What UU Campus Ministry Looks Like in Trump Times

Posted by Annie Gonzalez Milliken // July 12th 2017 // Issues and Trends // no comments

UU Campus Ministry Partners with Undocumented Student Center Submitted by the Rev. Beth Banks The Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis has a long-standing campus ministry, supported by a Senior Minister, a yearly intern and a Campus Committee from the congregation. Recently we’ve been asking what it would look like if we did more than provide a home-cooked meal, a facilitated discussion, activities, and pastoral care for students exploring Unitarian Universalist. This year we found out what that could mean. What has emerged is a very different campus ministry than anything we’ve done before. In 2014, Beth Banks, our Senior Minister went on a Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice (UUCSJ) immersion trip to the border…

Reflections after Thrive Young Adult

Posted by Elizabeth Nguyen // July 11th 2017 // Events and Opportunities, Future of Faith, Mosaic, Social Justice, YA Trainings/Justice Trips/Cons // no comments

Kaitlin Dey, Thrive Young Adult alumni 2016 and 2017, shared this reflection at her congregation last Sunday: I spent the last 10 days in New Orleans. I attended Thrive Young Adult. Thrive is part of Grow Racial Justice that is for UU young adults of color, we dove deep into complex questions about identity, power, spirituality and leadership. We got to explore our roles as young adults of color in our UU movement, build relationships with one another around intersecting identities, share practices  for healing and resistance, and support each other on the path toward liberation. While I was at Thrive, I began dialogues about the beauty and the flaws of our faith. As the week continued and General Assembly began,…

Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism

Posted by T. Resnikoff // February 16th 2017 // Guides and Tools // no comments

The Many Faiths within Unitarian Universalism The latest addition to the Skinner House Books (SHB) series exploring the many faith traditions that also find a home in Unitarian Universalism (UU) has just been published. “Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism” explores Religious Humanism – which is founded upon the belief that human beings are of great worth and dignity (echoing the Unitarian Universalist 1st Principle), and in the importance of coming together in community to share feelings and emotions (much like the Unitarian Universalist 3rd Principle). These similarities are no surprise, as Religious Humanism has deep roots in Unitarian Universalism, and became a significant part of the Unitarian faith in the 1920’s. Whether you are a…

VIDEO: Keeping Your Campus Ministry Going

Posted by T. Resnikoff // December 15th 2016 // Future of Faith, Guides and Tools, UU Campus Qs // 3 comments

#UU Campus Q’s Episode Five The Reverend Annie Gonzalez Milliken, the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate of the Unititarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Minisitries invites Matt Stidman and Marion Hirsch (narrated by Stephanie Carey Maron) to tackle the problem of transferring leadership of campus ministry so it continues even after you’re gone. Like Campus UUs on Facebook to be notified when episodes of UUCampusQs are released! (Spoiler alert: Marion’s narration is particularly animated!)

VIDEO: Best Practices for Campus Ministry Outreach

Posted by Annie Gonzalez Milliken // November 10th 2016 // Future of Faith, Guides and Tools, UU Campus Qs // one comment

#UUCampusQ’s Episode Four Students on campus need your community now, so get the word out! The Reverend Annie Gonzalez Milliken, the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate of the Unititarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Minisitries invites Carey McDonald, Outreach Director at the UUA to discuss how Campus Ministries can get the word out on what they do in noticeable, memorable and effective ways. Like Campus UUs on Facebook to be notified when episodes of UUCampusQs are released!  Carey has thought a lot about this and shares some pizzazzy tips:

Equalize Privilege and All Will Rise

Posted by T. Resnikoff // August 2nd 2016 // Featured Youth, Issues and Trends // no comments

What Noah Learned at UU Mid-West Leadership School by Noah Rowan I have privilege. White privilege. Male privilege. Cis-gender privilege. Economic privilege. Until recently, I felt guilty about my privilege. I shoved it down and denied its existence. I waited for someone to reassure me that privilege was a made up phenomenon. I watched others do the work but called myself an ally. I never spoke up about the numerous opportunities I received. I couldn’t explain or fix it, so why acknowledge that privilege was existent in my life? Recently, I attended UU Youth Midwest Leadership School in Beloit, WI. This intensive experience, which explored leadership development, social justice, our Unitarian Universalist (UU) faith, and…

VIDEO: Activities at Campus Ministry Meetings

Posted by Annie Gonzalez Milliken // May 25th 2016 // Future of Faith, Guides and Tools, UU Campus Qs // one comment

#UUCampusQ’s Episode Three What Can I Actually Do? The Reverend Annie Gonzalez Milliken, the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate of the Unititarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Minisitries learns what kinds of activities work well for a campus group, by speaking with  Alice King, an intern minister and seminarian with 9 years of on the ground campus ministry experience, and Kayla Parker, a recent seminary grad who previously served as the Unitarian Universalist Association Campus Ministry Associate. Like Campus UUs on Facebook to be notified when episodes of UUCampusQs are released!   Alice mentions a wide variety of resources in her part of the video.  Here are some of the ideas…

Movie Night: Autism in Love

Posted by jennicadavishockett // March 11th 2016 // Guides and Tools, Issues and Trends // no comments

Broad Spectrum Welcoming I recently attended the Peek Award movie screening at the Utah Film Center. The Peek Award, named after Kim Peek, the inspiration for the 1988 movie Rain Man, honors artists and film subjects who positively impact society’s perception of people with disabilities. Bookmark the link for The Real Rain Man because Peek truly was an incredible man and this short documentary is a must see. The Peek Award winners that night were the producers of the film Autism in Love. Autism in Love is a documentary that follows 4 people (an unmarried couple, a young single man and an older married man) who are all on the autism spectrum as they discuss…

VIDEO: How Do I Fund My UU Campus Ministry?

Posted by T. Resnikoff // March 3rd 2016 // Future of Faith, Guides and Tools, UU Campus Qs // one comment

#UUCampusQ’s Episode Two The Reverend Annie Gonzalez Milliken, the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate of the Unititarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Minisitries invites Bart Frost, Director of the Unitarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, to share solutions for funding your Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry. Like Campus UUs on Facebook to be notified when episodes of UUCampusQs are released!  And if you missed it, be sure to watch the first UUCampusQs video on finding UUs on your campus.

Multicultural Support Team Moves Toward Justice

Posted by jennicadavishockett // February 12th 2016 // 30 Days of Love, Issues and Trends // no comments

In honor of the Standing on the Side of Love 30 Days of Love 2016 campaign, Steven Ballesteros speaks up about the important work of supporting Youth of Color.  As a Unitarian Universalist young adult of color I have at times lacked a sense of belonging and of being in right relationship in this faith. I know I am not alone in this feeling. Luckily, there are places in which I can feel safe and ways in which I can apply myself. I currently live near Seattle, Washington, which places me in the Pacific North West District of the Unitarian Universalist Association. There I have helped create and serve on the PNWD Multicultural Support Team for…