Our Vision: Justice shall be integrated into all aspects of congregational and district life, embracing the important role that love, justice, equity and compassion play in Unitarian Universalism

Our Mission:

• To service congregations in their efforts to put faith into action
• To create a collaborative community of support among congregational social justice leaders grounded in our UU identity
• To develop and sustain faith-based actions and reflection that reinforces systemic change in our congregations and in the larger community

History of MDD Social Justice/Justice Ministries activities:

• October 2002 - Colorado Springs MDD Annual Meeting: Two dozen UU activists from across the district agree on the need to organize a district-wide social justice committee to provide congregations with technical assistance, strategies for addressing the root causes of injustice, and a UU community of support. Planning committee meets for the first time at Jefferson Unitarian Church, November 2002.
• March 2003 - 1st Universalist Church, Denver: Kick-off of MDD Social Justice Committee with Rev. Dr. Richard S. Gilbert, Serving Justice: Our UU Spirit in Action. Introduction to the Rochester Model for congregational social justice infrastructure, attended by more than 50 UUs from 15 congregations.
• October 2003 - Ft. Collins MDD Annual Meeting: New district social justice activity integrated into MDD reorganization strategy, becoming one of six new service areas with activities and co-leaders endorsed by delegates. Results of congregational survey, organizational strategy, and work plan presented to annual meeting participants and MDD social justice e-mail list established.
• January-March 2004: Implementation of vision and mission by co-leaders and planning team including recruitment of interim Steering Team members from each cluster. Submission of funding request to UU Funding Panel.
• May 2004 - Pinecliffe, CO: MDD Justice Ministries Service Area (JMSA) sponsors leadership retreat for Interim Steering Team. Eight social justice cluster representatives from across the district agree to be JMSA lead organizers and return home to begin facilitating community-building process among sister UU congregations.
• June 2004 - Long Beach General Assembly: Planning committee members represent JMSA development to broader UU justice-making community and provide written report on GA activities to MDD congregations through the cluster representatives. The Fund for UU Social Responsibility awards MDD JMSA a grant of $17,500 plus $2,500 challenge grant in support of new de-centralized model for UU social responsibility.
• September 2004: Members of the JMSA Steering Team hold organized cluster meetings in the Mountain, Rio Grande, Denver Metro, and West of the Rockies Clusters, and begin process of selecting and scheduling JMSA programs for the coming church year.

Activities:

• Collaborate with Service Council to provide training for congregational and cluster leaders in the small group ministry model and non-violent communications
• Work through a Justice Ministries Steering Committee and Cluster Coordinators to maintain contact with congregations and clusters
• Communicate with those involved in social justice ministry via the mdd-sj e-mail list
• Create web pages for exchanging stories, inspiration, information, activities, resources, and ideas, including MDD annual meeting justice resolutions
• Provide technical assistance and programs to clusters and congregations encouraging implementation of effective models for social action.

Justice Ministry co-leaders and cluster representatives

Service Area Implementation

• Grounded in our Unitarian Universalist tradition and in the religious belief that love is a more positive force for good than fear
• A shared understanding that justice making in the context of religious community means doing things that change us as well as public policy
• Inherent to this praxis is compassion for one another both within and beyond the walls of our congregations
• A Whole Systems Empowerment approach to UU justice-making enabling vital interdependent congregations with a strong mission identity and activist lay ministry

Rationales for Creation of the Justice Ministries Service Area

• From the beginning, four consensual articles of concern focused the development of a district wide infrastructure for UU justice making and continue to inform the mission, activities and vision of the MDD Justice Ministries Service Area:
• The yearning for a district-wide community of support for the training and nurturing of activists in the context of our UU religious identity
• Acknowledgement that our UU movement presently lacks a critical and holistic lens through which to understand the connections of its different justice-making initiatives and their relationship with our congregational demographics
• A commitment to justice and not only charity
• A shared understanding that justice making in the context of religious community means doing things that change us as well as public policy. Inherent to this praxis is compassion for one another both within and beyond the walls of our congregations.

Won’t you join us?
For more information on how to get involved send an e-mail to the Service Area Leaders of the Justice Ministries Service Area at justice@mdduua.org

Justice Ministries Service Area October 2004