September 14, 2023

Something For the Moment 

• Berry Street Scribe: Tomorrow, September 15th, is the deadline to apply to be the Scribe for the Ministerial Conference at Berry Street. Apply today!
• Ministry Days Recordings: We are delighted to announce that we have released the recordings from Ministry Days 2023 to all of our members. You can find all of the recordings here.
• Board Connections: Our Board is together in Boston, MA this week meeting in person. They would love to connect with you at a dialogue session later today. You can also find more opportunities to connect with the Board here. 

Something for the Journey
from Hannah Franco-Isaacs, UUMA Administrator

Saying Yes: Membership in the UUMA

I used to joke that we should rename my childhood home “The Eller-Isaacs Home for Wayward Ministers.” I grew up as a double-Preacher’s Kid, an honor and responsibility that meant I grew up in a house where we said “yes.” A colleague driving across the country who needed a place to stay? Yes. Intern without a place to be on Thanksgiving? Yes. A colleague’s house fire means that all their spices live in our car trunk for a month while we help to catalog their belongings? Yes. Ordination invitation in the middle of the day on a Sunday between 3 services? Of course. 

We have heard yes in return so many times. We have been the colleagues on a road trip who needed a place to stay. When my grandfather had a heart attack the first day of my east coast college tour, it was a colleague (or 3) who were on call to take me to tour colleges so my mom could go home. It was colleagues who showed up at a moment’s notice when both my siblings had a health crisis (one of them literally following the ambulance to the hospital) in New York City, and colleagues who sat with my mom during her recent health challenges. It was colleagues who organized an international morning of spiritual practice as my dad died. 

Collegiality was always at the center of what I thought of as ministry. It came as no surprise to either of my parents when, five years ago, I expressed interest in working with the UUMA. I am now the person who helps support our members in maintaining your memberships. I know how hard the yes is sometimes. I also know that these collegial relationships strengthen our ministries and our relationships. If you haven’t yet, I hope you will say yes to your colleagues and yes to your membership in the UUMA. You can find instructions on how to renew your membership here and a video tutorial here. I am here to help if you need any support. And to those of you who have already renewed (or are life members), thank you for saying yes.

Something Extra

New Chapter Forming for Retired Ministers! Retired and Life Ministers, please check your email (or click here) for an invitation to join this new chapter that is early in its formation period. There is substantial information in the letter about the intentions and possibilities for this new chapter. 

Chapter Leader Orientation: New and seasoned Chapter Leaders are invited to participate in an orientation session on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 to explore key aspects of chapter life and leadership. Register here.