APF Changes
Every year UU congregations are asked to contribute a specific sum of money to the Unitarian Universalist Association Annual Program Fund. The APF makes up the single largest source of funding for the work of the UUA. In turn, these funds are used to provide resources, programming, and support to all congregations across the Association.
Our Pacific Western Region congregations are in the midst of a transitional year, having moved from separate district and APF contributions to a unified ask covering both. In July of 2019, after our transitional year has ended, the UUA will be rolling out the New APF in our region.
The UUA Congregational Giving Office recently distributed a detailed information booklet about the New APF to our congregational leaders. Here are a few resources if you still have questions after reading the materials:
Justice and Spirit: Unitarian Universalist Online Book Club
Skinner House Books and Beacon Press offer an online book each month on the GoodReads website. They describe the book club this way: "Life never stops sending new spiritual challenges our way. How do we, as individuals and communities, search for truth and meaning, strive for justice and action, navigate our spiritual journeys, and live out our values? Justice and Spirit: The UU Book Club is a place where all who are interested in spirituality, religion, and social justice, whether UU or not, can discuss books that relate to these crucial questions. We hope to foster deep, meaningful conversations and a welcoming and loving environment. All are welcome."
November’s read is The Call to Care: Essays by Unitarian Universalist Chaplains, edited by Karen Hutt. For the first time, Unitarian Universalist chaplains come together to share why they care, who they care for, and how they care. In heartfelt and thoughtful essays, they provide a close-up view of their day-to-day ministry in hospitals, prisons, the military, and rehabilitation centers. With the increasing secularization of our culture, and the growing numbers of religious seekers, Unitarian Universalist chaplains today play ever-more important roles in these institutions. These writers open a window into the caring arts as they share their stories about companioning people in crisis who are on a journey to find meaning and purpose in difficult times.
The Charles White Memorial Seminary Scholarship 2019
The White Memorial Scholarship is a one-time annual scholarship of at least $1000 available to help support Unitarian Universalist Ministerial students, with preference given to those who have a connection to the Pacific Southwest District. Any seminary student with connections to the PSWD is encouraged to apply online.
More information can be found on PSWD’s White Memorial Scholarship page. Applications for the 2019 scholarship are due by Feb 15, 2019 and can be submitted online.
The winner of the 2019 scholarship will be announced at the PSWD business meeting at District Assembly in Long Beach at the end of April, and be given the funds to use to defray costs of their schooling. Applications are now open!
If you have any questions regarding the scholarship or the application, please contact pswdwhitememorial@gmail.com.
UUCSJ - Border Witness for Religious Professionals
The UU College of Social Justice is leading a Border Witness for Religious Professionals trip from February 11th through the 16th. The registration deadline is December 10th and they have generous financial aid and travel stipends available (the financial aid is available to everyone, but the travel stipends are meant specifically to help seminarians and religious educators).
Learn more at UUCSJ.org/theologyandmigration.
CLF Prison Ministry Holiday Cards
The Church of the Larger Fellowship will be sending almost 900 holiday cards to CLF members experiencing incarceration. Could you help? Invite your social action committee or youth to write messages of hope. If interested, it’s important to read this detailed list of Do’s and Don’ts. CLF staff and volunteers will address all envelopes, bringing a bit of cheer to our incarcerated UU members, many of whom are lonely and without support.
Questions? Reach out to Beth Murray at bmurray@clfuu.org.
Rev. Jan Christian
"We are braver…" - UUA Disaster Relief Fund Update
It has been a little over a year since the UUA Disaster Relief Fund became available to all of our organizations and a number of recipients have been in the Pacific Western Region --- most of whom were impacted by fires.
Some money has been spent on damaged church spaces, but more money has been given to members to meet emergency needs and to community members, especially those underserved or ineligible for other assistance.
We have had members caring for family members who lost their homes and all their possessions. We have had members with lost wages trying to cope with unexpected expenses. We’ve had young families evacuating and trying to cover childcare expenses while schools have been closed. Your donations were there to help.
In the Carbondale, Colorado area, some funding went to an organization that reached out to the Spanish speaking areas in the community to ensure they knew of evacuation orders and then to assess the damage and needs following the fires. In Santa Paula, California, money was used to assist farm workers who lost their housing and possessions.
Recipients have often built on the generosity by holding their own fundraisers. They have told us how good it has felt to be able to respond immediately and to be seen by community organizations as responsive and generous.
In Amado, Arizona, the Rev. Matthew Crary wrote, "As the Universe would have it, Dr. Amy McCoy, water scientist, was in our pulpit a week after the Amado flood. Intimately understanding crisis - and hearing that we were to receive Disaster Relief Funds - she named the truth of our connection with the UUA and our local community, ‘Relationships of gratitude are relationships of reciprocation.’"
We heard from our Carbondale congregation that "we are braver because we know we can count on the love of our Unitarian Universalist relatives."
The process for applying, as one applicant put it, is "clear and straightforward and fast."
And here is the fast way to donate.
Chris George - PWR Healthy Congregations Team
Calm in the Face of Confusion
As we step into another church year, it has been good for me to think back to what I’ve learned during my service on the Board and as Board President in two congregations. Maybe my learning can provide some ideas for other church leaders to consider. Many times your term in office will be filled with wonderfully committed congregants all pulling in the same direction toward a shared goal that is widely supported. But, then there are those other times… What then? How do you move through those "other times" with style and grace? What does it look like to demonstrate how we live our covenant and how we walk our UU values in those "other times"? Here are a few thoughts from one who has weathered some storms.
Remember, it’s not ALL about you – When you step into a leadership role in your congregation (be it Board position, chair of a committee, or running the auction) you become a symbol of leadership. People will address the role you are in; forgetting that just a few months ago you were both sitting in the same pew, or attending the same meeting as congregants. They will speak to you as Board member or committee chair and bring with them their past experience with leaders at work and leaders at church. If their past experiences have been good and satisfying, they will approach you with confidence and hope. If not, they may approach you with anger or fear that you are getting ready to allow something, or do something, harmful to them personally or to your shared congregation. Please do not take it personally.
And yet, sometimes it IS about you – So you want to remain open to that possibility. You may receive feedback about something you are doing (for instance, the way you are managing the meeting, or the way you contribute to discussions during the meeting). Be open to the possibility that you might be doing something that is not as effective as you want it to be. It can be very helpful to ask the person offering the input for specific examples of what they are seeing. Ask if they can offer specific suggestions about what you could do differently. After thanking them for taking the time to offer their input, allow yourself time to process the feedback. This may be an opportunity for you to try new behaviors, to practice new approaches in a supportive environment. Hopefully, this term of church leadership will be a time of learning and growth for you. So, try to stay open to the possibilities when they arise.
Read the remainder of Calm in the Face of Confusion on the PWR blog.
PWR Job Postings
Looking for job postings in ministry? Visit the UUA's Ministry Opportunities page.
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