Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult MinistriesWhite Supremacy Teach-In
Resources for Youth and Young Adult Ministry When you hear or read the words “White Supremacy,” what thoughts come to mind, what emotions surface? For some of us, it is a fear-filled phrase that conjures images of white hoods and robes that seems totally dissonant with our Unitarian Universalist faith. For others, it is a term of criticism that exposes the ways our wider culture and even our systems within UUism continue to privilege the feelings, ideas, success and lives of white people over people of color. Because of our lived experiences and our intersecting identities, we may all have different reactions to this phrase. As Rev. Sofia Betancourt, interim co-president for our Unitarian Universalist…
Congratulations Tanner Linden, Youth Observer
Meet the Next Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees. We are pleased to announce that the 2017-2019 Youth Observer Election has come to a close and we are have a brand-new Youth Observer! Seven congregations participated in this year’s election and the results were close. Our next Youth Observer will be Tanner Linden. Tanner will begin his term at the end of General Assembly, and serve alongside Bailey Saddlemire during the second and final year of her term. Tanner has experience serving on the Pacific Southwest District Youth Board, as well as serving on other committees, councils, and positions in the Pacific Western Region. Please welcome Tanner to his new role.
Reflection on White Supremacy in Our UUA
From the staff of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries UPDATED 3/31/17. [Since the publication of this post from our office, the President of the UUA has resigned (read the reporting of this event on UU World here), and the Leadership Council of the UUA released this statement.] – ed. A very important conversation has been happening about the insidious white supremacy in our Unitarian Universalist Association, centering currently around our hiring practices. We encourage you to do some digging and read multiple perspectives in this conversation. A good place to start is the 3/27 UUWorld article, statement from Black Lives of UU and this Compilation of Responses. With gratitude to those reminding…
3 Big Lessons of Leadership
Apply to Serve as Youth Caucus Co-Dean and See What You Learn ! by Eric Broner, Co-Dean, Youth Caucus 2016-2017 My week in Columbus at General Assembly was full of many things- questions, answers, memories, regrets, and above all, lessons learned. Not only was Columbus my first General Assembly as a Youth Caucus dean, but it was also my first General Assembly – an experience that has had a huge impact on my life. I think I learned a few things about myself, especially as a leader: 1. Accountability is the number one aspect of leadership. Accountability is equivalent to reliability. Others’ ability to trust in my work, in my leadership helps me get things…
YA@GA Election Results
The Unitarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries is full of gratitude for everyone who participated in the YA@GA elections process. Big thank yous go out to everyone who registered as a candidate, ran in the election, read about the candidates, encouraged others to vote and of course to the 60 young adults who did vote in the process. Without further ado we present the new YA@GA Co-Facilitator for 2017-2018: Aisha Ansano! Aisha is a 3rd year Master of Divinity candidate at Harvard Divinity School and an aspirant in the Unitarian Universalist ordination process. She’s writing her thesis on the phenomenon of dinner churches and planning to start a non-Christian dinner church. Currently…
Meet Our New Youth Observers to the UUA Board
Welcome Andrea and Bailey! We are pleased to announce that the 2016-2018 Youth Observer Elections have come to a close and we are have two stellar Youth Observers. Nine congregations voted and both elections were very close. Our next Youth Observers will be Andrea Briscoe and Bailey Saddlemire. Andrea Briscoe Andrea will be serving as Youth Observer for one year, 2016-2017. She is a member at Main Line Unitarian Universalist Church in Devon, PA. Andrea has served our faith in a number of roles including as a peer youth chaplain and worship coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Youth Ministry Council. She current serves as Senior Dean of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly…
4 Year Leadership Track for Youth
Ever think to yourself, “ACK! There are too many awesome Unitarian Universalist youth opportunities out there, how am I ever going to do them all!?” Sometimes it feels like a high stake game of checkers where you just can’t figure out the strategy. Luckily, programs are offered year after year so you don’t have to do everything by your next birthday. Freshman, use can this infographic to map out your four year plan. Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors, use can this same infographic to track your progress along your leadership journey. (See the year-by-year breakouts below.) If it still feels overwhelming, do not hesitate to reach out to us in the Office of Youth and Young…
Cultivating a Culture of Youth Leadership
Race to the Top for Unitarian Universalism It’s a thrill every time I get a notification that a new youth has applied to our Luminary Leaders program. But I have to admit, the shock has worn off when I open the tab and see it’s another youth from Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, MO and that it’s Director of Religious Eduction Scott Stewart serving as one of the two required endorsements. Eliot Chapel has seven people (four youth Luminary Leaders and three young adult Luminary Alumni) in the program. Compare that to our second runner up, with 5 people in the program, four of whom were fast tracked into the program because they attended a national…
Illuminating Leaders – Alex Jensen
LUMINARY ALUM ALEX JENSEN WANTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE… And he’s well on his way to making that a reality. Alex is a graduate of the first ever Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Summer Seminary in 2013. Summer Seminary was a very important experience for him, as it helped him discern and answer his personal call to the service of others and learn more about what he wanted to do in his future career. He is curious about Military Chaplaincy. Previously, at Future Leader Camp, he explored how his Unitarian Universalist values fit with the military while learning survival and leadership skills. Alex now attends California State University in Monterey Bay, majoring in Human Communication with…
5 Ways to Support Youth In Your Congregation
A.K.A. 5 Things Your Congregation Will Thank You For Our survey of 351 Unitarian Universalist (UU) youth provided some real gems and had some real flaws. Here are the five major takeaways we learned: 1. Build Opportunities for Connection This survey shows us that our youth want to be involved in the life of their congregation because they are already invested in their congregation. Think about the times when you feel most welcome in a situation. Did someone invite you to the party, to worship, to a concert? When you showed up, did they ignore you or did they welcome you and engage you in conversation? Invite your youth to worship! If they can’t make…
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