Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult MinistriesReflections after Thrive Young Adult
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,…
White 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…
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…
Talk Amongst Yourselves, I’ll Give You a Topic…
Cojourners on the Spiritual Way The Unitarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries has two new discussion guides for youth based on Summer Seminary sermons: Grappling with the First Principle and What is God?. Today my body is a little sore from rock climbing and I think I might be getting a cold. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I can be most effective in these trouble times to create beloved community and my spirit is really trying hard to find meaning in the mundane. We all use check-in questions. Sometimes as a check in question I ask folks “how’s your body, mind and spirit this week?” (Thanks Annie Gonzalez Milliken for teaching me…
Be a Delegate at GA 2017
Did you know youth who are members of their congregation can represent their congregation at General Assembly by serving as delegates and voting in General Session (aka “Previously Plenary” aka “GenSesh” aka the way we conduct the business of the association)? Talk to your congregation’s leaders as soon as you can to start the process. They may be able to financially support your way to General Assembly. You’re also encouraged to apply for a scholarship because serving as a delegate increases your chance of getting a scholarship. The deadline to apply for scholarships is March 31st, so now is the time! Hannah Rigdon, Sr. Business Manager for Youth Caucus has some words of wisdom about the importance of…
Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism
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…
Using Your Universal Translator
A Sermon by Kadyn Frawley Watch this terrific pastoral message from Summer Seminary graduate Kayden Frawley, preached to her congregation on January 29, 2017. Using Your Universal Translator – Transcript Good morning! I’m going to ask you all some questions. You don’t need to raise your hand when you agree, just think the answer to yourself. Question 1. How many of you have either that one relative or group of relatives who ALWAYS like to bring up religion at times where you feel it’s completely inappropriate? PAUSE Question 2. When getting ready to visit with this particular person or group of people, do you have to mentally prepare in advance what you are going…
“With No Force At All”
A Unitarian Universalist Welcome by Leslie Mills After I graduated college, with my family of origin in turmoil, I moved to a place where I knew no one outside of the job I was working. As I young person who didn’t know myself well yet, I had some messy relationships, with no healthy models to hold up as a mirror. I was drifting, and in a lot of pain. In desperation, I recalled my Unitarian Universalist upbringing, and thought I’d take a risk and try out the UU congregation in my new town. I attended a Music Sunday, and was so moved I found myself weeping. I signed the visitors book as a gesture of…
Youth Ministry Training Series Starts September 2016!
Have you ever asked a Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) staff person for an advisor training and been told some form of, “We don’t do advisor training anymore,” or, “There’s one weekend training on the other side of your region a couple of months from now”, and wondered to yourself, “How am I ever going to get the skills I need to work with youth?”, or, “How am I ever going to get my volunteers trained?!” OR Is your youth ministry set up in a way that doesn’t revolve around a youth group? Perhaps you have a vital Coming of Age program, your high school aged youth are plugged in to teaching religious education classes and…
Stretching Resources for Campus Ministry
Smart Strategy + Limited Resources = Vibrant Campus Ministry by Carlene Gardner Three years ago, the Unitarian Church of Montreal (UCM) hired me as the Campus Ministry Coordinator on a contract of just 3 hours a week, from September to May. The purpose was to set up a group for Montreal students to connect with each other, the UCM and the Unitarian movement at large. Targeting ‘students’ was an ambitious goal, given that Montreal has four major universities and 14 junior colleges, totaling nearly a quarter million post-secondary students. This puts Montreal on the map as having one of the largest student populations in the world, and the highest proportion of any city in North…
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