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Metro NY
Minute -- July/August 2007 |
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| News
from the UU District of Metro NY |
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The Metro NY District Board of Trustees is pleased to
announce that Andrea Lerner has accepted the role of Acting
District Executive for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. Andrea
has been District Religious Education Program Consultant for
four years and in that role has served as one-half of the
Executive Team under the District's Policy Governance
system. Read more
from Jerry Muntz, District President.
Please be advised that
anyone having questions or concerns regarding the
resignation of Rev. Calvin Dame as Interim Congregational
Services Consultant for the District should contact Rev.
Harlan Limpert, UUA Director of District Services, at
952-903-0707 or
hlimpert@uua.org.
The Spring 2007
Chalice Lighters Call for the
First Unitarian
Society of Plainfield
(NJ) has been completed. To date only 20
congregations have made contributions. Chalice Lighters
Coordinators are requested to submit all remaining
contributions as soon as possible.
Read more
from Bill Slezak, District Chalice Lighters
Coordinator. The Fall 2007 Chalice Lighters Call will
help fund a training program with
New Dollars/New Partners, part of
Partners for Sacred Places, for up to 12 congregations
that have older or historic buildings and want to restore,
improve, and better utilize their buildings. Interested
congregations should contact
Andrea Lerner. The
deadline for applying for the Spring 2008 Chalice Lighters
Call has been extended until October 1, 2007.
Click here
for an application form.
Nearly 5700 UUs attended
General Assembly (GA) in Portland OR. If you missed
it, you can still share the experience by viewing
online videos, reading summaries,
journals, and
blogs of each day's events, or purchasing
CDs or DVDs. During Friday's
Plenary III, the UU Congregation of Central
Nassau (Garden City NY) received the prestigious O.
Eugene Pickett award, given annually to a congregation that
has made an outstanding contribution to growth. Members
of District congregations presented 11 workshops on
topics ranging from Celebrating 30 Years of Women & Religion
to Organizing for a Just Recovery in the Gulf to Lay
Theological Education. Read more
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Register Now For . . .
UU Leadership Team Institute, a
collaborative initiative of the Murray Grove
Association and the Joseph Priestly, Metro NY,
Ohio-Meadville, and St. Lawrence districts. A
six-day residential program July 28-August 3, the
Institute is designed for congregational leaders
wishing to strengthen their team and leadership
skills in order to make a real impact in their
congregations and communities.
Click here
for a flyer.
Leadership
Development Day, hosted by the UU Congregation
at Shelter Rock (Manhasset NY), featuring Gini
Courter, UUA Moderator, October 6.
Click here
for registration flyer.
More Good Stuff to Check Out!
Worship Service Providers available to
District congregations
RE-Sources
for religious education leaders
Job
opportunities around the District
SmallTalk
for
small congregations
Action Alerts
from the UUA Washington Office for
Advocacy
InterConnections for lay leaders
UUA Monthly Mailing to all congregations
UUWorld.org, UUA's online magazine |
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Open Space
technology was a first-ever at GA this year. Approximately 20% of those attending GA participated in one or more Open Space sessions, designed to identify the core issues for UUs today. During the process, 30 "mission-oriented statements"
were created. GA delegates voted on their top five choices for consideration by the UUA Board as the board works on "ends statements" for policy governance. Voting was by Scantron and results will be available later this year.
General Assembly 2008 will be held in Fort Lauderdale FL June 25-29. The GA Planning Committee is soliciting proposals for featured presentations, workshops, worships, lectures, presentations, and performances. All applications must be received by October 15. Click here
for application guidelines.
The First Unitarian Society of Westchester (Hastings-on-Hudson NY), hit hard by the nor'easter storm on April 15, is determined to recover, but the cost of repairing the damage is staggering. Read more
. Donations to the Society's Storm Damage Recovery Fund can be mailed to the First Unitarian Society of Westchester, 25 Old Jackson Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson NY 10706.
Claire Sexton joins the District as Young Adult and Campus Ministry Consultant. The position is funded in part by a grant from the UUA's Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office. Read more
from Claire.
In April 2005, $580 was collected from District UUs as a gift to outgoing District President Lynda Bluestein, who was to name a charity to receive the funds. Lynda has chosen to donate the funds to a newly created District Leadership Fund, designed to offset the cost of attending UU workshops and training opportunities. Lynda also has pledged to match the gift with a personal contribution to the Leadership Fund, and the District is most grateful for her generosity. Others wishing to a make a contribution to the Fund may send a check, payable to UUDMNY, to UUDMNY Leadership Fund, PO Box 898, Croton-on-Hudson NY 10520.
Jim Sanders and the Annual Program Fund (APF) thank our District congregations for their generosity. And two congregations show their generosity in big ways! Read more
from Jim.
The UUA has launched "Now is the Time!", a five-year comprehensive fundraising campaign to generate $20 million in immediate resources and $30 million in legacy covenants. UUA President Bill Sinkford announced the launch during Plenary II of General Assembly in Portland OR in June. "This is our largest, most ambitious campaign ever," said Sinkford. The campaign is designed to help Unitarian Universalism grow in "numbers, diversity, witness, leadership and spirit." Part of the campaign is a series of Association Sundays. Congregations are asked to schedule a Sunday during which a special collection will be taken to "affirm our connection, and to bring our resources together for greater effect."
The New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Ministries will present awards on November 8 to recognize outstanding and creative efforts to support the spiritual lives of people with disabilities or special needs. This interfaith group recognizes all kinds of support and projects. Application deadline is Oct 8, 2007. The UU Church at Washington Crossing (Titusville NJ) is a previous award recipient. Let’s be recognized for our good works. Click here for more information and an application.
Enrollment in the UUA Health Plan is open at any time to newly hired employees or newly added dependents, or to those who have lost health insurance previously provided by a spouse. Read more .
New congregation staff salary recommendations are available for the 2008 calendar year from the UUA. A new congregational size has been added: Mid-Sized III, applicable to congregations with membership ranging from 250 to 349 members.
Thanks to the “High-Five” challenge, 90 percent of the 124 members of the Unitarian Church of Staten Island (NY) have pledged to double or triple their financial commitments to the church. Many pledged as much as five percent of their income, said the Rev. Nate Walker, outgoing Consulting Minister. One of the biggest motivations to increase pledges is the congregation’s commitment to fairly compensating its staff. “Some of our people hadn’t had a raise in nine years,” Rev. Walker said. Read more at uuworld.org.
Performing, copying, and displaying music is protected by copyright law. How does the law apply to UU worship services and other UU events? "With respect to church music, there is one very narrow exception --permission is not needed in order to perform (such as singing) or display (such as projection of lyrics) in the course of a service conducted in a place of worship." Read more of the definitive response prepared by the law firm of McDermott, Will & Emery.
Participants in the UUA Retirement Plan may now borrow from their accounts for educational purposes, according to revised rules approved in March. Participants may also borrow for medical emergencies or the purchase of a home. Up to 50% of a participant's account balance may be borrowed. Read more .
The UU Church at Washington Crossing (Titusville NJ) is offering an exciting Team Development and Shared Leadership Workshop beginning this fall. The course will take place over four Saturdays and will focus on integrating team leadership skills with UU values. All are welcome. Read more .
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos (Stroudsburg PA) will be meeting every Sunday this summer. The Fellowship welcomes visitors who are planning vacations in the Pocono Mountains. Call 570-420-0580 or visit www.uupoconos.org for directions.
The UU Congregation of South Fork (Bridgehampton NY) offers UU Hamptons Hospitality, fun places to stay for a weekend in the Hamptons.
The Circle of 100 Women, a group at the UU Congregation at Montclair (NJ), has raised nearly $25,000 for Women for Women, an international organization helping women refugees in war zones.
Rev. Debra Haffner, Community Minister at the Unitarian Church in Westport (CT) and Director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, writes that "More religious leaders must speak out for the right of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons to live and love with dignity and respect". Read more from the Center for American Progress.
UU Mid-Atlantic Conference (UUMAC) is a summer camp for UUs, a multi-generational, intentional community meeting annually each summer at DeSales University for a week of fun, recreation, spiritual rejuvenation, and growth. You are welcome to join the UUMAC family! This year's camp is July 22-28, 2007. Click here for a brochure .
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Milestones and Transitionss |
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Rev. Julie Newhall will be installed as Minister at the UU Congregation of Somerset Hills (North Branch NJ), on October 14.
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| Rev. Galen Guengerich will
be installed as Senior Minister at the Unitarian Church of All
Souls (Manhattan) on October 28 at 5:00 p.m. |
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| Linda Goonewardene will be
ordained by the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield (NJ) on
November 4 at 4:00 p.m. |
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| Michael Tino will be
ordained by and installed as Minister at the UU Fellowship of
Northern Westchester (Mount Kisco NY) on November 4 and 5:00
p.m. |
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Upcoming Workshops and Meetings |
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| Visit the District's Calendar
and Events
page for these and other events: |
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Young Adults
Social Action Under the Sun: August 3-5,
Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center,
Lanoka Harbor NJ. Visit
www.connectuu.com to register. For more
information, contact
Daniel Gregoire.
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Junior/Senior Our Whole
Lives (OWL) Training: August 10-12, Murray Grove Retreat
and Conference Center, Lanoka Harbor NJ.
Click here 
for a flyer.
Click here to register. For more
information, contact Andrea
Lerner.
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Junior High Retreat:
September 15-16, Harriman State Park, Bear Mountain NY.
Click here
for a flyer.
Click here to register. For more
information, contact Peter
Green.
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YRUU I Think I CON:
October 5-6, UU Fellowship at Stony Brook (NY). For more
information, contact
Corinne Hallander.
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Leadership Development Day:
October 6, UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (Manhasset NY).
Click here
for registration flyer.
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