Young Adult News
A monthly newsletter of the UUA Office of Young Adult Ministries    June, 2009 -  Issue 70

In This Issue
June Action of the Month
Letter from the Program Associate for Ministry to Youth and Young Adults of Color
2008 Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution Follow Up
Alice King Receives Donna DiSciullo Award
C*UUYAN Virtual Meeting July 18!
Apply for Open Seat on UUA Audit Committee
Join Our Mailing List!
Events
General Assembly
June 24-28, 2009
Salt Lake City, Utah

C*UUYAN Virtual Meeting
July 18, 2009
Online
June Action of the Month: Continuing Immigrant Justice
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.

May's Immigrant Justice theme extends into June as we prepare for General Assembly, which will include a rally in Salt Lake City in support of immigrant families.  So if you didn't get a chance to promote immigrant justice in May, consider taking one (or all!) of these three actions right now to support immigrant justice:

1. Send a fax to Congress supporting immigration reform
2. Send Congress an email in support of BGLT immigrants
3. Send a letter of support to Walt Staton, a UU young adult who provides humanitarian aid to migrant border crossers as a volunteer with No More Deaths, an official ministry of the UU Church of Tucson. Yesterday, Walt was found guilty of a criminal misdemeanor of "knowingly littering," which he was charged with after putting out jugs of water intended for migrants crossing remote areas of the Sonoran desert last December on Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Letters of support for Walt and No More Deaths can be sent to media@nomoredeaths.org.
Greetings!
Greetings all,
 
As you may know, the Office of Young Adult Ministries and the Youth Ministries Office at the Unitarian Universalist Association will join together on July 1, 2009 to form the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Staff in the new office will continue to provide the essential resources and services historically provided by these two offices.
 
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have worked with the Office of Young Adult Ministries in the past. It has been a pleasure to work with many of you over the years. Going forward, we hope you will share your passion and commitment with the new Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and work together to provide ever more vibrant, relevant, and meaningful ministry for all our youth and young adults.
 
We would like to take this opportunity to publically express our deep gratitude for the work of Hallie Andrew who has served as our Young Adult Ministries Office Administrator for the past year. Hallie's dedication and hard work has made her an invaluable asset to our office. This will be her last month as Office Administrator. Her presence in the Office of Young Adult Ministries will be sorely missed as she pursues new adventures. Please join me in wishing her all the best in her new endeavors!
 
As if this wasn't enough news, there's a chock-full issue of Young Adult News waiting for you below. Happy reading!
 
In faith,
 
Nancy DiGiovanni and Erik B. Kesting
Acting Co-Directors of Young Adult Ministries
 
Letter from the Program Associate for Ministry to Youth and Young Adults of Color
Hi Family,
 
As you read in the introduction to this newsletter, the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry is undergoing significant transition.  If I were to describe the atmosphere in the Youth and Young Adults offices, uncertainty would be an accurate word to use.  With all the staffing uncertainty in the air, I want to comfort you with the knowledge that the support that is vital to sustaining programs and leadership to UU Young Adults will continue during staff transitions. 
 
I believe the following quote by Marilyn Ferguson adequately expresses my point.
"The difference between transformation by accident and transformation by a system is like the difference between lightning and a lamp.  Both give illumination, but one is dangerous and unreliable, while the other is relatively safe, directed, available."
 
Finally, all those remaining on staff, myself included, are committed to support a safe, directed, available transformation to the new structure in the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. 
 
Living My Faith,
Rev. Monica
2008 Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution Follow Up
At the 2008 General Assembly, three motions were passed that called our association of congregations into deeper and healthier relationship with Unitarian Universalist youth and young adults. One of those motions, the responsive resolution entitled Youth and Young Adult Empowerment: Accountability, called for member congregations, districts, and other Unitarian Universalist groups to report annually on their work with youth and young adults.

Accordingly, the UUA Administration developed a survey tool that was sent to all congregations and organizations named in the resolution. The results of these surveys and other relevant reports can be found on the UUA Website.
Alice King Receives Donna DiSciullo Award
The Office of Young Adult Ministries is grateful to and thrilled to present Alice King with the Donna DiSciullo Young Adult and Campus Ministry Award for her excellence in ministry to and with young adults.

Alice demonstrates the epitome of all that can be accomplished when a dedicated professional is empowered by a congregation to provide meaningful and vital young adult ministry. As the Unitarian Universalist Campus Minister at UCSD and SDSU...and the Young Adult & Campus Ministry Coordinator at First UU Church of San Diego, Alice is a welcoming and profoundly deep and loving mentor and role model to the young adults with whom she works. Her multicultural and anti-oppression competencies make her a strong and solid ally to the marginalized communities within and around the UUA. Her longstanding local and district leadership has reached beyond the Southwest District with her involvement as a workshop leader at the LREDA Fall Conference in 2008, as a member of the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Training and Meeting Event hosted by the Office of Young Adult Ministries in Boston in 2008 and as a panelist at General Assembly in Salt Lake City in 2009.

Alice has a clear vision for healthy and sustainable ministry to young adults and campus members, and she advocates for these ministries whenever she has the opportunity. She speaks truth to power and her professionalism and mentorship is a gift to all who know her, spanning many ages and stages.
Save the Date--C*UUYAN Virtual Meeting July 18!
C*UUYAN will hold a virtual meeting on Saturday, July 18, at 3 pm EST.  We will hold elections for new Steering Committee members at that time.  Other possible agenda items include hearing and discussing reports from Steering Committee and the task forces created at last year's pre-GA meeting, as well as discussing the direction for C*UUYAN for the next year.  (One task force is generating ideas about how to make our annual conferences strong and sustainable; the other is examining young adult ministry within our community and our denomination.)  Logistical details are forthcoming--check July's YA News or email us at CUUYAN-SC@yahoogroups.com.

Serving on Steering Committee is a rewarding opportunity to give back to the community!  Open Steering Committee positions include the Facilitator position and three At-Large positions.  Terms are one year each.  Steering Committee this year will work with the UUA on our relationship and will work to build momentum for and provide support in planning Opus and ConCentric 2010.  Young adults who will remain in the 18-35 y.o. age range throughout summer 2010 are eligible to run for Steering Committee.  If you are curious or interested, email us at CUUYAN-SC@yahoogroups.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!
Apply for Open Seat on UUA Audit Committee
The Committee on Committees of the UUA Board of Trustees is accepting applications for a seat on the UUA Audit Committee.  The Audit Committee oversees the annual audit of financial statements by a public accounting firm and monitors the review, establishment and implementation of accounting policies and internal controls.
 
Preferred candidates will have professional experience and leadership roles in settings where the budget exceeds $20 million, in finance, accounting, or management in organizations similar to the UUA.  Familiarity and understanding of generally accepted accounting principles is required.  Experience applying or interpreting accounting rules and relevant experience working in not-for-profits and on organizational audit committees is a plus.
 
Links to further information about the Audit Committee and the online Committee on Committees application form can be found at uua.org/aboutus/governance/7313.shtml, under "Board Appointed Committees".  The deadline for applications for
this position is June 17, 2009.
 
Contact the Office of Young Adult Ministries
Hallie Andrew - Young Adult Ministries Office Administrator
(617) 948-4645 - handrew@uua.org
Rev. Dr. Monica L. Cummings - Program Associate for Youth and Young Adults of Color
(262) 705-5786 - mcummings@uua.org
Nancy DiGiovanni - Acting Co-Director of Young Adult Ministries
(617) 948-4629 - ndigiovanni@uua.org
Erik B. Kesting - Acting Co-Director of Young Adult Ministries
(608) 467-6886- ekesting@uua.org