of course I left with a long reading list. :)

It is so wonderful to get re-energized and rejuvenated by this time with colleagues.

Resource Pick of the Month!

2007-11-29T12:39:00.001-08:00

Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation by Eboo Patel

Eboo Patel’s book has a central thesis: What would our world be like if we (meaning people who honor pluralism in religion) had gotten to the 9-11 hijackers and the London bombers before the religious fundamentalist groups had?

Patel knows how to tell compelling stories. While finding the answer to that question, we learn about his personal journey in rediscovering his faith and his path into activism which eventually leads to him founding the Interfaith Youth Core, which is based in Chicago and is growing every year (find out more at www.ifyc.org).

While reading his book I cried, I laughed, I got angry, I got inspired, I got recommitted to my own faith, and I started thinking about my spiritual practice in a whole new way. Patel has a great analysis of what we are doing wrong in our youth ministry programs and what we need to do to make them relevant, engaging and fun!

An added bonus: this book is published by Beacon Press.

September Resource Pick - Balancing Acts: On-Line Safety Class

2007-09-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

www.neari.com/trainingcenter/

Thank you, UUA, for creating this FREE, relevant, easy-to-navigate, informative online safety class! This class will benefit religious educators, ministers, RE Committee members, Youth Advisors, and Board members who want to understand more about their fiduciary responsibility when it comes to the safety of children, youth, and vulnerable adults.

This online class is very well-organized and is in small sections so the learner can move through the class contents in short segments of time. The system allows the user to stop whenever necessary and log on where you left off.

It is a multi-media teaching tool, with text, audio, and images. Each section ends with a short quiz, testing ones proficiency with the materials. It took me around 2 hours to complete the entire course.

Here is an AP story about this online course: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/08/03/online_course_helps_churches_deal_with_sex_offenders/.

August Resource Pick - Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes

2007-08-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

“Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes”

By Andy Goodman and Cause Communication

FREE for non-profits!

www.agoodmanonline.com

Many thanks to Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh who told me about this resource at General Assembly. I love it!

Every page has at least one good tidbit on how to make your presentations even better. Whether you present at Board meetings, RE Committee meetings, give sermons, or lead trainings, I think you’ll find something here that will enable you to deliver your message more effectively.

In it, you’ll learn specifics about what works well and why (and what doesn’t work and why), how to do better powerpoint presentations, how to organize your presentations for maximum impact, and more.

I found out I do some of the don’ts, and I’m looking forward to my next workshop so I can incorporate these great ideas!

This resource is great for religious educators, ministers, board presidents, and any volunteer in the church who needs to make effective presentations, and it might be the basis for a good short adult faith development class.

youth ministry or YRUU or both?

2007-07-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the UUA Summit on Youth Ministry, a 60 person gathering (30 youth, 30 adults), the culmination of a 2-year process put into place by the UUA Board of Trustees to assess how our Association needs to proceed in order to create vital, meaningful youth ministries.

At the end of our five day Summit, we came away with one overarching theme: We ask for a fundamental shift in Unitarian Universalism - a shift to a multigenerational, congregation-based youth ministry in which youth ministry is central to the articulated mission of the UUA.

Much more about the Summit will become known as our Summary Report is refined and working groups are created. For now, we are given that theme and it is up to each one of us - that means you, too, and not just me or the Summit participants - to figure out which piece can we take and do well?

What will it mean for us to make a shift out of a program-based approach to youth “work” and move into the fullness of a ministry to and with our youth? A ministry to and with our youth must be much more grounded in the faith development of all our youth. It will require a deep understanding of racial and sexual identity development in regards to our youth of color* and youth who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. It means that any adult who is doing sustained ministry to and with youth will need to have theological grounding in Unitarian Universalism, a clear Unitarian Universalist identity, and adeptness at pastoral care. It means that after years and years of youth being on the sidelines of our faith, that we finally grow up and take this ministry seriously - we fund it, we train our leaders, and we put it at the center of congregational life.

By shifting gears into youth ministry, it begs the question about what to do with YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists), a continental, district, and sometimes congregational youth program. The question was called at the Summit, and in the next many months conversations will take place among continental YRUU Steering Committee, the Summit Implementation working group, and the UUA Board to figure out what role YRUU will have within this new focus. I tend to think it can be a both/and approach rather than an either/or.

I’m ready to find out which piece I can take and do well. Let’s go do it.

* This is an acceptable term within many communities, though perhaps not all and perhaps not yours. I ask for your understanding with this language.

July Resource Pick - Ideas for Worship

2007-07-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Run, don't walk, to the UUA Bookstore website, https://secure.uua.org/bookstore/, and buy "Ideas for Worship" DVD. It's the best $8.00 you'll spend this month!

"Ideas for Worship," based on the February 2007 UUA Contemporary Worship Conference, is comprised of video segments from each of the different pieces of the Conference - the keynote, workshops, and worships.

I love this DVD because it gives so many fresh, doable ideas about how to make worship services more vital and alive. The day after I watched the DVD I was able to immediately incorporate two things I learned from it during a worship service I led: 'layering' music with spoken words and using body movements as part of the meditation.

This DVD is great for ministers, worship teams, religious educators, youth groups, anyone who wants to deepen and expand ability to create meaningful, moving worship services.

this blog's a startin'!

2007-07-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

This blog is here to keep you, a Unitarian Universalist leader, up to date with what you need to know to make your congregation thrive.

Look here for monthly resource picks, information on faith development, great new titles for your library, updates on trainings and events in Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and musings about where we are going as a religious movement. My hope is this will be fun, relevant, and helpful to you, allowing you to connect with on-line resources to help you through your day.

Oh, wait a minute, who am I and why am I contributing one more blog to the already stuffed blogsphere? I'm Tera Little, Director of Lifespan Programs for the PSWD-UUA, and I am using this as a strategy to get important information out to YOU, in a way you can access at your fingertips on your time, when you need it. I consider this an extension of our PSWD-UUA website, and I'll also post my monthly e-newsletters here.

If you are a UU leader and you have a blog, please let me know! I'd love to link with you.