Young Adult News
A monthly newsletter of the UUA Office of Young Adult Ministries    March, 2009 -  Issue 67

In This Issue
March Action of the Month
Report from Consultation in Clara Barton District
Letter from C*UUYAN Steering Committee
Apply for Grants for Lay Theological Education
Scholarships for General Assembly 2009
Mark deWolfe Award for Outstanding BGLTQ Work
Join Our Mailing List!
Events
April 3-5, 2009   
Tulsa OK
 
CMWD CONscientious: Live Your Faith!
May 29-31, 2009
Brookfield, WI
March Action of the Month: Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Each month, the UUA implements robust action campaigns that aim to engage congregations and individual UUs.  Actions of the Month will focus on accomplishing concrete policy objectives that reflect our faith values.  Visit the UUA's Social Justice page for more information.
 
Mobilize your congregation or youth and young adult group to participate in the Action of the Month for March by calling their congressional representatives in support of comprehensive sexuality education.  Call-in days will coincide with lobby visits from participants in the Sexualiy Education Advocacy Training  taking place in Washington, DC March 21st-24th.
Greetings!
Welcome to the March issue of Young Adult News! It's hard to believe two months of 2009 have already passed us by. As a relatively new Bostonian, I will be quite glad when we can declare winter officially over.
 
You may have noticed that starting in February's issue we added an Events section to the left. This new section highlights district, regional, and national opportunities for young adults to connect around spirituality, justice issues, and more. For information on district events and ministry that best fits you, we encourage you to contact your district's Program Consultant or Young Adult and Campus Ministry staff member. Contact information for district staff can be found through the District Services page on the UUA website. You may also visit the UUA Events Page for even more event listings.

In this issue of Young Adult News you will find a letter from the C*UUYAN Steering Committee, information on scholarships for lay theological education and scholarships for attending this year's General Assembly, and an exciting award opportunity for outstanding ministry to and with BGLTQ community.
 
Warm wishes,
 
Hallie Andrew
Young Adult Ministries Office Administrator
Report from Consultation in Clara Barton District
It was an exciting Valentine's Day weekend in Northampton, Massachusetts! We want to thank Deb Levering, Program Consultant of the Clara Barton District and Mr. Steve Cook, Interim Minister at the Unitarian Society at Northampton and Florence in Northampton, MA for their amazing collaboration and advocacy for campus ministry! On February 15th, Caitlin DuBois of Smith College and I preached at two services led by Steve and we led a workshop for students and congregants in collaboration with Deb in the afternoon. We are SO excited to have the support of the Northampton community in generating some powerful ministry for UU students and the non-UUs who populate the neighboring colleges!  We extend deep gratitude to Deb for adding campus ministry to her many duties as Program Consultant-she even started a facebook group for young adults in the CBD! If you know anyone attending UMASS Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mt Holyoke or Amherst College, let them know about this new and amazing campus ministry activity getting started in the area; they can contact Deb Levering at [email protected] for more details! 
 
Nancy DiGiovanni
Letter from C*UUYAN Steering Committee
Dear UU Young Adults,
 
We are pleased to announce ConCurrent: ConCentric and Opus 2009!  Join us in Utah June 19-23 for community, spirituality, leadership, and business.
 
Although the location and dates are near General Assembly, ConCurrent will not be in conjunction with or at GA; it will be a distinct event with the spiritual depth and the participatory guiding of C*UUYAN you have come to expect from Opus and ConCentric.  We are holding ConCurrent prior to GA because we hope that the energy from our own conference will burst forth into the meeting of our larger faith.
 
Keep your eyes peeled for more details and registration.  For now, we want to start getting the word out that C*UUYAN's summer conference is in the works.  Interested in helping out?  Want to be on staff?  Be in touch at [email protected] to join in on the preliminary planning or let us know you're interested in a future role.  Feel free to email us with any questions or comments, or look to www.uuyan.org for more information as it becomes available.
 
In addition, the Young Adult Conferences Task Force formed at last year's Pre-GA meeting is recruiting new members.  This Task Force is charged with envisioning how a continental conference might best be enacted.  Individuals with local- and district-level conference planning experience are encouraged to apply.  New members would serve for one year, with the option of extending into another term.  Applications are requested by March 22 (midnight EST).  For more information, see www.uuyan.org or email Robin Darling at [email protected].
 
In faith,
C*UUYAN Steering Committee
Andrew Mertz, At-Large
Chris Wulff, At-Large
Linnea Huston, At-Large
Liz Weber, Facilitator
Tom Bozeman, GA YAC Liaison
Apply for Grants for Lay Theological Education!
Half of the funds that you generously donated to Association Sunday 2008: Growing Our Spirit will support lay theological education programs. Has your congregation, district or seminary applied to benefit from these funds? Apply now for grants to create programs which focus on spiritual and theological deepening for lay leaders.

Scholarships for General Assembly 2009
Need Help Getting To GA?
 
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. GA 2009 is being hosted in Salt Lake City, UT. If you need financial assistance to attend, we can help. Please review the information below and contact Hallie Andrew at [email protected] with any questions you may have.

Are you connected with a congregation?
 
The GA Office has scholarship funds available and a streamlined process for distributing those funds. Please visit the Scholarship Opportunities Page and follow the instructions carefully. 
 
Not connected with a congregation but still wish to attend?
 
Please fill out the scholarship application (pdf) and send it to the YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES OFFICE care of Hallie Andrew at [email protected]. You do not need to complete the last two bullets on the Application Checklist.
 
The deadline for applying for scholarships is March 31, 2009.  See you in Salt Lake City!!!!

Mark deWolfe Award for Outstanding BGLTQ Work
Do you know a Unitarian Universalist who has done outstanding work for BGLTQ rights, in the UU or larger worlds? 
 
Since 1996, Interweave Continental has presented the Mark deWolfe Award to a Unitarian Universalist who has gone above and beyond to make the world a better place for queer people. It is one of the highlights of General Assembly-our people deserve to be honored in public more often!
 
The Interweave board still looking for a wonderful person to honor this year at GA, and we're asking for your nominations. Please forward the person's name, biographical information, and your reasons why this person should be honored to me, Dana Dwinell-Yardley, at [email protected] or 45 State Street #380, Montpelier VT 05602. 
Please forward this email to any other lists or individuals that might be interested.
 
See you at GA!
 
Dana Dwinell-Yardley
Interweave President
Contact the Office of Young Adult Ministries
Hallie Andrew - Young Adult Ministries Office Administrator
(617) 948-4645 - [email protected]
Nancy DiGiovanni - Acting Co-Director of Young Adult Ministries
(617) 948-4629 - [email protected]
Erik B. Kesting - Acting Co-Director of Young Adult Ministries
(608) 467-6886- [email protected]