|
|
 |
|
| | Florida District Connections
May 6, 2011 |
|
PLEASE SHARE THIS EMAIL
WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR CONGREGATION! |
|
 | Notes & Comments From Our District Executive
|
| |  |
Notes & Comment by Our District Executive.
I thank my colleague, the Reverend Allison Farnum, minister in Fort Myers, for the following expression of our faith and commitment.
A May Day Reflection: No One Is Disposable by Rev. Allison Farnum
 Word on the street is that our state of Florida is becoming, once again, the place to retire. The "Boomer Boom" will welcome baby boomers to our fine state, many who are potential Unitarian Universalists we would do well to evangelize in our congregations. But recently, a communication from the AARP caught my eye. A video series the AARP produces, called
Hungry in America, features Florida retirement from a different angle. In the short video entitled "A Harvest Out of Reach: Why can't people who harvest food get enough to eat?", the condition of farmworkers in Florida fields is once again brought to light from a new perspective. The older workers who have been harvesting food for decades in Florida have no pension, no health care, and scant food after the physically demanding years of picking the vegetables we buy from supermarkets and restaurants. In Immokalee, many "retired" (as in, no longer picked by the farm bosses due to their age) workers rely on charity to survive. One of the men interviewed, age 74, says he is treated "like a piece of garbage." In a throw away society, are workers disposable? to be used up and cast aside? Are people to rely solely on charity while systemic injustice continues?
Our faith says something different. From our Universalist roots, humans are of supreme worth, endowed with the power of Love. No human is disposable. Our ever-evolving faith tradition is one that yearns for social justice that produces systemic change, not just short-term acts of charity. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to live my Unitarian Universalist faith in my ally relationship with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, working for systemic change that will bring dignity and justice to Florida fields.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers invites us to watch the video, and "...add the abandonment and degradation of older farmworkers to the bigger picture of exploitation behind the fruit and vegetables you buy in the bright, clean produce aisles of companies like Publix, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's, and WalMart."
My heart sings when I see some of our own retired faithful gathering in solidarity with the Coalition at Publix pickets and rallies in Lakeland and Tampa. Thank you for your continued support in working towards Florida being a place where all people can retire from work with dignity. Our faith tells us: No one is disposable.
Rev. Allison also calls our attention to the short film, Disposable Workers released by the AARP. The film traces the plight of "retired" farmworkers, those who have given their youth and their health to the agriculture industry. This six-minute video follows men from Immokalee, Florida, who, after several decades in the fields, can no longer work at the pace necessary to be hired for the harvest. Hence, they are "retired," considered redundant, unemployable. Does that mean they are worthless?
Rev. Kenn |
 | Notes From Our Lifespan Program Consultant |
| | |
Right now, I know that it may seem like the Fall is far away. But I am finding that my calendar of service for the District is beginning to fill up already! With only the time to visit congregations on a Sunday limited to about once a month, and a budget that limits other day travel to congregations to about once a month, the slots are getting filled.
Priority is always given to being with a congregation on a Sunday that I have not visited yet. Priority for non-Sunday programming is always given to those congregations who will host a cluster or regional event.
Of course, those congregations who are comfortable with contemporary communications models can be more easily accommodated as we meet in cyberspace without the need for travel and its associated costs of time and money. Maybe I can help you become more comfortable with these possibilities . . . be in touch and we can think about ways to explore the technologies available. It is not as complicated as it may seem.
And, as always, be in touch!! I can't help if I don't know.
Rev. Randy
P.S. The Planning Video, previously announced, has been delayed in production. Look for it on Monday, May 9, after noon, at:
www.generalassembly.info/planning.wmv
The discussion conference call about planning is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, at 8pm:
call: (760) 569-0111
access code: 514355#
Join us if you want to discuss any aspect of the video or planning in general. |
|
Trustee News | | | |
 UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS
Joan Lund, May 2011
jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727
While returning from Orlando to Tampa following the April, District Annual meeting I asked my traveling companion, Judy Lehman, "just retired" Florida District Board member what might be a good topic for the May Trustee Tidbits and she suggested "being in it for the long haul". As I thought about her suggestion I realized this was an underlying theme of our talented guest presenters, Janice Marie Johnson, Multi-cultural Growth Director (UUA), and Sarah Dan Jones, President of the UU Musicians Network who led us through two questions: Who Are We? Where are we Going?, using some of our favorite UU hymns, interspersed with dialogue between them and some interaction with their audience. If you were there you know the excellence of their time with us. We lifted our voices in song and they opened their hearts and made us pay attention to the words of several of our UU hymns. Both of them, despite the sometimes negative emotions engendered by the selected hymns, are "in it for the long haul"!
Are you in it for the long haul? By this I mean despite "thick and thin" in your congregation do you support our faith with your time, energy, and generous financial commitment? Or are you one who attend Sunday service when it "suits" you, and contributes in the many ways necessary to sustain a healthy congregation, as long as your congregational leaders are making decisions with which you agree? There are many times, I am sure, that your congregational leadership is not "behaving" in the manner you would direct them BUT does this mean you criticize behind their backs and withdraw from your congregation? Or do you come forth to the leadership and explain your concern(s) with a legitimate conversation?
Being part of a religious community is like being part of a good personal partnership or marriage. Intimate relationships require a special set of attitudes and expectations on the part of the participants. If we UUs approach the relationship with the mentality of "What's in it for me"? we are most certainly to become disappointed and fail. Sadly, our societal attitude has mirrored the "what's-in-it-for-me" reflection, with a consumerism mind-set. But as a member of your congregation is this the value you perceive? You are not consumers in the ordinary sense. Your congregation is an investment in so much we consider important in our faith...you are a co-owner of what happens in your congregation, just as the parties in a partnership or marriages see themselves as partners with a joint share in the success of the enterprise.
As Rev. Kenn Hurto stated in his letter to the Florida District Annual Assembly attendees, "The teachings of our faith and the affirmation of the worth, dignity, and respect for all souls in never more needed," than now. We need each other! We need to work very hard to affirm our connections to ourselves and our world. If you wish to connect with me please call 813-931-9727 or write jlund@uua.org. I look forward to hearing from you.
Also available, Joan's Trustee Report from the April 2011 UUA Board of Trustees meeting. |
| Florida District & Southern Region - Upcoming Events |
| | |
 Unitarian Universalism Faces a New Age - Yet Again!
Discussion Panel & Workshop (Registration open through May 9)
May 14, 2011 ~ 10:00am to 2:30pm
Hosted by the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach
Event Flyer
Online Event Registration
GA as a Leadership Experience Webinar
Southland Spring Webinar Series (No charge to participate, registration limited to the first 22 registered)
May 19, 2011 ~ 7:00pm ~ 90 minutes
Webinar Series Flyer
Online Webinar Registration
More Than Money, But Money Matters Workshop A Workshop on Healthy Congregational Stewardship
May 28, 2011 ~ 10:00am to 3:00pm
Hosted by the UU Church of Ft. Lauderdale
Event Flyer
Online Event Registration |
|
General Assembly 2011 |
| Interfaith Statement of Conscience |
| | |
Area Unitarian Universalists Issue an Interfaith Statement of Conscience Challenging Immigration Bills SB2040 HB7089
Religious leaders throughout Florida expressed their alarm of a Arizona-style anti-immigration bill debated in the closing days of the Florida Legislature. Joining forces with the Standing on the Side of Love campaign, our Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry Florida team, with dynamic leadership by member Kindra Muntz (Venice UU), our own Reverend Abhi Janamanchi (Clearwater UU) crafted, with others, a Statement of Conscience, which says in part:
Our diverse faith traditions challenge us to welcome the stranger among us with love and compassion and to practice hospitality towards all people, regardless of their place of birth. Since the enforcement of our laws impacts the human dignity and human rights of the person, it is incumbent upon faith communities to promote the humane treatment of newcomers and to call attention to practices and proposed laws which may lead to their abuse and suffering. [Click here to read the entire statement.]
Our Association is committed to being an anti-racist, anti-oppressive and multicultural faith community. Affirming, more promoting the worth and dignity of all people is central to our religious commitment. May we stay at the table of public discourse in the journey toward justice. |
| May District Packet & UUA Congregational Bulletin |
| | |
 The Florida District (FLD) Monthly Packet
contains flyers for district, cluster and congregation events. Information on non-FLD events of widespread interest are also included.
The May 2011 district monthly packet has been posted to the district website and may be viewed at the following link:
http://www.floridadistrict.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/FLD-May-2011-Packet.pdf (1 MB, 10 pages)
Please share the information contained in the monthly packet with individuals in your congregation. This edition of the district packet contains the following items:
· District Calendar, page 1
· Unitarian Universalist Faces a New Age-Yet Again!, page 2
· Southern Region UUA Webinar Series, pages 3-4 (one remaining webinar in this free series, General Assembly as a Leadership Experience)
· More Than Money, But Money Matters! Stewardship Workshop flyer, page 5
· Restorative Circles Workshop flyer, page 6
· UUA Trustee April 2011 Report, pages 7-10
Looking for a single event flyer? District event flyers are linked to the "Events Calendar" page on the District website (see http://www.floridadistrict.org/?page_id=1419). Simply click the event listed on the calendar and the flyer will open. UUA, Congregation, Cluster, and Affiliated Organization event listings are linked to those entities websites whenever possible.
The complete packet is also linked to the website events calendar (go to the calendar link at www.floridadistrict.org and click the "entire monthly packet" notation above the calendar). Please note this is a large document/multi-page download and may take a few minutes to open if you are working with a dial-up connection and/or older computer.
*******************
 The UUA Monthly Bulletin for Congregations is a collection of announcements and updates from the staff groups and committees of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations, and from the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF).
Click here to view the May 2011 UUA Congregational Bulletin |
| Around the Florida District - News and Events to Note |
| | |
West Central Cluster Annual Renewal Service with Gini Courter
 Thursday, May 17, UU Church of St. Petersburg , 7:00 p.m.
The West Central Cluster of the Florida District is sponsoring its annual Service of Renewal. This year the service will be held at UU St. Pete, and the speaker will be Gini Courter, UUA Moderator. A brief Cluster meeting will be held immediately following the service and a reception will follow that.
Florida District Congratulates and Welcomes Our:
 Newly ordained clergy:
The Reverend Jan T. Taddeo, Miramar, ordained at her home (since she was 2!) church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fairfax, Virginia.
The Reverend Amy Carol Webb, Ft. Lauderdale, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton.
Soon to be ordained clergy:
Jay Wolin, First Unitarian Church of Orlando, June 5
Janet Onnie, UU Congregation of Venice, June 12
Incoming board members:
Joan Burnett (Nature Coast UUs)
Spaulding Basham (River of Grass UU Congregation).
UU Congregation of Greater Naples - Seeking Interim Director of Religious Education
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples (Naples, FL) seeks an interim DRE for the 2011-2012 school year. The job is 24 hours per week and runs from July through May (coordinated with the public school calendar). We are looking for an experienced interim DRE who will not only manage our current RE Program, but collaboratively help develop its direction for the future. The Congregation compensates according to UUA Fair Compensation Guidelines.
For more information about our congregation, including the job description and a letter of invitation, please visit our website at www.uunaples.org.
Applications (resume, cover letter and references) and inquiries should be directed to: Office@uunaples.org . Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Check out the May 2011 Northeast Cluster Breeze Newsletter for a nice article on our recent District Assembly and lots of other great information. Thanks to Joyce Levi and Larry Rayner for their work on the always excellent cluster newsletter. Click here to view the May 2011 issue.
Venice Unitarian Universalists Launch Statewide Conversation
Brad Hardin, UUCOV member writes: "I am writing you to see if you might be interested in forming a group of writers/communicators in your area to express your views on social issues in your local newspapers, radio talk shows and other media places. Maybe you already have such a group or there are individuals in your congregation who are involved in this activity. Last November we started a writing group in the Sarasota/Venice area. It initially began with about 5 of us, most of us being jointly involved in the Venice Unitarian church. We have grown to about 50 now and are an eclectic group not representing any particular organization - just people who are concerned that there is a lot of misinformation in the papers and elsewhere about our country's societal problems. We feel some obligation to speak out in support of views that we believe are more honest, credible, and beneficial for all Americans. If you are interested, please call 941.408.8401 or write deebardhardin@netzero.net to share ideas. |
| Things to Know in Our Extended Unitarian Universalist World |
| | |
UUA Moderator Nominating Committee
 The UUA Board is now accepting applications for the Moderator Nominating Committee. The committee will consist of five members, including not more than two trustees.
The Board is accepting applications for these positions through May 13, 2011, and will make the appointments before the end of May. Appointees are expected to attend General Assembly in June 2011, and must make their recommendation(s) to the board no later than November 2011. No member of the committee may be recommended as a candidate. For more information and to apply, click here
Transforming UUA Governance: The UUA Board and Nominating Committee
Last year, the UUA Board Trustees unanimously approved a motion calling for a transformation in UUA governance. They noted that five task forces in the recent past have all reported hearing the same thing from the members of our congregations: that our governance is too complex, and needs to be more truly representative. So, at its April meeting this year, the UUA Board voted to recommend two sets of bylaw changes to General Assembly, aimed at making the governance process less complex and strengthening the association's commitment to democratic processes. These bylaws changes would take effect at the end of the 2013 General Assembly. Continue Reading
Gathered Here - Claiming The Best of Our Faith
You are cordially invited to join the Gathered Here Initiative! Based on "Appreciative Inquiry" Gathered Here will give shape to a shared vision for the future of our faith and the ways in which we, as religious leaders, will advance our faith on local and national levels. It will engage you and other Untarian Universalists, congregations, and groups in conversations that forge new relationships and create new possibilities for the future of Unitarian Universalism.
Gathered Here is led by a 14 person planning team which includes leaders throughout the UUA world including ministers, religious educators, lay leaders, members from the UUMA, DRUUM, UUA Board and staff. Come by the UUA booth at General Assembly. The Initiative team is seeking facilitators and others to support the project. For more information contact Amanda Trosten-Bloom, project manager by email or at 303-279-2240.
Association Sunday - October 2, 2011
 Win a chance to have our Association President speak in your congregation.
Association Sunday - A Celebration of Excellence in Ministries - will take place on October 2, 2011. The UUA will partner with the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network, the Liberal Religious Educators Association, and other professional organizations to raise funds for outstanding continuing education and professional development for all our religious professionals.
Sign up - click here - for this year's Association Sunday before the end of May to double your chances of having President Morales as your Association Sunday speaker in the 2011-2012 church year.
Become a UUA Field Test Congregation
 The Ministries and Faith Development announces the publication of Resistance and Transformation: Unitarian Universalist Social Justice History by Rev. Colin Bossen and Rev. Julia Hamilton.
Sixteen 90-minute workshops explore social justice themes through historical stories and primary source material, then invite participants to reflect on that theme in Unitarian Universalism today. Since even "failures" in our history can be instructive, the program presents our ongoing struggle to live up to Unitarian Universalism's ever-evolving ideals of social transformation. Themes include abolition, peace-making, civil rights, free speech, utopianism, counter-culture, women's movements, sexuality education, and GLBT equality. This program is suitable for older youth as well as adults.
To find out more or to apply to be a field-test congregation, please contact the Resource Development Office of the Ministries and Faith Development staff group at fieldtest@uua.org or call Alicia LeBlanc at 617-948-4371.
UUA and ENERGY STAR: Green Sanctuaries and Portfolio Manager for Congregations
 Register now for UUA and EnergyStar training webinar Monday, May 16, 2011 at 7pm EDT
The training session is to introduce congregations to the EnergyStar for Congregations Portfolio Manager which will help your congregation:
- Manage Energy and Water Consumption for All Buildings
- Rate Your Building's Energy Performance
- Estimate Your Carbon Footprint
- Set Investment Priorities
- Verify and Track Progress of Improvement Projects
- Gain EPA Recognition
Registration is required. |
|
Quick Links
|
| |
Calendars:
Websites:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
