Timeline
The Consultation Design Team laid out the following timeline for the process.
June 2005
- Process approved by Consultation Co-Conveners Bill Sinkford and Megan Dowdell.
- Process shared at General Assembly with Youth Caucus, Congregational Presidents, Liberal Religious Educator's Association (LREDA), and Religious Professionals at Professional Days.
July 2005
- Twelve-member Consultation Task Force selected:
- Non-Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU) member appointed;
- Two YRUU Task Force members elected at Youth Council;
- Youth appointed by Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multiculturalist Ministry (DRUUMM);
- Two adults appointed by the co-conveners.
- Youth Council passes resolution to add three youth positions to the task force—Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Intersex (GLBPTQQI), Canadian and an additional DRUUMM youth.
- District Staff contacted to:
- Share information about the process and enlist their support, input, and participation;
- Discuss getting youth ministry conversations on district meeting agendas;
- Obtain lists of congregations with youth programs or populations.
- Canadian Unitarian Council contacted with approach similar to that for districts.
- Begin website development to provide updated information about the consultation process. Plan listserve.
September 2005
- Survey consultant selected.
October 2005
- First Task Force meeting to:
- Work with survey consultant to create a survey instrument that will collect information about UU youth ministry and will frame the discussions held in congregations, districts, and stakeholder organizations;
- Create an outline for the Congregational Process Guide;
- Develop an outreach strategy for congregational conversations.
- Outreach to Religious Educators at LREDA Fall Conference.
November 2005
- Survey tested.
December 2005
- Survey finalized and ready for distribution.
- Congregational Process Guide ready for distribution.
January 2006
- Survey process begins.
- Congregational Process Guide distributed to congregations. Distribution
options include:
- UUA.org
- Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Congregational Mailing
- LREDA Mailing and List Serve
- Unitarian Universalist Minister's Association (UUMA) Mailing and List Serve
- USPS mail to all congregations with youth programs
- Workshops at district gatherings.
- Taskforce members contact district youth and adult leadership regarding district gatherings.
- Taskforce members contact core stakeholder organizations.
March 2006
- District Process Guide published.
- Stakeholder Process Guide published and distributed.
- Survey data analyzed and supplement to Congregational Process Guide developed.
- Stakeholder conversations begin and continue through April 2007.
April 2006
- Congregational conversations begin and last through the end of May 2006.
June 2006
- Data from congregational conversations compiled.
- Report to General Assembly based on data from the survey and the congregational conversations.
July 2006
- Task Force meets for second time to:
- Train for adult/youth co-facilitation of district and core stakeholder conversations;
- Plan coverage for district and core stakeholder conversations.
- Youth Council meeting: Continue to engage youth leadership in the process.
- Supplement to district and stakeholder guides available.
September 2006
- District gatherings begin.
May 2007
- Data from district and stakeholder conversations collected and compiled.
- Taskforce meets for the third time to:
- Synthesize all the data from the survey and the congregational, district, and stakeholder conversations into a format useful for the Summit on Ministry to and with Youth;
- Prepare its final report to the UUA Board of Trustees;
- Prepare a report for General Assembly;
- Finish planning for the Summit on Ministry to and with Youth.
June 2007
- Present a report to General Assembly.
July 2007
- Summit on Ministry to and with Youth meets and makes recommendations regarding the UUA's ministry to and with youth.
- The Summit evaluates, or makes recommendations for the evaluation of, the overall process of the Consultation on Ministry to and with Youth.
October 2007
- UUA Board of Trustees receives report with recommendations.
- Youth Ministry Summit Report with recommendations submitted and received by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Board of Trustees.
- Recommendations included the formation of a Youth Ministry Working Group to move the implementation of the report forward.
January 2008
- Youth Ministry Working Group selected.
February 2008
- First Youth Ministry Working Group Meeting, February 8-11, 2008.
- Prioritized Objectives and Activities from Summit Report.
- Met and received input from the YRUU Steering Committee.
- Prepared for future meetings and work.
- Chrysalis Re-Visioning Gathering, February 29 to March 1, 2008.
- The goal of the Chrysalis Re-Visioning was to present a plan that will:
- Utilize the assets of the current Chrysalis Youth Ministry Training program, including currently trained trainers and training modules,
- Support districts and regional groupings of districts to better serve congregations in their youth ministry efforts,
- Define clear roles for UUA headquarters staff, UUA district staff, youth, adults, and bridgers, and
- Create a place of empowerment for youth to be in service to their faith and to congregations.
- Please view the full report here. (PDF)
March 2008
- Roundtable on Theological Education and Youth Ministry, March 5-8, 2008.
- The goal of the Roundtable on Theological Education and Youth Ministry was to analyze what theological education needs to provide religious professionals for excellence in youth ministry.
- Work was focused in three areas: Credentialing and Fellowship, Theological Education, and Continuing Education and Training.
- The roundtable determined that excellence in youth ministry can be achieved only via a major cultural change in the UUA. A series of action plans was developed to better prepare religious professionals for this cultural change.
- These plans include inserting a youth lens in all programs and processes already in place, as well as developing and implementing trainings particularly for ministers around youth ministry.
- Please view the Chrysalis Re-Visioning Report (PDF) and Appendix (PDF).
April 2008
- Youth Ministry Working Group, April 12-14, 2008.
- Reviewed and clarified Working Group charge, mission, roles, and responsibilities.
- Met and received feedback from the YRUU Steering Committee.
- Explored value lenses of congregationally based ministry, youth empowerment, and anti-racism/anti-oppression/multiculturalism.
- Developed provocative proposals around shifting the center of gravity, accountability, anti-racism/anti-oppression/multiculturalism, and faith development.
- Created organizational principles for the new youth ministry framework around youth voice, community, and service delivery.
- UUA Board of Trustees Meeting, April 18-20, 2008.
- Voted: To place the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution on the General Assembly 2008 Agenda.
- Voted: The administration shall make the transition in youth ministry an institutional priority now. This process must be transparent and those responsible for implementation must be in authentic relationship with the youth community and its elected leadership. During this transition, the administration must provide monthly progress reports to the Board. The administration shall ensure that UUA support for youth ministry programming is maintained throughout the transitional period.
- Voted: That the UUA Board approve the Fiscal Year 2009 Operating Budget. Further the UUA Board directs the Administration to provide funding for the “Youth Transition Team” at a level comparable with the current year’s YRUU Steering Committee.
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Monday, May 12, 2008.
