[cuc-uumoc] CUC-UUMOC Message from the Canadian Unitarian Council

[Mary Bennett]

December, 2006

Hello, UU Ministers of Canada (and a "cc" to CUC board and staff)

This message is sent once a month (usually around the 5th of the month) and
can be forwarded to anyone who you feel might be interested.

------------------------

CUC Staff Changes

Besides the busy personal, community and church life right now, CUC is going
through staff changes. As you know after 4.5 years, Sara McEwan has retired
as the Director of Regional Services - West. Applications are invited from
February 15-28. Once a Search committee consisting of myself and one member
from each of the two Regional Network Groups is formed, we will post a
special email address to send applications to. The job posting is at
cuc.ca/hr/drs and is on the back page of the Canadian Unitarian newsletter
which should be delivered to your door soon. We will follow a similar
procedure to that used in 2002, where the answers to any questions asked by
any individual will be posted on the website; criteria and interview
questions will be developed before specific applicants are being considered
(you're welcome to send your thoughts on this) and then in-person interviews
for short-listed candidates are expected to take place in March, likely in
Vancouver. We expect to have someone in place by May 1 and at the CUC Annual
Conference and Meeting in Vancouver.

Meanwhile, in the "it never rains but it pours" division, I received an
email from Janice Lincoln, our Administrative Coordinator, with the subject
line "My Resignation".  The staff and I sometimes joke that we "make
lemonade out of lemons" so often, that Lemonade should be the official
beverage of the Canadian Unitarian Council.  This turn of events does turn
out to be a lemonade situation. Janice told me how much she'd enjoyed
working for us and how much she'd learned but that she'd decided to move to
Vancouver!  So, we will be hiring a new Administrative Coordinator for the
Toronto office in February (after Linda Thomson returns from a month at
Meadville-Lombard!) and Janice will work 4 days a week in Vancouver at least
until June, 2007, doing some of her regular job, but at a higher level of
responsibility. She will also provide support to me and the committees
involved in the BC & Western regions until a new DRS West is hired and be
key in coordinating a complex and, we expect, large ACM - which happens to
be in Vancouver.    

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Lay Chaplaincy - Professional Minister involvement

I'm pleased to say that Rev. Julie Stoneberg and Rev. Carole Martignacco are
on the CUC Lay Chaplaincy Committees, West & East respectively and that Rev.
Debra Faulk has joined the Lay Chaplaincy Recommendations Review Task Force
as the UUMOC Representative. Rev. Katie Stein Sather is the CUC board
liaison.

-----------------

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Anne Barker is thrilled to have arranged a 9month parish internship at the
First Unitarian Society of Denver Colorado with Rev. Mike Morran. A 290
member truly urban church that enjoys steady growth and financial stability,
First Denver is an exciting experienced teaching site. Anne looks forward to
spending the 07-08 church year in a City that never hits -40 (C or F), even
if it does have half again the snow of Saskatoon. She will be attending the
AGM in Vancouver, eager to absorb your best "border crossing / internship /
american living" advice. 

--------------------

St. Mark's Unitarian Church in Edinburgh is seeking a trained interim
minister starting in 2007.  <http://www.edinburgh-unitarians.org.uk>
www.edinburgh-unitarians.org.uk  They are using the UUA Transitions services
so more information can be found there. 

--------------------

CUC Services for your congregation 

As an additional way to make it easy for congregations to request CUC
services, we've posted an Online Request Form at

 <http://www.cuc.ca/programs/regions/index.htm>
http://www.cuc.ca/programs/regions/index.htm

You can, of course, call Linda, Sylvia or me, or send us email at
firstname at cuc.ca .  Typically we ask for a 3-month lead time in order to
ensure a quality program and the right presenter or facilitator and also to
advertise to other congregations if it's an open session. 

January's a good time to talk with us about what we might provide for the
new year, or even next fall. 

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ACM INFO (more at www.cuc.ca/conference/2007)

Rev. Bill Phipps will be the Keynote speaker.

Once again the CUC Board invites professional ministers to join them for a
Friday meeting. Rev. Wendy Fletcher, principal of the Vancouver School of
Theology, has generously offered to host a reception and provide a room for
the meeting. 


ACM 2008 in Ottawa will be at Carleton University


------------------

PROVOCATIVE BLOG THOUGHTS

When Linda posted this link to some folks in the "east", it started an
interesting conversation via email.

 
<http://www.makingchutney.com/2006/08/03/28-things-they-wont-teach-you-in-se
m>
<http://www.makingchutney.com/2006/08/03/28-things-they-wont-teach-you-in-se
minary>
http://www.makingchutney.com/2006/08/03/28-things-they-wont-teach-you-in-sem
inary

Are these things professional ministers need to learn? If so--where and
when? If not, who does and how can they learn them?

And, of course, Linda and I are wondering if there are ways the CUC can help
if help is needed..

-----------------

BEST WISHES FOR EACH AND EVERY HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE.

For myself, my home church is right in the midst of the Celebration Season.
Since being a Unitarian I have especially treasured the Advent Concert - a
fine antidote to the commercialization which has already started by then. It
starts my season in a way I like very much. Sunday we had an
intergenerational pageant about Hanukkah; the evening brought our annual
Candlenight service (I always cry - as I do at weddings - and always forget
to bring Kleenex) including readings on "Christmas with an Attitude" and
"Christmas Full On".  Tomorrow night I have a small speaking part at the
Yule celebration for solstice (lighting and extinguishing the chalice). I'll
be at the church again for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Day. And here in
Vancouver with family and friends until January 23. 

I cook turkey on Christmas for my two sons, Steve and Jamie - and, in recent
years, daughter-in-law, Geraldine, and grandchildren, Emeline & Lukas. This
year, Jamie's Turkish Muslim girlfriend, Fatima, is coming from Toronto
where she is studying at U of T. 

I'm not even close to being ready but have at least made a big decision: No
brussels sprouts this year. In the past three years, I've reduced the number
of brussels sprouts per person from 5 to 3 to 2 -and still I had leftovers
last year.  

I live in a tiny apartment in Kitsilano in Vancouver, so it'll be quite a
crowd. We all contribute to stockings, then act surprised when they come out
full! Over appetizers, we open presents, then move to the turkey and
vegetables (whatever those turn out to be). We typically walk the 7 blocks
to the beach and take pictures - hopefully with no snow or rain - to send to
relatives in other parts of Canada. (It's hard to be smug about climate in
BC these days, though). Then come back to eat dessert. By then the little
kids are exhausted and everyone dashes away.  I happily start returning the
apartment to a more normal state while counting my blessings and making
turkey soup while listening to CBC. 

Whatever your rituals and routines, I hope you soak up the season.

Take care,
Mary
 
Mary Bennett, Executive Director
CANADIAN UNITARIAN COUNCIL
 <http://www.cuc.ca/> www.cuc.ca   1-888-568-5723   1-604-617-0142