In response to our colleagues increasing requests for workshop opportunities that provide greater depth and increased time for processing, all CENTER workshops this year are "double sessions" with a scheduled break at midpoint. Also in response to our colleagues, the workshops this year are focused on Mentoring, Tools for Mentoring, and Professional Development.

1. Living Between Two Narratives
   Presenter: Rev. Walter Brueggeman
   Further conversations with our featured speaker
2. Anti-Racism & our UUA: an Unflinching History
   Presenters: Rev. Chip Roush, Dr. Leon Spencer, Rev. Leslie Takahashi-Morris
   This workshop presents a brief history of Anti-Racism in our UUA, 1992-2005, and details its most significant successes, missteps and challenges. Presented from a wide variety of viewpoints, the material demonstrates the difficulty of engaging in this emotionally volatile work—and shows the promise of moving forward, with the lessons we’ve learned so far. The workshop (based on a forthcoming Skinner House book) aims to clear up the myths and misconceptions about our UUA’s Anti-Racism initiatives. We believe our colleagues will be better able to lead in this work, if they have a more complete understanding of our ongoing efforts.
   Chip Roush is Senior Minister in Traverse City, Michigan; Leslie Takahashi-Morris is Co-Minister in Charlottesville, Virginia; Spencer won the 2007 Award for Distinguished Service to Unitarian Universalism.
3. Appreciative Inquiry: Seeing the Congregation through a Different Lens
   Presenter: Rev. Barbara Child
   Do the lay leaders of your congregation tend to organize their work by identifying problems and then figuring out how to solve them? Appreciative Inquiry offers a different approach to congregational life, one that carries forward the best of the past and changes the themes of important congregational conversations. If you think it’s time for a new look at congregational identity, for recommitting (or committing) to the congregation’s mission, for renewing and re-energizing vision, or for navigating some other transition in congregational life, Appreciative Inquiry has an invigorating way to offer you.
   An Accredited Interim Minister, Barbara Child has been trained in Appreciative Inquiry by Robert Voyle, Clergy Leadership Institute, and Diana Whitney, Corporation for Positive Change.
4. Archetype of the Spirit
   Presenter: Rev. Peter Tufts Richardson
   If ministers are to be spiritual leaders we need to be growing ourselves. Framing a model for spiritual growth in the history of human religion, its symbols and myths of emergence, grounds the model in human experience. Exploring Archetype of the Spirit integrates spiritual practices, mystic awareness, ethical pursuit and spiritual freedom in a model of human wholeness. The Archetype, Four Spiritualities, and psychological type (the MBTI), are correlated in time and space in a process of self-recognition for progress along the way.
   Peter Tufts Richardson is author of The Boston Religion, Exploring UU Identity, Four Spiritualities, Growing Your Spirituality, and Archetype of the Spirit. His web site: www.redbarnrockland.com
5. Change In Your Congregation, How Identity and Numbers Matter
   Presenter: Rev. Keith Kron
   Welcoming Congregation work is harder to do with one gay person than zero. Congregations with ministers of color may be less likely to do anti-racism work than those that don’t—or they do it for the wrong reasons. People working for change usually focus on the wrong audience—those opposed to them instead of those that say they are with them. In this workshop, we will focus on how change happens in our congregations and how one’s identity as a minister affects this change. While the focus will be on anti-oppression work, the learning can apply to many different areas.
   Rev. Keith Kron is the Director of the Office of BGLT Concerns for the UUA, coordinator of Beyond Categorical Thinking and an anti-racism trainer.
6. Compassionate Communication Consciousness for Congregations:
   Loving the Jackal in You and Your Congregation
   Presenters: Rev. LoraKim Joyner and Rev. Deborah Holder
   This workshop will offer an experiential workshop using nonviolent communication (NVC) techniques to grow peace in our ministries and spiritual lives, By employing concrete steps to grow and implement our understanding of our first principle that sees all beings as worthy, we attempt to answer the age old question: how can we be joyful when blame language is freely howling in you and your congregations? Exercises will highlight a consciousness of compassion that can be used as a spiritual practice and in conflict, pastoral care, mediation, self-care, and congregational meetings.
   LoraKim Joyner, D.V.M., is minister at the UU Fellowship Gainesville, a candidate NVC Certified Trainer, chair of the Compassionate Communication Working Group for the Peacemaking CSAI, and a member of the CSAI Steering Team. Deborah Holder is the president Society of Community Ministries, coordinator of the Urban Disciples, a consultant for the Mountain Desert District Justice Ministries, chair of the MDD Justice Ministries, and the MDD NVC Consultant.
7. Healthy Partnerships: Minister as Coach
   Presenters: Rev. Dan Hotchkiss and Rev. Nancy O. Arnold
   Coaching is the ancient practice of mentoring. The coach as guide, partner, and consultant helps to clarify goals and set an action plan to achieve them. Coaching is designed to help individuals and groups achieve their full potential. Drawing on the personal experience of the presenters, this workshop will demonstrate how a coaching relationship can benefit clergy. The coaching model can be useful personally, in our work toward becoming an anti-racist Association, and in other aspects of ministry, by developing action steps to which we are held accountable. Coaching techniques for use with colleagues and congregations will be presented.
   Dan Hotchkiss, senior consultant for the Alban Institute, and Nancy O. Arnold have almost 40 years combined experience serving UU congregations. Both are professional coaches.
8. CANCELLED
9. Panel Discussion on Mentoring
   Organizers: Rev. Maddie Sifantus, Rev. Carol Huston
   A panel of colleagues will share stories and ideas about the collegial mentoring process as it has been used and as it might be used in the future. In small groups we will look for ways to improve the skills we need for mentoring. We will brainstorm how the system of finding and keeping mentors can be improved and how retired ministers, community ministers, ministers of religious education and others can be more active in this important process.
10. Put Your Mask On First
    Presenters: Rev. Ken Brown, Rev. Nannene Gowdy, Rev. Susan Suchocki Brown
    Disaster strikes. What does a religious leader do? How can we best help? How can we help ourselves and others navigate the stages to recovery, as well as how do we avoid the pitfalls? Unless you live in a bubble, you may need this information any day.
    The Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Team members have covered the aftermath of many traumatic situations in the past 5 years. The workshop will cover the lessons learned as a result of these crises.
11. Worship That Works
    Presenters: Rev. Kathleen Rolenz , Rev. Wayne Arnason
    Kathleen Rolenz and Wayne Arnason published a book on worship theory and practice this year intended for a broad audience of ministers and lay worship leaders. This workshop has two parts: first, an overview of the key elements of worship theory and practice the book contains, with opportunities for participants to offer alternative views or missing elements; second, ideas and discussion about how the book can be useful as a foundation for worship associates or worship committee training, as a complement or as a foil to your own worship leadership style and culture. People choosing this workshop who have their own outlines of worship associate training programs are invited to bring them to share.
    Kathleen Rolenz and Wayne Arnason are parish co-ministers of West Shore UU Church near Cleveland. Kathleen is president of the OMD UUMA chapter. Wayne is chair of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.