Recording of Celebrating 50 Years in Ministry 2024 Now Available: Did you miss the full screening of complete reflections from our colleagues who celebrated 50 years in ministry in 2024? If you did, consider watching it yourself or screening with a cluster or chapter and then reflecting together afterwards. Our colleagues have shared much with us that can inform and inspire our ministries.
Southwest Chapter Spring Retreat – Open to All UUMA Members: Monday, February 3, 4:15pm – Thursday, February 6, 9:00am Central Time Dr. Christopher Cameron is the theme speaker, with lectures from his current book in progress, The Faith of the Future: African Americans and Unitarian Universalism. Virtual participation is available.
Circles of Trust: Exploring Habits of the Heart during Tumultuous Times Four Wednesday Sessions, 12-2pm ET/ 11am-1pm CT/ 10am-12pm MT/ 9-10am PT February 5, February 19, March 5, March 19 “Circles of Trust” is a small group ministry which explores the inner teacher in each of us and builds compassionate relationships with others. Registration is low, please register today if you plan to attend.
Our January Dialogue Session is TODAY! Our Board will be joined for this conversation by Rev. Ashley Horan, UUA Vice President for Programs and Ministries and Rev. Richard Nugent, UUA Church Staff Finances Director.
Something for the Journey
Melissa Carvill Ziemer, Director of Ministries and Programs
You very likely have heard about the powerful, prophetic sermon preached by the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday. If you haven’t yet learned of the opportunity for clergy to offer our public support for her courageous leadership, check out the change.org petition created by Rev. Traci Blackmon. I also want to amplify the beautiful, encouraging pastoral letter shared by our own UUA President, Rev. Sofía Betancourt earlier this week. In a time when so much violent, hateful speech and action dominate the headlines, it is good for us to attend to, amplify and remember the voices of resistance. The good news is that the voices of resistance are many and clear and they can help us remember who and whose we are, how we are called and what is needed most now.
Here at the UUMA, our Board is preparing for a time of reflection and strategic planning to help us shape our work for the seasons ahead. Meanwhile, we on the staff continue to press forward with our commitments to lifelong learning, collegial support and accountability, widening the circle and spiritual, theological and religious leadership grounded in our values. In coming weeks we’ll have more to share about a new Good Offices Care Team, an effort to review and update our Scale of Fees, ongoing work to collaborate with the UUA in improving the recommended ministerial agreement, a new project to make it easier for ministers with services to share to be found by those looking for those services, Ministry Days, the Institute for the Learning Ministry and more. We are carrying on with our work to the best of our ability in support of yours which is vital and beautiful and a blessing to the world. Thank you for your ministry colleagues.
Something for Formation
MFN Mini Retreat: From Burden to Blessing: Practicing Trauma Informed Ministry
Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 1-4:00 pm ET/ 12-3:00 pm CT/ 11-2:00 pm MT/10-1:00 pm PT
This mini-retreat will offer participants theological grounding and collegial connections as we explore topics of trauma in religious leadership.
What trauma is and how it impacts both individuals and communities
How to work with trauma personally and in ministry
How and when to acknowledge trauma in worship, and the crucial first steps in times of crisis
The importance of personal and community care on the sustainability of ministry
Our gathering will include a presentation, small group discernment and opportunities to reflect on how ministers make meaning and help others to respond to the unthinkable.
Something Extra
Learning Together: This is the second week of our Learning Together Conversations, and we had a lively and important conversation about sanctuaries that expanded our understanding to include accompaniment and other forms of sanctuary work. (This is especially valuable given yesterday’s executive order! We are releasing it as a podcast episode as well as the full video recording so you can view the screen share elements. Thank you to Rev. Randy Partain and Rev. Elaine Gehrmann for participating in this conversation and for giving us permission to share. If you are interested in attending these conversations on Tuesday afternoons and/or Thursday evenings you can find more information here.
Message from the Starr King School for the Ministry Presidential Search Committee: We would love to hear from you! If you have suggestions for candidates, please contact us at FuturePresident@sksm.edu. Questions or comments about the search can be directed to the Search Committee at SearchCommittee@sksm.edu. Semi-finalists will be identified in early March, with a list of finalists sent to the Board of Trustees for selection in early April. In the meantime, check out more information about the position information at www.sksm.edu/presidentialsearch
Upcoming Events and Our Podcast
You can view our calendar events here. Please make sure you are logged into uuma.org to see our full calendar as some events are available for members only.
