Webinars

Webinars offer a convenient way to engage in online collaborative learning. Participating as a learning community in your congregation gives your team a starting point to gain insight, discuss with religious leaders, and focus your congregation on what matters. Webinars are just $20 per connection and can be watched by one person at home or with a group from your church.

From Visitor to a Full Spectrum of Member Engagement

Marie Luna, Vice President of the UU Association of Membership Professionals, and Rev. Tandi Rogers
Dec. 6, 2016 - 7-8pm PT

Faith traditions are all in a time of transition and the UU faith is no exception. As we struggle to consider what our faith will look like in the world of congregations and beyond, let us come together to consider some new perspectives on the traditional ideas of membership. In this webinar, we will expand upon the idea of a faith tradition that looks beyond the goal of increasing membership to a considering together what a full Spectrum of Engagement in our UU Faith might look like. This spectrum was first presented at GA 2015 by Carey McDonald, Marie Blohowiak and Lori Emison Clair.

Register for From Visitor to a Full Spectrum of Member Engagement

More PWR Webinars

• Introduction to Conflict Dynamics
  Jan. 18, 7-8pm PT - Rev. Margaret Kiep & Dave Mentz
• A Theme-Based Approach to Full-Week Faith
  Jan. 19, 7-8pm PT - Eric Bliss, PWR Youth Ministry Specialist
• SpiritJam: Fun, Engaging Faith Formation
  Jan. 24, 7-8pm PT - Katie Covey
• Just a Few Kids: Creative Strategies for Congregational Engagement
  Jan. 31, 7-8pm PT - Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh & Rev. Sarah Schurr
• Inclusive Youth Group Dynamics
  Feb 14, 10-11am PT & Feb 16, 5-6pm PT - Eric Bliss, Natalie Briscoe, and youth TBA
• Reaching Out to Millennials & Young Families
  Feb. 18, 9-10am PT - Rev. Annie Gonzalez Milliken & Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh

Events and Trainings

PWR Congregations in the News

"About 200 Mid-Columbia residents rallied in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's efforts to stop Energy Transfer Partners' Dakota Access Pipeline during a rally Sunday at Richland's John Dam Plaza. The Rev. Doak Mansfield of Pasco's Community Unitarian Universalist Church marshaled the cheerful interfaith crowd as it waved protest signs at drivers, many of whom honked their horns in support. Mansfield called it a low-tech gathering, with no speakers, that generally aimed to build local awareness about the issues raised in the increasingly tense protests at Cannonball, N.D." Read more from the Tri-City Herald.

"Stuffed animals have long been seen as cuddly sources of comfort, but with added weight they bear a greater therapeutic benefit. These "heavy helpers" calm the nervous system and help ground children dealing with sensory processing issues or trauma. On a recent Wednesday, a group of women from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver gathered at the Children's Center to help sew some heavy helpers." Read more from The Columbian

"This is the third year Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura's Lift Up Your Voice program has put on Take a Hungry Person to Lunch. It coincides with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, held each year in the week before Thanksgiving." Read more from the Ventura County Star.

"Rev. Shelley Page of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Ogden acknowledged that the election left her and many she knows in a state of shock — and concerned about what will happen next. 'My sense was that regardless of who won, there would need to be healing of the divisions in our country so we could move forward in productive ways that benefit the common good, which is what society is supposed to be about,' Page said. 'The veil was lifted on some aspects of our culture that do not promote the common good — blatant racism, homophobia, misogyny and xenophobia were in full view and being lauded by someone running for the highest office in the land. So this is a scary time.'" Read more from the Standard Examiner.

December 1 Fair Labor Standards Act changes blocked

Many congregational leaders have been hard at work this fall, reviewing job responsibilities, recordkeeping, and pay practices in anticipation of December 1 changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Recently, a federal judge temporarily blocked implementation of these changes, adding additional uncertainty to the future of this regulation. The judge's action is in response to a suit filed by several states and employer groups seeking to overturn the increase in the weekly wage trigger.

Currently, employees must be paid a minimum of $455/week to possibly be exempt from the provisions of the FLSA. In addition to the minimum salary, they must also meet various "white collar" job duty provisions. As we have explained, there is a "ministerial exception" for clergy and others whose work has "essential religious duties" to the extent congregations feel the classification can be defended if contested by an employee or former employee. (There is no minimum salary for the ministerial exception.) All of the job duty provisions remain, regardless, along with recordkeeping requirements. It is only the white-collar salary level that is now in question. Finally, several states (for instance, California) have more stringent fair labor standards than the federal government. It's critical that congregational leaders review state standards to ensure compliance.

Next Steps: The Obama Administration is certain to appeal this decision. Whether this occurs before or after January 20 may determine whether implementation takes place at all. The UUA Office of Church Staff Finances advises congregations to remain prepared to implement the higher wage standard ($913/week) if the injunction is reversed. Meanwhile, congregations should continue to use this opportunity to evaluate the exempt/non-exempt status of each non-clergy employee and review the hours actually worked by each employee. Paying your hard-working employees for the hours they actually work is a UU value in keeping with our commitment to economic justice in the world. If our goal is to be achieved, it must begin within our own congregations.

Have you ever cleaned your house for company, but the company cancels at the last-minute? Then you have a clean house! In that spirit, we appreciate the house-cleaning you've been doing on the pay practices front.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Jan Gartner, UUA Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager at JGartner@uua.org or the Rev. Richard Nugent, Director, Church Staff Finances at RNugent@uua.org.

Ministerial Transitions

We have some new faces in our Pacific Western Region pulpits this year, and some that are familiar but in a new location. Here are the ministers who were settled this fall, serving congregations in the Pacific Western Region. If you get the chance, please offer them a warm welcome.

• Kevin Lawson in Flagstaff, AZ
• Christian and Kristin Schmidt in Kensington, CA
• Mathew McHale in Canoga Park, CA
• Jason Cook in Fullerton, CA
• Kevin Tarsa in Grass Valley, CA
• Maria Christina Vlassidis Burgoa in Hayward, CA
• Nica Eaton-Guinn in Thousand Oaks, CA
• Dana Warsnop in Ventura, CA
• Duffy Peet in Bozeman, MT
• Thomas Perchlik in Olympia, WA
• Beth Chroniser in Seattle, WA (University)
• Sean Neil-Barron in Fort Collins, CO

Looking for resources or support for a ministerial transition in your congregation? Find your congregation's Primary Contact.

Individuals interested in serving on either the UUA Health Plan Board or the Retirement Plan Committee

The Office of Church Staff Finances staffs both committees charged by the UUA Board to oversee the management of the UUA Health Plan and the UUA Retirement Plan. Several members of these committees will be rotating off in June 2017. We are seeking individuals possessing specific skills (outlined below) to refer to the UUA Appointments Committee. We welcome expressions of interest from individuals from historically-marginalized communities with the requisite professional expertise.

UUA Health Plan: The Employee Benefits Trust Committee oversees the UUA Health Plan which provides comprehensive health insurance to approximately 1,500 members, the employees and their dependents of the UUA National Office and 350+ congregations. The Committee meets approximately 4-5 times annually – two meetings are in person in Boston. The Committee approves changes to the various benefits offered, sets the premiums charged individuals and their employers, and exercises fiduciary responsibility for the Plan and its assets Consistent with criteria established by the UUA Board, we are seeking individuals who have current experience, preferably at a senior level, in health insurance policy, health plan administration, or pharmacy benefit management, as a financial, human resources, and/or medical professional. For more information, please refer interested individuals to Jim Sargent, UUA Health Plan Director, at JSargent@uua.org or (617) 948-6405.

UUA Retirement Plan: The UUA Retirement Plan Committee oversees the UU Organizations Retirement Plan which is a 401(a)/(k) retirement plan offered by 600+ congregations to approximately 3,500 participations. More than $300 million is invested by plan participants. . TIAA is the recordkeeper of the Plan. The Committee meets 4 times annually – two meeting in Boston and two by phone. The Committee, with assistance from outside consultants, approves changes to the funds offered plan participants, the annual administrative fee charged plan participants, and reviews plan performance by TIAA. Consistent with criteria established by the UUA Board, we are seeking individuals with experience in investment advising, mutual fund/portfolio management, finance, retirement plan management, or human resources in a large organization. For more information, please refer interested individuals to the Rev. Richard Nugent, Church Staff Finances Director, at RNugent@uua.org or (617) 948-6456.