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April 26, 2024

Something For the Moment

Ministry Days Registration Rates Increase May 1st: If you’ve been waiting to register now is a perfect time to get it done. Register here.
Mentor Training: We are excited to be offering training for mentors with newly revised mentor training material. The first two sessions have already been offered, but if you commit to watching the recordings of those sessions you can still join the last three sessions coming up in May. Registration will close after the May 2nd session. Learn more and register here.
Open UUMA Appointment to the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC): The UUMA appoints four representatives to the MFC. We currently have one opening. This is a high workload, high responsibility, high impact position. More details about the position and the commitment and skills required can be found in our Volunteer Center. If you are interested in being considered for this appointment, please complete our application by May 5. Questions? Contact the Executive Team!

Something for the Journey

Rev. Marlene Walker, UUMA Trustee-at-Large: Ethics & Collegiality

Marlene Walker This year the Collegiality Working group of the UUMA board (myself, Carol Thomas Cissel, Connie Simon, Leslie Takahashi, and Melissa Carvill Zeimer) has been doing a deep dive into the ways our members are connecting collegially, especially post pandemic.

Chapters have long been one of the primary ways that we connected collegially, yet even before the pandemic, chapters in many areas were struggling with declining participation in chapter life, and the pandemic has only accelerated that.

As ministers we now have many options for cultivating collegial connections including study groups, clusters, covenant groups, social groups, interfaith groups, skill building groups, such as preaching groups, workshops, and more. Much of that is now happening online as well as in person and multi-platform.

Many ministers, especially those who came into ministry in the last ten years, have deep commitments to ongoing collegial groups beyond the chapters. We have been asking the questions about how we can better support chapters, what chapters need, and even if chapters are still the best structure for collegial engagement and connection.

How are you connecting with colleagues? What is feeding your need for connection? Let us know what is working, and not working, for you. We need one another and finding ways to meet that need is an important role of the UUMA.

Speaking of that, have you registered yet for our Annual Meeting and Ministry Days? Another key way we connect collegially. They are just around the corner. You can register here. Click here to register for the Annual Meeting and Click here to register here for Ministry Days. We look forward to connecting with many of you.

Something Extra

Ministry Days Pop-Up Watch Parties: During Ministry Days 2024 we hope you will use Meet-Up to gather with colleagues in person and virtually. This year, in addition to Sponsored Watch Parties (events planned before April 1) we will help advertise Pop-Up Parties. Pop Up Watch Parties will be listed on our Meet-Up page and advertised to registered members. When you plan your gathering, please pay attention to inclusion and remember to attend to our accessibility guidelines for all UUMA events. Sign up to be a Pop-Up Host: Pop-Up hosts will be responsible for collecting any fees to help support the event. The UUMA will be happy to provide coaching to hosts and make connections with members who may wish to be of support, but we currently do not have the infrastructure to fully support every pop-up.

2024 Nominating Slate: The Nominating Committee recruits and selects nominees for UUMA elected leadership, and strives to balance demographic factors such as gender, gender orientation, ethnicity, abilities, cultural competency, age, geography, and ministry type. The UUMA Nominating Committee submitted the following list of nominees for the UUMA Board and the Nominating Committee. To learn more about the candidates, CLICK HERE.:

Board President-Designate: Rev. Robin Tanner
Board Secretary: Rev. Chris Rothbauer
Member At Large: Rev. Wendy Bartel
Nominating Committee: Rev. Abhi Janamanchi
Nominating Committee: Rev. Nic Filzen

Register for the UUMA Annual Meeting: Tuesday, June 4 and Thursday, June 6 from 4-6pm ET/ 3-5pm CT/ 2-4pm MT/ 1-3pm PT/ 10am-Noon HT. Register here.

Something for Formation

The Ministerial Formation Network will offer two pre-Ministry Day Gatherings for Candidates, Aspirants and their Mentors! We encourage you to register for each of these events, as well as the whole Ministry Days program as a way to demonstrate and expand on your commitment to UU community life.

Discernment As Spiritual Practice on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 2:00-3:30 ET/1:00-2:30 CT/12-1:30 MT/11-12:30 PT. Led by the UU Wellspring team, this gathering will include a contemplative time for exploring the ways that our growth and self discovery within a supportive, accountable community sustains and encourages flourishing in ministry.
Change as Spiritual Practice on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 4:00-5:30 ET/3:00-4:30 CT/2-3:30 MT/1-2:30 PT. In conversation with Rev. Darrick Jackson and MFC members, this is a time to learn about recent changes with the MFC and what that means for folks at different phases and stages of the preparation process.

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.