The BCD staff has been working to develop workshop and conference plans for 2012. Some of the dates maybe adjusted and other events added later, but this is the preliminary calendar. Watch for future calendar postings in the BCD in Brief and announcement fliers sent to congregation office and congregation leaders.

January 21 - Healthy Congregation Part II (need to have attended Part I to participate)
January 28 -Stewardship & Generosity in Congregations
March 3 (tentative) - New England/BCD Music Conference
March 10 - Canvasser training
April 21 (tentative) - Young adult conference
May 5 - BCD Spring Conference and Picnic and Annual Meeting
May 19 - Youth advisor / youth leader training
August 29 - Youth advisor conclave
September 5 - New Congregation Leader Orientation
September 29 - Presidents Council
October 27 - Fall Conference

A District 2012 GA Task Force

Formed by BCD Board

In an effort to support the goals of the Unitarian Universalist Association to conduct a justice GA the Ballou Channing District Board of Directors established a 2012 General Assembly Task Force and charged it to:

Get our information to congregations and their members about the focus of the 2012 General Assembly
Find ways to encourage people to attend General Assembly with special attention on Young Adults
Develop ideas about congregation and district fundraising endeavors to support attendees
Distribute information about immigration justice to congregations in easy to understand and access formats

The Task Force will be in contact with congregations during winter and early spring.

BCD Congregations Receiving UUSC Awards

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee recently announced their recognition awards to congregations for their support of the UUSC by financial contribution or congregation membership. These are the congregations in the BCD recently recognized:

Creating Justice Banner Society - 25 - 49% of members are UUSC members

Attleboro

Bridgewater

Chatham

Duxbury

Hingham - Second Parish

Kingston

North Easton

Norwell

Plymouth

Providence - Bell Street Chapel

Weymouth

Helen Fogg Chalice Society - congregations that give from their budget at least $25/per member

Eastham

James Luther Adams Award - congregations that give from their budget at least $1/per member

Duxbury

Kingston

Vineyard Haven

Falmouth Minister and Congregation Highlighted in UU World

The Rev. Robert Murphy, minister of the UU Fellowship of Falmouth and the 2011 recipient of the Sierra Club's Special Service award and the congregation are written about in the Winter issue of the UU World. The article can also be read on line at http://www.uuworld.org/life/articles/188372.shtml on the www.uuworld.org site. The article discusses Rev. Murphy's environmental justice work and the congregation's very active involvement in various justice projects.

Still Time to Submit General Assembly 2012 Program Proposal

BCD to provide financial assistance for accepted proposal(s) from the district

Several program slots remain to be filled for GA 2012. Program proposals are being accepted until November 30 (new closing date). The program proposal submission form is at http://www.uua.org/ga/programming/12741.shtml

Program ideas should be related to the issues of migration and borders, racial justice and/or economic justice. Every proposal need not be about immigration, however, a reasonable person must be able to draw a clear connection between the proposed topic(s) and the issue of Justice. For example, a program on water scarcity would be considered, as its relationship to immigration and economic justice is easily demonstrated.

NEW: The District will be able to provide some scholarship assistance to a congregation or individuals whose program proposal is accepted.

New People Signing up to "Like" the BCD on Facebook Every Week

The BCD Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/bcduua. People who connect to the BCD Facebook page have found this to be a great way to receive news and updates about district events, identify resources such as the recent posting about material available from the UUA Annual Program Fund Office, and announcements like the information about joining the Standing on the Side of Love webinar on December 7. If you are on Facebook, please "LIKE" our district's page so you can start to automatically get new posted information. Just check the "Like Us on Facebook" bar at the beginning of BCD In Brief.

Ask the Right Question

Leaders do not need to have all the answers.
Leaders need to be able to ask the right questions

A question some leaders find helpful to ask at the beginning of a new week or month is:

Of all the things on which I am working currently in my church,

which one will make the most difference a year or longer from now?

Cooking Together - A Resource for Immigration Justice Work

There is a new page on the UUA website called "Cooking Together" where religious professionals and lay leaders can share, create and adapt faith development materials to help congregations consider and respond to immigration justice issues.

"Cooking Together" includes both a blog, where folks 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 experiment with "fixins", put ideas into the simmer pot, and serve them up on the web page "banquet table." Read current postings and participate in the cooking at http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/.

Brag about Your Congregation's LGBT Justice Work

The UUA office for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Ministry is collecting stories about what congregations have done or are doing to support and promote LGBT justice in their communities. Send an email describing your justice work to Alex Kapitan, Congregational Justice Administrator, at akapitan@uua.org.

UUA Bookstore Able to Help with Congregation Book Fairs

The UUA Bookstore can help a congregation to host a Book Fair. With the guidance and support of Bookstore staff, you can connect congregation members with books they will love as well as and help to welcome newcomers with friendly reading material. Call 800-215-9076 to schedule your Book Fair today.

UUA President Issues Statement on Occupy Wall Street Protests

The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), has issued a statement regarding Occupy Wall Street Movement and accompanying protests around the country.

To support congregation conversations about economic justice a resource list has been compiled by the UUA.

Economic justice information and resources, including information on our most recent Faith Advocates for Jobs campaign, from the UUA Witness Ministries staff group. http://www.uua.org/economic/index.shtml
Article from Rev. Morales in The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/poverty-and-thanksgiving_b_786279.html and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/unemployment-as-a-spiritual-issue_b_966171.html and from Unitarian Universalist Service Committee President Rev. William F. Schulz http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-f-schulz/why-the-left-is-often-lat_b_1005092.html
A list of Unitarian Universalist blogs currently discussing the Occupy movement from UUpdates.net at http://uupdates.net/index.php?q=occupy&page=1
Facebook page for Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unitarian-Universalists-for-a-Just-Economic-Community/110450115681790
Links to UUA social justice statements pertaining to economic justice from past General Assemblies http://www.uua.org/news/pressroom/pressreleases/188398.shtml

Handbook for UU Treasurers & Finance Leaders Available from UUA

The UUA Stewardship and Development Office's Annual Program Fund,has compiled a new Treasurer handbook, which contains the essentials for financial management. This resource, designed to be adaptable and user-friendly, is available for download at http://www.uua.org/finance/fundraising/generosity/index.shtml

Calendar

Nov 23-25 BCD Office Closed - Thanksgiving

Dec 23- Jan2 BCD Office Closed - Christmas Season Holiday

Jan 7 BCD Board mid-year-Retreat 9:00 a - 3:00 p
First Parish Brewster, MA*

Jan 21 Healthy Congregations -- Part 2 9:00 a - 4:00 p

Location: TBA

Jan 28 Healthy Congregations - Part 2 (snow date)

Feb 25 Leadership Discussion Forum TBA

Location: TBA

Feb 27 BCD Board Meeting 6:00 - 9:00 p

First Parish Church in Taunton, MA

Mar 3 New England/BCD Music Conference

Mar 7 BCD UUMA Chapter gathering 9:00a-12:00n

First Universalist Society in Franklin, MA

Mar 10 Canvasser Training TBA

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth, MA

Mar 26 BCD Board Meeting 6:00 - 9:00 p

First Unitarian Church, Providence, RI

Apr 21 Young adult conference* TBA

(Tentative) Location TBA

May 5 Spring Conference and Annual Meeting 9:00 a - 3:00 p

Unitarian Universalist Society of Fairhaven, MA

May 7-9 BCD UUMA Chapter Retreat

Glastonbury Abbey, Hingham, MA

May 19 Youth advisor / youth leader training* TBA

Location TBA

May 21 BCD Board Meeting 6:00 - 9:00 p

First Congregational Parish in Kingston, MA

Jun 20-24 General Assembly

Phoenix, AZ

* New since last issue