Community Building at the Institute
subject to change
Virtual Offerings
These events will be hosted through our Zoom Events portal and are open to all those who registered for the Institute. Looking for Caucus Spaces and Times? Look on that tab for additional schedule options. We would like to have more virtual offerings. If you would like to host a virtual community building space please reach out to Melissa.
Tuesday, January 27 at 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT/3:30pm MT/2:30pm PT
| Title/Topic | Host | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Transitions Review Taskforce Update and Survey Session | The Transitions Review Task Force (TRTF) | The Transitions Review Task Force (TRTF) has been charged to “design a constituent-driven process of both listening and assessment that will lead to the reimagining of our ministerial transitions system.” We are interested in hearing about your experience(s), whether good, bad, or indifferent. Please join members of the task force to share your thoughts, opinions and stories. |
| The Pain Points of Being an Employer | Jan Gartner, Associate Director, UUA Church Staff Finances | Paid staff are critical to your mission and ministries. And they cost money. They need to be supervised and evaluated. Someone has to administer benefits and understand worker classification. Join Jan to talk about employment-related responsibilities that you (generally) find time-consuming, intimidating, or spirit-crushing. |
| What About RE? (Large Congregations) | Wren Bellevance | Networking around faith formation programs by size: small, mid-size and large congregations |
Thursday, January 29 at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT
| Title/Topic | Host | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Widening the Circle | UUMA Widening the Circle Committee | These circles are an opportunity for deepening and reflection on widening the circle. Members of our WTC committee will facilitate and look forward to hearing what you have to share. |
| Collegial Conversation: Best Practices and Avoiding Pitfalls When a Colleague Attends Your Congregation | Wayne Arnason & Christine Robinson | This workshop will help congregational ministers understand the guidelines, best practices, and potential benefits and pitfalls when ministers who live in your community wish to participate in your church. We’ll focus on retirees who live in your area as well as former and emerita/us/x ministers. |
| Introducing Reflective Pastoral Supervision | Sarah Lammert, Sara Smalley, & Tara Humphries | Reflective Pastoral Supervision is an incredible practice that supports the health of ministers and ministry. Intersecting the worlds of spiritual direction, coaching and mentoring, RPS invites you to bring questions that arise in your ministry to be held in a sacred space where you can explore them using creative methods. Come learn more about this game changer for our ministry. More information can be found here. |
| What About RE? (MidSize Congregations) | Wren Bellevance | Networking around faith formation programs by size: small, mid-size and large congregations |
Friday, January 30 at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT
| Title/Topic | Host | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Church Staff Benefits; A conversation with Hugh Dennis, Director of Church Staff Finance & Gloria Guldagar, Director of Retirement Plan | Hugh Dennis & Gloria Guldagar | The Meet and Greet sessions will focus on addressing the many questions an individual or congregation representative might have regarding applying for Insurance benefits (life, dental vision), filing deadlines, Enrollment dates and who to contact with questions or concerns specific to the individual case or claim. Equally as important, we will eagerly answer individual questions regarding the UUA offered Retirement Plan that over 600 UU employers are currently offering to its employees. |
| Art, Music and Creative Writing in Response to the Insitute | Karen Fraser Gitlitz | Join us on Zoom for a time of creativity/writing/visual arts to anchor or integrate an experience from the institute. |
| Widening the Circle | UUMA Widening the Circle Committee | These circles are an opportunity for deepening and reflection on widening the circle. Members of our WTC committee will facilitate and look forward to hearing what you have to share. |
| What About RE? (small congregations) | Wren Bellevane | Networking around faith formation programs by size: small, mid-size and large congregations |
Onsite Offerings
Looking for Caucus Spaces and Times? Look on that tab for additional schedule options.
Tuesday, January 27 at 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT/3:30pm MT/2:30pm PT
| Title/Topic | Host | Description | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crafts and Conversation | Monica Dobbins | Just bring your craft project and talk or listen while stitching (some art supplies will be available onsite) | Fireplace Room |
| Naps and Storytime | Lisa Presley | We all are overwhelmed these days. This would be a time for people to come together, with pillows and blankets from their room, to hear bedtime stories and have a shared nap experience, or a chance to rest together. Remember nap time in Kindergarten or pre-school, or long for that kind of release? Feel free to bring your favorite bedtime story if you like. A chance to truly chill. | |
| Community Gathering for Colleagues in Mountain Desert Chapter Region | Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to come together in person to build more connections among us and also to share ideas for expanding UUMA chapter life in this geographic area. Come with your ideas and hopes for chapter meetings, small group support, regional retreats, and more, while you enjoy mid-afternoon treats from the Co-Hosts. | ||
| Church Staff Benefits; A conversation with Hugh Dennis, Director of Church Staff Finance & Gloria Guldagar, Director of Retirement Plan | Hugh Dennis & Gloria Guldagar | The Meet and Greet sessions will focus on addressing the many questions an individual or congregation representative might have regarding applying for Insurance benefits (life, dental vision), filing deadlines, Enrollment dates and who to contact with questions or concerns specific to the individual case or claim. Equally as important, we will eagerly answer individual questions regarding the UUA offered Retirement Plan that over 600 UU employers are currently offering to its employees. | |
| Transitions Review Taskforce Update and Survey Session | Transitions Review Taskforce | The Transitions Review Task Force (TRTF) has been charged to “design a constituent-driven process of both listening and assessment that will lead to the reimagining of our ministerial transitions system.” We are interested in hearing about your experience(s), whether good, bad, or indifferent. Please join members of the task force to share your thoughts, opinions and stories. |
Thursday, January 29 at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT
| Title/Topic | Host | Description | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noticing beauty in the everyday… | Marcia Stanard | Join Marcia Stanard on a photo walk! Using our cell phone cameras, we’ll explore in the neighborhood and notice beauty to document. Get up close with flowers, interesting textures, or whatever strikes your fancy. This isn’t a photo class–it’s an “opening oneself to awe and wonder” class. Noticing beauty everywhere is a spiritual practice that’s helped keep me steady–and I’d love to share it with you. | Meet in Lobby to go explore neighborhood |
| Widening the Circle UUMA | UUMA Widening the Circle Committee | This will be an opportunity for community building among professionals serving in small congregations and wondering how to meet the needs of our families in this moment. Bring your questions, your ideas, your wonderings and we will wonder into the future together. | |
| Introducing Reflective Pastoral Supervision | Sarah Lammert, Sara Smalley, Tara Humphries | Reflective Pastoral Supervision is an incredible practice that supports the health of ministers and ministry. Intersecting the worlds of spiritual direction, coaching and mentoring, RPS invites you to bring questions that arise in your ministry to be held in a sacred space where you can explore them using creative methods. Come learn more about this game changer for our ministry. More information can be found here. | |
| Cards, Games, and Connection with Meadville Lombard | Cards, Games, and Connection with Meadville Lombard | Let’s get together to play some card and board games! Drop by or stick around and connect with colleagues. Games will be provided, or bring one of your favorites. Hosted by Jules Taylor and Meadville Lombard. | |
| Church Staff Benefits; A conversation with Hugh Dennis, Director of Church Staff Finance & Gloria Guldagar, Director of Retirement Plan | Hugh Dennis & Gloria Guldagar | see above | |
| Collegial Conversation about Sabbaticals | Darcey Laine | Come gather with colleagues for a wide ranging conversation about sabbaticals. This conversation is for folks planning for a future sabbatical, folks with wisdom to share about previous sabbaticals, and folks who want to explore important questions about how we make sabbaticals accessible to more of our colleagues. | |
| What About RE? (Small Congregations) | Wren Bellevance Grace | Networking around faith formation programs by size: small, mid-size and large congregations |
Friday, January 30 at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT
| Title/Topic | Host | Description | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Widening the Circle | UUMA Widening the Circle Committee | This will be an opportunity for community building among professionals serving in small congregations and wondering how to meet the needs of our families in this moment. Bring your questions, your ideas, your wonderings and we will wonder into the future together. | |
| Doing the Hustle | CB Beal & Deanna (De) Vandiver | Join other religious professionals whose work resides in the space between nearly full-time, consistent employment, who are in one-person offices, hustling for gigs, navigating different contexts, systems, info, etc. This gathering is for consultants, creators, and perhaps buy-your-own-insurance types. We’ll chat about how things have changed, shared learning of what works for you now in your context, and how we can support each other as a network of co-liberators. Bring your own favorite tasty beverage. Please consider masking as a liberatory practice. CB will have a variety of masks available. | |
| Transitions Taskforce | Transitions Review Task Force (TRTF) | The Transitions Review Task Force (TRTF) has been charged to “design a constituent-driven process of both listening and assessment that will lead to the reimagining of our ministerial transitions system.” We are interested in hearing about your experience(s), whether good, bad, or indifferent. Please join members of the task force to share your thoughts, opinions and stories. | |
| What About RE? (Small Congregations) | Wren Bellevance Grace | Networking around faith formation programs by size: small, mid-size and large congregations | |
| Global U/U Connections | UUA Global Connections Office | This conversation will explore global U/U connections, including an introduction to the U/U communities, congregational Partnerships, the new U/U Global Network, current challenges, and opportunities for new (and renewed) relationships. Please bring your curiosity and ideas! Hosted by Rev. Morgan McLean, Director of UUA Global Connections Office. |
Adhoc (not pre-planned) Gatherings
We are so grateful for our Collegiality Team (who worked as part of the larger Institute Planning Team). If you are attending onsite and want to add an offering during the Community Building times please connect with a member of the team to discuss what is possible.
We hope you can use MeetUp to gather with colleagues in person and virtually. When you plan your gathering, please pay attention to inclusion and remember to attend to our accessibility guidelines for all UUMA events. We currently do not have the infrastructure to fully support every meet-up.
Attendees: If you plan to attend a meetup you must be registered for the Institute. Please help your generous host by registering early, joining the corresponding meetup below, and being generous of spirit while attending the event.
Feel free to email the UUMA Staff if you have any questions or difficulties.
Virtual Caucus Spaces
Due to the constraints of our event platform we are not able to have virtual caucus spaces open all the time. Below you will find a hosted slot.
| Caucus | Time | Host |
| BIPOC | Tuesday, 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT/3:30pm MT/2:30pm PT | Chris Long |
| Disabled | Wednesday, 5pm ET/4pm CT/3pm MT/2pm PT | Jessica James |
| Trans/Non-Binary | Wednesday, 2:30 ET/1:30CT/12:30MT/11:30am PT | Andreé Mol |
| Fat | Thursday, 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT | Catharine Clarenbach |
Onsite Caucus Spaces
Caucus spaces onsite will be open during programming unless otherwise noted on the room sign. The Intersectional Caucus room is Weavers. If you’d like to host a time for that caucus please reach out to Hannah.
| Caucus | Time | Host | Room |
| Disabled | Tuesday, 8am | Jessica James | Turquoise |
| Fat | Tuesday, Lunch | Bridget Laflin | Alvarado G |
| BIPOC | Wednesday, Lunch | Joan Javier-Duval | Rending Room |
| Trans/Non-Binary | Thursday, Lunch | TBA | Potters |