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PCD Connections

The newsletter of the Pacific Central District of the           Unitarian Universalist Association
PCD Connections

BIG FAITH * NO BORDERS



Serving Unitarian Universalism and 
the Ministry and Mission  of our congregations in Pacific Central District and the Pacific Western Region - UUA


September  2016




 
 
 


In This Issue
PCD Logo Small November 12, 2016



Interdependence Day!








Saturday, November 12, 2016. 
9:30  - 4: 30; Registration begins at 9:00
 
$10 covers refreshments and materials. Lunch will be on your own.  We will encourage people who are attending to join together and meet someone new.  
 
Clergy and Lay Leaders are invited to a day of deep connection, celebration and learning. Our day will begin with a worship service with a full band, and end with a blessing of the leaders.
 
The learning will include:
 
Our Covenantal Faith and Beloved Community / Exploring the Connections. Exploring the connections and the diversity among us.
 
Helping Things Go Right in Your Congregation: An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure, or maybe even more.  Much of the conflict in congregations can be avoided by paying attention to these basic things.
 
Paths to Healing: No matter what steps we take, conflict is inevitable. When responded to in healthy ways, it can be used to create and strengthen relationships and our congregations and help us serve as a beacon to the world.
 
Facilitators:  Rev. Deborah Holder and Rev. Jan Christian, Congregational Life Staff serving the Pacific Western Region of our Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.
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POT OF GOLD 
TEACHING AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Keynote by Rev. Mark Hicks & 
Worship by  Rev. Chris Bell


Saturday, October l, 2016


Unitarian Universalist Religious Education Conference


Register Online: 


WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:
 
Teaching Race/ Ethnicity with Mark Hicks. 
UU History. 
Conscious Teaching: How to Manage Challenging Behaviors.
Social Media in Faith Formation. Theatre of Oppression.
Small Group Ministry. 
And much more!
 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
 
Mark Hicks is a transformative religious educator for people who want to integrate cultures and create justice-oriented ways of thinking, learning, and being. He is Professor of Religious Education at Meadville Lombard Theological School, the UU Seminary in Chicago. His academic work has appeared in nationally recognized journals, and his curriculum is used by many UU churches. Mark has inspired many across the UUA with his contributions to religious education and warm, welcoming spirit. We are delighted to have him on the Pacific Coast!
 
THE DETAILS:
$50.00 for individuals
$40.00 per person for teams of 4+
Discounts available
Register Online: http://tinyurl.com/zpd56c4
  
Organized by PCD-Liberal Religious EducatorsAssociation, contact Rev. Alyson Jacks for more info at: [email protected]


UUA Flaming Chalice
May 5 & 6, 2017 - Save the Date!


Dear Friends:
 
We will gather together on Saturday, May 6, 2017, for the PCD sponsored "UUA Presidential Candidates Forum," as well as the 2017 PCD Annual Meeting. 
 
Please plan to attend this "meet and greet" with our candidates!


You can acquaint yourself with the candidates on their websites:


 
 
There will also be special workshops starting on Friday afternoon, May 5th. Stay tuned for more details!


We would like to thank the Mt. Diablo UU Church in Walnut Creek, CA for hosting this year's event.


Contact us:


Pacific Western Region, Regional Lead



PWR-UUA Youth Ministry Specialist


PWR-UUA Congregational Life Staff


PWR-UUA Congregational Life Staff 



PWR-UUA Congregational Life Staff


PWR Administration Team


Pacific Western Region - UUA

Oakland CA Office
4100 Redwood Road, #344

Oakland, CA 94619-2363

(510) 530-1437

Board Buzz 
Steve Burns, 
PCD Board President


September 2016
 
Recent events have caused me to spend a period of time away from home, in fact in one of the "Red" states. Conversations occasionally strayed into politics, and I even broke bread with someone who proudly displayed a Trump sign in his front yard. I had a number of encounters that could have gone sour or devolved into hardened positions on both sides.
 
But, the trip demanded a heightened sensitivity, as there had been a death in the family. Many people were delivering sympathies, meals and other kindnesses. A more compassionate approach was needed. My daughter and I had an extended conversation at a bar with a single, older man who proudly had built his own business. (There were multiple girlfriends and ex-wives in the background though...) While we had some interests in common, that discussion went deeply into the political. I learned some things about Medicare, which I had not known, and that was his area of expertise. He clearly wanted to continue the conversation, as he kept trying to buy more rounds of drinks for my daughter and I. When we finally decided it was time to part, we had made a wager on the election. If my person wins he buys me dinner, and vice-versa. Despite his obvious knowledge of the world, it nearly stunned me when he stated that he'd never before had any conversation of length with a liberal, nor with a Californian. And he relished the exchange, even when we couldn't agree. But what we found was that with some time we could find areas of agreement.
 
Another discovery was that of seeing a person through another's eyes. Though I had a fairly fixed opinion of someone I had known for quite a long time, my perception of them changed radically. Traits, which I had never seen, were held up by others, who had seen another dimension of them, which had been hidden from me. I realized the extremely complex and multi-faceted nature of people in a new way, and will try to retain the lesson that I may possess only a limited view and to not generalize too broadly from only what I know. This was a healing lesson for me, and allowed some forgiveness to grow.
 
Covenant is way to view all these discoveries, whether it is covenant with oneself or with others. I found that keeping a more open mind, regularly searching for common ground, and truly listening frequently brought new insights and understandings. It sometimes required getting past introductory 'slurs' or highly politically incorrect speech, but it was worth the effort. As we begin this new church year, Covenant is a frequent theme, both at the national and more local levels. How we relate to each other is fundamental to building a beloved community, and the formal technique of developing a covenant to guide us through tricky situations is also worth the effort. May your relationships bring you joy and deep connection.


Blessings,



Steve


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PWR Webinars


Organize your teams today - $20 for one connection!




Stewardship Transitions for Small Congregations -- with Kay Crider and Rev. Jan. Christian


Monday | October 3, 2016 | 6:30-7:45 p.m. PT 
 
How can small congregations become aware of and adopt successful stewardship concepts and practices as they grow? This webinar will help you become more comfortable talking about money, the stewardship team and minister's access to pledge information, migrating from a spreadsheet to a database, educating your fellowship about the range and distribution of pledges, keeping the personal stewardship connections intact as you grow, electronic giving options, subscribing to helpful listservs and blogs, and more.
 
Ways to Improve Congregational Giving (Some Tried and True and Some Very New) -- with Kay Crider & Rev. Jan Christian


Wednesday | November 2, 2016 | 6:30-7:45 p.m. PT

 
Some of the techniques we'll explore: Tying the congregational budget to our values and how they intersect with our pledges and gifts, creating opportunities for open discussions about money, broadening the ways and opportunities to give, creating the next generation of generous Unitarian Universalists, building a stewardship ministry team, mentoring and more. 


International Women's Convocation



The Third International Women's Convocation will take place on February 16-19, 2017, Asilomar Conference Center, Monterey Peninsula, California.
 
For more information on the Convocation, please visit our website, IntlWomensConvo.org. There, you will find a link to our Program Guide with up-to-date news about speakers and the rich variety of workshop and discussion topics, as well as discounts and scholarship opportunities for ministers, young adults, and international participants. 


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PCD | 4100 Redwood Road, #344 | Oakland | CA | 94619