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Metro NY Minute -
October 2011 |
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News From the
District
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The 6th Annual
Leadership Day: Defying Gravity will take place
November 5 at the UU Congregation at Shelter
Rock (Manhasset NY) The keynote speaker will be the
Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, renowned author of Tribal
Church and Reframing Hope and expert on
multigenerational congregational life. The afternoon
workshops will congregational leaders by
congregational role – ministers, DREs, presidents,
treasurers, worship chairs, musicians, committees on
ministry, young adult leaders, and others. The cost
will be modest, since the program is generously
underwritten by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock,
and scholarships are available. Watch for further
details.
An all-day small group ministry training workshop
will be held on October 8 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at
the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock
(Manhasset NY). All District UUs who want to learn
more about small group ministry or to improve their
skills as facilitators and leaders are invited to
attend. The training will be led by the Rev. M'Ellen
Kennedy, a community minister with 20 years of
experience working with lay-led small groups and
cofounder of the UU Small Group Ministry Network. A
light breakfast (at 9:00 am) and a light lunch will
be provided. A small fee will be charged. For more
information, email
smallgroupministry@uucsr.org or call
1-516-627-6560 x141.
The
UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey will hold
its annual Issues Conference on October 29 from
9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Get an update on what is
happening in immigration, health care, the
environment, and affordable housing in New Jersey
and beyond. The conference will be held at the
Unitarian Society, A UU Congregation (East Brunswick
NJ). To register,
click here. For more information, contact
director@UULMNJ.org.
More Good Stuff to Check Out!
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 Building Healthy Congregations is now open for registration. Six
day-long workshops for leadership teams will focus on understanding
the congregation’s functioning as an emotional system of
interrelated parts. This training is for congregational teams only.
For maximum impact, congregations should aim for teams of three to
eight members including both lay and professional leaders. All
sessions, beginning November 12, take place at the Community Church
of New York UU (Manhattan). For a flyer,
click here
 . To register,
click here. For more information, contact
Andrea Lerner. (Note: Long
Island congregations should register for the Healthy Congregations
workshops offered by the Long Island Leadership Institute (LILI),
offered January-June 2012. Contact
Chris Morris for more information
about LILI.)
The UU Congregation of Somerset Hills (Somerville NJ) will be
the recipient of funds collected for the Fall 2011 Chalice
Lighters program. The congregation will use the funds to bring
their recently purchased facility into compliance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act, including installing an elevator and building
a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
Read more
.
Since 2004, nearly $276,000 has been raised during 11 Chalice
Lighters calls.
The 2012 District Annual Meeting will be held May 4-5, 2012,
and you are invited to submit a proposal to facilitate a workshop.
To submit a proposal,
click here.
Applications for Harvest the Power are due October 18.
Harvest the Power is a weekend-long event November 11-13 to
introduce leaders to the Tapestry of Faith curriculum
Harvest the Power: Lay Leadership Development. Participants
will be trained to train others to lead this powerful
curriculum in a congregational setting. The ideal candidates
for this training are experienced congregational leaders,
ministers, and religious educators. For more information and
an application,
click here
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Is yours a Threshold Congregation? Do you want to grow but
need a little help? Do you have a vision of where you want
to go but need a map to get there? The Threshold
Congregation program might be able to help. This three- year
program is designed to help our congregations grapple with
these questions and more. The
Central
East Regional Group is now accepting "Intent to Apply"
applications for the next round of Threshold Congregations.
Up to nine congregations will be accepted into the program
this year. The Intent to Apply should be submitted to
Andrea Lerner by
October 28. Want to know more about the program? Have
questions?
Click here for dates, forms, a video explaining the
program, an FAQ, and an article about last year's Threshold
Congregations that started on their three-year journey in
May. You might be a Threshold Congregation!
Many events scheduled in any of the four districts of the
Central
East Regional Group (Joseph Priestley, St. Lawrence,
Ohio-Meadville, and Metro NY) are open to District UUs,
including OWL training. For a list of opportunities,
click here.
Webinars
On Demand from the Central East Regional Group are
available on your own time and schedule. Consider these
possibilities: Congregational Polity for the Indifferent Lay
Leader; Drawing the Line: Disruptive Behavior Policies and
Procedures; Basic Safety Policies & Tips; Creating Meetings
That Matter; Rethinking the Committee: "Doing Church" in the
21st Century; Committees on Ministry: An Overview;
Introducing a Multi-Site Church Model; and Powerful Pathways
to Membership.
Webinars at fixed times are also available,
including webinars on
youth ministry (October 19, November 16, December 21,
January 18, February 15, March 21, April 18, and May 16) and
the
new Environment and Justice Curriculum from the UU
Ministry for Earth (October 15).
News From the
UUA 
 Gathered Here, a broad-reaching initiative of the UUA to
cast a new vision, gets underway. The UUA Board and
President Peter Morales invite all UUs to shape common
aspirations and to articulate a new vision of ministries.
Gathered Here is based on Appreciate Inquiry, an approach to
organizational change that builds on what’s working rather
than trying to fix what’s not. Beginning in October and for
16 months, one-on-one, in small groups, and in conversations
within and between congregations, participants will be asked
to think about their faith experience and of meaningful,
even transforming moments in UU communities. By reflecting
on how those positive experiences are relevant to the
future, a new vision for Unitarian Universalism will be
created. Lead facilitators have been recruited. Group
facilitators are being recruited and trained this month. If
you would like to join that team, complete the Volunteer
Application at
www.uua.org/gatheredhere. Meanwhile, talk with your
minister or congregational leaders to plan now for your
congregation members to participate personally and at a
congregationally or cluster based event.
Read more
.
 A
tentative schedule is now available for General Assembly
2012, a Justice GA, in Phoenix AZ June 20-24, 2012. The
schedule includes many opportunities for public witness,
worship, and learning about immigration, racism, and
economic justice. “There is no piece of GA that will be the
same as it always was,” said Gini Courter, UUA Moderator.
Read more from uuworld.org. Read
a statement from the General Assembly Planning Committee
,
which met in September.
The General Assembly 2012 Program Development Group
is accepting
proposals for programmed events until November 1. To
merit consideration, proposals should be related to the
issues of migration and borders, and/or racial and economic
justice.
To help congregations
prepare for General Assembly 2012, the UU has launched a new
project: Cooking Together: Recipes for Immigration Justice
Work. “Through the Cooking Together project, people of
all ages who are passionate about immigration justice are
invited to share, create, and adapt materials to help
congregations faithfully consider and respond to one of the
major issues of our time, whether or not they will be
sending delegates to Phoenix for GA 2012. Through this
project, we will collect and organize what has already been
developed by congregations, districts, and staff groups, and
create new resources where there are gaps. Cooking
Together includes both a
blog, where people can talk about particular
resources,
and a web page offering a growing library of
resources for worship, theological reflection, religious
education, and faithful witness for people of all ages and
life stages. The blog is the ‘kitchen’ where all are invited
to contribute resources and put ideas into the simmer pot,
and the web page is the ‘banquet table,’ with resources for
congregations of all sizes and kinds to sample.”
Beginning November 15, congregations can vote in the Congregational
Poll
to decide which Congregational Study/Action Issues go on the agenda
for General Assembly 2012, where one CSAI will be selected as
the 2012-2016 Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI).
Congregations will also have an opportunity to submit comments on
the CSAI,
Immigration as a Moral Issue. The Congregational Poll is
part of the
annual membership certification process opening November
15.
 The UUA’s newest pamphlet,
To
the Point: 15 Elevator Speeches, offers a diverse collection
of brief responses to the question “What Is Unitarian
Universalism?” from the Rev. Peter Morales, the Rev. Forrest
Church, the Rev. Bill Sinkford, and others. To read the full
text and purchase packs of 25 from the UUA Bookstore,
click
here. To see the full list of UUA pamphlets, read the
pamphlet texts, and place orders,
click here.
The UU Stewardship Lab is a new Facebook Group, a free space
and think tank for UU change agents about stewardship.
Enlarge the conversation by signing up and inviting your
stewardship leader friends to do so, too.
Young Adult Service Directory is a list of organizations
that provide a wide array of domestic and international
service opportunities. These organizations have been
thoroughly researched by the Office of Youth & Young Adult
Ministries with the hope that any UU young adult can search,
evaluate, and ultimately choose an organization that
provides a suitable opportunity for them.
 Acts
of Faith
by Eboo Patel has been selected as the UUA’s Common Read for
2011-12.
A Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the
same book in a given period of time. A Common Read can build
community by giving diverse people a shared experience,
shared language, and a basis for deep and meaningful
conversations. Ten years after 9/11,
Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle
for the Soul of a Generation
is a remarkable account of growing up Muslim in America from
one of the most prominent faith leaders in the US. The book
describes the vulnerability of youth to violent,
fundamentalist influences and makes a case for everyone,
particularly youth, to promote pluralism through engagement
in interfaith dialogue, education, and social justice work.
The Youth Project Grant Program
supports local youth-led projects that give UU high
school-aged youth opportunities to grow in faith, deepen in
spirit, develop skills, and offer leadership and service to
UU communities. Grants are awarded to youth who have paired
with an adult advisor in a sponsoring congregation,
district, or UU organization.
A new Green Sanctuary blog is available:
Learn about joining the massive demonstration rally on
October 21 in Trenton NJ to show Delaware River Basin
commissioners that people are opposed to fracking, or sign a
petition in you can’t attend.
News From Congregations
Milestones and Transitions
The Rev. Marcia Mario
now serves the
UU Congregation of Somerset Hills
(Somerville NJ) as Interim Minister, succeeding
the Rev. Wendy Pantoja, Pastoral Minister.
 The
Rev. Kimberly Tomaszewski
was ordained by the
North Fork UU Fellowship
(Jamesport NY) on September 17.
Read more.
The Rev. Kathleen Green
will be installed at the
Unitarian Society of Ridgewood
(NJ) on October 16 at 4:00 pm.
The Rev. Bill
Neely will be installed at the UU
Congregation of Princeton (NJ) on November 6
at 5:00 pm.
The Rev. Peggy Clarke will be installed
at the Unitarian Society of Westchester
(Hastings-on-Hudson NY) on March 25, 2012, at
5:00 pm.
The Rev. Dr. Kelly Murphy Mason was
recently named Pastoral Counselor at Union
Theological Seminary in the New York City where
she will counsel students and consult with
members of the Union community. This summer, Dr.
Mason stepped down from her post as Director of
Pastoral Care & Counseling Programs at the
Blanton-Peale Institute where she worked for
five years. Union is her alma mater. |
 The UU Congregation at Rock Tavern (NY)
re-dedicated its Peace Pole on September 11 to the concept of "May
Peace Prevail on Earth." This pole stood near the congregation’s
previous sanctuary when, on September 12, 2006, a devastating fire
completely destroyed that structure. Read
more .
The UU Congregation of Queens (Flushing NY)
is sponsoring the 5th
Annual Queens Revival October
7-8 “bringing the best of that old-time religion (great preaching,
boisterous singing and scrumptious food) with an updated progressive
feel.” Guest preachers include the Rev. Nate Walker (Philadelphia),
the Rev.
Susan Karlson (Staten
Island NY),
the Rev. John Crestwell (Annapolis),
and Rebecca Keller Scholl (Brookline).
The cost is $15 for a single night or $25 for both Friday and
Saturday (including dinner). For more information, contact the Rev.
Ian Maher.
The Rev. Elizabeth Scheuerman,
Consulting Minister at the UU
Ocean County Congregation (Toms
River NJ)
helped lead an interfaith service on 911 in Forked
River NJ,
reading the poem “My Heart Has Become Able” by Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi.
“Interfaith understanding is very dear to my heart,” she said. Read
more.
The Unitarian Church in Westport (CT) now sponsors Voices
Café,
with its grand opening on October 15 featuring Pesky J. Nixon.
“Voices Café is dedicated to building a community of spirit and
action by presenting folk artists that have something to say. We are
about community: the community of spirit, the community of music,
the community of people in our area that are passionate about the
ways in which the spirit is moved to make this a better world.”
Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Doors open at 7:30.
 The
UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie (NY)
and their new minister, the Rev. Walter LeFlore (pictured),
are featured in a PoughkeepsieJournal.com article. Rev. LeFlore
“comes with a dream and commitment to help build the ‘beloved
community.’ He defines the ‘beloved community’ as ‘a place that
includes us all, where we are not only loved and accepted, we are
supported and encouraged to be our full and best selves, a place
where we honor and take care of one another.’”
Read more.
The Morristown (NJ) Unitarian Fellowship is
recovering nicely from the power outage due to hurricane Irene and
has started religious education classes working with the
Fellowship's theme this year of stories that shape us.
The UU Society in Stamford (CT) had its first
meeting with a new group initiated by the
Interfaith Counsel called Stamford Small Congregations
Collaborative (SSCC). The Society hope to join forces with other
congregations facing similar challenges in order to increase social
outreach capabilities and provide support for one another.
The Rev. Kathleen Green, Minister, and Margaret White,
Chair of the Anti-Racism Committee, of the Unitarian Society of
Ridgewood (NJ) were featured participants at the third annual
People’s Ceremony "Honoring the Ancestors—Continuing the Struggle
for Peace and Justice," held at the African Historic Monument on the
Court House Lawn in Hackensack NJ on October 1. The monument was
placed in 2008 to join similar memorials to victims of the Jewish
holocaust, the Armenian genocide, and the Irish potato famine. It is
the only such memorial in New Jersey to the Africans who were
enslaved in the Americas.
Read more.
 Mary
Collins, Director of Religious Education at the UU Congregation of
Danbury (CT), contributed an article to newstimes.com,
describing the religious education program at her congregation. “Our
religious education is centered around UU values, world religions,
life skills, lived values, social action and the spiritual life. As
our children's affirmation says, "We are Unitarian Universalists. We
are people with open minds, loving hearts and helping hands."
Read more.
Members of the UU Congregation of Somerset Hills (Somerville
NJ) have been volunteering at The Giving Network, an outreach
program of the Congregation, to assist those recently affected by
Hurricane Irene. Members have been collecting donated furniture and
household items and delivering them to people who lost their homes
or suffered damage.
Other Noteworthy Items
 The
UU Ministry for Earth encourages congregations to take action this
fall on issues related to food ,
in support of the Ethical Eating Statement of Conscience, adopted at
General Assembly 2011. Two independent Food Days to consider are:
October 16:
World Food Day, the 31st annual day of focus on alleviating hunger
around the world, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations. This year’s theme is "Food Prices: >From
Crisis to Stability."
October 24:
Food Day, a newly launched project of the Center for Science in the
Public Interest, focused on healthy eating, sustainable agriculture,
and hunger. This year’s theme is "Time to Eat Real."
Read more.
The Metro NY UU Christian Fellowship will be resuming its
regular monthly meetings at the Community Church of New York UU
(Manhattan) starting in October on the first Tuesday of each month
through the 2011-2012 program year. Led by the Rev. Dr. Kelly Murphy
Mason, the group is devoted to fellowship and discussion, religious
education, and spiritual deepening and is open to everyone
interested in the relationship of Unitarian Universalism to
Christian practice. UUs throughout the District are warmly invited
to attend: clergy members, religious educators, seminarians,
ministerial candidates and lay leaders, cradle UUs and Christian
"come-outers", recovering Catholics and fundamentalists, the
theologically committed, and the relatively uninformed, true
believers and the Christian-curious. Anyone in the region with any
degree of interest in the Jesus event, Christian traditions, or
gospel stories is most welcome. This year’s programming will center
around UU Erik Walker Wikstrom's book,
Teacher,
Guide, Companion: Rediscovering Jesus in a Secular World.
Read more
.
 Equual
Access provides
accessibility guidelines
addressing the inclusion of all people in congregation life. Equual
Access was created to promote equality and access for UUs with
disabilities, through coalition building, education, creation of
policies, and empowerment. For additional information on
accessibility from the UUA,
click here.
In celebration of the founding of the United Nations on October 24,
1945,
the UU United
Nations Office invites congregations and individual UUs to
deepen their understanding of the UN by devoting one service in
October to reaffirming the connections between UU principles and
vital issues dealt with at the UN. The
UN Sunday Resource Packet
includes everything you need to plan a UN Sunday service, from the
history of the UN to a sample Order of Service with suggested hymns
and readings. The packet also includes information about our theme
for this year’s UN Sunday: Empower Women for a Better World. This
year's UN Sunday will take place on October 23
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Upcoming Workshops and Meeting
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Visit the District
Calendar and the District Events
page for these and other events. You may also want to visit the
CERG Events
page. |
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Small Group Ministry Training: October 8, UU Congregation at
Shelter Rock (Manhasset NY). For more information, contact
smallgroupministry@uucsr.org or call 1-516-627-6560 x141. |
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13th Annual Anti-Racism Conclave: Solidarity as Spiritual
Practice:
October 15, Community Church of New
York UU (Manhattan).
For a flyer,
click here .
For more information, contact
Eddy Fried.
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Advisor Con: Deepening
Your Y(uu)th Ministry:
November 4-6, UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (Manhasset
NY). For a flyer,
click here .
To register,
click here. |
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6th Annual
Leadership Day: Defying Gravity:
November 5-6, UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (Manhasset
NY). For more
information, contact Andrea
Lerner. |
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Harvest the Power
Leader Training:
November 11-13, Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal
Center, Lanoka Harbor
NJ. For more information, contact
Pat Infante. |
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Women’s Annual Weekend Renewal:
November 11-13, St. Josephat’s Retreat House, Glen Cove NY. For a
flyer and registration,
click here
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For more information, contact
Sandra Frank.
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Building Healthy
Congregations Session 1: November 12, Community Church
of New York UU (Manhattan). For a flyer,
click here
. To register,
click here. For more information, contact Andrea Lerner. |
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Teacher
Development Renaissance Module:
November 15-17, Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal
Center, Lanoka Harbor
NJ. For a flyer,
click here
.
To register,
click here. For more information, contact
Andrea Lerner. |
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Elementary OWL
Training:
December 2-4, UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (Manhasset
NY). To register,
click here. For more
information, contact Andrea Lerner. |
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Building Healthy
Congregations Session 2: December 10, Community Church of New York UU
(Manhattan). For a flyer,
click here
. To register,
click here. For more information, contact Andrea Lerner. |
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Building Healthy
Congregations Session 3: January 14, Community Church of New York UU
(Manhattan). For a flyer,
click here
. To register,
click here. For more information, contact Andrea Lerner. |
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