Opportunities for Connection-CERUUA Update December 2022

From Jan Gartner, UUA Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager.

In mid-November, the Office of Church Staff Finances published an especially newsy issue of Compensation and Staffing News, officially launching both Open Enrollment (for Health and Dental/Vision plans) and our new Congregational Salary Program. And, as I say in my editor’s note, “But that’s not all!” We also have a new Guide to Setting Terms of Employment to assist with onboarding and supervision of new non-ministerial staff. Check out the short articles and handy links – and subscribe at the bottom if you are not already receiving this monthly publication.

Open Enrollment runs through December 15 this year. Please ensure that all eligible staff (those scheduled to work at least 750 hours/year) are offered the opportunity to enroll.

We invite you to reach out to us (comp@uua.org) with any questions about the salary program. Our emphasis is on process – policies and practices that uphold equity, transparency, and economic justice. Leaders are not expected to make sudden dramatic changes to anyone’s pay as a result of our new salary charts. (And, just in case we need to say it, nobody’s pay should go down!) We will all be living into this new program over the next couple of years.

If you have questions about employment, on-boarding or other finance and benefits issues, please check out the Congregations as Employers section of the LeaderLab pages.

Congregations throughout the Central East Region have started work on adopting the 8th Principle, covenanting to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. Some congregations have discussed it with no action, some have voted to adopt it, and some are using it to actively work on dismantling racism in their systems and communities. Every UU congregation is ready to take the next step in their process of furthering antiracism, whether they use the 8th Principle as a vehicle or not.

Join this year's New Day Rising event to learn from neighboring congregations about what path they've taken with their 8th Principle and other antiracism work, and how your congregation might move itself forward. This Central East Region event will include worship, testimony from congregations engaged in the work, plus caucusing and other community building opportunities. We'll meet on Saturday, February 25, 12-6 pm ET. Registration is now open!

Do you know what General Assembly is? Or need help explaining it to others? Check out the What is GA video!

Want to contribute to General Assembly 2023? Program proposals for virtual or in-person programming are currently being accepted. Presenters from historically and currently marginalized communities, including people of color and youth, are encouraged to apply. Proposed programs should provide meaningful opportunities for learning and skill development, as well as address one or more of the following focus areas: Becoming Adaptive and Resilient, Becoming Theologically Rooted, Becoming Skilled in Faithful Praxis, Becoming Connected in Community. Deadline is January 13! Learn more at the UUA GA Website.

This fall, our Chalice Lighter Call donations are making it possible for two congregations to spread the good news about Unitarian Universalism and welcome the community. The UU Church of Annapolis, MD will do it by using their grant to improve signage and ventilation. The First UU Society of Marietta, OH will do it by investing in publicity, outreach and targeted programming. Your donations provide the funds to make grants to UU congregations and groups of congregations throughout our region, helping them to build strong, resilient, and justice-loving communities.

Learn more about the Chalice Lighter Program, the grant process and make a donation to support this call at the CER website. The deadline for the intent to apply for the spring grants is January 2.

Winter Institute (WI) is a long-held tradition of gathering over President’s Day week-end for a mid-winter retreat at Salt Fork State Park in Cambridge, Ohio. This retreat was the brainchild of a group of Summer Institute (SI) attendees who wisely determined that a year between SI gatherings is just TOO LONG to wait to gather with extended Beloved UU Community! This relaxing weekend has been an intimate gathering for UUs of all ages. There are frosty outdoor activities like sledding, hiking and cross-country skiing. For those who choose to stay in their slippers all weekend, there is a beautiful lodge with its many cozy corners and fireplaces. The pool and hot tub are truly a wintertime treat. There are fellow UUs always ready to play board games or to join in the community jigsaw puzzle. We have wonderful community worship services in the morning and evenings.

This year Winter Institute will be held on February 17-20, 2023 at Salt Fork State Park in Cambridge, OH. Registration is open and all are welcome!

The UUA Congregational Life and Stewardship for Us announce a 3-part national webinar series in early 2023: Cornerstones of Effective Stewardship for our Congregations.

TUESDAYS, 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET, 6:00-7:30 CT, 5:00-6:30 MT, 4:00-5:30 PT

Part 1: January 24th: The Multiplatform Context
Part 2: January 31st: The Multicultural/Multiracial World
Part 3: February 7th: The Changing Multigenerational Demographics

Registration fee is $30 per webinar or register for all three at the discounted rate of $75. Find out more and register by January 19th.

Jubilee Three Anti-Racism Training
Do you wish to deepen your understanding of how race and ethnicity play out in our institutions and our daily lives? Are you ready to take a leading role to nurture a multicultural future in the face of opposing cultural currents? Come Join Us for this Life-Changing Weekend!

Weekend Activities: The training includes presentations, discussions, videos, exercises, and small group work. This 2 ½ day workshop is open to anyone who wants to journey toward making a stand against racism. Church members and church leaders of any faith, as well as non-church members are all welcome! January 13-15, 2023 online. Registration and details at the CER website.

Our Whole Lives Secondary (7-9/10-12) Training
If you need training as a facilitator for the Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education program for grades 7-9 and 10-12, the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY is offering this training on January 20-22, 2023. Registration is now open, but hurry, if we do not meet our minimum of 8 participants registered by December 16, this training will be cancelled.

Save the date: January 24 1-3pm ET/10am-12pm PT with the Rev. Leela Sinha.

Rev. Leela Sinha (ze/zim/zir) is a brown, queer, genderqueer, entrepreneurial community minister with a theology of pleasure and a habit of transformative mischief. In zir work, ze offers leadership coaching, training, and keynotes, working with leaders and organizations to develop and delight in the power and intensity we have, and to use that power for good. Zir book, "You're Not Too Much" came out in 2016. Ze has been a UU all zir life, and lives and works in the Bay Area. Check out zir’s work with zir Sinha Intensive/Expansive Framework, work supporting teams and individuals working together, and podcast The Intensives Institute. We’re excited to welcome Leela because zir’s framework of supporting individuals and teams in embracing their strengths and working together even with different brains does not depend on medical diagnosis. Find out if you’re an intensive or expansive!

While you wait, you can download past presentations from the UUMA’s website or access the first in the series with Rev. Heather Petit.

by Rev. Evin Carvill-Ziemer

It’s a common question I hear from congregational leaders right now. It’s not just your congregation! There are far fewer children attending our congregations right now. Between 2020 and 2022 certified RE enrollment dropped by about 39% nationally and in our region. Adult membership dropped 6-7% in the same period. This precipitous decline follows a long steady decline in both RE enrollment and adult membership, but faster for RE enrollment. (2018-2022 <1% decline among adults and 17% for children and youth. For a discussion of the demographics leading to this decline please read The Death of Sunday School (PDF).)

Read the rest of the article

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The following events are upcoming in the region. For full details and a complete list visit the CER Calendar Page. Also, please note, if you are mailing a check to the regional office to pay for your registration, you must write the name and date of the event in the memo line. Otherwise we may not get it properly credited.

If you are looking for Renaissance Modules for Religious Educators or Our Whole Lives Trainings, check the full calendar on the UUA website.

Widening the Circle of Governance in Congregations: Sociocracy webinar, Dec 3, 2022, 1-3 pm ET.
Lay-Led Congregation Convergence, December 10, 2022, online. Part of the Essentials for Lay-Led Congregations Program.
UUA Board Meeting, December 12, 2022 online, 7 pm ET. Register for the meeting.
CER BIPOC Gathering, January 7, 6:30 pm ET.
Taproot: A National BIPOC Space - January 12, 2022, 8-9:15 pm ET
Jubilee 3 Anti-Racism Training, January 13-15, 2023, online.
Networking Session, January 19, 12:30-2 pm ET. Meeting Link.
Networking Session, January 19, 6-7:30 pm ET. Meeting Link.
UUA Board Meeting, January 19-21, online, Time TBA. Register for the meeting.
Jr/Sr High Our Whole Lives Training for Facilitators, January 20-22, 2023, Manhasset, NY.
UUA Board Meeting, February 13, 2023 online, 7 pm ET. Register for the meeting.
So You're Working on the 8th Principle Conference, February 25, 12-6 pm ET, online.

Do note that the UUA is closing for the holidays from 2 pm on Friday, December 16, and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3.

If your congregation or cluster has an exciting project that could use funding from our Chalice Lighter Program, our next Intent to Apply deadline is January 2 for grants to be awarded in April, 2023.

The Unitarian Universalist Association is partnering with The Management Center to provide practical, interculturally informed management skills training designed for UU religious professionals who supervise in congregations.

The Management Center will lead two separate two-day online Managing to Change the World trainings, facilitated by JK Nelson. We have space for 40 people in each session, and we’d like to invite you and your colleagues to apply!

Session One: Thursday, January 19 – Friday, January 20, 2023
Session Two: Monday, February 6 - Tuesday, February 7, 2023
All sessions will be held from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Pacific/ 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm Eastern

Registration Fee: $400 for those with professional development budgets, $200 for those who don’t have professional development budgets (and may have to find the money in other budget lines. Full waivers available on request.

The training will consist of group activities, role-plays, PowerPoint presentation, individual and small group work, and group discussion. Participants will have time to apply, practice and translate the tools to their specific work contexts, and get input on core challenges from the trainer and their peers.

You should apply if:

You directly supervise staff in a UU congregation or related organization
You’re eager to learn new tools, frameworks, and practices to support your management
You’re open to thinking critically and newly about your individual and organizational practices on managing with an equity and inclusion lens
You are committed to an ethos of shared ministry

More details on applying:

To apply, please fill out this brief application.
We’ll review applications and notify applicants of selection on a first come, first served basis. Due to space limitations, we can’t guarantee that everyone who applies will be accepted, but we’ll do our best!
A Zoom link will be emailed to you once your application has been accepted
Please contact echerry@uua.org with questions

The Article II Study Commission wishes to thank all who participated in the online feedback sessions on its latest draft of Article II (PDF, 3 Pages). The commission will be working through that feedback and will produce another draft soon. You can sign up to receive email updates on the latest drafts and feedback opportunities.

Call for Nominations for the 2023 Distinguished Service Award. The Award for Distinguished Service to the Cause of Unitarian Universalism (often informally referred to as the Distinguished Service Award) is one of the most prestigious awards given by the UUA. Recipients of this award have strengthened the institutions of our UU denomination, clarified our message in extraordinary ways, and exemplified what Unitarian Universalism stands for. The Award Committee seeks nominations from throughout our Association so it may select from a broad range of the most exemplary leaders in our movement. The deadline for receipt of nominations is January 1, 2023. Submit your nomination.

The UUA has a Disaster Relief Fund for those who want to make a donation to help congregations who have faced losses due to tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires and more. Please donate if you can. To learn more about the work of the Disaster Relief Fund visit their webpage. If your congregation needs assistance, you can apply for a grant on that webpage. We are Better Together.

Virtual Guest in Your Pulpit! The UUMA has a list of virtual speakers, check it out to see who is available! Visit the UUMA website to read the list. Also, don't forget to check out the CER Guest in Your Pulpit program, which includes both lay and professional worship leaders.

New publications from the UUA - inSpirit's annual Holiday Guide is now out and you want to place your order early! Free standard shipping on orders of $50 or more through Dec 4th. Announcing the 2022-23 Common Read: Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism by Nancy Palmer Jones and Karin Lin. Available now for purchase is Care for the World: Reflections on Community Ministry edited by Rev. Erin J. Walter.

The UUA is hiring for several positions, including several in Congregational Life. Find job descriptions and application information at their Job Openings webpage. The CER position has be re-opened, please apply if you are interested!

Our congregations and clusters in the region have many exciting activities and announcements going on. For a complete listing of events, visit the CER Congregations and Clusters Calendar Page. For news from congregations, please visit our News Blog. For job listings from congregations check the UUA Job Board.

Faithify Projects - CER congregations have projects ongoing!
The UU Church of Akron has re-created the 100 Unitarians and Universalists Who Made a Difference poster. Read about their process and find out how to order.
Several UU Congregations in CER are hiring. Check the listings.
Check out Faithify.org for projects from the region and around the country.

If your congregation or cluster has news or events to share, please send it to us at bcasebolt@uua.org.

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