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:

Fiercely UU: Rethinking Normativity

Posted by Annie Gonzalez Milliken // October 31st 2016 // Featured Young Adults, Stories and Voices, young adults // no comments

Fiercely UU is a 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.   Rethinking Normativity by Jaime Jarrett I came out to my parents when I was seventeen while they were watching an episode of Glee – a famously queer television show. They didn’t make a big deal out of it, and since then have been intensely supportive of all my relationships. I came out as…

Losing Our Chains

Posted by Elizabeth Nguyen // October 21st 2016 // Featured Young Adults, Mosaic, Stories and Voices // one comment

Aisha participated in this summer’s Thrive Young Adult leadership school for Unitarian Universalist young adults of color. – ed. by Aisha Ansano The five days I spent with my Thrive Young Adult cohort were vibrant and life-giving. So many parts of it stand out, moments that were uplifting, and challenging, and heart-breaking. New friends who I knew would be beside me every step of the way as I moved forward in my life. And new practices that I could engage with to deepen my own life. Every morning, a different member of our cohort led us in a short spiritual practice. It was the best way to start the day: all gathered in the chapel, bellies…

This is Who I Am – by Allysha Dunnigan

Posted by T. Resnikoff // October 17th 2016 // Featured Young Adults, Stories and Voices // 2 comments

Since the day I was born I have been linked to a unique and distinct religion. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion characterized by a “free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” This is the community that I have identified with for as long as I can remember. Growing up Unitarian Universalist exposed me to inimitable opportunities and circumstances that molded me into the person I am today. Being raised in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lynn always made me feel like I had a reliable and trustworthy community that always had my back. I grew up surrounded by fun, exciting, and loving church members that made me feel like church was the best…

Adulting is Hard – by Kayla Parker

Posted by T. Resnikoff // October 12th 2016 // Issues and Trends, Stories and Voices // no comments

Adulting Is Hard by Kayla Parker When I was twenty-five, I started graduate school and my Dad had a stroke. Doctors told us he should have died. He is still alive, though forever changed. When I was twenty-six, my ex came out as trans and I felt awful because I thought if I had been more supportive he might have come out earlier. That same year, the Black Lives Matter movement called on me to face my white privilege with an urgency I had never felt before, and continues to do so today. When I was twenty-seven, one of my best friends successfully fought off an attempted assault by a stranger who broke into her…

Post-Hope

Posted by Elizabeth Nguyen // October 4th 2016 // Stories and Voices // no comments

This homily was delivered by intern minister and UU young adult Joseph Boyd after the murder of Terence Crutcher at All Souls Unitarian Church, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. – Ed. by Joseph Boyd In the aftermath of Terence Crutcher’s death, this has been a busy week at All Souls. For many of us, these last couple weeks have felt very heavy, even exhausting. You may be thinking: I’d love to be more involved, but I’m already overwhelmed with my own ordinary problems. I work a stressful job, I’ve got kids, my relationship with my partner feels shaky. I’m overwhelmed. I can’t even imagine doing anything about racism in Tulsa, let alone America. I’ll leave that to…

Fiercely UU: Redeeming Retail

Posted by Annie Gonzalez Milliken // August 30th 2016 // Contact Us, Stories and Voices, young adults // no comments

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.  Redeeming Retail or What I Learned from Selling Shoes by Amelia Diehl Tacked in the backroom of the shoe store where I work is a ripped part of a shirt that reads “Our work is more than our jobs,” a quote from musical storyteller Charlie King. I grew up going to…

Forge a Just Future with UU Women all Over the World

Posted by T. Resnikoff // August 16th 2016 // Events and Opportunities, Featured Young Adults, Guides and Tools, young adults // no comments

Discounted Registration Rate for Young Adult Women The International Women’s Convocation affirms each person’s right to identify for themselves who they are and to express themselves in a way that is authentic to them. Members of the International Women’s Convocation include individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or questioning. You are invited to attend the   Third International Convocation of Unitarian*Universalist Women and People of Progressive Faith February 16-19, 2017, at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, CA, USA! The theme of this Convocation is Weaving Global Partnerships…Forging a Just Future Together. The Convocation offers community and connection, information and inspiration, as well as motivation and momentum that lead to…

Stretching Resources for Campus Ministry

Posted by Annie Gonzalez Milliken // August 10th 2016 // Future of Faith, On Campus, young adults // no comments

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…

Fiercely UU: Redefining Bravery

Posted by Annie Gonzalez Milliken // July 22nd 2016 // Featured Young Adults, Stories and Voices // no comments

Fiercely UU is a blog series where Unitarian Universalist (UU) 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.  Redefining Bravery by Em Kianka I’ve always been hard on myself about being brave. When push comes to shove, I generally avoid conflict, or “risky” situations, or I become passive. Public speaking, at least in the past, has been a completely draining exercise that I need an entire weekend from which…