Unitarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries


May 2011 Youth Newsletter


    
Looking Up!
UUA badge

Letter from the Editor

 

GA - And Beyond!                                          



   




Dear Friends, 

 

Last month we gave you seven pretty principled reasons to attend General Assembly this year.  This month we add another type of reason:  EXCITEMENT!   We are preparing an exciting and vital experience for youth and young adults in Charlotte celebrating the 50th anniversary of our association, reinforcing multi-generational diversity among delegates, and looking forward to Justice GA, June 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona.  YaYA is on the move and we need you -  join us!   

 

(Spoiler alert - next month's good reason to attend GA is YOU WILL HAVE FUN!!)

 

Do you know what this is?  Rorschach test?  Abstract image?  Random collection of dots and squares? (Hint: click on the link to find out) 

 uuaGACR     

 

Okay, how about this one?  Wallpaper pattern?  The number three?  A tattoo?  

uuaGAYCCR  * 

 

These "Quick Read"  images are symbolic of the future of YaYA and the UUA, representing new and innovative ways to connect - to the UUA, to resources, to each each other, and to the world beyond, while Heeding the Call and A Chorus of Faiths are others.   

 

We are ever more committed to giving you the tools to live your faith and create the world as you - and we all - wish it to be, and to that end our June issue will feature much more information about programming at GA of special interest to youth and adults working with youth.  We are committed to the future and you are it:  Your vision and ability to imagine the future you want to create and your energy to make it so inspires us.  As we prepare for next month we keep hearing Buzz Lightyear's battle-cry, "To the universe... and beyond!"  So stay tuned- in and active - we will match you every step of the way! 

 


(We want to)  See you in Charlotte

 

Happy reading!  UUA Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Visit the Unitarian Universalist Youth Ministry Facebook page!  Find us on Facebook
Rev. Dr.  Monica Cummings
Rev. Dr. Monica Cummings
Pastoral Message  




  

 

  The First Principle    



   

  

 

 

 

Hi Family,

 

I go through periods of time when I stop watching or reading the news to protect my mental health.  Part of last week was one of those times.  It felt like my head was going to spin off with the constant coverage of the Royal Wedding, people questioning President Obama's place of birth and the upcoming trial of Casey Anthony.  Just when I though it was safe to watch the news again, Osama bin Laden was killed.  At first, I was amazed at the spontaneous celebrations and puzzled at the number of people who wanted OBL's death photos released.  I dismissed the celebrations as people exhaling after almost 10 years of waiting for the next attack by OBL and his followers on U.S. soil.  I equated people's curiosity to see the photos with our inability to look away at a car accident as we drive past.  Then, as the days passed, I began to wonder if we as a nation were not becoming what we despise in others.  For example, I recalled the name calling and demonization of those in other lands who cheered after 9/11 and other events when U.S. citizens or soldiers were killed. 

 

Holding all the above in my heart and mind, I started thinking about our First UU Principle which calls us to "Affirm and Promote the Inherent Worth and Dignity of every person" and I will add dead or alive.  So I ask you, what does the first UU Principle mean to you?  How do you apply it to your life?  Do you have conditions as to who qualifies?  Does the First Principle apply to a person who is considered evil? 

  

I would love to hear from you.  You can message me on Facebook at Monica Cummings, email me or leave a comment for me on the YaYA of Color blog, "UU Living Mosaic."   

 

Living My Faith,

Rev. Monica

 


"This I Mourn: A Lamentation for Osama bin Laden" by Gregory Boyd. 

 

One fewer soul on Spaceship Earth,                                            

Our Father's Mother feels the dearth.                                         

 

We are wholly imperfect:                                                           

perfectly incomplete.

 

This, I mourn with each passing hour,

A violent end to brutal power.

 

Yet, I know what I believe-

 

We are wholly imperfect:

perfectly incomplete.

 

Who is my neighbor?

Did he ask?

Love your neighbor.

Not my task

Smote my neighbor.

Who now basks?

 

This, I mourn with each passing hour,

A violent end to brutal power.

 

Yet, I know what I believe-

 

We are wholly imperfect:

perfectly incomplete.

 

Did he hunger?

            Does he feast?

Sought he victory?

            Through defeat?

 

This, I mourn with each passing hour,

A violent end to brutal power.

 

Yet, I know what I believe-

 

We are wholly imperfect:

perfectly incomplete.

 

Buddha says, "Forsake desire."

Would that I were as a spire,

            Thrusting up toward Heaven above

            Penetrating the God of love,

Sharp to pierce Holy Empire.

 

Where is my neighbor?

            Who is your God?

Who is my neighbor?

            Where is your God?

 

Bountiful blessings:

            The prayers we sow.

Militant aggressing:

            Onward we go.

 

This, I mourn with each passing hour,

A violent end to brutal power.

 

Yet, I know what I believe-

 

We are wholly imperfect:

perfectly incomplete.

 

To know peace,

            To know relief,

                        To rest in peace,

            Without grief;

Thus, to decease.

 

                        To know no more,

            What you abhor;

Eternal sleep,

            Sojourn complete:

                        Life is defeat.

 

This, I mourn with each passing hour,

A violent end to brutal power.

 

Yet, I know what I believe-

 

We are wholly imperfect:

perfectly incomplete;

Wantonly unpredictable,

We lamenting beasts.

Visit the Unitarian Universalist Mosaic Project Facebook Group Page!  Find us on Facebook 

 


SB1070+PROP8+WI


 

UPDATE 05: Warming rays





(source for graphic: http://colorlines.com)

This column follows legislative issues in specific states with national impact that decrease social justice in our nation.  This month's update adds news on the efforts by Wisconsin Governor Walker to abolish collective bargaining for public sector workers in Wisconsin, an established right since 1959.   

SB1070

Following the Ninth Circuit issued ruling on April 11 that puts the most controversial parts of the state's immigration enforcement law on hold, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn this ruling.  Attorney General Tom Horne said going directly to the Supreme Court and skipping a possible second appeal to the 9th Circuit will save time in resolving the case, while Brewer said she is confident "Arizona will prevail in its fight to protect its citizens."  The state must file the appeal by a July 11 deadline, the officials said. The Supreme Court has discretion on whether to hear the appeal on the lower court's order.

 

PROP 8    

U.S. Ninth District Judge James Ware has scheduled a hearing for June 13 on the Proposition 8 backers' plea to permanently block any public release of the videotape of the trial on the measure's constitutionality.  The judge said he would hold off for now on the Proposition 8 challengers' conflicting plea to publicly release the entire video recording.  Meanwhile, Judge Ware has been drawn into an even more recent controversy: a plea by the Proposition 8 backers that he throw out all of Judge Walker's ruling in the case and any orders he had issued, claiming that his own same-sex relationship made him not an impartial judge in the case.  Judge Ware has scheduled a hearing on that issue, for June 13.

 

WISCONSIN 

The Wisconsin Supreme Court asked the state Attorney General and opponents of a law limiting public employee collective-bargaining rights for briefs on whether it can take over and dismiss a challenge to the measure.  The law requires annual recertification votes for union representation of public employees and makes their payment of union dues voluntary. Democrats and organized labor oppose the measure, which was signed March 11 by the Governor of Wisconsin, as an attack on worker rights.  The Supreme Court order compels opponents and supporters of the law to brief the court this month on whether it can take over the case and dispose of it.  The Supreme Court said it will hear argument on the issues on June 6.

Youth Key img
Youth View
 

We need YOUth!

 

 

 


 

 

 

UPDATE: Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees - New Youth Voting Process 

Deadline for nominations is Monday, May 16.  Shortly thereafter the list of candidates and candidate statements will be available on the UUA website.  Congregational leaders will also receive electronic packets with this information.  Youth are encouraged to discuss and debate candidate's positions before voting.  A formula will be applied to each congregation to ensure the size of youth body vote is equal to that of adult membership voting.  Youth voters must register before voting. The resulting roster will be verified by either a congregational president, DRE, or minister.  Votes will be tallied and results announced on June 15.  Nominate a candidate or learn more about the voting process

 

The UUA offers many ways for youth to lead our movement and develop our faith - field testing new resources is one of them. Check out these programs and email [email protected] to learn more!

Heeding the CallYouth view themselves as agents of change in the world as they develop qualities crucial to justice work. 

A Chorus of FaithsGuides youth to become interfaith leaders as they explore diverse faiths, including our own, and implement a local interfaith project based on UU values of service to our community and religious pluralism. (Developed with the Interfaith Youth Core (founded by Eboo Patel) and funded with a grant from the Shelter Rock Congregation.)

Building Bridges (online soon):  Youth understand and appreciate our religiously diverse world by examining religions through the lens of how they serve fundamental human needs. 

 

Annual Multicultural Leadership School, August 5-9, 2011, Boston, MA.   

"Beyond offering leadership skill development, this conference brings together young Unitarian Universalist People of Color," said Rev. Dr. Cummings.  "Within the UUA, People of Color often find themselves isolated. They look around their congregations and may not see anyone else who looks like them. This gathering invites young UUs of Color to connect with each other in multicultural community while deepening their knowledge of UU history, continuing the rich tradition of meetings at 25 Beacon Street."  Learn more about the 2011 conference, download the  application, read about the 2010 conference, and send us an email to [email protected] if you or somebody you know would like to attend!  

 

 Events  

Opportunities
Training
Gatherings
   

 

 

 

 

Teenage Interfaith Diversity Education Conference (T.I.D.E.), May 27-29, 2011. 

The TIDE Conference is planned by 50 high school students of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds and held at Northeastern University over Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-29, 2011. The goals of TIDE are to train teens to communicate respectfully and use their skills in discussions about highly charged issues; develop leadership and facilitation skills; and foster bonds as well as lasting friendships among the youth in attendance.  Officially designated as a Post-Parliament Event by the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR), the TIDE conference is sponsored by Interfaith Action, Inc. in collaboration with the Brudnick Center for the Study of Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University.  Registration information is at www.ifaction.org.

 

Reality Ministry with Youth Training, July 17-23, 2011, Camp de Benneville Pines, CA.

Fasten your seat belts - this will not be an ordinary youth ministry class! During this weeklong intensive, we will engage our heads, hearts and hands as we delve into the theology of Unitarian Universalist youth ministry - in real time!  This course is an overview of Unitarian Universalist youth ministry. While we will use resources drawn from other faith traditions as well as our own, the question we will keep coming back to is: How do we embody youth ministry in our Unitarian Universalist faith and congregations?  Download the "Reality Ministry with Youth" syllabus with information on logistics and housing and contact Eliza Bivins-Fink to inquire about registering for this or any of our other summer classes.   

 

Annual Multicultural Leadership School, August 5-9, 2011, Boston, MA.   

"Beyond offering leadership skill development, this conference brings together young Unitarian Universalist People of Color," said Rev. Dr. Cummings.   "Within the UUA, People of Color often find themselves isolated. They look around their congregations and may not see anyone else who looks like them. This gathering invites young UUs of Color to connect with each other in multicultural community while deepening their knowledge of UU history, continuing the rich tradition of meetings at 25 Beacon Street.  Download your application, read about the 2010 conference, and send us an email to [email protected] if you or somebody you know would like to attend!  


Youth Program Testers Needed!  Become a field test congregation for new youth programs.

A Chorus of Faiths is an eight-workshop program for high school youth on interfaith leadership.

Heeding the Call is twelve workshops devoted to developing qualities of a justicemaker in junior high aged youth.   Apply even if you plan to use the programs in non-traditional settings:  add a workshop of curricula once a month to your regular youth group meetings, use them to launch weeknight programming, or as the basis of a retreat. If your congregation has a relationship with youth groups from other religions, use A Chorus of Faiths to spark interest in doing service work together.  Some congregations already envision using A Chorus of Faiths with a cluster of youth from several congregations.  For applications email [email protected].  Direct questions to Jessica York, Youth Programs Director, at [email protected].

 

Dynamic Youth Ministry: On-line course by Starr King School for the Ministry, Fall 2011   

This course is part of a broader movement to revitalize youth ministry within and beyond Unitarian Universalism.  This lively interactive course grounds students in theological, ethical and programmatic aspects of youth ministry and embodies a youth ministry that is a vibrant, robust and flexible part of every congregation.  Previous participants include graduate students, ministers, youth advisers, non-profit staff, religious educators, parents and others.  For more information and to register visit Dynamic Youth Ministry on Facebook:  Find us on Facebook 

 

Common Read: "The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona Borderlands"

Participate in the UUA the Common Read project by reading and discussing the same book with your congregation.  Common Read builds community within congregations and among Unitarian Universalists by giving diverse people a shared experience, a shared language and a basis for deep and meaningful conversations.  Purchase Margaret Regan's book in hardcover or paperback from the UUA Bookstore. The book is available in hardcover at public libraries.  

 Announcements

Association-wide
International
Regional
Local  



 
   

 

 

UUA Youth Project Grant Program - Apply Now!  As called for in the Youth Ministry Working Group Recommendations, the UUA has established a grant program for local youth-led projects giving Unitarian Universalist high school age youth opportunities to grow in faith, deepen in spirit, develop skills and offer leadership and service to Unitarian Universalist communities.  Grants up to $2,000 will be awarded to youth who pair with an adult advisor in a sponsoring congregation, district or Unitarian Universalist organization.  We are accepting applications now, so apply immediately!   Deadline to apply for the next round of funding is August 1 - don't delay!   

Learn how to apply, including sample project ideas, at Youth Project Grants.

Resources

Books
Videos
Website
Organizations

  



Red NewFaith Like a River: Themes from Unitarian Universalist History - a Tapestry of Faith program for adults exploring the dynamic course of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist (UU) history, its people, ideas, and movements that shape our faith heritage.  Help spread the word about this new resource!

UU World Spring 2011 Issue.  Grab your copy and check out the Tapestry of Faith insert - read about The Children and the Frogs, how a Unitarian Universalist invented the World Wide Web, the Tao of iPod, and more!  Subscribe or read UU World online!

Video - "A Religion for Our Time, Episode 17:  "Greater Good Project" shows how the  

First Unitarian Church in Rochester, New York has developed an amazing holiday tradition. Congregants decide how much they will spend on the holidays and then give half of that amount to the church!  The children then decide what local and international charities to support with the funds.  Five years on this remarkable project provides a whole new meaning to the holidays for hundreds of UU families and for the people they help.  Download Episode Seventeen (MP4) (right-click to save the file).   

 

Video - "A Religion for Our Time, Episode 16:  "Worship For All Ages!" shows how Reverend Erika Hewitt and her worship leaders increase attendance by creating the magic of story-based intergenerational worship at the Live Oak UU Congregation in Goleta, California. Based on the concepts illustrated in Hewitt's book, Story, Song & Worship (published by Skinner House), this is intergenerational worship that engages kids and adults alike.  Download Episode Sixteen (MP4) (right-click to save the file).   


Grants -
Youth Project Grants  Grants are available ranging in value from $200-$2,000 to help support congregations and districts by creating opportunities for youth, including service and spirituality projects.  Next application deadline is August 1, 2011.


Resource - "Standing on the Side of Love Activist Toolkit" - download application for your FREE memory stick!  This toolkit gives you the tools to further the Standing on the Side of Love campaign in your community and it comes on a cool memory stick!
Evolution

We are working on making your newsletter more fun to read and use with more opportunities to get involved, connect with other UUs and deepen your faith.

Let us know what you think!  What's missing?  What are you tired of seeing? 

E-mail us at [email protected]
Keep reading - let's evolve together!