[cuc-uumoc] CUC News for the New Year

Mon Jan 1 19:26:35 EST 2007

Hello - First of all - apologies! I accidentally sent my notes rather than
saving them in the draft folder for writing by the 5th of the month.
As I've already heard from one person, I figured I'd better write more now
and send along!

So - Happy New Year!  May it be a good one for all of us and our
congregations.

There is much that I personally am looking forward to. With change comes
opportunity, and this week I'll be working partly from our new CUC office at
the Unitarian Church of Vancouver - with volunteers helping to assemble a
desk and computer so Janice Lincoln, our Administrative Coordinator can
start work there January 8.  Although I wasn't looking for further changes
(!), this has turned out to be an ideal time for Janice to move to
Vancouver.  She will be a key staff person in helping me manage the ACM
arrangements (in Vancouver!) and coordinating meetings with the BC & Western
Regional Network Groups during this transition time until we hire a new
DRSW. And, in fact, will be able to assist whoever is hired to get
orientated and offer some administrative support. 

On that note, Frances Deverell, on hearing about all this change sent me a
note asking how she - and others "in the field" could support CUC staff
during this time when we're a little thin on the ground, staff-wise.  

While I sent Frances some particular suggestions, as I feel I know her
fairly well, in general, anything you can do to encourage your congregation
to use CUC services - whether that's booking and hosting a workshop by a
Service Consultant, recommending an email list, pointing to a resource on
our website, having a Sharing Our Faith service or encouraging people to
attend Regional Fall Gatherings and the Annual Conference and Meeting - is
what is most supportive.  

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WORSHIP SKILLS WORKSHOPS

Speaking of Workshops - Rev. Wendy McNiven recently led a one-day Worship
Skills Workshop at Saltspring Island and is doing an "encore" at Beacon on
April 28.  Here's what Saltspring sent to me as a "testimonial":

Testimonial from Saltspring Island

   Our Fellowship recently hosted a Worship Skills Workshop which was
facilitated by the talented Wendy McNiven. Some participants had lots of
experience in this area and had attended other worship workshops, some were
absolute beginners. This did not intimidate Wendy, who came equipped to
offer something for everyone.

Wendy employed her patient, organized approach to solving such mysteries as
the difference between the offering and the offertory, when not to sit in a
circle, and how to create ambiance on a shoe string budget. We learned ways
to put our worship elements in the correct order, and ways to incorporate
more music to our Sunday mornings. Each of the participants who were given
one on one feedback regarding more effective public speaking came away with
more skills as well as gratitude. Our congregation enjoyed one of the most
moving readings that we have ever experienced by a member with a hearing
impairment who had never given a reading before, following some coaching
from the gifted, generous Wendy.

 Responses have been positive from both workshop attendees and from members
who are now enjoying the results in richer Sunday experiences with more
confident worship leaders.

Sharon Fulton

The Unitarian Fellowship of Salt Spring Island

- ---------------
and Speaking of Worship...  Rev. Katie Stein Sather as CUC board member and
"champion" for the "Go Deep" part of Go4It, has taken on the role of
moderator of the relatively new cuc-worship-discussion at yahoogroups.com email
list.  After a tour in the Eastern region, I set this up in the fall for the
rather practical purpose of encouraging Worship/Sunday Services Committees
to share resources, procedures, manuals, etc.  And then I posted the text
for the pamphlet written by Rev. Jane Bramadat and the flood gates opened
around the topic: What *is* worship?  The list has had 50 messages per month
ever since and has evolved into being more
philosophical/conceptual/theoretical (dare I say: theological?).  This
clearly shows a need for that kind of discussion and I'm very glad that
Katie as a professional minister and board member is willing to moderate the
group.  
Meanwhile, noticing that more congregations have "Sunday Services
Committees" rather than "Worship Committees" and having a good discussion
with Wendy about this, I've set up new regionally based "Sunday Service
Email Groups" for the purpose that I originally had in mind. It actually
makes some sense to do this on a regional-basis, in any event, as those on
such committees (whatever they are called) might find it useful to connect
at regional events and/or share information about speakers, where this
wouldn't be practical on a cross-country basis. 

You are all, of course, most welcome to join either or both of these groups,
if you wish.  

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

Coming Out Ceremonies 
Dan Enright, lay chaplain at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, has prepared
a booklet to help lay chaplains (and ministers!) facilitate Coming Out
Ceremonies.  If you would like a copy either electronically or by mail, just
ask, and we'll send you one. (E-copy quickly, hard copy some time after
January 8.)  

Art Brewer, Chair of the CUC's Gender & Sexual Diversity Monitoring Group
will be in Vancouver in January. He, I and Dan are facilitating a session on
Sunday, January 14, from 1-3pm at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver and will
have copies of the booklet available then.  

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British Unitarian General Assembly 

I will be attending the British Unitarian General Assembly in Hatfield,
north of London, in mid-April. I have only attended once before, and am
looking forward to meeting some of the people I met then, as well as
participating in honouring Jeffery Teagle, who is retiring from the role of
General Secretary and meeting Rev. Stephen Dick who will be taking that
position on as of the GA. 

It is interesting to see how things are the same or different, and to make
connections across the Atlantic. 

All going well, I hope to take at least a few days off while there and visit
sacred sites such as Stonehenge and Glastonbury. 

Want to come? 

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Lay Chaplaincy  

Rev. Debra Faulk has joined the CUC Lay Chaplaincy Task Force to review the
implementation of the Lay Chaplaincy Task Force resolutions passed in 2001.
May, 2007, is significant as marking six years since those resolutions and
therefore, the time when the maximum six-year term for lay chaplains becomes
operative for those who were already in place in May, 2001.  

If your congregation has lay chaplains whose term is up this year, I'd be
pleased to talk with you about how we can provide support and training to
assist during a transition period. If you have done a "vigorous search" for
new lay chaplains, the CUC Lay Chaplaincy committee will consider extending
the term for a temporary period if that is necessary.

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UUMA Report
http://www.uuma.org/Documents/PDF/Web.District.Survey.pdf
I was interested in reading this report on the UUMA website and if you have
comments about it, I'd enjoy hearing them.
Perhaps some of you participated in the survey. Perhaps UUMOC might do its
own survey. I'm sure I and the CUC staff would find it very helpful if you
did.

Berry Street Lectures
While there I found that many of the Berry Street Lectures are there at:
http://www.uuma.org/BerryStreet/
including the one presented by Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed  that I-and some of
you--attended in Nashville in 2000.  

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Regional Fall Gatherings
We will begin the planning for RFG programs soon. If you have a suggestion
for a workshop you'd be willing to present - or one you'd like to attend,
please let me know. We will, as we did last year for the first time, be
circulating a Request for Proposals - probably in February or March, but I'm
open to ideas in the meantime!

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

PS - We're nearly there--about 80%--but need a few more Friends to donate to
our campaign in order to meet the budgeted target of $40,000.  If you can
help, please donate online at www.cuc.ca/friends or contact me about your
donation. All amounts are appreciated. A donation of $100 or more means we
will send you a Multifaith Calendar (retail: $15.95). Be sure to send a note
saying you wish the calendar and telling us where to send it.