Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult MinistriesWhy College Campuses Need UUs!
They say that many times as a minister you preach the sermon you need to hear. Well that was true for me on Friday July 18th when I delivered a homily on hope as part of the closing worship at the National Campus Ministry Association’s annual summer gathering. During the service a parable of Jesus was read about the farmer who went out to sow some seeds. You may know this parable if you have experience with the Christian tradition, and you may remember that some seeds were eaten by birds, some sprouted but then withered and died, some plants were choked by thorns, but others thrived, multiplying thirty, sixty and a hundredfold. This metaphor seemed…
Spotlight: UUs of Penn State
Welcome to the Spotlight Series! Each month we’ll feature a different Unitarian Universalist congregation or community that is doing effective, innovative or otherwise interesting ministry with young adults.–Ed. “At Penn State, Unitarian Universalism is synonymous with acceptance,” says Hayly Hoch, the vice president of the UU student organization there. She credits the Unitarian Universalist Students (UUS) with helping her understand what community truly means and supporting her to pursue her dreams. Kelly Diaz, the group’s original founder and current president calls it a “tight knit and passionate” community that has helped her grow spiritually. It is clear that this campus ministry is making a big difference in the lives of its core members. But the…
Spotlight: UUs of Florida Gulf Coast University
Welcome to the Spotlight Series! Each month we feature a different Unitarian Universalist congregation or community that is doing effective, innovative or otherwise interesting ministry with young adults.–Ed. Small Group, Big Success The Eagle Unitarian Universalists of Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) are a great example of how a small UU campus ministry can make a big difference to an entire community. By holding open drop-in hours on campus, networking with other student organizations and engaging with other campus ministries this group and their fabulous leader, Katie Romano-Griffin are making themselves known to students, administration and faculty alike. The Eagle UUs are a new group, less than a year old, having started in July of…
Who Knows How Many Campus Groups We Have?
How many campus ministry groups DO we have? You hold the answer! Are campus groups growing? Shrinking? Doing interfaith work? Who supports them? Are they reaching new UUs? Are they helping our recently bridged youth stay connected? These are just a few of the questions I hear frequently as the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The truth of the matter is that I simply don’t know the answers. I do have a spreadsheet with contact information that is somewhat outdated, I have lots of anecdotes and stories and I have interactions with folks doing this work all over the country. But as for cold hard updated data?… Um… well… Well,…
Tumbl Through Lent
47◊ Days of Practice and Reflection Join Unitarian Universalists (UUs) expressing their Lenten wishes on tumblr at “practicinglent.tumblr.com“ Beginning on Wednesday March 5, 2014, and for each of the next 40 days, UUs add the day’s word and a related quote to the main Practicing Lent page. Check the word and quote in the morning, and come back later in the day to add your photo* (YOUR photo – please respect copyright!). Check back more than once to see images our fellow Unitarian Universalists have shared throughout the day. Remember to tag your photo with the word of the day, we can all search by keyword later. ◊ Visit practicinglent.tumblr.com to find out why…
December Campus Ministry Gathering
Connect with campus ministry leaders Sunday December 1, 2013. Looking to nourish the souls of the students in your group? Wanting to create moving worship and facilitate meaningful discussions? Hoping to take care of your own spirit as well? Join the Monthly UU Campus Ministry Leaders Connections on the first Sunday of each month! It’s an opportunity to connect with other leaders, share successes and setbacks, and learn ways to enhance your campus ministry. THIS MONTH’S GATHERING We’ll connect at 8 pm Eastern on Sunday December 1st via fuzebox (see instructions below). After introductions and check-in, we’ll hear from special guests on small group worship and deep discussions. We’ll wrap up by touching on self-care….
Get In Touch with those UU Students!
Connect with campus ministry leaders Sunday November 3, 2013. Need help tracking down UU students in your area? Hoping to use social media to stay in touch with your group? Wanting to make better use of publicity on campus? Join the Monthly UU Campus Ministry Leaders Connections on the first Sunday of each month! It’s an opportunity to connect with other leaders, share successes and setbacks, and learn ways to enhance your campus ministry. THIS MONTH’S GATHERING We’ll connect at 8 pm Eastern (and don’t forget about the time change!) After introductions and check-in, we’ll talk about using campus and congregation connections to find those UU students. Then we’ll hear from special guests on doing…
Campus Conversations about Abortion
Advocates for Youth Week of Action It’s Never Too Late to Act Unitarian Universalists have been talking about abortion for 50 years. Our congregations and communities have consistently supported the rights of all people and families to make the reproductive health decisions that are most life affirming for them. Would your young adult group or campus ministry like a simple way to help end stigma against women who have had abortions? This week, October 22-29, is a Week of Action promoted by Advocates for Youth. Take a look and see if there is an event in your area that you can attend! You can even host your own event – just a casual get-together will do. Advocates for…
Intergenerational Connection Strengthens Faith
Excerpt re-posted from USA Today. Read the full story here. What do Millennials really seek from religion? Dana Sand, USA TODAY, October 2, 2013 A recent report found that Millennials crave depth in spirituality and recommended five ways for faith communities to build connections with them. But do students agree? Story Highlight: Study found that those who maintain their religion in college were twice as likely to have a close personal friendship with an adult inside the church For Liberty University senior Sarah Zins, religion was a deciding factor in choosing a college. “I chose to attend a Christian university because I knew that I needed some form of structure in my life…
YA@GA: Young Adults at General Assembly
A new vision for young adults at GA 2014 is coming your way. Greetings young adult UU friends and family! We are your 2014 General Assembly Co-Facilitators, Hannah Roberts and Nic Cable. We’ve been basking in the energy and momentum coming out of Louisville and GA 2013. The surveys from Louisville showed that young adults who attended GA were most interested in (1) meaningful networking, (2) skill-building for young adult ministry in their congregations, (3) worshipping, and (4) discussing trends in our faith/the future of Unitarian Universalism. We feel called to respond to these wishes by radically re-imagining young adult programming in order to support and enhance General Assembly and broaden our UU young adult community. …
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