MDD News Blog

Simple Church: worthy goal or contradiction?

I found this a penetrating question as I read the new book, Simple Church by Thom Ranier and Eric Geiger. Their thesis is that in this time of increasing complexity and information overwhelm the church is called upon to become counter cultural –to focus everything on their essential message and thereby provide respite and sanctuary to a weary world.

I think their message is relevant for Unitarian Universalists. Which of our congregations is not challenged to identify and support enough leaders, teachers and volunteers to maintain all of the ministries offered? Which of our congregations has focused so clearly on their vision and mission that they can say every ministry, every program, every class is deeply and intentionally connected to their mission as a progressive religious community?

To effectively simplify a Unitarian Universalist congregation one needs to acknowledge the core values of the congregation and its essential message. This becomes the standard for simplifying. Two congregations in the Denver area are clarifying their essential Unitarian Universalist focus. First Unitarian Denver has three banners hanging in the sanctuary:

• All Souls are Worthy.
• There is a Unity that makes us One.
• Salvation in this Life.

With these banners they summarize their theological message.

At First Universalist they have summarized their invitation to religious and spiritual depth: Join us; Grow with us; Serve with us. This simple invitation makes clear the opportunities all have at First Universalist.

How is your congregation simplifying and clarifying the transformative message of Unitarian Universalism?

How could simplifying congregational life and ministry clarify and deepen the religious and spiritual engagement of all your congregation? It's probably worth a conversation. If you need help we are always here.

Nancy

Posted August 24, 2010 Written by Nancy Bowen

Embracing the Vision: Embracing New Things

"Social Media" has become a buzzword of marketing and networking, and many churches are feeling the pressure to join in or miss out.

Like anything that requires us to embrace change, however, technological advances can be intimidating, and sometimes it seems just too difficult to keep up with all of the new "stuff" that develops in the blink of an eye.

Realizing this very real difficulty, and the fear that can sometimes come with even incremental changes, can be the first step toward embracing a new thing. How does that old quote go, "Feel the fear and do it anyway?"

As the technology that facilitates our communication and connectedness advances, information flows ever more quickly. As a religious movement that has embraced growth in spirit, diversity, and numbers, our congregations have had to learn how to adapt in ways, and at speeds, never seen before.

How many of our congregations now communicate announcements mostly by email? How many have moved to strictly electronic newsletters, as a means of cutting costs, but also to speed up the rate of communication to our members? How many have chosen to put the congregational website at the forefront of outreach activities? How many have begun holding meetings electronically, even votes of the Board on minor matters?

The numbers grow every day.

Technology is a powerful tool that can allow us to do things that we've never thought of before. However, it is important to maintain some control of the message or vision that technology allows us to share so easily. For example, if your congregation has an account on Facebook, is the information there consistent with what is published on your home page, in your newsletters, on your email lists, and in your weekly orders of service?

The key to using any technology wisely is to decide first what goal your congregation seeks to accomplish. What is it, exactly, that you need to do?

Once you've answered this question as explicitly as possible, you can then evaluate the different tools of technology available to you.

• Do your members need a more immediate way of communicating announcements? Perhaps a Twitter feed could serve this purpose.

• Does your Religious Education committee need to collaborate on a policy document for children's programming? Consider a Google Docs account.

• Does your congregation enjoy extended discussion of sermon topics? Think about creating an online discussion forum on Facebook or directly on your website.

• Do you have a special event coming up, to which you would like to invite more than the "usual suspects?" Maybe your local Chamber of Commerce, or other organizations, maintain online calendars where you can list your event.

While examining these endless possibilities, keep in mind that doing a few things well is more important than doing everything halfway. The most important consideration is to remain open to change, and to take one step at a time.

Posted August 16, 2010 Written by Jess Cullinan

Embracing the Vision: An Intergenerational Approach

The MDD YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalist) is off running this year! At the end of the 2009-2010 church year we voted in a great team for the Youth Adult Committee (YAC). Kira Flynn and Abbey Daniel are our new District Co-Chairs. They are both extremely competent leaders. If you see them at the Annual Meeting, make sure to give them a big welcome.

QUUest Camp took place in July at La Foret retreat center in Colorado Springs. We had a small but mighty crowd this year. I am astonished at the amount of talent, wisdom and deep spirituality each participant brought to the five day event. I’m already looking forward to next year, returning to the traditions and intentional community we created this year.

Youth Assembly, in conjunction with the District Annual Meeting, is the first of three annual MDD YRUU events for the 2010-2011 year. We’ll be camping out in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden (UUCO), worshiping together and conducting a business meeting for the YAC and all youth interested in learning how YRUU is run on the district level. We will also be hanging out with Annual Meeting attendees all day Saturday, attending workshops, sharing meals together and leading the Saturday night worship. You can register for this event online here.

This intergenerational aspect is new for some, which means it will take practice for it to feel natural. Luckily, the conference theme, “Learning, Growing, Leading,” lends itself nicely to an intergenerational approach. What a refreshing opportunity to strengthen our ties, deepen our commitment to each other and move forward together.  Our young leaders are offering a Saturday workshop entitled "Reaching Out and Going Deeper," which details immersion experiences in social justice and leadership training for youth and adults in the MDD. There will be plenty of time for youth and adults to get to know each other as we practice Embracing the Vision, and hopefully those relationships will continue to strengthen throughout the church year.

Posted August 09, 2010 Written by Jennica Davis

Embracing the Vision: Learning and Growing

"Without the joy and support that come from acknowledging the mutality of responsibility, being loved as well as loving, the will for fundamental change cannot be sustained. People are empowered to work for justice by their love for others and by the love they receive from others."
~Sharon Welch, A Feminist Ethic of Risk

At our October MDD Annual Meeting in Ogden, we'll be learning together about Adaptive Leadership - the practice of mobilizing ourselves and others to tackle tough challenges and thrive. Whether in our congregations, familes, or workplaces, changing new realities offer us all a choice: to respond out of fear or out of love. As Unitarian Universalists, we choose the latter and Adaptive Leadership can provide the concrete framework for manifesting that choice.  Plan now to send multiple teams from your congregation. The full program will be posted here soon. You can register for the Annual Meeting here: Embracing the Vision: District Conference 2010.

Last week, following their civil disobience arrest, UU clergy and laity were referred to as the "love people" by members of the local police force. If you haven't been following the Standing on the Side of Love presence in Arizona, you can catch up on the website: www.standingonthesideoflove.org.

Even though a U.S. District Court judge blocked key points of Arizona's controversial anti-immigrant law from taking place on July 29th, achieving humane and comprehensive immigration reform legislation looms ahead. In addition to protesting against current enforcement policy, adaptive leadership asks that we also raise up constructive alternatives such as the long-term economic benefits that could accrue to states, nation, and society through legalization of undocumented Latino/a workers. For example, just in Califronia alone, legalizing undocumented workers is estimated to result in a total gain of $16 billion annually. Let's raise up these adaptive policy alternatives!  For more, visit the Center for Immigrant Integration at csii.usc.edu.

See you in Ogden!

Posted August 03, 2010 Written by Deborah Holder