Myrtle Hepler from UUFR wrote:
The History of Universalism ( not exact title).-I found this documentary (1st in 6 of a series believe) very interesting.  Could be  useful to any UU interested in the heritage of our faith
 2. Lessons from the Thomas Jefferson Ball.- Those  GA participants in Charlotte in 1993 who dealt with the aftermath of the the Ball recounted the event for us.  Very informative and poignant. Even though I was at the 1193 GA, I did not remember the details, and actually had some of them mixed up in my mind. Very helpful. We have continued to be insensitive to POC at GA.  However, I did not hear of an incident this year ( I did miss one plenary). Maybe this was the year we finally got it right!
3."That Old Time Religion", Early Southern UUism- A fun presentation of how we can use our "southern culture and hospitality"  to inform us in "spreading the good news."
4. "Turn the World Around" The South can Lead Us- Similar ro "Old Time Religion" in theme.  A young minister, Kenn Hurto, preached a marvelous sermon.
 She adds:
I'm so proud of us for the Standing on the Side of Love demonstration and for having the imam, but since I cannot find my program, I won't even try to spell his name
 1. I agree with Lynda's #1.
2. The whole theme of love and compassion impressed me to the extent that my behavior is changing I hope.
3. Four important changes recommended by the UUA Board of Trustees and approved by the delegates:
    1) Beginning next year, delegates can vote off site on line.  There will be no cap on the # of off -site delegates
    2) Instead of open declaration and campaigning for Moderator, a Nominating Committee will issue a call for nominations    
    3) Next year in Phoenix, Actions of Immediate Witness and will be eliminated and the time will be spent out in the field working for justice.  AIWs will be reconstituted in 2013 with the process for submission modified.
     4) All UUA Trustees will be elected at-large of candidates submitted by a nominating committee.  The Board of Trustees will be reduced in # from 26 to 14.
 
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Andy Wasilewski from UUFR wrote:
 I attended all of the plenary sessions except the latter stages of the discussion on ethical eating.  I felt this was a huge waste of time as the majority of the effort was spent on amendments which did not significantly change the flavor and feel of the document, which was already ridiculously verbose, but which were of sufficient number and complexity that I found, several times, that the people near me were unable to tell which way to vote. Sometimes we need a pope to tell us not to eat meat on Friday. In my opinion, such a short statement would have had more real world impact, staying away from threatened species, than the gigantic statement of GA 2011.
 
I am particularly concerned with the relatively low numbers of youth and young adults in our congregations, so I attended as many sessions as I could about this topic.  Over and over, the sessions brought up the feeling of being betrayed by the denomination when YRUU went the way of LRY. Do we ever learn? Additionally, it became obvious that only a very few congregations actively push campus ministry and even fewer use electronic media to specifically attract young people. Many of the young adults in attendance were convinced that it will be ever harder to attract young, unmarried adults to traditional services without heavy use of social media.  Non-traditional services at non-traditional times of day are preferred by many young adults. Many also thought that off site experiences exclusively for young adults were preferred to similar experiences.
Lynda Hambourger from UUFR wrote:
 My 3 top items:
 1. #2063 Powerful Pathways to Membership: Large Congregations. Presented by reps from the church in Rochester, NY and the church in Columbus, OH. Both of these churches have had substantial membership growth lately.
This session presented many powerful ideas about membership development, in particular ways to close the "back door". The church in Rochester has a 3-part, 9-step membership development process (I have a copy of a graphic of it) that involves both Membership and Adult Spiritual Development teams. The church in Columbus has adapted a New UU Tapestry of Faith Curriculum for Adults (I have copies of both the learner's and the facilitator's packets). Among the recommendations:
•       Keep records, track new members ESSENTIAL
•       Initiate "touch points", regular check-ins with new members, every 6 months or less
•       Intensive telephone survey of new members at 6 to 12 months to see if they are involved
•       Recognize contributions of all members, both new and "seasoned"
•       Re-Start program for "seasoned" members, bringing them up to speed on new processes & information
•       Andy Stanley Leadership podcasts
•       Simple Church (not UU, but many good ideas)
•       Linda Lefcovsky's webinars
2. #3020 Using Communications Technology. Presented by Ted Resnikoff (UUA Staff) t.resnikoff@uua.org
•       Vimeo.com (alternative to YouTube)
•       www.ning.com (like FB, fee-based)
•       www.yammer.com (like FB, FREE)
•       Post sermons on YouTube or vimeo
•       Use Yahoo groups/ google Groups
•       Blogs: opportunity for longer discussions on specific topics: Wordpress.com
•       On FB: Solicit comments. Accept Friends. Ask questions (even dumb ones, eg: cats or dogs?) just to generate responses. The more responses, the more visible we are. Post followups of events
•   UU Growth Lab: http://www.uugrowthlab.com/
3. #4004 Love Has No Borders. Presented by Enrique Morones, founder of Border Angels http://www.borderangels.org/ and David Hinojosa, lawyer with MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund) http://www.maldef.org/. Stories of the economic and legal difficulties faced by Latino immigrants. Also referred to NC Farmworker Institute http://www.ncfarmworkers.org. I have some flyers.
 Other notes:
#2080: Jonasson says a large church has 550 members and 400 in attendance on Sundays (including adult, children & RE teachers). "Large" can also reflect perception of available resources. Large usually means= quality, relevance, choices for members. Large churches often have perpetual staff transition (espec administrative staff)
# 3030: Dorrien says that liberal theology is characterized by the fact that it is based on experience and reason.
#3043: Cathy Murphy purchased a copy of this film. About 1 hour long, would be good to show at UUFR.
 Sessions attended:
Thursday 9-12 #2023 Ethical Eating SOC Mini-Assembly
Thursday 1-2:15 #2055 Discussion of Our Future (Peter Morales)
Thursday 2:45-4 #2063 Powerful Pathways to Membership: Large Congregations
Thursday 4:30-5:45 #2080 Changing Landscape of Large Congregations (Stefan Jonasson)
Friday 10:45-12 #3020 Using Communications Technology for Outreach and Community Building
Friday 1-2:15 #3030 The Spirit and Necessity of Liberal Theology (Gary Dorrien)Friday 2:45-4 #3043 Long Strange Trip: 2000 Years of UU History (Ron Cordes Film)
Saturday 1-2:15 #4004 Love Has No Borders: Border Realities & Immigration Today

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Tracy Hollister from UUFR wrote:
 This was my fourth GA and I enjoyed the feeling of being "at home" with my fellow UU's, especially in the spirit of social justice, where I spent most of my time. I had my eyes opened up on some immigration issues and race, and I deepened my knowledge of some of our LGBT and sexual justice history.  I was so heartened by the huge show of support for Friday's rally against the anti-gay amendment -- it was amazing to be a part of it and have it on the front cover of the Charlotte Observer the next day! Karen' Armstrong's lecture was also a highlight.
 
At last, attached you can find my summaries of top three sessions I attended (trying not to overlap with anyone else), including
 
#2024 50 Years of Sexual Justice (Debra Hoffner)
#2050, Visioning the World We Want to Live In (Linda Stout)
#2062, Roadmap to Racial Equity: Allies in Today's World (Tim Wise)
 Tracy Hollister’s General Assembly 2011 Report: Three Top Sessions
 #2024 50 Years of Sexual Justice. Presented by Debra Hoffner of the Religious Institute, a four person organization that includes UU’s and other denominations. They support sexual health and justice through education in faith communities.
·      Sexuality Education: UU’s have been leaders in this area, starting in 1970 with “About Your Sexuality” which included info. about “homosexual lifestyles” in 1972. In 1999, we adopted “Our Whole Lives” (OWL) which is now being evaluated for its impact in a long-term study. 68% of congregations use OWL, with 66% for M.S. kids, 42% for H.S. kids & 5% for young adults.
·      Abortion Rights: We’ve been passing resolutions since at least 1960 for women’s right to choose, including recent support of Planned Parenthood.
·      Women and Leadership: 5% women clergy in 1975 and 56% in 2011, with more than any other denomination.  In the last 30 years, we’ve had only female moderators, which is a volunteer role. UUA Presidents have all been men, however. There are five other denominations headed by women.
·      Homosexuality and Ministry: In 1967, 88% of UU’s thought homosexuality should be discouraged by law or education. In 1969, James Stoll came out and was unable to find a pulpit. In 1979, Douglas Morgan Strong was the first out gay minister to be called. In 2002, the first transgender minister was called. In 2010, 24% of ministers were LGBTQ. In 2010, UU’s are 1st denomination to have a competency for ministerial candidates to know about sexuality issues.
·      LGBT Issues and the UUA: In 1973, Office of Gay Concerns was formed; its name included the other sexualities and Transgender in 1996.  1999: 2nd edition of Welcoming Congregations; handbook is being updated now.
·      Gay Rights: In 1977, we opposed Anita Bryant’s anti-gay campaign. In 1993, we affirmed that gays should be allowed to serve in the military. In 1999, we worked to change the policies of the Boy Scouts of America and later created an alternative program, “Navigator.” In 1984, we did a service of union. In 1996, marriage equality was endorsed. In 2004, we opposed marriage amendments. Involved with MA marriage equality.
 
2.             #2050, Visioning the World We Want to Live In. Presented by Linda Stout, who presented her book on this at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh before GA.
•               Linda asked us to imagine what UU GA would be like in 20 years, what congregation life would look like, as well as what the world would be like.
•               We drew pictures with markers of what it would look like on flip charts.
•               Many drew pictures of natural environments, of people relating to each other peacefully and well, of access to healthcare, community and more.
•               We then got together in groups to present our shared vision. My group’s was “greening the environment for a healthy tomorrow” and included clean skies, fresh air, solar power, water gardens, and the conservation of energy. We said we just needed the political courage to be the example and live simply so that others may simply live.
•               Linda said that in all kinds of groups doing this exercise, there are a lot of common things about what people want.
3.             #2062, Roadmap to Racial Equity: Allies in Today’s World. Presented by Tim Wise, an anti-racist writer and educator with a book called “Colorblind.”
·      In our current economic recession with double digit unemployment, white people’s entitlement concept of “just work hard and play by the rules” is being challenged; black & brown people have already been there.
·      Right now, the dominant narrative of white normalcy is being challenged, and some white people, e.g., in the Tea Party, are becoming anxious. They tell people of color to “get over the past,” but want to go back to a time when taxes were low (not necessarily true) and when things were worse for people of color (e.g., pre 1965), which they do not even think about.
·      Some conservatives take the attitude that public welfare and programs are for brown and black “lazy” people, like public education, housing & transportation. Likewise, a public healthcare option is also perceived as gov’t taking from whites and giving to people of color. A regression analysis was done which showed the #1 reason why the U.S. did not have public healthcare is the belief that “black folks would abuse the program.”
·      Religious depictions of God as white damage the self-image of people of color who are then led to believe that they are farther away from divinity.
·      Just as there are straight allies to LGBT leaders, we need to have white allies supporting people of color and reversing the racial narrative that has damaged us all. An “ally” is a person in solidarity with, and to become an ally we must first confront our privilege.
 
Sessions attended:
Thursday 9-10:15 #2009: Moral Imagination: 50 Years of UU Social Justice
Thursday 10:45-12pm #2024: 50 Years of Sexual Justice
Thursday 1-2:15pm #2050: Visioning the World We Want to Live In
Thursday 2:45-4 #2062: Roadmap to Racial Equity: Allies in Today’s World
Thursday 4:30-5:45pm #2084: Changing the World: What Works and What Doesn’t
Friday, Noon to 2:30pm, Sold T-shirts at the Standing on the Side of Love booth
Friday, 4:30-5:45pm #3062: Standing on the Side of Love with LGBT People
Saturday, 12 -2pm, Interweave Luncheon at Hilton
Saturday, 8-9pm, #4022: Ware Lecture: “The Challenge of Compassion”
Saturday, 9:30-11:30pm, #4025:  Documentary Film: 56 Hours in Phoenix

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 Jinny Batterson from UUFR wrote:

General: Second GA I’d attended (first Boston, 2003). Impressed by range of attendees. Glad a good many young adults/teens were present, wish there had been more. Liked Charlotte, disliked our hotel (Doubletree on West Trade—inconvenient location, seemed overpriced.) Skipped opening, closing. Went to six workshops, morning worship Friday, Ware Lecture, Sunday morning service.
 
Workshop reports (3 favorites):
UUSC in Haiti (Thursday 9-10:15 a.m. #2020)
            --eye-to-eye partnerships, rather than aid model
            --element of seminary training: goal to include experience in developing countries for next generation of UU ministers
            --medical assistance missions in April, May 2011
            --seminarian/denominational leadership trip to help construct eco-village on central plateau, May, 2011, with follow-up trips for youth/young adults expected August 2011, October 2011, February 2012
            --“Sweat equity,” physical, emotional, spiritual
(I handed out about a dozen fliers for UUFR-related “Haiti Tree Project” to other individual attendees to generally positive response.)
Crossing Borders: Immigration from Migrants’ Perspectives (Thursday, 2:45-4 p.m.#2071)
            --“push” factors increasing Mexican/Central American immigration to U.S.:
                        --NAFTA (undercut price of corn produced by small Mex-C A farms)
                        --U.S./Mexico border tightening (harder to “flow” for seasonal work)
                        --drug violence in Mexico (about 700 per week since 2006)
            --“pull” factors:
                        --family reunification (75% of immigrants have family members here)
                        --availability of jobs in U.S.
                        --better chance to survive, support family
                        --desire to have succeeding generations thrive
                        --sense of freedom (whether realistic or not)
            --perception differences about immigration between “liberals”, “conservatives”:
                        --on values scales ranking individual/community/sanctity, liberals tend to rank individual values highest, conservatives more evenly spread
            --guidelines for honest discussion:
                        --listen; be flexible; look for common ground
                        --once common ground discovered, focus on that (however small), then see if you can expand areas of potential agreement
Budrus: Palestinian Village / Israeli Security Wall (Friday, 1-2:15 p.m. #3040)
            --film from 2009; mostly Arabic/Hebrew with English subtitles
            --effort to preserve village lands, trees, and homes started by seasoned Palestinian activist, later joined by Israeli peace activists, foreign volunteers and press
            --10 month effort; Palestinian violence limited to occasional youth rock throwing
            --wall eventually rerouted, preserving 98% of Palestinian lands
 
UUSC Breakfast summary:
 
            (Thursday, 7-9 a.m. in hotel about 3 blocks from convention center; about 20 attendees, mostly UUSC representatives from congregations or regions)
 
            --short video about UUSC with 4 areas of emphasis:
                                    --disaster relief
                                    --clean, accessible water for all
                                    --workers’ rights
                                    --civil liberties
            --presentation by Kara Smith, Associate for Grassroots Mobilization (hampered by laryngitis)
                        --partner with other groups; support long-term sustainability
                        --over 40,000 members and supporters
                        --UUSC has recently hired Brock Leach as VP of mission, strategy, and organization, helping measure and assess effectiveness of UUSC efforts
                        --“roaming advocacy” at GA:
                                    --support “water for the poor” act in California
                                    --Stop Torture campaign (June is torture awareness month); UUSC involved with National Religious Campaign Against Torture
                                    --ratification of CEDAW for women’s rights
                                    --workers’ rights: support for HR631, wages for tipped workers
            --card with schedule for UUSC conference calls 2011-2012: September 12, October 3, November 7, December 5, January 9, February 6, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4
 

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Charlie West from UUWF wrote:
  As a long-time chairman of Denominational Affairs at UUFW, I’ve attended quite a number of General Assemblies, all over the country.  So the recent experience in  Charlotte was not new to me.
For me, at this stage of my UU involvement, one of the most fulfilling aspects of the G. A. was connecting up with good friends I have gotten to know around our Southeast District and broader denomination over the years.  People  I have worked with, dined with, spent nights in their homes, etc. – really gotten to know them.  It was great to see several of our former ministers.  This satisfaction with feeling fully connected with our broader denomination beyond the confines of our own congregation is one thing that keeps me involved with denominational affairs.  (I guess we’ll have to call that a “shameless plug” for denominational participation.)
This year, I especially enjoyed the lecture by Imam Abdul Rauf, the prominent Muslim cleric who is seeking to build a controversial interfaith center near Ground Zero in New York City.  His moderate message of cooperating together toward common humanistic ends sounded very “UU” to me, and he handled the “Q. & A.” with ease, charm, and candor.
Always most impressive and meaningful to  me is the Service of the Living Tradition, a solemn occasion for honoring new ministers, those receiving their final credentials, and those retiring, many after a lifetime of work in furtherance of the liberal religious enterprise.  This is a tangible and moving  symbol of the life and flow of UUism down through the years.
This service was especially moving for me this year, because the roll call of the year’s departed ministers included the Rev. Charles Howe, my very favorite of all our former ministers, a former chemistry professor.  He was the only one we have ever granted Emeritus status, a credential which he prized in his retirement years.  I remember at my very first General Assembly, held on the Yale University campus years ago, working on his campaign for election to the UUA Board of Adjustment, a major leadership unit in our denomination., where he served with distinction.  He will be sorely missed by all who knew him, including a few old-timers in this congregation.

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Linda Watson from UUFR wrote:
My top three items were:
1.     Our congregation would benefit in many ways from “breaking through to generosity”—e.g., understanding how generosity (including generosity with money) is connected to theology, ministering more effectively to our members and the community, helping members and our congregation transcend anxieties about money. A part of core transformational ministry (and transforming lives is part of our UUFR mission!) is to bring the money out. Breaking through to generosity is not about the technique you use for the canvass; it is based on a sense of generosity within the congregation, a palpable sense of warmth, inclusion and shared spirit.  Any technique will work if your congregation has a sense of the future. So for leaders, important question is, how do you engender and express that vision in the congregation? One thought of my own (not directly from any session but from my reflection as I listened to the session on breaking through to generosity): What does our ritual for the offering say about us? We ask for the offering. The offering baskets get passed around and then stuck under someone’s chair at the back of the room, with no recognition of the fact that we have, as a community, given an offering.  Are we doing the offering in the way we do out of habit, or with the intention of communicating a specific message about our giving of money? Can we celebrate in some meaningful way that the offering has been made and received?
 
2.     Our congregational sense of mission and vision at UUFR is not as strong as in some congregations (based on what I was hearing in presentations), and I became convinced that we should place a priority on engendering that. The Linda Stout session on “Visioning the World We Want to Live In” provided some “how-to” information.  In collective visioning, focus on what do we want to crease, not what are we against. Successful collective visioning requires having all stakeholders in room, including stakeholders across race, class, abilities, etc. (Linda Stout had a variety of suggestions for the process, and has a book on collective visioning.) The importance of a congregational sense of mission was also highlighted in the Pathways to Membership in Large Congregations and in the Breaking through to Generosity sessions.
 
3.     From Bill Sinkford’s Murray Lecture and Galen Guengerich’s “Church of the New Millenium”: Consider creating an opportunity for congregational participation in a spiritual practice. Guengerich: Faith comes from practice. Imagine a better world and set our moral compass to reach it. Both Sinkford and Guengerich seemed to have experience with a similar strategy. Members who chose to participate in the spiritual practice all receive the same reading for reflection. Guengerich referred to this practice as “divine reading”—not for knowledge, but for your own life. Provocative reading. Guengerich described 4 steps for the practice: (1) reading--take a deep breath, center, and then read the short text aloud several times; (2) reflection—which word or phrase captures your attention? what does it evoke in you?; (3) set an intention for the day, and jot it down; (4) contemplation—expand wisdom from intention to gratitude. Bill Sinkford didn’t talk about specifically about a daily practice, but spoke about the church in Portland having monthly themes to allow the congregation to go deeper spiritually than a one-shot effort allows; the themes are intergenerational, and go across different types of activities (worship, youth & adult RE, special activities).  One quotation from Sinkford: “(religious pluralism)…invites us to be dilettantes and celebrate our faith as a theological Disney World.”  It may not be clear why these two presentations are connected in my mind, but to me, both were saying that we need to provide opportunities to go deeper, help us be intentional in our actions by connecting them to our faith/theology/principles/vision.
Louise  LaPlant wrote from UUFR:
GA Stewardship 2011
4007 Saturday 6/25 1:00 pm
UU Common Endowment Fund: Gathering of Investing Congregations
 
Electronic version of 24 page handout can be obtained by e-mailing treasurer@uua.org
 
The UU Common Endowment Fund is for long-term investments used for permanent endowments.  This fund was/is setup to manage congregational assets. A large endowment fund from church/fellowship/society is $100 million. Small is $5 million. The fund’s real return is 5% annually. With 3% inflation the fund returns 7-8%.  The fund offers congregations an opportunity to invest in larger pool with active asset managers (New England Pension Fund is manager).
 
The handout describes the general types of funds and percentages of investments. This was the old General Investment Fund.
 
 UNIFORM PRUDENT MANAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS ACT (Google UPMIFFA for more information) is prudent investment for trustees of funds. What is the purpose of the money being managed? Tilt the funds toward UU values. What I gleaned from this info is UUFR needs to know the Mission and Purpose of our funds.
 
The fund does Socially Responsible Investing with a wide diversification of risks. It looks to have the wealth of the congregation survive into perpetuity. The 5% rate of return is calculated to have the dividends be reinvested or used for annual budget income. In the future the rate of return may be lower due to slow economic activity.
 
Statements are mailed quarterly and are available on-line monthly. On-line access is granted through UUA. There were some questions from audience members having difficulty reading the statements. There was someone from Asheville, NC with questions so they seem to be using this endowment fund. This could be a resource for us if/when we are ready to invest in UU Common Endowment Fund.
 
Liquidity of funds – need to give 10-days notice. This fund is not for short-term investing like building funds or rainy-day funds.
 
Fees for fund management and UUA total 1.1%
 
Other information was discussion of slow economic activity; all asset classes are inter-related; hedge funds; indexed funds; adjusting standard of living over the next 5-15 years in light of Greece/Euro debt crisis and USA debt-limit debates in Washington, DC.
 

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Joyce Gad from UUFR wrote:
1. #2009 Moral Imagination: 50 Years of UU Social Justice. Presented by Denny Davidoff, Rev Mark Morrison-Reed, Rev. Scott Alexander, Rev. Richard Gilbert + 4 young adult UUs. This was a discussion of struggles and failures in UU social justice leadership in the past 50 years. Some points are:
·       We led all denominations on LGBT issues, but UU ministers had to be closeted in the 50s and 60s; we still have problems with transgendered people but do have gender neutral bathrooms at GA
·       The new UU hymnal in 1964 had no black music or readings; the new 1993 version has only 2 hymns and 1 reading for Hispanics.
·       We are a-historical - clueless about our history
·       We need a theology of relinquishment - a sharing of power based on eating from the same bowl, go against self interest
·       Our biggest struggle is to remain relevant
·       We are obsessed with governance & use it to control anxiety about change
·       We need change, to re-examine how we do church; everything is about social justice
·       Privilege demands audacity, an imperative to not be bound by what is
2. #2084 Changing the World: What Works & What Doesn’t by Bill Schulz, former UUA President, former Amnesty International Executive Director, current head of UUSA.  Successful movements have these characteristics:
·       Identifiable adversaries who personify the problem and simplify the issues; if you can win against one you can defeat others.
·       They find a common message to broaden support.
·       They operate on multiple tiers at once - working to change people’s minds and change laws
·       They are clear about what they are asking for and make clear the consequences of denial. They are tough but not violent; power concedes nothing without a demand.
·       Small changes build on each other; must be patient and persistant. Must convince the avatars of power they want to live in a better world.
·       Book: “The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen” by Kwame Appiah
3. #3027 Implementing the Newly Adopted Statement of Conscience on Ethical Eating by Rev. Paul Johnson and Rev. John Milspaugh. Ideas which have been tried:
·       Use the UUA study resource guide on the website; can input your zipcode & find food justice advocates in your area; http://www.uua.org/justice/issuesprocess/currentissues/ethicaleating/
·       There are 15 sermons in the worship resources supplement to the resource guide
·       Check the Ministry for Earth section of the UUA website
·       Check the Alison Cornish sermon: http://www.uua.org/documents/cornishalison/090627_cant_eat.pdf
·       No gas lunch - local food
·       Reverence for life program
·       NW Earth Institute Menu for the Future, http://www.nwei.org/ - excellent resources
·       Earth Day 2010 materials on UUA website
·       Eating Your Values lunch
·       Food Stamp Challenge - try to eat for a week on what food stamps provide
·       Holy Cow service-talk about cows; ask people to commit to not eat meat 1 day a week; ask people to have a veggie diet for a week
·       Important to partner with relevant non-profits
·       Offer ethnic veggie cooking classes
·       Talking with our mouths full of compassion program by the UU Animal Ministry
·       Will Tuttle’s “World Peace Diet”
·       Take tours of veggie restaurants
·       Animals are not meant for humans like women are not meant for men and blacks are not meant for whites.
·       Consider fasting as a spiritual practice; break the fast with local organic food
·       Take tupperware to restaurants for take home
·       Talk to your state DOA head about getting farmers’ markets to take food stamps
·       Have a weekly email newsletter about food activities in your area
·       Form a locavore group
·       Visit grocery stores to see the difference in what is offered; ask questions about local and organic food
·       Sell organic plants
·       Move from righteousness & apathy to join in humility
 
1. #2009 Moral Imagination: 50 Years of UU Social Justice. Presented by Denny Davidoff, Rev Mark Morrison-Reed, Rev. Scott Alexander, Rev. Richard Gilbert + 4 young adult UUs. This was a discussion of struggles and failures in UU social justice leadership in the past 50 years. Some points are:
·       We led all denominations on LGBT issues, but UU ministers had to be closeted in the 50s and 60s; we still have problems with transgendered people but do have gender neutral bathrooms at GA
·       The new UU hymnal in 1964 had no black music or readings; the new 1993 version has only 2 hymns and 1 reading for Hispanics.
·       We are a-historical - clueless about our history
·       We need a theology of relinquishment - a sharing of power based on eating from the same bowl, go against self interest
·       Our biggest struggle is to remain relevant
·       We are obsessed with governance & use it to control anxiety about change
·       We need change, to re-examine how we do church; everything is about social justice
·       Privilege demands audacity, an imperative to not be bound by what is
2. #2084 Changing the World: What Works & What Doesn’t by Bill Schulz, former UUA President, former Amnesty International Executive Director, current head of UUSA.  Successful movements have these characteristics:
·       Identifiable adversaries who personify the problem and simplify the issues; if you can win against one you can defeat others.
·       They find a common message to broaden support.
·       They operate on multiple tiers at once - working to change people’s minds and change laws
·       They are clear about what they are asking for and make clear the consequences of denial. They are tough but not violent; power concedes nothing without a demand.
·       Small changes build on each other; must be patient and persistant. Must convince the avatars of power they want to live in a better world.
·       Book: “The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen” by Kwame Appiah
3. #3027 Implementing the Newly Adopted Statement of Conscience on Ethical Eating by Rev. Paul Johnson and Rev. John Milspaugh. Ideas which have been tried:
·       Use the UUA study resource guide on the website; can input your zipcode & find food justice advocates in your area; http://www.uua.org/justice/issuesprocess/currentissues/ethicaleating/
·       There are 15 sermons in the worship resources supplement to the resource guide
·       Check the Ministry for Earth section of the UUA website
·       Check the Alison Cornish sermon: http://www.uua.org/documents/cornishalison/090627_cant_eat.pdf
·       No gas lunch - local food
·       Reverence for life program
·       NW Earth Institute Menu for the Future, http://www.nwei.org/ - excellent resources
·       Earth Day 2010 materials on UUA website
·       Eating Your Values lunch
·       Food Stamp Challenge - try to eat for a week on what food stamps provide
·       Holy Cow service-talk about cows; ask people to commit to not eat meat 1 day a week; ask people to have a veggie diet for a week
·       Important to partner with relevant non-profits
·       Offer ethnic veggie cooking classes
·       Talking with our mouths full of compassion program by the UU Animal Ministry
·       Will Tuttle’s “World Peace Diet”
·       Take tours of veggie restaurants
·       Animals are not meant for humans like women are not meant for men and blacks are not meant for whites.
·       Consider fasting as a spiritual practice; break the fast with local organic food
·       Take tupperware to restaurants for take home
·       Talk to your state DOA head about getting farmers’ markets to take food stamps
·       Have a weekly email newsletter about food activities in your area
·       Form a locavore group
·       Visit grocery stores to see the difference in what is offered; ask questions about local and organic food
·       Sell organic plants
·       Move from righteousness & apathy to join in humility

Sessions attended:
Thursday 9-10:15 #2009 Moral Imagination: 50 Years of UU Social Justice
Thursday 10:45-12 #2038 Starr King Lecture: Transformative Power of Truth Commissions
Thursday 1-2:15 #2055 Our Future Depends on 3 Things (Peter Morales)
Thursday 2:45-4 #2071 Crossing Borders: Immigration from the Migrant’s Perspective
Thursday 4:30-5:45 #2084 Changing the World: What Works & What Doesn’t (Bill Schulz)
Friday 10:45-12 #3004 A Spark of Freedom in the Muslim World (Imam Feisal Rauf)
Friday 1-2:15 #3027 Implementing the Ethical Eating Statement of Conscience
Friday 2:45-4 #3056 Legacy & Promise of UU Humanism
Saturday 1-2:15 #4011 Greeley Sermon: Ethical Aspects of Climate Change; #4004 Love Has No Borders: Border Realities & Immigration Today
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Sally White from Unitarian Coastal Fellowship in Morehead City shared:
Collegial conversation: Justice GA 2012 – The role of ministers
            Arizona colleagues and GA planning team members hearing questions
            Preparation/follow-up?
                        Common read/study
                        Packet of resources for building on Phoenix experience
            Why go to AZ?
                        Increase our capacity to recognize oppression
                        Arizona is a legislative laboratory
                        Bridge with 60’s civil rights history
 
What young adults look for in a congregation
            Huddling/mixing
            Church is not another activity; it is feeding your spirit
            Outreach
                        Make congregation and connection easy and accessible
Social media (podcast, Facebook page & groups, twitter feed, YouTube)
Frequent updates
                        Campus ministry
            Worship
            Family friendly (all ages)
                        Programming, child care for young children
            Leadership/planning opportunities
                        Ask: how do you want to be involved?
            Questions:
What changes would reaching out to young adults ask of this congregation?
Do we have the will to make those changes?
Who has the energy to make those changes?
How to find out?
 
Best practices in lay pastoral care programs
            Differentiate Pastoral Care (PC) from Caring Committee (CC)
Quality control built into PC program
            Careful selection of participants (PCAs – Pastoral Care Associates)
                        Screen in caring professionals
                        Screen out problem solvers
            Supervision by minister
                        Don’t carry heavy burdens alone
                        Other points of view
                        An unsupervised professional is an irresponsible professional
                        PCAs
            Lay chair to handle nuts & bolts, communication
            Training (weekend; 15 hours; intensive) (Richmond UU team will do this)
Mental health issues (I had to leave early.  Info presumably available through
Jeanne Pupke)
Questions:
            Does our congregation want/need a program like this?  How to find out?
            How to make the transition from the program we have now?
 
Covenanting: a process for your spiritual mission statement
            Congregational covenanting a deeply spiritual process; deepens bonds of community
                        Points to deeper values, higher aspirations
            Undertake when you have the privilege of some time
                        Do not do this when in conflict or when anxious
                        Process lasts about 1 season
            Strong lay leadership/support; strong ministerial involvement
Materials available online http://www.uua.org/governance/ga/187468.shtml
            Not the same as a behavioral covenant
            Keep covenant alive
use in liturgy, rites of passage, welcoming new members (sign the covenant)
spiritual practice
          
Small group ministry across generations
            Intimacy, ultimacy, growth
            Leader training
            Session plans (see brochure)
            Questions:
                        Are there people willing to train to be leaders?
                        Will UCF groups follow session plans?
                        How can we pay the $100 congregational membership fee?
 
Ten years after 9/11: a new generation of ministers responds to evil
            Exciting new ministers are coming into active service.
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Sonia Ensenat from UUFR wrote:
 
1. #2052 Powerful Paths to Membership: Mid-Sized Congregations (I couldn’t attend the large congregations one & thought some ideas from this one would still apply). Presented by Wellsprings and Harrisburg congregations (H. grew from 200 to 400 members in 8 yrs). Overall, what they both seemed to have in common is a welcoming culture and a v. coordinated approach to all the aspects of welcoming visitors and integrating new members (i.e. all the groups that do the individual tasks like greeters and care team working together plus a cradle-to-grave approach for integrating new members). Among the recommendations:
· Congregation knows it’s everyone’s responsibility to make members/visitors feel welcome.  “Guests are our priority on Sunday”.
· Membership council follows people from first visit throughout involvement there; works closely with Care Team.
· Coffee hr – try to break up clusters of people who know each other by bringing new people over to group of established members.  Coffee hr crowd monitor - if someone is standing alone, send someone to talk to them.
· High expectations of new members.  Small groups – one each season (8 wks long), new members are required (or invited?) to attend.  New members develop a six month spiritual development plan with minister.  Membership class required for new members.  New member Sundays – lunch is thrown by previous new member class.  New member class also serves as leadership development.
· Log visitors attendance in database each Sunday, send them handwritten thank you notes signed and referencing something in conversation you had, capture (in a database?) conversations greeters had with visitors.
· Re-membering group meets quarterly.  Know within a quarter who’s integrating and who we are at risk of losing (including existing members).  Works closely with Care Team.
· Recognize long-term members at Sunday service, small present (e.g. Chalices to wear).
2. #2059 Adaptive Leadership: Thriving While Facing Congregations’ Toughest Challenges. Presented by Rev. Terasa Cooley, Rev. John Gibb Millspaugh.
· Recognize technical problems (clearly defined, solvable by expertise, fits within current paradigm) vs. adaptive challenges (no matter what you do, it doesn’t subside)
· It’s an adaptive challenge if 1) anxiety is high 2) People say “if only we did X”
· Adaptive challenges require getting out of our mindset, can’t be solved by authority (e.g. board), requires effort by all stakeholders, generate loss and conflict, require experimentation and risks.
· Leaders’ role is to move group through sustained period of disequilibrium at a pace it can stand (group needs to be in this disequilibrium zone to move beyond current paradigm).
· Don’t avoid the problem by denying it exists, displacing responsibility (externalize enemy), taking options off the table, proxy fight (e.g. fight about hymnals instead)
· Book: The practice of adaptive leadership (Gil Rendle & ?)
3. #3019 Intentional Programming for Adult Faith Development. Presented by UU congregations from Rochester (1000 members), Madison WI, San Diego and Pennsylvania.  Post sermons on YouTube or vimeo
· Soul Matters (Rochester). Program designed to counter ADHD culture (provide depth and focus). Monthly themes for all covenant groups, sermon, YRE – tied to UU faith (not just “Grace” but “What does UU theology say about grace?”).  Includes spiritual assignment (e.g. be a giver of grace this month).  Minister meets with small group facilitators a month ahead to go over curriculum for upcoming month – side benefit: conversation gives minister ideas for sermons. Drawbacks: Have lost people who want more intellectual (rather than emotional) themes, doesn’t appeal much to men, time consuming for YRE staff.
· Quest (Madison).  Two year program – classes, small groups, spiritual mentor, retreats.  www.questaspiritualjourney.com.  Although not a leadership program, people who have gone through it become leaders.  Drawbacks: Labor and time intensive, need to draw boundaries for very needy people.
· San Diego. Eight spheres of spiritual development.  Began by offering workshops instead of whole class.  Ministers’ classes are better attended – use that to draw people to classes they would normally not attend.  Advertise outside church – community attendees.  Working to connect ARE to other parts of the church.
 
Other notes:
#2092: Book recommended – Serving with Grace: Lay Leadership as a Spiritual Practice.  There’s a video on u-tube on nominating committee as a 5-year process (thinking now who will be in leadership 5 years from now).
# 3037: Communities of faith resist change b/c almost everything you do (furniture, etc.) becomes sacred and part of someone’s religion.
 
Sessions attended:
Thursday 1-2:15 #2052 Powerful Paths to Membership: Mid-Sized Congregations
Thursday 2:45-4 #2059 Adaptive Leadership: Thriving While Facing Congregations’ Toughest Challenges
Thursday 4:30-5:45 #2092 Congregations with Congregational Presidents
Friday 10:45-12 #3019 Intentional Programming for Adult Faith Development
Friday 1-2:15 #3037 Getting Over Our Mixed Feelings about Leadership
Friday 2:45-4 #3085 Breakthrough Congregations Workshop: Small to Medium (Meisner’s presentation)
 
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  Michelle Hunter
 
Title:  “The Adventure of Becoming” – Dynamic RE for All
#2014                        Speaker(s):    Ruth Owen et al.
A presentation on facets of RE for all ages in your congregation. Questions to consider when beginning or modifying programs to fit the needs and opportunities. I’ll scan the handout—a great resource. The Tapestry of Faith part of the UUA web site also has myriad resources; speakers encouraged participants to choose appropriate selections rather than trying to do everything.
 
Title:  Our Future Depends on Three Things
#2055                        Speaker(s):    Peter Morales
We need to 1.) Get religion (i.e., ask what it is that we are passionate about together); 2.) Grow leaders; and 3.) Cross borders (class, culture, etc.) intentionally and continually. He cited one congregation’s Guatemalan scholarship program as a success because it was experiential rather than merely intellectual, and the group experienced it together. The congregation already had in place a structure to propose and vet projects, so participants were empowered. “The nature of compassion is to reach out.” The project is explained at http://www.uucava.org/page/partners-for-accompaniers-in
 
Title:  Lessons from the Thomas Jefferson Ball
#2069                        Speaker(s):    Hope Johnson et al.
In 1993, GA was held in Charlotte. Organizers planned to announce election results at a party—a ball in a Thomas Jefferson theme, period costumes optional. This prompted outrage from African-American UUs, who of course did not wish to dress in rags and chains to honor Jefferson! Panelists discussed how the mistakes were made and also the process of changing our district’s name from Thomas Jefferson (a choice that had always struck me as odd) to Southeast district.
 
Title:  Changing the World: What Works and What Doesn’t
#2084                        Speaker(s):    William Schulz
Successful movements do four important things. They start with identifiable adversaries. They find a common message that broadens the initial support base. They operate on more than one level at once. (Consider that Prohibition failed because the law was changed, but public opinion was not.) And they reckon with the nature of power; they have resources to push back (such as boycotts) but also work constructively to help those in power see themselves as agents of change for the greater good. A former head of Amnesty International and now of the UUSC, he pointed out that sometimes one “extreme” group does something that is largely theatrical, paving the way for a more moderate group to actually make progress via negotiation. Small changes build up; it’s a long journey to the Promised Land.
 
Title:  Polarity Management in Congregations: Beyond Either/Or
#3007                        Speaker(s):    John Gibb Millspaugh       jmillspaugh@uuma.org
A polarity is not the same as a problem: a problem can be solved. A polarity is more like needing to breathe: once you’ve inhaled, you need to exhale to feel better, and then to inhale again. So it’s about managing natural tensions. Tradition and innovation. Clergy leadership and lay leadership. Justice and compassion. It can be helpful when a group is struggling with a polarity to draw Cartesian-like axes: positives of A and negatives of A, positives of B and negatives of B. Remember to ask, “Under which circumstances could we have both?” Avoid polarizing language.
 
Title:  Budrus: Creating Justice on the Ground in Palestine/Israel
#3040                        Speaker(s):    Nadav Greenberg     www.justvision.org
A short film consisting largely of interviews. Budrus is a Palestinian village. When bulldozers came to extend Israel’s security wall through their olive groves, next to the school and even through the cemetery, villagers united in peaceful resistance—and Israelis came to join them. The plans for the wall were finally changed after a long struggle.
 
Title: “Be Not Conformed to this World”
#4016                        Speaker(s):    William Sinkford
Reflections on the power of Universalism, newly re-discovered by a controversial evangelical minister; on the need to be authentic in choosing where we find religious inspiration rather than mixing elements at random; and to focus on what we value instead of letting the culture take over.
 
Someone from the Morehead Congregation wrote:
Immigration workshops at GA 2011
 
I attended five workshops on immigration at GA.  They represented a variety of approaches to the issue.
 
#2026 Common Read, Common Reflection, Common Action on Immigration: This workshop in which the book “The Death of Josseline” by Margaret Regan was discussed emphasized the role of telling people’s stories as a means of raising consciousness about an issue. Regan, a Tucson journalist, said her book was written mainly to witness to the recurring tragedies of death in the Southwestern deserts, hoping others might find a solution. The book was designated a “common read” by the UUA. This concept was not well explained, but I gathered it is a program in which members of a congregation agree to read a specific book and then discuss it and maybe even plan action. Beacon Press published the book and was very involved in the “common read” idea. I understood that there was a study guide, but it was not included in the book I purchased and I don’t know from whom it would be obtained.
 
#2071 Crossing Borders: Immigration from the Migrant’s Perspective.  The UU Refugee and Immigrant Services and Education group (UURISE) presented this workshop.  They discussed factors that “push” a migrant from the home country: loss of manufacturing jobs in Mexico and Central America since the advent of NAFTA, the closing of the borders after 9/11 which reduced the ability to come and go easily, and escalating drug violence in home countries. They also detailed “pull” factors being exerted by the US: reunification of families, more work available here than at home, family survival, and the prospect of liberty. (This last seems either naïve on the part of the migrant or wishful thinking on the part of the analyst given the treatment migrants receive when they get here). They introduced a method of dialog with those whose beliefs differ by finding a small piece of shared ground, then continuing to discuss it in order to push the boundaries of this common understanding outward.
 
#2088 Connecting Environmental Justice and Immigration.  Organizers called these “interlocking oppressions” and presented case studies that explored the connections between immigration and environmental issues. More detailed information can be found on the Eno River UU Fellowship website and at CIW-online.org.
 
#3011 Organizing Red Fronteriza congregations: Immigrant Families Protection Network.  This workshop focused on protecting undocumented members of the community by developing systems of care and assistance that prepare for the possibility of deportation. This includes Powers of Attorney that detail who will be responsible for minor children so they don’t end up in Child Protective services, arrangements to collect a final paycheck and access a bank account, and phone numbers to call for help in an unknown border city. They also talked about a document, the G28, that, if prepared ahead of time and carried at all times might help defer deportation temporarily. Tierra y Libertad, the organization in Tucson that developed this system, hopes to have a tool kit available on-line soon to help congregations around the country become part of the “Red Fronteriza”, the Border Network. They would then be able to help undocumented persons in their own communities to prepare these documents.
 
#3031 Immigration as a Moral Issue.  David Bacon, author of “Illegal People: How Globalization Creates Immigrants and criminalizes Immigration.  This lecture was so dense and information-packed that I really can’t summarize it. The major take home message seemed to me to be that the effects of NAFTA have produced this crisis and that undocumented workers are paying the price in a myriad of interlocking ways. I’d suggest you buy his book.
 
I also attended #2049, Looking ahead to GA 2012. Participants were able to express concerns and ideas for the experience and have these addressed by members of the GA Planning Committee. It appears that there will be an ample mix of outdoor and indoor activities with sensitivity to issues of heat and participation in witnessing events for a multigenerational audience. They described a calmer pace of activities and a more spiritual atmosphere with fewer workshops and carefully chosen exhibitors. Although there will be a strong focus on immigration in accordance with the wishes of the local groups who will be participating, this will be a justice GA with programming of interest to all.
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Linda Stratford from UUFR wrote:

Here are most of the sessions I attended.  All worship services were memorable and I'll probably watch the reruns.  Of the sessions, #3025 Campus Ministry, #3004 Freedom in the Muslim World, and #2047 Whose Are We? are my top choices, although I've included everything that lit my fire.
 
#2047    Whose Are We?  Spiritual Discernment and Theological Reflection
Revs. Hallman, Carley, and Southworth
            ~ A conversation about UU evolution toward a spirituality that can include everyone:
            ~ You can't be a person by yourself.  How do we belong together?
            ~ Rather than have a lowest common denominator, let people have the integrity of their language (i.e., let them say God, Christ, Christian without judging, the same as we "let" people express themselves about Buddhism, Islam, etc.)
            ~ Rev. Laurel has made this her life's work as a UU minister and said it's time has come for our movement to ask these questions.
 
#2064    What else is in my "Invisible Knapsack"?
Mark Bernstein, Suzanne Fast
            From Peggy McIntosh's book; applies to everyone in the "mainstream:"
            ~ We have special provisions, maps, passpports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, etc.          ~ We're not supposed to notice have it.  It's normal.
            ~ Ads look like me.
            ~ I can do well in a challenging situation without being called courageous.
 
#3002 Love, Unity, Aspiration:  Blended Family as Metaphor
Revs. Spencer, Morris, Cuervo, N. Allen
            ~  YURI PLAYED BEAUTIFULLY, as always!
 
            ~ It was most excellent to have a few dozen UUFR folks sitting together in the front rows near Yuri.  All the worship services were superb, as you might expect from a national convention.  And fun.
 
#3004      A Spark of Freedom in the Muslim World
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
            ~This is the imam who still plans to build a community center in NYC.  The Charlotte Observer wrote very well about it, even though they called it an Islamic center:  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/06/25/2405804/imam-dream-still-alive-for-islamic.html
 
#3025    Conversations on UU Campus Ministry
Alice King, Marion Hirsch
            ~ Campus ministry is about presence, consistency, continuity.  Students need to develop a relationship with a real grownup.  The same grownup.
            ~ It's the bridge that spans the gap between leaving high school and finding their way back to a UU place.
            ~ Millennials are very cherished, used to structured situations, being with adults.  They don't have the authority issues older folk have.  She said she called the college students young adults, but they called themselves youth groups.  They said the most important thing was being with someone not 18-21.
            ~ Millennials are good at teamwork, collaborative leadership; they're used to having things structured for them.  They're tech savvy and like to be reached in a way that feels right for them.
            ~ Millennials are very service minded, with a high passion for social justice.
            ~ Millennials have their own work and don't necessarily want to be plugged into our            existing social justice work.
            ~  What they need from us:
            ` fellowship and spiritual community, to be nurtured, so they can go out into the world.
            `opportunities for deepening relationships; e.g., beach trips and other retreats
            `partner with students and faculty re logistics (meeting room, parking); go to them
            on campus, don't expect them to find their way to us.
            ` start them out with diverse student leadership, co-chairs [new/old, M/F, NC/not NC,         then they recruit their own – must be outgoing, committed to welcoming new people]
            `congregational support; create a sense of pride that they're involved with us – this is a         challenge because they're not "our children," but only 12½% of youth remain UU.  Be articulate and grateful, give them opportunities to do services.  That creates a buzz,         increases support and pride.
 
            ~Ask Peace to join us, UUCCNC; ask for a starter grant; provide snacks and dinner
 
            ~ UUA guide:    http://www.uua.org/members/youngadults/index.shtml
            ~ UUA coordinator:  http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/campusministry/index.shtml
            ~ Anchor Congregations:  http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/youngadults/anchor/index.shtml
 
[another issue:  bridging youth who don't go to college]
 
#3062  Public Witness, Standing on the Side of Love with LGBT People Everywhere
~ This article describes us in the most generous terms:  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/06/25/2405808/liberal-denomination-stands-up.html#storylink=misearch
 
~ The rally was another form of worship service, exciting for being surrounded by other UUs taking the same public stand.  Other exciting elements included the approaching electrical storm; Mae's collapse, attended by two doctors with 911 on the phone; and the sandwich delivery guy calling just as the storm broke, Mae stood up, UUA President Peter Morales took the microphone, and everyone ran for shelter.  Mae was fine and walked back to her hotel under her own power.  Sandwiches arrived and nearly everyone found their way to dinner eventually.  [We missed you if you didn't!
 
#3063  New Epiphany Revival and Synergy Bridging Worship
            Nick Page, Abhimanyu Janamanchi, Cathy Rion
            ~ A delightful worship service ending with the bridging ceremony of GA youth
            ~ "We Pray" sung/chanted by several hundred UUs must've moved a few mountains.
 
#4002    What They Dreamed is Ours to Do
            Revs. Feingold-Thoryn, Nelson, Southern
            ~Rev. Feingold-Thoryn woke us up with her gracious and grateful sermon about taking      our place in the line of past, present, and future UU leaders.  Besides dreams of the   past, we have our own dreams to fulfill.  She is delightful, and well worth watching the video.
 
#4021  Hymn Sing
Kellie Walker, John Herrick
            ~ There's nothing like singing with a few thousand UUs!
 
#4022  Ware Lecture:  The Challenge of Compassion
Rev. Karen Armstrong
            ~ Watch the lecture, read the book.  Ware lecturers are chosen for very good reasons!
            ~ Rev. Armstrong suggested starting compassion fellowship groups, and several people      at UUFR are already interested.  Let me know, or let John Saxon know, if you're interested.        
 
#5003  Sunday Morning Worship
Revs. Scott Tayler and Kaaren Anderson, "Living Outside the Box."
            ~ Also worth watching, not just for the gutsy and provocative sermon, but also for the audience participation.
 
Talk about good press!   The Charlotte Observer:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/06/25/2405808/liberal-denomination-stands-up.html#storylink=misearch
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Cathy Murphy from UUFR wrote:
GA Workshops:
 
2018 – Crossing Paths: Transgender Welcome and Ministry
2029 – Descendants of Slaveholders
2045 – Make it Plain: Storying and Leading Multicultural Congregations
2074 – Learning Together Musically
2084 – Changing the World: What Works and What Doesn’t
3015 – That Ole Time Religions: Early Southern Universalism/Unitarianism
3036 – Fahs Lecture: Religious Education for People of Color
3043 – Long Strange Trip – 2000 Years of UU History
 
Transgender notes:
I got a great handout from the LGBT Ministries of the UUA. I have 2 copies and we can make more for anyone interested. It has definitions of many terms, including:
Sex and gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, etc. I learned a new term “cisgender”. “Cis” is from a latin work meaning “on the same side”. Cisgender means someone whose gender identities, presentations, and behavior “match” the sex they were assigned at birth. “Gender Binary” – the system of classifying sex and gender into 2 distinct and disconnected forms, dividing people into masculine and feminine bodies, identities, roles and attributes. Many now see this as more of a continuum, such as:
Feminine--------Androgynous---------Masculine
 
The handout also includes 10 ways to be more understanding and welcoming of transgender people, such as:
•               Respect a person’s identity and self-label, and respect a person’s chosen name and pronoun preference. (So, if someone has transitioned from male to female, or  MtF, it is disrespectful to say “Well, he’ll always be Dave to me!”)
•               Recognize that “transgender” is not a sexual orientation and educate yourself and others on the distinctions between sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Recognize that a person can identify with more than one of those labels.
•               Create single stall bathroom(s) and label them in a welcoming way (e.g. as “gender neutral” or “all gender”). Make sure your signs elsewhere communicate that single stall bathroom(s) are available. (Another suggestion is to add “transgender” under the “women” and under the “men” signs on both bathrooms.)
 
The handout also includes a list of resources which are all available on-line.
 
They recommend that we do the Welcoming Congregation process every 5 years. As it has been many more years than that since we went through that process I signed up on the list to be notified of the refresher program they’re updating. I had remembered we had a weekend workshop. I didn’t realize it’s like a year-long process covering many fronts. For example, something in a Sunday service will reach more people than if we just offer a workshop.
 
For Search Committees:
They talked about transgender ministers in the search process. A trans who can “pass” (who looks like the gender to which they’ve transitioned) would probably be called, but if they honestly shared their medical history, they would not likely be called. If someone has been through their transition and has had time to adjust and process these changes, they may have unique gifts to share with a congregation. Calling a TG candidate would require education of the congregation. UUA has resources to help.
 
Mentioned the need to educate newcomers to our congregation, and to educate children. For example, if a child asks if a person is a boy or a girl, because it’s not obvious, they gave 3 possible options:
•               Ask, Does it matter? And then say no, it doesn’t.
•               If the person in question is an adult, another adult could approach that person and see if he or she wants to be part of that conversation with the child.
•               Say, It’s OK if you can’t tell.
 
The minister should be aware of or find out about local transgender/ TG resources.
 
Long Strange Trip – Film on early UU history:
Ronald Cordes put together a very nice DVD of the history of Unitarian and Universalist thought. This was the world premiere of Part 1. This film covered anti-trinitarians such as Arius, Restorationists such as Origen, medieval heretics like John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, and talked about the life and death of Michael Servetus.
 
Ronald had made some movies previously and is doing this series as a retirement project. I purchased a copy of this DVD. It runs for 1 hr. Ronald does the narration in the film, which is shot in US church(es) and in Europe. I’m happy to lend it out, and we can schedule a showing for the congregation, Adult Forum, etc.
 
Slaveholder Descendants:
Prinny Anderson (ERUUF) and Revs Kenneth Collier, David Petee and Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed have found they are all descendants of slave-holders and shared their thoughts and sometimes feelings about this. One theme was that, no, we’re not responsible for the actions or sins of our ancestors, but we are responsible for the present. We need to work on the evil of racism, which is the legacy of slavery. Slavery was based on the assumption that some people have no inherent worth and dignity. We’ve never atoned for this. By working to eliminate racism, we can help atone.
 
There’s an organization called “Coming to the Table” that helps bring “linked” descendants together. That is people who are related through slavery. Their website is: http://www.comingtothetable.org/  These comings together can be powerful healing opportunities.
 
Rev. Morrison-Reed was dismayed to learn that he, as an African American, was a descendant of enslaved people as well as slaveholders. His mother’s people may have sold his father’s people into slavery in Sierra Leone. His white grandfather married a free black woman, possibly African. He has both Union and Confederate ancestors. His wife is related to Jefferson, I believe.
 
The word “reparation” tends to end conversations. Someone suggested using “repairing the damages” instead. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on reparation. He encouraged us to help descendants of the enslaved find their identity and a sense of belonging.
 
Ancestry.com has the 1850-1860 Federal slave census which is complete and more accurate than some sources.
 
There is a fund established in William Sinkford’s name to help provide ministerial scholarship money to students of color. See http://www.uua.org/giving/funds/129600.shtml for more details. This was mentioned as an option for atoning.
 
Multicultural Storying:
“We’re going to tell a new story; a true story. We’re no longer going to tell the story about how the poor create their own poverty, or that women can’t be ministers. Make it a plain vision/story so everyone will get it and get on board.
 
A vision is a preferred reality. Each of us has been anointed and appointed to work for reconciliation. In therapy or with a good friend we make new meaning of our stories. We are partners with god, not puppets.
 
They used Lady Gaga music and a dance to attract young people. Let’s make faith useful to our teens. “I am somebody, and so is my neighbor.”  Young people want:
Exciting services
Social action
LGBT-friendly
Talk in their language
Include things that are part of their lives, like Simpsons, Family Guy, what they’re reading, etc
 
They play jazz in front of their church to attract new people.
 
Diverse = having at least 10% “other” in congregation. It’s hard work to reach and touch varied diverse groups. Involve others in worship planning. Use the arts!!
 
Suffering leads to Endurance which leads to Hope.
 
Tell stories of the people in our congregation. With newcomers, ask “Tell me about your story.” Offer to have coffee with them. If you hear some potential, might try “I see you’re a story teller. Can you help me increase the number of young people here?” or something similar.
 
She said we have to rehearse now to be ready for our vision when it happens. For example, there won’t be a separate place in Heaven for Blacks…
 
http://www.middlechurch.org/ is site for the speaker’s congregation.
 
Learning Together Musically:
•               Use music to aid teaching. Music helps us retain information.
•               An easy way to teach a round is to break up the song into the various parts and each section just sings that same smaller piece over and over, not having to learn the whole piece.
•               Have DRE and Music Director cooperate for Time for All Ages, e.g. play Follow the Drinking Gourd if talking about slavery. Or use piano or other instruments to play sounds for special effects during the story.
•               Use music to calm children down before RE class. Get progressively softer when singing and just mouth song the last time.
•               Teach Dona Nobis Pacem as a “spell” for peace ;-)
•               Have a small group from the choir go to RE classes and sing, or have a wandering minstrel.
•               Tapestry of Faith curriculum has lots of songs in it.
•               UUA website has recordings of all songs in the Singing the Journey songbook.
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Robert Stolar from Outlaw’s Bridge Universalist Church wrote :
 
General Assembly Workshop “What Young Adults Look for in a Congregation”
---        Ages considered young adult 18-35 plus
---        Creating a space for young adults
                        Hosting free space for groups as Greenpeace, Green Space
                        Sunday morning does not work
                        Night meetings with child care
---        Young professional mobile access via podcasts and electronic media
---        Child care and group meetings not exclusive to couples with children
#2---    Music (drums, choir)
---        Facebook connection “question of the day”
---        Involve young adults in planning and participation
---        “I want you here; I’m glad you’re here; what can we plan?”
---        Ask young adults to help plan the worship
---        Time constraints of Generation “X”
                        Family fun night w/activities for kids
---        Post it on you-tube/free media
---        Family friendly to all ages
#3---    Good Director of Religious Education
---        Pot luck can be pizza
#1---    Social media #1: good looking web-site
---        Coffee shop, performers
---        Open for everyone’s opinion; multigenerational space
---        501C3 internship for I.T. college credits for designing web-site
---        Prayer, open discussion
---        Bibles, Koran denote spiritual space
---        Free food with open discussion at College Campus Ministry
---        Web presence: no more than 5 clicks to get where you want
---        Easy and accessible to attend church
---        Apps: instant grab & post @tweet, tumbler, etc
---        Fund-raising:  keep the change debit card
---        Discussion topics: drug legalization
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