Something for the Journey
from Janette Lallier, Director of Operations
 This August your Executive Leadership Team met for an in person retreat for the first time since 2019. While we have gotten very good at doing our work virtually – indeed the UUMA was one of the first, in 2003, to build a “Cloud Office” – I found it inspiring to be in the same room with my colleagues and remember how much my working style thrives on interaction. Not only do I “process out loud” apparently I may also be a “3D brainstormer.” There are of course benefits and challenges to this – but that is for another news article!
The team has been listening to you all and we have heard clearly the need to meet, in person, especially during a year when Ministry Days and General Assembly will be virtual. To that end we have become excited about organizing a Shared Study Leave Symposium. Since our retreat we have been dreaming and planning and looking for a venue and now need your help!
We are clear we do not have the infrastructure to do both a multi-platform event and a virtual event in one year, so we have decided to try to combine the two and once again redefine what it means to be multi-platform! Can someone say PIVOT! Our theme for both the Shared Study Leave Symposium and Ministry Days 2024: The Future of Ministry.
The Shared Study Leave Symposium would be an in person only opportunity and would offer a chance to engage in shared study with colleagues in exploration of the current trends and future needs for ministers and ministry. Ministry Days will be a virtual only opportunity and will draw on some of the most engaging study shared at the symposium, which would allow those unable to attend the Symposium to be part of this important discussion while those who were able to attend in person could go deeper with a wider circle of colleague. We will include all the usual events and worship services that are traditionally a part of Ministry Days as well.
Below are some of our initial thoughts and challenges and a request for your help:
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The symposium would be a participatory event; everyone who attends would be expected to participate in co-creating the experience.
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Participants would be able to choose the length of time they attend and would be able to direct their study on areas of greatest concern to them, while also benefiting from the dynamism and synergy of shared study with colleagues. Participants would choose to attend either Session 1 (Weekend), Session 2 (Weekday) or both. We’d have time for free study built into each day in the afternoon, as well as on the mid session day. Check out the draft schedule on the survey page.
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Sessions which might most appeal to community ministers would be over the weekend and those that might be of most interest to parish ministers would be during the week. Widening the Circle and ARAOM Ministry Skills would be included in both sessions so all participants could elect that session.
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We are looking at three sets of dates in March. Could you come? Where would you be willing to travel? Please complete this survey!
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Events like this are generally planned years in advance and as such we are having trouble finding a venue, especially when we are unclear about how many folks would be able to attend.
Before we can sign a contract and make this a reality, we need your help. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. If there is significant interest, I hope to sign a contract this next week so please take a moment to respond by 9am ET, Tuesday, October 17.
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