Search the Blue Boat Blog Archives

According to an article recently picked up by Salon , originally published by The Southern Poverty Law Center using statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , hate crimes against perceived Muslims increased 50% in 2010, and have not statistically dropped. The...

When I attended Justice General Assembly in June 2012 in Phoenix, AZ, one of the most impressive things was the depth of relationship between the local Unitarian Universalist groups planning Justice GA and the Phoenix-area partner groups, whose roots run deep in the immigrant...

The recent UUA Board meeting agenda in Philadelphia included Fifth Principle Task Force Reports , on the future of General Assembly, a subject of particular interest to Unitarian Universalist young adults. Here we excerpt a comment from a post by Kevin Leininger on his...

An important part of my making sense of myself and the world has always been to travel. Sometimes my travel only took me city blocks away to a world that seemed far removed, other times I was able to board planes that took me to Muslim countries such as Morocco and Malaysia. The...

The ways in which we can easily share our views have exploded over the past several years. Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+ and services that exist that I don't know about, we have numerous ways to share messages in both text and image. One of the...

Learning about Unitarian Universalists of past who were committed to social justice and did awe inspiring work gives me strength. It helps me know I am not doing this work alone, but rather part of a long legacy that stretches before and will continue after me. The figures of...

Covenant Children’s Camp @ GA'13: RFP To create an integrated religious experience for our children at our largest gathering as a faith community, the General Assembly Planning Committee seeks applications to provide the content and implementation of a day camp that engages...

It can sometimes be a challenge to figure out how to live one's faith in the world. In my work, I hear people wrestling with that challenge, trying to figure out how best to respond. The question can sometimes come down to this: How can we take those values that we hold dear and...

On January 22, 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on Roe v Wade establishing the link between a woman's fundamental right to privacy and her ability to obtain a safe and legal abortion. In a subsequent decision the Court determined that a woman has the right to an...

Today the 30 Days of Love honors the work of the farmworker movement. In honor of their legacy and solidarity with it's current iteration, we'd like to let you know about an opportunity to do your alternative spring break with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The invitation...

If I listed all the folks I think deserve a Courageous Love Award, it’d be a pretty long list. But what do they all have in common? They all have chosen to remain in situations or communities that aren’t “done yet” – that are steeped in power and privilege, that have learning...

On January 22, 1973 the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion under most conditions, stating in the majority opinion on Roe v Wade that, "a woman, with her doctor cold choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without legal restriction, and with restrictions in...

Growing up in North Carolina, the need for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., never seemed real. In the idyllic bubble that was Davidson, outside of Charlotte, the need for civil rights work and push for equality was distant. But as I aged the veils of unreality that clouded my view...

It used to seem that civil discourse was a matter of course, and one of the reasons for this was that before the era of the Internet most of the time when someone spoke it was to another living breathing person. Internet and communications technology has made it much easier for...

This year Standing on the Side of Love dedicates its 30 Days of Love campaign to "A Spiritual Journey for Social Justice." Spiritual journey and Social Justice are hallmarks of Unitarian Universalist faith and tradition, and this is an opportunity for us to focus our collective...

In response to Katherine Ozment's article "Losing Our Religion", KJ Dell'Antonia presents an argument for what is gained by not fostering connection with religious community: parents having the opportunity to support their children's freedom to define their religious identity....

Previously we met Sarah Napoline , the Young Adult Caucus Community Chaplain. Today, We'll meet Andrew Coate, Worship Coordinator. – Ed. What's your backg round in Unitarian Universalism? Aside from skirting the edges of Unitarian Universalism and liberal religion in general for...

Standing on the Side of Love is an interfaith advocacy campaign that is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association. This year they are hosting their 2nd annual 30 Days of Love , "a period for intentional action, service, education, and reflection running from January 19...

The Pathfinders Project , a yearlong international service trip with clean water, education, sustainability, and advocacy projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America represents a rare opportunity – not only the chance to develop yourself and contribute to the communities you...

Make it Better Now Professional Development Opportunity for Unitarian Universalist Leaders Take advantage of a day of workshops and discussions on how to better welcome and minister to LGBTQ youth within Unitarian Universalist congregations. This professional development...

This brief excerpt from Katherine Ozment's article, "Losing Our Religion" in the January 2013 edition of Boston Magazine lifts up the value of the Unitarian Universalist youth ministry at First Parish in Arlington, MA . Read the full article here . – Ed. The religious group that...

The office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and the Co-Moderators of the Young Adult Caucus for the 2013 General Assembly are pleased to announce the Young Adult Caucus Staff. Sarah Napoline will serve as Community Chaplain, while Andrew Coate will serve as Worship...

The Church of the Larger Fellowship hosts an online Taizé worship service this Wednesday, January 9th, at 8 PM ET . Wait - What's Taizé? Taizé style worship comes from the ecumenical Christian monastic community in Taizé, France . A Taizé style worship typically has periods of...

I was recently back in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and wanted to share some of the great ideas for young adult ministry that I saw at the church I grew up in: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus . The Basics - FUUCC is a large church with more than 600 members and...

Youth, Religious Educators and Ministers – this is for you. Ministers, religious educators, and youth will meet in a fun, immersive event at Camp Allen (Navasota, TX) , 21–24 February, 2013 . There will be opportunities for fellowship, worship, spiritual depth, and fun! We will...

Tweet in on the discussion on Twitter at #futureofga Do you know about the 5th Principle Task Force which was commissioned to examine how to restructure the Unitarian Universalist Association's annual business meeting General Assembly (GA)? In 2009, this group issued a report...

Our first campus ministry community call of 2013 is this Sunday, January 6th at 9pm Eastern time . We will discuss how our campus ministry groups can most effectively operate within the academic institutions and Unitarian Universalist communities they operate within. Whether you...

An atheist with faith – sounds like the punch line to a milquetoast joke... Actually, it is the hopeful message of Chris Stedman's memoir, Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious – that making the world a more tolerant place is a s simple as keeping...

"WAVE OF CHANGE" TIDE CONFERENCE 2013 Spread Pluralism, Share Your Voice, Change the World!! WHO: High School Students from all across the United States WHEN AND WHERE: Every year the Teenage Identity and Diversity Education (TIDE) Conference is held over Memorial Day Weekend ....

Learn How to Lead the Conversation Interfaith Leadership Institutes (ILIs) are training events that equip undergraduate students, staff, faculty and administrators to be movement builders for interfaith action. You will return from the ILI with the tools to help transform your...

As of January 1st, Connectuu will no longer exist. It will be replaced by the Google Map and Google Calendar features on The Hub: Young Adult UUs on Facebook. These tools are easy to use, provide more information in a more accessible way and easily integrate into more social...

Have you heard about what my friend Rev. Erik Martinez Resly is up to? He's heading up a new type of Unitarian Universalist space in the Washington, DC area called The Sanctuaries , geared towards younger and diverse individuals seeking a faithful community. Watch Erik's awesome...

Youth ministry is all about relationships! Ministers often don’t know where to start with the youth in their congregation. But the minister sets the tone for building and maintaining a healthy multigenerational culture. Here are the three basic steps I recommend as a starting...

Let Your Fingers Sing! Many young adults are spending of their live online – an almost 20% increase of time between July 2011 and 2012, according to research by Nielsen . The survey also found Young adults are the most active group of users of online technology, and this shouldn...

The Resource Development Office of the UUA has produced this online compendium to help process the events of December 14, 2013. Use these resources, developed or suggested by Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) staff, to process the Newtown shooting and its aftermath,...

Young Adult and Campus Ministry Leadership Conference This conference is for Unitarian Universalist young adult and campus ministry group leaders in the Greater Metro NY area, and all else who would like to travel and join. It will be held at the Unitarian Universalist...

Bringing Relief to New Orleans The Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), along with the Center for Ethical Living & Social Justice Renewal (CELSJR), is organizing a New Orleans relief effort , January 17 – 21, 2013 (Martin Luther King weekend). Here is what Rev. Meg Riley...

Youth Caucus Co-Deans Asha Arora and Owen Huelsbeck want to see you at General Assembly in Louisville, Kentucky, June 19-23, 2013. Let them tell you why: http://vimeo.com/55864759 ( https://vimeo.com/55864759 )

Each year, two youth take charge of planning and running the Youth Caucus at General Assembly. We’ve asked the 2013 Deans to share a bit about themselves and what they want you to know about General Assembly. –Ed. Senior Dean Asha Arora Unitarian Universalist Congregation of...

The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, issued the following statement on Friday, December 14, 2012, in response to the day's tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut: “I am shocked and profoundly saddened by the news of the massacre at a school...

Many congregations around the continent send care packages to young adults connected to their congregation, such as their former youth who have completed Bridging Program and are now young adults. Some might be living in another town for service, work or school. Others might...

Be Included in this Landmark Compilation Now five years in the field, the UUA’s Tapestry of Faith programs embody broad, deep, rich, and varied experiences happening across our movement. The Resource Development Office of the UUA seeks your photographs and stories of Tapestry of...

Enter Your Universe... There's a pretty cool presentation you should check out - it's The Big Picture of Unitarian Universalist Youth Ministry . Explore local congregations, service and social justice, leadership, rites of passage and more through this interactive visual tour,...

I found this "Finals Poem" through a google search online , and just had to share. I am hoping it is as humorous and helpful to you in your finals as it has been to me in mine! - Ed. Twas the night before finals, And all through the college, The students were praying For last...

This story by the Rev.Eric Cherry is reposted from the Faith Without Borders blog, originally posted in International News , Philippines on December 6th, 2012 by the Rev. Eric Cherry. Read the story on Faith Without Borders to see more pictures and sign up to help! - Ed....

Following the Youth Group in a Busy World blog post , I traded emails with my friend Kathy Smith, Director of Religious Education at Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Plano, TX. Below is an edited version of our exchange. - C.M. Hi, Carey – I read your latest blog post...

Calling all leaders! The Board of the UUA wants your leadership The Appointments Committee of the UUA is looking for a few good folks to step up to the denominational plate and apply to sit on a wide range of Board appointed committees. There are about fifteen spots to fill...

Consciousness + Commitment = Change The MidAmerica Region of the UUA invites you to a unique alternative spring break experience in South West Florida. Unitarian Universalist youth, young adults, adults, clergy, religious educators, youth advisors, and social justice leaders are...

We want YOU to apply for Youth Caucus Staff! We are seeking passionate, enthusiastic, creative youth and adults to be part of the team that makes Youth Caucus a success at General Assembly 2013. All UU youth and adults are invited and encouraged to apply. We want YOU to apply...

Our third campus ministry community call of the 2012-2013 academic year is this Sunday, December 2nd at 9pm Eastern time . Whether you have been doing this work for years, have just begun, or are overwhelmed by the idea of beginning, we welcome you. We are student leaders, lay...