Congregation Presidents Invited to the Presidents Council

The Ballou Channing District Board of Directors invites all congregation presidents to join them for the annual Presidents Council Gathering, Saturday, September 29 at First Parish Taunton, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. First Parish is located on Church Green (Route 44) in downtown Taunton.

The gathering starts with breakfast prepared and hosted by the BCD Board with informal conversation with other presidents. Participants and the BCD Board members will then gather for a short worship, share information about their congregations, discuss issues and challenges of common interest with other congregation leaders, hear about the Board's 2012-2013 programs and projects such as Chalice Lighters and developing regional collaboration, as well as get information about what's happening at the UUA and learn about district services available to congregations.

Presidents are also encouraged to bring one other officer or board member to the gathering.

There is no fee for the gathering, but registration is requested. Call: 508-559-6650 or E-mail: BallouChanning@verizon.net with the names of attendees by September 26.

Church Turnaround and Growth Conference in Taunton

The First Parish Church in Taunton is sponsoring a growth conference for churches who want to do something new to turn their church around on Friday, October 26 and Saturday October 27.

The conference is being lead by church development consultant, Paul Nickerson. It will introduce new ways of thinking about conducting and employing  new techniques for doing growth work differently. For more information contact Rev. Christana Willey McKnight, minister@firstparishtaunton.org. Register at http://growthconference.eventbrite.com/ Registration fee: $350 group/$125 individual. First Parish Church in Taunton, MA, is located on Church Green (on Route 44)

Workshop for New Religious Education Director - Ministers Teams

"Working Together" is a workshop to be led by Diane Elliot and Rev. William Zelazny for religious educators and parish ministers, including interims, who are beginning to work together as a team to develop an understanding of each other. It will be held at First Parish (Old Ship) Church Parish House in Hingham, MA, 107 Main St, Hingham, on Saturday October 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 12.00 noon. A continental type breakfast will be available. Registration: $25/team. To register contact BCD RE Development Coach, Diane Elliott, at dilliot@aol.com or 781.264.6234.

The "BCD Blog"

The Ballou Channing District has a blog - www.bcduuablog.org. It is being used to provide resource articles about topics such as leadership, church operations, religious education, fund raising and information and announcements about workshops and events to congregation leaders and others.  

The blog will be accessible through the BCD website - www.bcduua.org. It can also be subscribed to directly by clicking on the "Follow" link on the blog page. The blog is open to anyone. Additionally, postings will automatically be sent to the BCD Facebook page and a notice about a new posting will go out on Twitter@bcduua.org.

Everyone, but especially lay and ordained congregation leaders and staff, are encouraged to subscribe.

Survey to Learn More About "Free-Range" UUs

The BCD is assisting the new UUA Growth Strategies office distribute a survey that is attempting to capture the essential demographics of "Free-Range Unitarian Universalists." The survey will help the office develop strategies for congregations to use to connect with these individuals. Defined for this survey a free-range UU is a person who "identifies as UU, but doesn't attend a congregation," often will self-describe as "spiritual but not religious."This could be a friend who says he/she likes the UU philosophy, but does not like going to church, a college student who no longer goes to church, an active military person, or neighbor who never quite makes it to church, but says he/she is interested. Please share the link to this survey with whomever you think fits this description.

Facebook link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/28FDNPL    

Email link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FreeRangeUUs

Around the District

• Ministers Assume New Positions in the BCD

Several congregations in the BCD have welcomed new settled, contract or interim ministers with the start of this church year.

Six ministers have come into the Ballou Channing District to started new settled ministry

• Jay Deacon, Newport, RI
• Rebecca Froom, Franklin, MA (Assistant)
• Paul Langston-Daly, New Bedford, MA
• Sarah Person, Middleboro, MA
• Ellen Quaadgras, East Greenwich, RI
• Kate Wilkinson, Provincetown, MA

Four ministers moved from one BCD congregation to accept a position in another

• Jill Cowie, from Martha's Vineyard to Cohasset, MA
• Ed Hardy, from Bridgewater to Plymouth, MA
• Tim House, from Rockland to Foxborough, MA
• Robert Ross, from New Bedford to Brockton, MA

Four ministers have accepted new interim positions in the District

• Ann Bancroft, Weymouth, MA
• Bob McKetchnie, Attleboro, MA
• Anita Farber-Robertson, Bridgewater, MA
• Ann Willever, Providence, RI (Bell Street Chapel)

• Channing Church Experiencing Exciting Changes

Channing Church, a Unitarian Universalist Church located at 45 Webster Street, Rockland, MA welcomes a new Sunday Minister, Reverend Danielle Dibona, who will lead the congregation on alternating Sundays through mid June, 2013. They also have welcomed Melissa Sturdy as the new Director of Religious Education. The church recently completed a project that makes the bathroom handicap accessible. Plans are under way to once again participate in a variety of organized community events such as the annual Rockland Stroll and the Walk for Hunger, as well as several fund raising events such as their monthly musical Coffee House, Yard and Bake Sale, Holiday Fair, Plant Sale, and the Annual Chocolate Auction.

News from the Lager UU World

Hear Great Music! Support UU Mass Action! 

UU Mass Action, the UU Massachusetts legislative ministry is sponsoring a fund raising concert featuring Peter Mayer on September 29th at First Parish Bedford, Bedford, MA.   Peter has thrilled thousands of Unitarian Universalists at General Assembly and at many live performances at UU Churches across the country. All proceeds will go to support UU Mass Action's mission! Concert information and ticket purchase at http://www.uumassaction.org/uuma/petermayer.

UUWorld Available for Individuals with Visual and Learning Impairments

 Starting with the Fall 2012 UU World issue there will be recordings available for online listening or downloading for a selection of articles. BCD in Brief recipients are encouraged to pass the news on to members of their congregation who may benefit from this new service. The link is: http://www.uua.org/publications/uuworld/audio/220067.shtml.

Learn About Congregations and Beyond Initiative with a New Guide

A new Congregations and Beyond Discussion Guide has just been published at http://www.uua.org/documents/congservices/beyond/discussion_guide.pdf

The Guide gives a framework for congregations to discuss the UUA's set of initiatives, technologies and stories of congregational projects that are being used reaching out to spiritual seekers.  

This three part discussion guide can assist a congregation explore changing trends in the American religious landscape and see ways it can broaden the community that it serves.

2012-2013 UUA Common Read

The 2012-13 Common Read book is The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The UUA Common Read, now in its third year, is an Association initiative that invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. The Common Read can build community in congregations and the movement by giving diverse people a shared experience, shared language, and a basis for deep, meaningful conversations.  

In this book, civil rights advocate and litigator Michelle Alexander asserts that crime-fighting policies and systems in the U.S., such as the "war on drugs" and the incarceration system disproportionately and intentionally affect Americans of color. For more information about the Common Read initiative go to http://www.uua.org/re/multigenerational/read/index.shtml?utm_source= Announcing+the+common+read&utm_campaign=Common+Read+2012&utm

The UUA Bookstore offers a discount of 10% on purchases of single copies and a discount of 20% on purchases of ten or more copies.

Congregation Leader Workshops Offered by Clara Barton/Mass Bay District

CBD/MBD will have several Learning Congregation Workshops to which BCD congregation leaders are invited. Congregations are encouraged to send teams. Programs are held on Saturdays 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. This year's workshops are:

• Revitalizing Your Congregation -- Saturday, November 10, 2012
• Creating and Supporting Lay Pastoral Care Teams - Saturday December 1, 2012
• Creating and Leading Dynamic Lay-Led Worship - Saturday, June 8, 2013

For more information go to: http://www.cbd-mbd-uua.org/drupal/content/saturday-workshops

New Resources from the UUA  

• Youth Ministry Advising: A Complete Guide

A new resource from the Youth Ministry Office covers a variety of topics helpful for managing a youth ministry program, including ways to recruit and support youth advisors, the nuts and bolts of youth group management, the role of youth advisors in creating a safe space, leadership training, and programming and project ideas. Available through the UUA Bookstore at http://www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=1659&utm_ source=Announcing+Youth+Ministry+Advising&utm_campaign=Youth+Ministry

• UU App for Android

Illuminations, a Unitarian Universalist app is now available for Android. Illuminations has over 350 Inspirational Words, and a 7 Principles Guide in English and Spanish, along with examples of the Principles in action. There is also a Chalice that comes with five chalice designs with the unique feature that it can be lit or extinguished by a tap on screen or extinguished by a soft blow, near the microphone. Updates, information, and support can be found on the http://www.facebook.com/IlluminationsApp on Facebook or www.UUA.org/illuminations. The app is free and available through theGoogle Play or iTunes App Store.

Calendar

Sep 5^#             New Congregation Leader Orientation                              7:00 - 9:00 p

First Parish Church, Cohasset

Sep 29             President's Council                                                               8:30 a- 12:00 n

First Parish, Taunton

Sep 29             BCD Board of Directors meeting                                        12:30 - 2:30 p

First Parish ,Taunton

Oct 20             BCD Fall Conference                                                           8:30 a - 12:45 p

First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Canton

Oct 27             Turn Around and Growth Church Conference

First Parish, Taunton

Nov 4             Ellen Quaadgras ordination and installation                        TBA

                        Westminster Unitarian Church, East Greenwich, RI

Nov 4              Rev. Kate Sullivan installation                                             5:00 p

                        Universalist Meeting House, Provincetown, MA

Nov 4               Rev. Jill Cowie installation                                                   TBA

First Parish Church, Cohasset, MA

Nov 21-26       BCD Office closed - Thanksgiving

Dec 1-2           Senior Hi Con

Unitarian Church of Sharon, Sharon, MA

Dec 20-31       BCD Office closed - Holiday

2013

Jan 12             BCD Board of Directors meeting                                        6:30 - 9:00 p

First Parish Church, Cohasset, MA

Feb 22^@          Senior Hi Con

First Unitarian Church, Providence, MA

Mar 2              Music Conference

Murray Unitarian Universalist Church, Attleboro, MA

Mar 3^@           Senior Hi Con

First Parish Church, Brewster, MA

Mar 18            BCD Board of Directors meeting                                        6:30 - 9:00 p

First Parish Church, Plymouth, MA

Mar 29-30         New England Region Board Gathering 

Unitarian Universalist Church, Nashua, NH

Apr 6-7^@        Senior High Con

First Parish Duxbury, Duxbury, MA

Apr 27             Spring Conference & Annual Meeting                               9:00 a - 1:00 p

First Congregational Parish, Kingston, MA

Apr 28^#           Rev Paul Langston-Daly installation                                   TBA

First Unitarian Church, New Bedford, MA

May 11^@        Junior High Con      

First Parish Duxbury, Duxbury, MA

May 20           BCD Board of Directors meeting                                        6:30 - 9:00 p

First Congregational Parish, Kingston, MA

Jun 19-23       General Assembly

Louisville, KY

^# Change of date from last BCD in Brief

^@ New from last BCD in Brief