May 5, 2023

Something For the Moment 

• Annual Meeting Agenda Reminder: This past week materials regarding the annual meeting were emailed to all active members. In order for us to be prepared for the meeting, if you wish to propose something to the Board to consider placing on the agenda, including an amendment to any motion already on the agenda, please email Board Secretary Connie Simon, secretary@uuma.org, today, Friday, May 5. 

• Multigenerational Collegial Conversation: Co-sponsored by the UUMA and UURMaPA (the UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association), this multigenerational Zoom gathering of UU ministers will be about us, about our joy in this vocation we have chosen. We will gather in small multigenerational group breakouts which will be lightly facilitated and will include an opportunity to consider a few words about your small group sharing that you might share back. Through connecting meaningfully and deeply with one another across our generations of ministry, we hope to strengthen our collegial community. Click here to register for the event on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 2-3:30pm ET/ 1-2:30pm CT/ 12-1:30pm MT/ 11am-12:30pm PT.

• DRUUMM Worship Service: Each year, Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) hosts a DRUUMM-led worship service that is open to all. As the DRUUMM ministry and membership grows, this special event is also their major fundraiser to support their pastoral care, community organizing, and anti-racism work. The UUMA is proud to be one of the many sponsors of this event and we hope you will join us for: Shine On Beautiful & Resilient People: DRUUMM Public Worship, May 11th, 2023 8:00 PM Eastern/ 5:00 PM Pacific. Free and open to all: For more details and to REGISTER click here.

Something for the Journey

I have recently been reminded of a saying my high school math teacher used to sling around “Of course you find the missing thing in the last place you look – why would you keep looking after you find it!” At the time, always a bit of a contrarian, I would occasionally giggle and keep looking for my keys after I had found them hanging exactly where I put them. Today, thinking about the incredible maze that is the world wide web, I can’t remember the last time I stopped looking after I found the piece of information I needed. This week we sent out a number of emails with important information. As it is that one click often leads to 27 or so side tracks, I wanted to take this opportunity to lift up a few items to pay attention to. 

• Annual Meeting: Please take a moment to make sure these dates are in your calendar and schedule some time to review the agenda and reports for our annual meeting.  If it fits better in your life to listen to the reports we have posted it as a podcast.  You can find directions on how to subscribe to the podcast here. The length of the recording required two parts.  You can find podcast episode containing the Part 1 here (Board and Staff Reports, Meeting agenda and Rules) and Part 2 here (minutes, budget, dues and Ministry Days programming).
• Ministry Days 2023: Earlier this week we announced a new Keynote speaker for Ministry Days.  We are excited to welcome Dr. Xiomara Verenice Cervantes-Gómez to present the keynote: After Inclusion.  Read more here. The email also contained information about being a volunteer or providing a spiritual practice and regarding deadlines for Child Care, Baseball Game, Accessibility Equipment, and Scholarships.  If any of these topics are on your radar to “catch up with” please take a moment to review the full email. 

Something Extra

Board of Trustees Dialogue Session: Your UUMA Board of Trustees would like to invite our members to participate in our next dialogue session on Friday, May 19, 2023 at 4-5ET/3-4CT/2-3MT/1-2PT. These dialogue sessions are great opportunities for members to connect with the UUMA Board, to ask questions, learn about what’s going on at the UUMA and more. Dialogue sessions are open to all UUMA members. If registration is under 10 people we will need to cancel so please don’t wait to register! 

Collegial Conversation: Current Trends in Parish Ministry: The upcoming Collegial Conversation: Current Trends in Parish Ministry Wednesday, May 24 at 2-3:30pm ET/ 1-2:30pm CT/ Noon-1:30pm MT/ 11am-12:30pm PT is open to all members of the UUMA.  We will offer time for us all to learn more about the changes in parish ministry and congregational life from multiple vantage points. We are inviting leaders working with formation and credentialing, settlement and transitions, finances, family ministry, and congregational accountability to offer brief reflections on the trends they are noting in their sphere. After the presentations, we will have a time for you to offer reflections on the trends you are noting from your vantage points followed by Q&A.

Czech Unitarian Centennial Poster Fundraiser: One hundred years ago, in June 1923, the first Flower Ceremony was held in Prague at the Czech Unitarian Church. The ritual was written by Norbert Čapek and today, the Flower Ceremony is celebrated by Unitarian Universalists worldwide. One hundred years later, Czech Unitarians continue to spread Unitarianism. There are eight churches across the country. The National headquarters are in Prague where the local church also has a community center in Prague. They run many important programs that support the future of their faith including a summer camp for all children, youth, and families, called the Unitarian Academy. 

The sale of the posters will support three programs for the Czech Unitarian Religious Society: 

• Czech Unitarian Summer Camp – a camp for all the Czech Unitarian youth, children, and families,

• Czech Ukrainian Relief – support for Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic.

• Czech Unitarian Academy – training for lay leaders and ministers.

The posters are $100, plus $12 to cover shipping, mailing tube, and handling costs ($112 total). Click here for more details and to order your poster. If you wish to make a donation and do NOT want this poster OR you wish to make an additional donation you may do so by clicking here.