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Commentary From Your Regional Directors
Connie Goodbread & Rev. Kenn Hurto
Amidst the summer excitement of gold medal winners in the Summer Olympics and the worry about violence and polarized politics, our congregations continue to minister to our people, empowering them to witness for love and justice.
Our Justice General Assembly continues as our congregations apply the lessons learned there -- notably working with local partners on matters of human dignity and basic rights to food, safety, voting rights, and healthcare.
By the way, please do let us know how your congregation is taking GA home!
In a recent FLD Connections, Kenn noted changes coming to our region that, we hope, will further strengthen our congregations to serve individual members as we all work to build the world we dream about.
This newsletter is part of that change. Hereafter, the FLD Connections and MSD E-newsletter become one regular communication, linking congregations from the U.S. Virgin Islands to congregations in Mid-Tennessee and in between. Our new combined e-newsletter is titled Deeper Connections.
Our goal is to keep you apprised of resources and opportunities for congregational development. In addition congregational leaders will continue to receive information on District-focused events.
Early this fall, the Southern Region Staff team will launch a rotating blog for our Directors to introduce themselves to you and offer personal commentary on our faith, American religious trends, and matters of moral justice.
Here is your Regional Staff team:
Rev. Kenn Hurto
Regional Lead
Transitions Director
khurto@uua.org
 Connie Goodbread
Faith and Leadership Development Director
cgoodbread@uua.org
 Jennifer Nichols
Faith and Leadership Development Director
jnichols@uua.org
Rev. Susan Smith
Stewardship and Administration Director
ssmith@uua.org
 Annette Marquis
Evangelism and Strategic Growth Director
amarquis@uua.org
 Rev. Sue Sinnamon
Evangelism and Strategic Growth Director
ssinnamon@uua.org
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Florida & Mid-South Calendar Notes
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General Assembly 2012
Historic GA Carries On....
 This year's UUA General Assembly holds the prospect of being a "game changer" as our people return home to carry on the work of justice with our partners.
The first item of "what's next?" will be a "summit" meeting for the Coalition of Immokalee works and faith communities, hosted November 10th by our Port Charlotte congregation (details to come). If your GA delegates are inspiring action in your congregation, please let the FLD know.
Meanwhile, the GA Planning committee seeks your feedback on GA. It won't take you long; please complete online feedback form if you attended GA this year.
GA workshop handouts, workshop videos, transcripts, worship services can be streamed on UUA.org. DVDs of major events may be purchased from MultiView Media. This is a good way to introduce the experience to members who could not attend this remarkable gathering.
Taking Justice GA Home - From Reverend Peter Morales
Your attendance and participation at this past GA places you in a unique position. You were there. You experienced the power of our religious witness, of our work side-by-side with our organizational partners. The success of this GA will be measured in large part by what we are doing five years from now. How are we taking the work home and engaging in human rights issues in our local communities? I believe you are critical to strengthening our religious movement. You are the ones to help share your experiences and information with Unitarian Universalists, to channel energy and efforts for justice. Here are some opportunities for you.
2012 Justice GA video
 In my previous email I mentioned that, as a follow up to GA, we produced a Justice GA Video. This video is now on UUA.org and is a compelling piece that captures the spirit and focus of our time in Phoenix. My hope is that this will become an additional resource for you and others across the country as we build on this GA experience. Please share this link widely.
No Papers No Fear Ride for Justice
Throughout the rest of the summer, our undocumented brothers and sisters will be traveling by bus from Phoenix to Washington DC as part of the "No Papers No Fear Ride for Justice."These courageous people are coming out to challenge anti-immigrant policies that are being promoted across the country.
I am proud that UUs all along this route will be providing housing and meals for the riders and that we are joining in worship and witness together. We are cheering on this effort with our presence and our resources.
As part of the lead up to the bus tour, four undocumented members of Puente were arrested in Phoenix earlier this week while engaging in civil disobedience at the racial profiling trial of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
I am asking you to do what it takes to support these people, especially those who are risking deportation and tremendous change to their lives in the weeks ahead to confront fear-based legislation and to take a stand for human rights.
Here's what you can do:
- Donate to this cause. NDLON is raising money for bail.
- Follow along as photos, videos and stories from the road are posted.
- Show up if the bus comes to your area-provide a meal, a bed, take part in the activities that will be planned during their visit, offer words of encouragement.
- Spread the word in your local and online communities.
Todos somos Arizona.
In faith,
The Rev. Peter Morales
President, Unitarian Universalist Association |
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Florida District Notes
IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM R. JONES (1933-2012)
 The Ministries and Faith Development staff offers our condolences to the family and colleagues of the Reverend Dr. William Ronald Jones who died on July 13, 2012 at the age of 78.
Rev. Jones was ordained by the Unitarian Society of Wellesley Hills, MA on June 15, 1958. From 1958-1960, he was the Assistant Minister and Director of Religious Education at the Church of the Mediator (now the First Unitarian Universalist Church) in Providence, RI. From 1977-2012, he served as a community minister at Florida State University. Notably, he was a member of the UUA Board of Trustees from 1993-2000, and worked with the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) to develop resources for professional religious educators.
Rev. Jones authored articles regarding oppression and the church's role in social change. His work has been the subject of a vast number of newspaper and journal articles as well as dissertations. In 1978, he co-edited Black Theology II, and in 1973, Beacon Press published Rev. Jones' controversial piece, "Is God A White Racist? A Preamble to Black Theology."
A celebration of the life of the Rev. Dr. Jones will be held on August 19, 2012 at 2 p.m. at the Nancy Smith Fichter Theatre in Montgomery Hall at Florida State University, 130 Collegiate Loop, Tallahassee, FL 32306. For more information, or to let the family know you will be attending the memorial service, please visit: williamrjones.org.
UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS
Joan Lund, August, 2012
jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727
 GA has been over for a month and you have probably had ample opportunity to go on our UUA web site to read, listen, and learn about the many events, activities, workshops which are of interest to you. From my perspective and those with whom I have spoken GA was a marked success. I have written a report which will go out in the District e-news. In our on-going work looking at the long-term future of Unitarian Universalism, during the spring and through the summer the UUA Board of Trustees (BOT) has been involved in various aspects of a process called scenario planning.
The practice of scenario planning begins with the definition of a focal issue or decision. The BOT asked the question: What differences do we want to make in Unitarian Universalism, for whom and at what priority by the year 2050? The purpose of scenario planning is not to pinpoint future events but to highlight large-scale forces that push the future in different directions. It's about making these forces visible, so that if they do happen, the planner(s) will at least recognize them. It is about helping make better decisions today. The practice of scenario planning is not difficult to describe but is can be difficult to do with skill and expertise. The "issue": The future of our UUA. The BOT has brainstormed a long list of key factors and environmental forces that might influence the outcome of our UUA future and determined two trends: 1) more people becoming spiritual, not religious with less interest in organized religion; and 2) differences in wealth, class, and income, with an increasingly unstable economy. Each trend is assumed to either continue, or reverse, and the four different combinations then make up the four different assumptions of the BOT's self-selected four teams.
From the trends, four teams emerged: 1) As the income gap grows and the economy becomes unstable, more people turn to religious and church life. 2) As the income gap grows, and the economy becomes unstable, people continue to leave organized religion. 3) Greater income equality stabilizes the economy, with a substantial increase in religious and church life. 4) Greater income equality stabilizes the economy, as people continue to leave organized religion. I am on this Team.
Each Team will meet three times by conference call prior to September with the end goal to write a "story" identifying trends and other issues related the assigned assumption. Youth and Young Adults will be invited to comment on the scenario work and add their own. After the scenarios are finalized and distributed to the BOT in September, they will be considered as part of our ENDS review in October.
Your Florida District Trustee realizes there may be questions and/or confusion regarding what has been described in the column. It's a lot to digest. Because I may write further on this topic and your thoughts are important, I would like to hear from you. Thanks...and continue to enjoy our long, hot summer!
Also available:
Trustee GA Reflections and Trustee Tidbits July 2012: http://www.floridadistrict.org/?m=201207
Update from UU Legislative Ministry Florida
 Two actions recommended for July, August and September:
1) Grants of up to $1000 for Get Out the VOTE efforts are available NOW to UU congregations in Florida from the Fund for UU Social Responsibility. UU congregations in swing states of FLORIDA, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $1000 for GET OUT THE VOTE activities. Applications are being considered on a rolling basis through September 15, 2012. See http://www.uua.org/giving/funding/102184.shtml for the application and all the details.
2) To motivate voters to become involved in the electoral process, help register voters, and VOTE, UULMF encourages congregations to host screenings of the documentaries KOCH BROTHERS EXPOSED and BROADCAST BLUES at libraries, clubs and churches throughout the summer and early fall. We have permission from producers of both films to host free screenings everywhere. This effort is in support of our CORE ISSUE, Renewing American Democracy. Copies of the films can be obtained at www.kochbrothersexposed.com and www.suewilsonreports.com.
Florida District Packet
 The August 2012 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/2012/07/FLD-August-2012-Packet.pdf (1.1 MB, 11 pages)
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From Our Unitarian Universalist Association
Help Build Our Beloved Multicultural Community
The Resource Development Office of the UUA would like to hear from Unitarian Universalists who identify as People of Color about their faith development needs.
We seek input from people of all ages, with varying experiences of Unitarian Universalism. You need not be a member of a congregation to share your thoughts.
Online Meetings will be held on August 21 and August 26
Learn more: http://www.uua.org/documents/lfd/120723_uupc.pdf
Newly Recognized Welcoming Congregations
UU Fellowship of Bay County, Panama City FL
UU Congregation of Lake County, Eustis FL
Congratulations to these recently recognized and all our Welcoming Congregations! Learn more about the Welcoming Congregation program here: http://uua.org/lgbt/welcoming/index.shtml
Upcoming Trips with UU College of Social Justice
 Last month at the 2012 Justice General Assembly in Phoenix, Ariz., we officially launched the UU College of Social Justice (UUCSJ). A joint program of the UUA and UUSC, this collaboration offers us a bold new way to live our faith in the world. Linking resources, people, programs, and creativity under one umbrella.
In the coming year, the college is offering service-learning trips to New Orleans, Haiti, India, Mexico, and Guatemala - sign up today! As you look ahead to the coming congregational year, please consider how UUCSJ can help you - and your congregation, too - live more deeply into our faith. Continue Reading: http://actnow.uusc.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=8241.0&dlv_id=12141
UUA Bookstore - Many of Your Favorite Titles Are Available as eBooks!
 Do you love your eReader? Do you want access to your favorite Skinner House and UUA titles at a moment's notice from wherever you happen to be? If so, you're in luck, because our eBook selection is growing!
Most titles are available from both the Amazon Kindle Store and from Google Play, so no matter your preferred device, you'll be able to read the book that's right for you.
Visit the UUA Bookstore: http://www.uuabookstore.org/
UUA Begins Wrap Up of "Gathered Here" Initiative
 For the last year, our UUA has been inviting our members to participate in a depth conversation on the larger purpose of our Association. You are invited to attend or host a Gathered Here event. UUA Vice-President for Congregational Life, Harlan Limpert urges:
- Participate in a one on one conversation with another Unitarian Universalist. To go beyond your congregation and meet someone new, you can sign up for a partner,
- You can also download the discussion guides and host your own conversation within your congregation: Gathered Here website.
- Ask your Cluster representative to host a discussion at your fall meeting.
Across the Association, we are concerned also to reach out to those sometimes not heard from. Can you help put together a conversation that is multi-cultural in its make-up? How about inviting your youth group to lead the 1 1/2 hour conversation with one another and with your leadership? If you have a relationship with a non-UU congregation nearby, would it not be intriguing to include some outsiders and hear their perspectives on the Free Church?
Everything you need is at the Gathered Here website. However, give a call if I can lend a hand. Rev. Kenn.
Monthly Bulletin for Congregations
The 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).
Read the August 2012 Bulletin here: http://www.uua.org/communications/bulletin/209965.shtml
UUA Nominating Committee Update
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Nominating Committee nominates candidates for all positions elected by the General Assembly except for President and Moderator. Candidates for elected positions may also be nominated by petition.
Positions to be elected at the 2013 General Assembly are: Board of Trustees, Financial Advisor, Presidential Search Committee, Commission on Appraisal, Commission on Social Witness, General Assembly Planning Committee, Ministerial Fellowship Board of Review, and Nominating Committee. Application deadline is August, 15, 2012
Click here for application and other information: http://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/nominating/index.shtml
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From Our Wider UU Community
Mountain Desert District Emergency Relief Fund
Standing in solidarity with all who have experienced the devastation of the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs, the High Park fire in Ft. Collins, the Flagstaff fire in Boulder, the Pine Ridge fire in Grand Junction, Lightner Creek/Weber fires burning in Durango and other fires burning in Montana at the same time, we are establishing The Mountain Desert District Emergency Relief Fund.
This Fund will allow us to offer timely financial assistance to our Unitarian Universalist community as they begin to recover and rebuild following the fires. Informed by other districts where fires have raged we know there can be serious secondary impact from a fire-smoke damage, health problems, loss of employment, etc. Even with good insurance many families will incur unexpected costs due to the fires.
Learn more: http://mdduua.org/news/mdd-news-blog/260-you-can-help-with-fire-recovery.html
The Struggle for Justice ... And the Everyday-ness of Racism
Recently, Kenny Wiley, a young black Unitarian Universalist preparing for our ministry at Harvard, had a late night encounter with a small group of white people. He reports the incident on his Facebook page. This was subsequently posted on our UUA anti-racist chat line. We thought it worth sharing more broadly as a reminder of the work we have yet to do -- and that racism impairs us all. Here's the link to his commentary, "What'd You Steal This Time?" -- http://www.facebook.com/notes/kenny-wiley/whatd-you-steal-this-time/10151772971067925. |
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August 26 - Georgia Family ReUUnion, Norcross GA (