Embracing the Vision: Leading in Changing Times

It has been a very busy summer for many of our MDD congregations. Virtually all of our MDD congregations offer worship services all summer these days. Several congregations offer summer camps for children and youth. Ministers are preaching year round and religious education is always in session. One Colorado congregation reported 18 adult visitors at a single mid-July Sunday service. I imagine that your experience mirrors this. People are seeking a progressive religious community.

Many have written about the rapid rate of change the world is experiencing. The amount of information available can be overwhelming even paralyzing the research shows. There is no escape from change. Do you focus on the excitement or the exhaustion? Are you curious and engaged or resistant? In the presence of continuous cultural change and constantly changing information we are centered and sustained by our unchanging values. We always have control of our own attitudes and behavior. Are you exercising this control?

At the fall MDD Annual Meeting and Delegate Conference we will be focusing on Adaptive Leadership -a particularly important perspective on personal and congregational leadership in these times of rapid change. Adaptive Leadership is defined by Ron Heifetz as a “practical leadership framework that helps individuals and organizations adapt and thrive in challenging environments. It is being able, both individually and collectively, to take on the gradual but meaningful process of adaptation. It is about diagnosing the essential from the expendable and bringing about a real challenge to the status quo. The Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley will offer our keynote address on Friday night in Ogden, UT. You will not want to miss this address if you have leadership responsibilities in your family, your work or your congregation.

On Saturday, Terasa will lead a day long workshop on Adaptive Leadership for congregational leaders. The Ogden congregation has arranged an inspiring array of other workshops for your edification, including several workshops highlighting the effective interfaith coalitions in which our UU congregations in UT and ID are involved. Our youth will offer a workshop of interest to all of us, a workshop for congregations in transition, and special guests from the UU United Nations Office. The full program will be posted here soon.You can register for the Annual Meeting here: Embracing the Vision: District Conference 2010.

Posted July 08, 2010

UUA Elected Positions

The Nomination Committee of the UUA is seeking applications for various elected positions, including members of the Commission on Appraisal, the Board of Trustees, the General Assembly Planning Committee, the Board of Review, the Nominating Committee, and the Commission on Social Witness.

Mountain Desert District UUs are encouraged to apply! The application deadline is August 15, 2010.

Descriptions of open positions can be found here:

Nominating Committee 2010 (PDF)

For application forms, please visit the UUA Nominating Committee's webpage.

Posted June 04, 2010

Introducing CH George Tyger, Coordinator of Military Ministries

I am pleased to announce the appointment of CH George Tyger as the Coordinator of Military Ministries in MDD. Chaplain Tyger is a Unitarian Universalist minister with the First Squadron, 10th Cavalry of the United States Army stationed at Ft. Carson. I have known George for almost 20 years and I am delighted to welcome a friend and colleague to the Mountain Desert District. George will provide an important link between liberal religionists, the UU community, local congregations and the military.  He is your point of contact.

When the need or interest arises I hope you will contact CH Tyger directly through email or telephone at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 719-337-3640.

I deeply appreciate his service to our congregations and our country.

Nancy Bowen, District Executive

Posted May 24, 2010