Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult Ministries3 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…
Reflections on Service in New Orleans 1
Facing the Legacy of Slavery The following is the first of five reflections on a service trip that members of the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara YRUU group made to New Orleans, LA. The group spent three days in New Orleans and six on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain, working with local organizations through the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal. The youth group’s work focused on the issues of racism and privilege with an eye toward taking what they learned to foment positive change in their home community. This trip was made possible by the industrious fundraising of the youth group (who we are told sold lots and lots of quiche),…
SnapChat Younger Folks Into Your Congregation
Using SnapChat to Expand Your Reach To Younger Folks Recently I shared an image by Benjamin Schwartz that appears in the New Yorker Magazine: CLICK HERE TO VIEW IMAGE to Facebook adding “Imagine being the one trying to explain why churches and our office should be using it.” In the comments, a number of folks asked how to use it within church contexts lamenting they tried it when it first came out and it just didn’t work. Why SnapChat? According to SnapChat‘s own numbers, more than 60% of 13-34 year-old smartphone users in the US are Snapchatters. Furthermore, it is a great platform to share things that are happening live and locally. We continue to see…
Fiercely UU: Showing Up in Full
Fiercely UU is a new blog series where Unitarian Universalist young adults tell stories about what our faith requires of us and how they follow that call. To be fiercely UU is to proclaim human worth and interdependence. In an individualist, greed-based, shame and fear fueled white supremacist patriarchy, we say no to isolation and oppression and yes to radical love and covenanted connection. – Ed. Showing Up in Full by KC Slack I’m what you might call a 1st & 7th principle Unitarian Universalist. Don’t get me wrong, principles two through six matter immensely to me, but the first and seventh are the ones I come back to over and over again in my…
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…
Be A Youth Delegate at General Assembly
Isabelle McCurdy explains the difference you will make… Isabelle McCurdy, Senior Business Manager for the General Assembly 2016 Youth Caucus, was one of the driving forces behind the successful 2015 Youth Caucus Action of Immediate Witness, “Support the Black Lives Matter Movement” (Learn here how they did it.) Read what she has to say about how important being a Youth Delegate to General Assembly is: “Being a youth delegate is one of the most prestigious jobs at GA. Adults are expected to go, to vote, and to debate business; and when youth do these things, the value of their actions increase tenfold. When youth use their voice and share their ideas, it sends a…
Illuminating Leaders: Phebe Hawes
Luminary Alum Phebe Hawes has big ideas… Phebe Hawes is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist (UU), from the Westminster Unitarian Church (WUC) in East Greenwich, RI. She graduated in the Class of 2015 from North Kingstown High School, and attended Summer Seminary in Boston in 2013. Summer Seminary helped her define her call to ministry, and her involvement in her church, and the greater UU community. Since then, she has participated in a number of functions and served her church in many ways, from babysitting to helping lead worship services, leading youth group and planning cons, and participating in social justice work in the community, from Black Lives Matter rallies to volunteering at the Sharing Locker,…
We Can’t Keep Our Children Safe
Fear, safety, protests, and supporting the movement for Black lives When my daughter Moira was born I expected to feel deep love. What I wasn’t expecting was how much that love hurt. I love her in this deeply protective way that was horrifying at first and I still find overwhelming. My partner and I strive to be non-panicky parents and, for the most part, I think we do a decent job. Still, I have double checked to make sure she was breathing in her sleep many more times than is rational. She’s only three months old and I know this is going to get so much worse once she can crawl, walk, go to school,…
Taking a Small Risk for Big Growth
How Smart Congregations Grow Members This summer at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly, our Youth Media Volunteers interviewed a number of youth about their personal histories with Unitarian Universalism. As I reviewed their footage, something stuck out to me. Almost all of the youth said something along the lines of “I’ve been a member since I was two,” or “My whole family has been members since my parents got married in our church, before I was born!” Our interviews at General Assembly reminded me that membership is more than just signing a book and making a pledge. Being a part of a community is about relationships, it isn’t about signing the membership book…
Lessons From NOLA
Annie Hanley-Miller reports from the Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice (UUCSJ) Activate New Orleans program– Ed. Building Community Overcomes Difference by Annie Hanley–Miller I brought back many things to my home community from my experience at Activate NOLA. It was an intense week and I learned a lot about race, poverty, Hurricane Katrina, and global warming. I also learned a lot about forming and being in community. During the week, I talked with so many unique people who all helped me to gain new perspectives on all kinds of things. It was interesting to meet both people from the New Orleans area and from around the country. The lectures on racism, poverty, Hurricane Katrina,…
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