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Metro NY
Minute -- December 2007 |
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News
From the District
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 Big Ideas for Small Congregations, a workshop
sponsored by the District for leaders of congregations with
fewer than 150 members, will be held January 26 at Community
Church of New York UU (Manhattan). The Rev. Jane Dwinell,
co-author of the newly published Big Ideas for Small
Congregations, will be the workshop presenter.
Click here
for a flyer.
Click here to register
The
Spring 2008 Chalice Lighters Call will be for the
First Unitarian Society of Rockland County (Pomona NY),
helping the Society employ a part-time Director of Religious
Education, a critical component of efforts to increase
membership. The Spring 2007 Call for the First Unitarian
Society of Plainfield (NJ) raised more than $20,250.
Read more
from Chalice Lighters Coordinator Bill Slezak.
Beth Dana, Youth Ministry Consultant, would like to
learn more about your congregation's ministry with youth.
All congregations are asked to complete a
brief online survey by January 1. Please pass along
the survey to the person who would best be able to answer
questions about youth involvement in your congregation.
Thank you!
The UU Young Adults Winter Retreat, sponsored by the
Young Adult Steering Committee, will be held Presidents' Day
weekend, February 15-18, at
Frost
Valley in Claryville NY, a YMCA camp. Young adults can
take part in skiing, arts and crafts, worship, campfires,
making friends, and more. The cost is $250, and scholarships
are available for students. Registration deadline is January
10.
Click here for more information or contact
Samantha Payne Garland.
The District is seeking a new Compensation Consultant
responsible for providing congregations with a broad range
of information about fair compensation for clergy and church
staff. The Consultant will be trained by the UUA January
24-26 in Boston, and will then work for several months with
the District’s current Consultant, Lynn Dash, to gain
practical experience. If you know someone who would excel at
this position and be willing and able to serve District
congregations in this way, please refer them to
Andrea Lerner or
914-373-0193. Read more
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The Women and Religion Committee is co-sponsoring
Sustainable Environment Justice -- Here and Now on
January 19 at Community Church of New York UU in Manhattan,
featuring speaker Majora Carter and a buffet lunch. Majora
Carter founded Sustainable South Bronx in 2001 to fight for
environmental justice through innovative, economically
sustainable projects informed by community needs.
Click here
for a flyer and registration information. For more
information, contact
Reena Kondo. |
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Worth Repeating
Are you
interested in presenting a workshop at the
2008 District Annual
Meeting? The Annual Meeting planners would
like to hear from you. The 2008 District Annual
Meeting will be held May 2-3, 2008, at the
Marriott Hotel in Stamford CT. Workshops should fit
the theme of "empowerment," one of the systems in
Larry Peer's analysis of congregations. To quote
Larry: "The empowering system finds ways to help
each person discover his or her spiritual gifts and
passions; it supports people in using them for the
benefit of the entire congregation."
Click here to enter your workshop proposal.
Presentation of the
2008 District Awards and
2008 District Scholarships will be a highlight of the 2008 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, 2008.
Save the date for UU University 2008: June
24-25, 2008, just prior to
General Assembly 2008. UU University is a
gathering of congregational leaders who want to
increase their knowledge and ability to serve their
congregations. Nick Carter, President of Andover
Newton Theological School, will be the keynote
speaker on "leading theologically diverse
congregations, and how our congregations can
interact with and have a positive impact on a
theologically diverse world."
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
InterConnections for lay leaders
Action Campaigns of the UUA
UUA Monthly Mailing to all congregations
UUWorld.org, UUA's online magazine |
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The Long Island Area Council is sponsoring a Planning Meeting On Collaborative Work Projects on January 10 at the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (Manhasset NY) to discuss ideas for creating a strong network of Long Island area congregation. For more information, contact Ilene Corina. |
News From the UUA
 On November 30, the eve of World AIDS Day, the Rev. William Sinkford, UUA president, joined hundreds of activists in the nation's capital to call for greater governmental leadership in confronting HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. The day started at a meeting with the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator whose mission is to lead implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Read more.
The UUA has begun the Mosaic Project, an important process to assess ministry to youth and young adults of color and/or Latina/Latino and Hispanic and multiracial identities. The Identity-Based Ministries staff group, in cooperation with the Lifespan Faith Development staff group, the Youth Ministry Office, and the Young Adult and Campus Ministry office, is leading the Mosaic Project, which will include the use of internet technology through surveys, a Face-book presence, as well as direct interviews with a wide variety of stakeholders. Click here
for a brochure.
The Commission on Appraisal is seeking input from identity-based groups as the Commission completes its review of UU Principles and Purposes (Article II of the UUA Bylaws). Comments can be submitted by visiting www25.uua.org/coa or by email to coa@uua.org. The deadline for participation is January 15, 2008. Read more
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The UUA will begin to look at youth in a new way, following the presentation of a report, drawn from a three-year examination of how the UUA and its congregations relate to youth, presented to the UUA Board of Trustees in October. The report is the end result of the Consultation on Ministry to and with Youth, formed by the board in October 2004. The Consultation recommends that the UUA and its congregations move away from “youth programming” and toward “youth ministry” in order to better serve young people. Read more.
News From Congregations
 Have you seen the cover of the 2008 UUA Directory? The
fifteen congregation banners pictured include those from
Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan) and the
UU Congregation of the Palisades (Englewood NJ).
The UU
Society in Stamford (CT) has a
brand new
website, redesigned by member Joe Gonzalez. The
website has a completely new look and feel, as well as
additional content. Each committee now has its own page, as
does each group within the congregation. The Society
welcomes feedback and ideas: Send to
webmaster@uusis.org.
The First Unitarian Society of Plainfield (NJ)
commemorated World AIDS Day, December 1, with a number of
special events, including a public viewing of the AIDS Quilt
Panel provided by the NAMES Project.
Read more.
The Rev. Carol Huston, minister at the Community
Unitarian Church in White Plains (NY) and member of the
Westchester Coalition on Global Poverty and AIDS, helped to
organize a program of speakers, music, exhibits, and an
awareness walk in downtown White Plains marking World AIDS
Day, December 1.
Read more. |
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Milestones and Transitions
The Rev. Alison
Cornish was called to serve as settled Minister
of the UU Congregation of the South Fork
(Bridgehampton NY) on October 28.
The Rev. Dr.
Patrick O'Neill was installed as Senior Minister
at the First Unitarian Congregational Society in
Brooklyn (NY) on November 18. In an unusual
service, the Rev. O'Neill participated via cell
phone from his hospital bed.
Read more.
The Rev. David
Bryce, minister of the First Unitarian
Society of Westchester (Hastings-on-Hudson NY)
and the Rev. Carol Huston, Community
Unitarian Church at White Plains (NY) each
celebrated their 15-year anniversary as ministers in
November.
The Rev. Addae
Watson will be installed as Minister at the
First Universalist Church of Southold (NY) on
January 6 at 5:00 p.m. The Rev. Bill Sinkford,
UUA President, will be attending. Note this is a
change in time from previous announcements. |
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Olympia's Daughters will perform at the Lakeland UU Fellowship (Wayne NJ) on December 9 at 11:00 a.m. in a special Winter Solstice Concert. By way of introduction, the Rev. Ann Benedetto will speak on the power of music to heal and uplift the human spirit. Olympia’s Daughters is a women’s a cappella ensemble that sings both original pieces and works from various cultures, countries, and traditions. Founded in 1990, their name honors Olympia Brown, who in 1863 became the first woman minister ordained by a national denomination, the Universalists.
Other Noteworthy Items
 Looking for great holiday gift ideas? Consider the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) Gift Shop! Choose from UU-themed jewelry, ornaments, note cards, orders of service covers for all occasions, and more! Purchases support the ministries of the CLF, including bringing UUism to isolated or incarcerated UUs worldwide, providing worship materials 24/7, and augmenting religious education resources for existing UU churches, fellowships, and small groups. Click here for a flyer
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Charitable giving can reach new heights during the holidays. The First Unitarian Church of Rochester, for example, encourages members to estimate their total holiday spending -- gifts, decorations, travel, entertaining -- and give half the total to the Church's specially identified charity. For the 2006 holiday season, the Church raised $79,000. Read more.
The UU United Nations Office announced the appointment of Bruce Knotts
as Executive Director, beginning January 1, 2008. Bruce brings an extensive
background in international relations to the position, having served as an
American diplomat in Greece, Zambia, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Sudan, Cote
d'Ivoire, and the Gambia, and on shorter diplomatic missions to Guatemala,
Belize, Nepal, Egypt, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Namibia, France,
Belgium, Germany, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Guinea (Conakry), Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.
Allies for Racial Equity (ARE), the UU organization for people who identity as white and are committed to working on issues of white privilege and racism in our congregations and Association, will be holding its annual conference February 1-3 at the First Unitarian Church of the River in Memphis TN. Click here for a flyer
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Interweave Continental has created a new four-session curriculum on bisexuality. "The Bisexuality Curriculum" is designed to be used in adult religious education, in Small Group Ministry, or with youth or young adult groups. The curriculum is available only as a PDF file and is free to anyone who wishes to use it.
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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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YRUU Rock and Run for
Justice: December 28-30, First Unitarian Society of
Westchester (Hastings-on-Hudson NY). For more information,
contact Kasey Neiss.
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Long Island Leadership
Institute: January 12, 2008, UU Fellowship of
Huntington (NY). For more information, contact
Reba Siniscalchi.
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UU Ministers
Association District Chapter Post-Holiday Social:
January 13, New York City (location to be announced). For more information, contact the Rev. Anthony (Tony) Johnson.
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YRUU CON:
January 18-20, UU Congregation of Monmouth County (Lincroft
NJ). For more information, contact
Corinne Hallander.
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Sustainable Environmental
Justice, January 19, Community Church of New York UU.
Co-sponsored by the District Women and Religion Committee.
For a flyer and registration information,
click here
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For more information, contact
Reena Kondo.
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Big Ideas for Small
Congregations (up to 150 members): January 26, Community
Church of New York UU (Manhattan). For a flyer,
click here
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To register,
click here. Sponsored by the Metro NY District. For more
information, contact Andrea
Lerner.
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YRUU Leadership Development
Conference, February 1-3, Fourth Unitarian Society of
Westchester (Mohegan Lake NY). For a flyer,
click here
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To register,
click here. For more information, contact
Beth Dana.
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Long Island Leadership
Institute: February 9, location to be announced. For
more information, contact
Reba Siniscalchi.
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UU Ministers Association District Chapter Winter Retreat: February 15-16, Stony Point Conference Center, Stony Point NY. For more information, contact the Rev. Anthony (Tony) Johnson.
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Beyond Fundraising:
February 16, Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan).
Sponsored by the Metro NY District. For more information,
contact Andrea Lerner.
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Presidents Roundtable:
February 23, Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan).
Sponsored by the Metro NY District. For more information,
contact Andrea Lerner.
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YRUU Con: February
29-March 2, Unitarian Church in Summit (NJ). For more information, contact
Corinne Hallander.
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Long Island Leadership
Institute: March 8, location to be announced. For more
information, contact
Reba Siniscalchi.
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YRUU Bridging Con: March 28-29, location to be
announced. For more information, contact
Corinne Hallander.
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Caring Congregation
Training: March 28-30:
Mount Manresa, Staten Island NY. Sponsored by
the Metro NY District. For a flyer,
click here
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For more information, contact
Andrea Lerner.
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