September 26, 2024

Something For the Moment 

• Collegial Conversation: 50 Years in Ministry Panel and Q&A: Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 2-4pm ET/ 1-3pm CT/ 12-2pm MT/ 11am-1pm PT Please join us for a screening of the complete reflections from our colleagues ordained in 1974. A montage of their reflections was shared during the Celebration of 25 and 50 Years in Ministry at Ministry Days 2024. During this session we will share their reflections in full and an opportunity for you to respond.
• Ministry Days Recordings: We are excited to release the recordings from Ministry Days 2024. You can access the recordings. as well as videos from previous Ministry Days, here. Please note: Due to the nature of our program the small group discussions were not recorded.
• Job Level Rubric Feedback: The UUA often asks for feedback when revising documents. In October the Office of Church Staff Finance will convene their Advisory Team to talk about their Job Level Rubric in preparation of their annual review and adjustments of the salary program materials. If you have used the UUA’s Job Level Rubric in your congregational setting we’re particularly interested in your feedback! Share your experiences here by September 30th.

Something for the Journey

Robin Tanner, UUMA Board of Trustees President-Designate 

This September feels like the first one since the start of the pandemic with a full push. Coupled with an astounding presidential election in which we need to defend democracy, you might be feeling a little…stressed. There are at least 130 synonyms for stressed in the English language, but only about 50 or so for joyful. It says a lot about our lives.
 
When I was a candidate in my present congregation, I casually remarked that I had a slight headache. “Of course you do, you’ve only had 2 glasses of water,” said Dr. Tuli Patel, the Executive Director.
 
My eyes widened. First, she was correct. I was seriously dehydrated, but also, she was watching my water intake!
 
Over the years, I’ve developed connections with colleagues as mentors, spiritual directors, and dear friends. I have beloved colleagues who ask if I am going running (a practice of mine), if I am breathing, and if I am taking my day off. And I have colleagues I call to ask if they took their days off, meditated, and yes, if they are drinking water.
 
Because we need one another it matters to have our networks of beloved colleagues who are close enough to inquire about our water intake.
 
At our recent Defending Democracy collegial conversation, we underscored the importance of relationship during times of disruption, uncertainty and violence. At the UUMA we are cultivating ongoing resources for this important work which you can find here. For those with identities where you are under threat as well as those in swing states, connections with colleagues who have shared experiences and wisdom around trauma can be helpful.
 
We can help one another self-regulate in these times. Although it has been many years since I was in North Carolina during a presidential election and an uprising, I can still be activated all these miles away and years from that time. It helps to have someone to call when this inevitably happens.
 
It is likely to be a long season this year, stretching well past November 5th given the planned opposition to certification. Political organizations are preparing for this extended election season. Our plans are certainly different, but we too should be prepared for the season ahead.
 
So, seriously…are you hydrating, beloved?

Something for Formation

Registration continues for upcoming Ministerial Formation Network (MFN) events this October including Four options for different Mini-Retreats and a Formation Conversation with the Revs. Nell Newton and Ned Wight about Becoming a Colleague.

Something Extra

• Collegial Care in Anxious Times: Weekly Supportive Space with Melissa Carvill Ziemer: During this challenging season in ministry, there might be times when you, the pastor, would welcome the blessing of pastoral care for yourselves. If you have one of those weeks, you are invited to consider joining me for an experience of collegial pastoral care. From now through the end of the year, I’ll have 4 thirty-minute time slots available each week with no agenda required. Click here to find a time.
• Interested in Becoming a Good Offices Person? We are now accepting applications from members who are interested in supporting colleagues through our brand new Good Offices Care Team or by joining our ongoing Dedicated Good Offices Team. Not the right time for you? Please encourage a colleague you think well suited to this work to apply. Click on either team to learn more and find the links to apply.
• Facts and Tips for Community Ministers: Taxes and Benefits: If the financial side of your ministry makes your head swim, you are not alone! In this webinar Melissa Carvill Ziemer and Alex McGee shared the newly published UUMA handbook of facts and tips about where chaplains and other community ministers are eligible for housing allowance, clergy tax benefits through your employer, managing your tax payments, and retirement considerations.