November 16, 2023

Something For the Moment 

Dialogue Session Canceled: Due to low registration, we are canceling this Saturday’s Dialogue Session with the Board of Trustees. There are 3 more Dialogue Sessions this program year. You can find the dates and links to register here.

Upcoming: Check our calendar for upcoming events (also listed at the bottom of this email). Reminder that we have upcoming calls for Chapter Leaders and a Multigenerational Collegial Conversation on Building Good Relationships Between Active and Retired Ministers. Click the dates below to register:

• Chapter Leader Call: Friday, 11/17 at 1pm ET/ 12pm CT/ 11am MT/ 10-am PT
• Chapter Leader Call: Monday, 11/20 at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT/ 6pm MT/ 5pm PT 
• Chapter Leader Call: Tuesday, 11/21 at 4pm ET/ 3pm CT/ 2pm MT/ 1pm PT 
• Multigen Conversation: Monday, 11/27 at 3pm ET/ 2pm CT/ 1pm MT/ 12pm PT

Something for the Journey 
A Conversation Between Darrick Jackson and Janette M. Lallier

Executive Team members Rev. Darrick Jackson (in picture at right) and Janette Lallier (see photo at bottom of this article) recently returned from representing the UUMA at various international events.  Janette represented UUMA at the British Unitarian Ministerial Fellowship’s Fall Conference in the UK, while Darrick attended the “Leading into the Future” conference in Prague, focusing on global theological education, and lay leadership. This week Darrick and Janette sat down to reflect on their experiences and the role of the UUMA in supporting international ministries. We invite you to watch the 20 minute conversation or listen to the podcast episode. Below is a summary of the conversation as inspired by Zoom’s new AI Meeting Summary function.

• Ministerial Fellowship Experience Discussed: Janette discussed her experience at the UK Ministerial Fellowship, which she described as similar to a UUMA chapter gathering. She mentioned the various activities and workshops held, including discussions about the implications of AI and the power of music and journaling in ministry. (See the notes from our recent Collegial Conversation on AI and Ministry.) Janette noted the desire for pulpit exchanges and mentioned the creation of a new collegial covenant and the strengthening of a collegial support system.

• Common Threads and Resource Sharing: Janette and Darrick discussed common threads and the call for more resource sharing among international communities. Darrick lifted up the conversation in Prague around articulating a shared theology and creating a common base for conversations. He mentioned the vision for the legacy of the ICUU (International Council of Unitarian and Universalists) and PCC (Partner Church Council) in the creation of a global network for resource sharing and leadership development, and emphasized the need to recognize the different roles of ministers in various communities.

• Building International Relationships: Darrick proposed the idea of building relationships across the world through small group conversations. Janette expressed her commitment to keeping communication open and exploring the possibility of membership for ministers in the UK. Both agreed on the importance of international relationships and acknowledged the complexity of the international context. They also highlighted the role of technology in facilitating these connections. 

• Moving forward: Janette will continue the conversation with the UK ministers interested in UUMA membership. Melissa will continue working with Alicia Forde in the International Office to further the international conversations started in September. All of us will stay in touch with our international colleagues and explore ways to keep the conversations going. 
   

Something Extra

Circles of Trust: Circles of Trust four-session retreat with Barbara Coeyman. The retreat will be held every two weeks on Thursdays from January 11 through February 22, 2024, at 1-3pm ET/12-2pm CT/11am-1pm MT/10am-12pm PT. The theme will be announced shortly. You can register here. 

Living Tradition Blog: Did you know that when the UUMA receives a notice of a collegial death we post the official UUA obituary on our Remember the Living Tradition Blog? You can find the blog and leave your remembrances here: Remember the Living Tradition Blog. 

Czech Republic UU Fundraiser Update:  In partnership with the Rev. Nicole Kirk, the UUMA has completed the first phase of a fundraiser for the Unitarian Universalist Church in the Czech Republic. Through the generosity of those purchasing Flower Communion posters we have sent $4,175! We are anticipating offering more posters again this spring so stay tuned if you missed out!

Unitarian School, Northeast India:  You can also support our UU international connections by contributing to this Faithify project: Thirsty for knowledge… Thirsty for water.