MDD Blog

Better than Superstar Youth Ministry?

Many youth programs depend on a superstar youth advisor to carry the program. You know the type: a vibrant, energetic youth advisor with great communication and organizational skills and vast theological information. The youth look up to him, the congregation can depend on her. Under his guidance, the YRUU program thrives. It seems like she can do it all! And then, after a couple years, he gets burned out and leaves. Numbers dwindle, confusion ensues and a job description is posted in the hopes of the next superstar willing to start the program over. While research suggests it takes at least five years to implement a sustainable youth program, superstar youth advisors usually serve for less than four years.

I do not want "Superstar" as part of my Youth Ministry Consultant title. I want to help build sustainable youth programming across the district that does not depend on my particular leadership style to thrive. Mark DeVries in his book Sustainable Youth Ministry points to four key building blocks that create a stable foundation for youth ministry:

• A mission statement that serves to filter ideas and focus activities
• Measurable three year goals, each accompanied by a one year benchmark
• A statement of values [which could be drawn from Simple Church by Ranier and Geiger as mentioned in Nancy's post below]
• An organizational chart

These documents should be drafted and revised as a community, with as many "stakeholders" present as possible. The YRUU Youth Adult Committee is working on these documents for the district, but we need more adults to join the team. There are four YAC positions open.

• Adult Chair Advisor for the Northern Cluster (northern CO & WY)
• Adult Communications Advisor for the Northern Cluster
• Adult Communications Advisor for the Central Cluster (Denver and CO Springs)
• Adult Communications Advisor for the Western Cluster (UT & ID)

If you would like to participate in building the future of YRUU or have recommendations for a good candidate, please send me an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Do you need help or advise on developing these four building blocks for your local youth group? If there is enough interest, I would like to host a youth advisor training on the Friday of the Annual Meeting/Youth Assembly. Contact me ASAP so I can put the details together.

Posted Monday, 06 September 2010 10:58 Written by Jennica Davis

Mental Health & People of Faith: Becoming an Equipped and Caring Congregation

People with mental disorders and their loved ones fill our pews, our streets and our jails. To help address this reality, Mountain Desert District Justice Ministries is offering a fall program that helps congregations in supporting those with mental disorders and their families. Increasingly, mental health practitioners are coming to recognize the value and importance of religious community in coping with the real anxieties that come from living in a chaotic and sometimes de-humanizing world.

Mental Health and People of Faith is an opportunity to not only become educated but also a time to engage with other lay and professional religious leaders on an important topic that too often remains closeted in our congregations. For example, 10-25% of women and 5-12% of men develop depression sometime in their life. It takes a toll on the person, family members, the workplace and all of the person’s associations, including the church. It keeps one from becoming what one wants to be, and doing what one wants to do with one’s life. In suicide, depression is often an underlying condition. Informed and equipped congregations can literally help saves lives.

Topics to be covered in October include mental disorders and myths, understanding and care of mental disorders including depression, anxiety, mood, and personality disorders along with the opportunity to share congregational stories. All congregational care-givers and particularly those of you involved in RE programming will want to learn about children’s mental health and the healing process.

Unlike in the past, today there is increased awareness of the beneficial relationship between spirituality, organized religion, and mental health. Congregations offer a structure for reducing existential anxiety in a chaotic world offering a sense of hope, meaning, and purpose and thus emotional well-being. This compelling, interactive, and affordable program offers church staff, seminarians, and leadership teams a day filled with inspirational expertise and practical training.

It’s probably worth a conversation. If you need help, we’re always here! 

Our facilitator, Rev. Barbara Meyers, is the author of The Caring Congregation Handbook, a program for educating congregations about becoming intentionally supportive of people with mental disorders and their families. Affiliated with the Mission Peak Congregation in Fremont, CA, the Reverend Meyers produces a monthly public access TV program called Mental Health Matters.

Registration Deadline: October 15, 2010

See the full event description, download a flyer, and register online here!

Posted Monday, 30 August 2010 15:53 Written by Deborah Holder

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 Tuesday, 24 August 2010 10:40 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 Monday, 16 August 2010 10:47 Written by Jess Cullinan