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Unitarian Universalist Association Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
June 2011 Youth Newsletter
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 Letter from the Editor
Our values in action
Dear Friends, ** Our apologies for the tardiness of the newsletter this month - we've been working hard on making the Youth and Young Adult presence at the General Assembly as successful as possible. We are off to a great start! Please follow and comment on the action on our Facebook group page (the link is at the bottom of the Letter from the Editor), and look for a YaYA focused GA'11 wrap-up in the July newsletter! - Ed. This month the United Nations endorsed equal rights for gays, lesbians, and transgendered persons for the first time ever. Although the vote was not unanimous and several countries voted against the resolution we should take hope in this historic event. As Unitarian Universalists we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of each person and celebrate victories such this - victories of reason, compassion, and love. We won't have victories everyday which is all the more reason that we remain vocal and committed in the expression of our values and principles. General Assembly which opens June 22 is one such opportunity and we will do our best to keep you informed and participating in GA even if you can't be there. Follow the live plenary updates and discussion on the UUYouthMinistry Facebook group page; familiarize yourself with what Youth Caucus does at GA; visit uua.org for access to video-streams and reports in GA activity, and follow UU World Online for blog posts and commentary.
Happy reading!
UUA Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
Visit the Unitarian Universalist Youth Ministry Facebook page!  |
 | | Rev. Dr. Monica Cummings |
Pastoral Message
Forgiving
Hello Family, In the month of June we will celebrate Fathers Day and the beginning of Summer. June is also a month in which cities across the world will host Gay Pride events. After many years of not attending Pride events, I decided to show my Pride and celebrate with Milwaukee's LGBT community last weekend. After walking around the grounds and visiting most of the booths and food venders, I settled in at the LGBT Center of Southeast WI booth, where I socializedand talked about present and future programming at the Center. As darkness fell, people began to gather in the main stage area for the final concert and headline performer LeAnn Rimes. Okay, I will admit to having a love/unlike relationship with Country Music which stems in part from the less than accepting history of the genre toward the LGBT community and people of color. So, I was undecided as to whether or not I would attend the concert. Just as I decided to head home, the music started and I found myself swaying to the beat, singing along and moving closer to the stage. LeAnn, was phenomenal in her performance, sharing about how her life influences her music and the lessons she has learned the past year. One lesson she learned is the power of forgiving and asking for forgiveness. From personal experience, I know it is harder to ask for forgiveness than it is to forgive. What I have learned from my years in recovery is that it is even harder for me to forgive myself which is where I need to begin if I want to change how I treat myself and others. Over the next month, I want you to ponder the following questions. When was the last time you forgave yourself? Is there someone who you need to ask for forgiveness? Is there someone who you need to forgive? As always, I would love to hear from you. You can message me on Facebook at Monica Cummings, email me at mcummings@uua.org or leave a comment for me on the YaYA of Color blog, UU Living Mosaic. Living My Faith, Rev. Monica Visit the Unitarian Universalist Mosaic Project Facebook Group Page!
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SB1070+PROP8+WI
UPDATE 06: Engaged
(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 A federal judge in Atlanta will hear arguments on an attempt by civil liberties groups to block Georgia's new law cracking down on illegal immigration from taking effect. The hearing before Judge Thomas Thrash is set for Monday, June 20. Thrash has indicated he may rule from the bench. Civil liberties groups have asked Thrash to block the law from taking effect until a lawsuit they filed earlier this month has been resolved. That lawsuit asked the judge to find the law unconstitutional and to keep authorities from enforcing it. Thrash will also hear arguments on the state's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The Georgia law has some similarities to laws enacted in Arizona and Utah, parts or all of which have already been blocked by federal judges. PROP 8 California Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Upheld - Court Won't Overturn Prop 8 Decision Because Judge Was Gay. Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Ware's ruling rejected arguments that former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker would potentially benefit from declaring the ban unconstitutional. In his 19-page decision - a response to the first attempt in the nation to disqualify a judge based on sexual orientation - Ware had a bigger message. Gay judges, he said, are just like minority and female jurists: They can be impartial, too, even in cases that might affect them. WISCONSIN Wisconsin Union Law To Take Effect. A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court handed Republican Gov. Scott Walker a major victory Tuesday, ruling that a polarizing union law that strips most public employees of their collective bargaining rights could take effect. In a 4-3 decision that included a blistering dissent, the court ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi overstepped her authority when she declared the law void. She sided with a lawsuit that claimed Republicans didn't provide proper public notice of a meeting that helped get the original legislation approved. The legislation sparked weeks of protests when Walker introduced it in February. Tens of thousands of demonstrators descended on the state Capitol for weeks and Democratic senators fled the state to prevent a vote, thrusting Wisconsin to the forefront of a national debate over labor rights. |
 Youth View
We need YOUth!
UPDATE: New Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees: Abhimanyu Janamanchi Grade in school 2011-2012: Junior. Congregation: Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater, INC., FL This was our first congregationally-based voting process for this position. We had three fine candidates. All strong leaders. Well over double the number of youth participated as usually participated in the GA Caucus process of years past. The Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministries learned a lot from this first run and has already made minor changes so even more people can participate next year. Congratulations to Abhimanyu! 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 fieldtest@uua.org to learn more! Heeding the Call: Youth view themselves as agents of change in the world as they develop qualities crucial to justice work. A Chorus of Faiths: Guides 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 yayaofcolor@uua.org if you or somebody you know would like to attend! |
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Events
Opportunities
Training
Gatherings
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 yayaofcolor@uua.org 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 fieldtest@uua.org. Direct questions to Jessica York, Youth Programs Director, at jyork@uua.org. 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:  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
 Faith 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 Summer 2011 Issue. 
Our 50th Anniversary "Gold Issue!" Subscribe or read UU World online!
Video - "A Religion for Our Time, Episode 18: "Unitarian Universalists Rebuilding New Orleans" shows how three UU congregations in New Orleans, like the city itself, were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. However that devastation became an inspiration, not an obstacle, to the members of all three churches. Their resilience and determination have been in evidence every day of the last five years as they rebuild not only their churches, but the city of New Orleans itself.
Download Episode Eighteen (MP4) (right-click to save the file). 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). 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! |
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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 youth@uua.org
Keep reading - let's evolve together! 
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