Last updated: 05/18/2011

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Metro NY Minute -- January 2010

 
 
News From the District
 
 
The District Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee (ARDC) is asking every District congregation to convene a conversation on inclusion in the coming months. Delegates to the 2009 General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a responsive resolution calling on congregations to begin conversations about how to make inclusion a reality. The ARDC has sent congregational leaders a special resource and information packet  to help spark these conversations, and the ARDC hopes to report to the UUA that every District congregation has taken up this call. For more information, contact the Rev. Dr. Michael Tino, ARDC co-chair.
Of the 51 District congregations, the First Unitarian Society of Westchester (Hastings-on-Hudson NY) is the first -- and so far only -- congregation to certify its membership this year with the UUA. Kudos to Hastings! The deadline is February 1. See sidebar for more information on certifying.
Kierstin Homblette, District Youth Ministry Consultant, and Claire Sexton, District Young Adult and Campus Ministry Consultant, provide vital services to District congregations. Read about Kierstin's work  and Claire's work  this past year.
 The 11th Annual District Anti-Racism Conclave will be held May 15 at the Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan) from 9:00am - 4:00pm. Planners hope to make this event multigenerational, including workshops for children, youth, and adults of all ages. More information to come soon. Save the date!
News From the UUA

New Media for Unitarian Universalists, a slide show presentation outlining major new media tools -- including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and more -- is available for viewing online. A beginner-friendly presentation, the slide show offers basic definitions, explains advantages of each medium, and links to specific examples of how new media is used to promote Unitarian Universalism. The slide show was created by Shelby Meyerhoff, UUA Public Witness Specialist. View the slide show. A related article appears in the current issue of InterConnections. Read the article.

January 31 is the deadline for congregations to update their membership lists with the UUA so that new members receive the Spring 2010 issue of UU World magazine. Updates are made by logging in to the new my.UUA.org system. An authorized user must register for a congregation's my.UUA.org account. To meet the January 31 update deadline, be sure to register by January 28. To register, visit my.uua.org/accounts.

 		 
Worth Repeating

The deadline for the 2010 Congregational Certification of Membership is February 1, 8:00pm Eastern Time, just a few short weeks away. Each year, congregations certify their membership number and submit other statistical information to the UUA. Doing so allows a congregation to send delegates to General Assembly and to the District Annual Meeting. Membership numbers are used to calculate the coming fiscal year's Fair Share and Full Share amounts. Through the certification process, congregations can vote on whether the Draft Statement of Conscience on Peacemaking will appear on the final agenda for General Assembly 2010 and can vote for up to five proposed Congregational Study/Action Issues for 2010-14.

Are you interested in presenting a workshop at the 2010 District Annual Meeting? The Annual Meeting planners would like to hear from you! The 2010 District Annual Meeting will be held April 30-May 1, at the Hyatt Morristown (NJ). To enter your workshop proposal, click here.
Presentation of the 2010 District Awards and 2010 District Scholarships will be a highlight of the 2010 District Annual Meeting. You are invited to submit a nomination for one or more of four awards, and to encourage youth to apply for a scholarship. The nomination and application deadline is March 1.
The Sixth Annual Winter Retreat of the District Young Adult Community will be held February 12-15, at the Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville NY. Young adults can meet new friends, participate in arts and crafts, hiking, or snow tubing, or take time for personal reflection. To register, click here. For more information, contact Ryan Novosielski.
More Good Stuff to Check Out!

Worship Service Providers available to District congregations

RE-Sources for religious education leaders

Job opportunities around the District

InterConnections for lay leaders

Social Action of the Month of the UUA

Congregational Bulletin, UUA monthly email

uuworld.org, UUA's online magazine

UU Service Committee news

Small Talk newsletter for small UU congregations

 
 Proposed UUA bylaw amendments affecting future elections of the UUA President and Moderator will be voted on by delegates to the 2010 General Assembly. The proposed changes specify that nominees for President be determined by a seven-person Presidential Search Committee and that nominees for Moderator be determined by the UUA Board of Trustees. Nominations by petition would also allowed. The proposed changes also specify that the President and Moderator each serve a single six-year term, rather then the current maximum of two four-year terms. Read the proposed bylaws .
The Fifth Principal Task Force, charged by the UUA Board of Trustees with evaluating General Assembly and developing a set of recommendations, will present a report to the Board at its January 13-17 meeting. The report recommends that General Assembly be a bi-annual event and that the UUA subsidize delegate attendance for Fair Share congregations. Read the report .
 The General Assembly Youth Caucus Staff Application deadline has been extended to January 15. Applications from adults who want to support youth staff members are especially encouraged to apply for the position of adult chaplain and the position of advisor. Youth leaders should also apply for the positions of chaplain, worship coordinator, and program facilitator. Read more .
The Standing on the Side of Love campaign is re-imagining Valentines' Day as National Standing on the Side of Love Day. Resources, including a worship packet and small group ministry curriculum, are available online. In addition to other activities, the campaign asks that participating congregations take a collection to help fund the campaign. Read more.     
What Moves Us: Unitarian Universalist Theology, a new adult religious education curriculum by the Rev. Dr. Thandeka, is now available online through the UUA's Tapestry of Faith program. The curriculum uses 10 90-minute sessions (expandable to two hours) to explore the life experiences and theological writings of historic and contemporary UU theologians, including William Ellery Channing, Hosea Ballou, Margaret Fuller, William Schulz, Sophia Lyon Fahs, and Forrest Church, among others.
A revitalized UUA website will be launched on February 1, according to the Office of Electronic Communications. The goal is a more welcoming and informative site. See a preview  screen shot.
 Nominations for the 2010 Angus H. MacLean Award for excellence in religious education are now being accepted. The deadline is March 1. Read more . Nominations for other awards, including the Award for Distinguished Service and the Skinner Sermon Award, are also being accepted. For more information, click here. 

News From Congregations
The Unitarian Church in Summit (NJ) has been selected as a 2010 Breakthrough Congregation by the UUA. Congratulations! The congregation will prepare and present a video at General Assembly documenting their achievements. Breakthrough Congregations are selected for recognition by virtue of their outstanding record of growth. Watch for a special feature on Summit in February.
 
Milestones and Transitions

The Rev. Tracy Sprowls-Jenks will be installed by the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield on April 18 at 5:00 pm.

Maggie Riordan now serves the UU Congregation of Monmouth County (Lincroft NJ) as Administrator, replacing Janet Rubinaccio who was previously Office Manager.
 
The UU Fellowship of Huntington (NY) has contributed more money for Association Sunday 2009 -- $11,875.58 --  than any other congregation. Though some congregations are still planning to contribute, it's expected that Huntington's contribution will remain the largest. Says Stephan Papa, UUA Special Assistant to the President for Growth Funding, "We are very appreciative of the UU Fellowship of Huntington for this inspirational model of generous support for Growing Our Faith." A total of $256,512 from 539 participating congregations has been contributed so far.
 Linda Bonk, past president of the Skylands UU Fellowship (Hackettstown NJ), is featured in a nj.com article about the debate in the New Jersey legislature on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. "Our principals tell us that all couples should be allowed to marry, said Linda. Read more. The bill failed to pass the Senate on January 7 by a vote of 14-20. 
 The UU Society in Stamford (CT) welcomed on December 6 more than 600 participants to hot chocolate and a warm place to sit during the city's annual holiday tree lighting festival . An annual tradition for the Society, the event drew double the number of people from previous years.
 The First UU Fellowship of Hunterdon County (Baptistown NJ), in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be listening to five of Dr. King's sermons and speeches the week of January 18-22. There will be a different speech each evening, followed by a time of fellowship and refreshments.
Other Noteworthy Items
District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty signed a marriage equality bill into law on December 18, 2009, at a public ceremony held at All Souls Church, Unitarian. Rev. Peter Morales, UUA President, issued a statement saying, "I applaud the new law that extends marriage rights to same-sex couples in Washington, DC. This legislation will make a profound difference to many Washington families, and it will shine as a beacon of hope for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens across the country." The U.S. Congress has final say in all laws approved by the District of Columbia. This review process must be completed within 30 legislative days of a bill becoming law. Watch a video of reactions following the signing at All Souls.
The UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey will hold its Annual Plenary Meeting on January 30, with keynote speaker the Rev. Peter Morales, UUA President, at the Unitarian Society, A UU Congregation (East Brunswick NJ). UUs from throughout New Jersey will gather to discuss actions on key legislative issues and share ideas. The UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey was the recipient of the District's Spring 2009 Chalice Lighters funds.
 The UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) has been awarded a grant of $9,650 from the UU Funding Program, allowing UUMFE to continue its environmental justice work. To receive the grant, the UUMFE must raise $7,000 to cover its part of the program budget. To make a donation to the UUMFE, click here, then enter an amount in the donation field, noting in the comment line on the checkout form that the donation is for the grant matching fund.
Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center in Lanoka Harbor NJ continues hosting its monthly services and potluck dinners to welcome and support GLBTQQI (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) people and their families. Upcoming services are on January 24, February 14, and March 28. Service at 5:00 pm, potluck at 6:00 pm. RSVP 609-693-5558 or murraygrove@murraygrove.org.
Upcoming Workshops and Meetings
Visit the District's Calendar and Events page for these and other events:
  
bullet Building Healthy Congregations Session 1: January 16, Fourth Universalist Society (Manhattan. For a flyer, click here . To register, click here. For more information, contact Doug Zelinski.
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Luncheon and Lecture to Celebrate the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial: January 16, Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan), sponsored by the District Women and Religions Committee. For a flyer and registration, click here . For more information, contact Laurie James.
bullet Colleague Conversations: January 19, Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan). For teams of parish ministers and religious educators. To register, click here. For more information, contact Andrea Lerner.
bullet Long Island Leadership Institute Session 4: January 23, UU Fellowship of Huntington (NY). For more information, contact Doug Zelinski.
bullet Youth Social Con: January 29-31, Unitarian Church in Summit (NY). For more information, contact Katie Parker.
bullet LREDA Chapter Retreat: January 31-Feb 3, Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center, Lanoka Harbor NJ. For a flyer and registration information, click here . For more information, contact Chris Buja.
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Building Healthy Congregations Session 2: February 6, location to be announced. For a flyer, click here Acrobat Reader Required. To register, click here. For more information, contact Doug Zelinski.
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Young Adult Community Sixth Annual Winter Retreat: February 13-15, Frost Valley YMCA, Claryville NY. To register, click here. For more information, click here or contact Ryan Novosielski. 
bullet Presidents Roundtable: February 20, location to be announced. Presidents, vice presidents, and ministers are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Andrea Lerner.
bullet LREDA Professional Day: February 25, Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan). For a flyer, click here Acrobat Reader Required. To register, click here. For more information, contact Kim Mason.
bullet Long Island Leadership Institute Session 5: February 27, UU Congregation of Central Nassau (Garden City NY). For more information, contact Doug Zelinski.
bullet Building Healthy Congregations Session 3: March 6, location to be announced. For a flyer, click here Acrobat Reader Required. To register, click here. For more information, contact Doug Zelinski.
bullet Youth Leadership Development Con: March 19-21, UU Fellowship of Northern Westchester (Mount Kisco NY). For more information, contact Katie Parker.
bullet Building Healthy Congregations Session 4: April 10, location to be announced. For a flyer, click here Acrobat Reader Required. To register, click here. For more information, contact Doug Zelinski.
bullet Junior Youth Con: April 17-18, Morristown (NJ) Unitarian Fellowship. For more information, contact Peter Green.
bullet 2010 District Annual Meeting: April 30-May 1, Hyatt Morristown (NJ). For more information, contact Laurie Golson.
  

Guided by our living faith, the Unitarian Universalist District of Metropolitan New York exists to be a source of connection and transformation for our congregations and our larger world.