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Owen Huelsbeck, Senior Dean of General Assembly Youth Caucus, delivered this prayer at the 2013 LREDA Fall Conference. - Ed. Spirit of Love, Thank you for this time for liberal religious educators to be able to come together, refresh each other, teach each other and commune...

Organizations for Partnership and Resources on LGBTQ Youth Unitarian Universalist Association The UUA is a go-to resource for support and help making your congregation more inclusive of LGBTQ youth, doing effective social justice work on the issues LGBTQ youth face, and more....

Carey Nieuwhof argues for eleven things he sees as defining the successful faith organization of tomorrow in this post from his blog . – Ed. 11 Traits of Churches That Will Impact the Future Almost every leader I talk to acknowledges that our culture is shifting. To reach a...

By Jonah Eller-Isaac from his blog " Groinstrong " (Gro'in'Strong-er Every Day). The author describes Groinstrong as a place for updates about his own battle with cancer and a resource for those dealing with a diagnosis themselves as a patient, caregiver or family member. We...

In a changing world, faith and spiritual search remain ...

Leading up to the move of UUA Headquarters we want you to know how youth group/constituent visits will be impacted. – Ed. Welcome the Future of Our Faith Here at the UUA we’re looking forward to our upcoming move across town to 24 Farnsworth Street. If you haven’t heard, our...

This poem was submitted by Katie Romano-Griffin, lay campus minister for the Eagle Unitarian Universalists in Fort Myers, FL. The poem was written by one of the student members of the group, Allie Carville. Allie was inspired to write this poem from her experience of sharing her...

General Assembly 2014 is shaping up to be truly exceptional, and Youth Caucus is likely to be big, bold and vibrant – we are excited to see you there! – Ed. Leadership opportunities... a completely free trip to General Assembly... and the experience of a lifetime... OMG - Join...

Our new tool has gone social! Have you checked out the Young Adult Ministry Self-Assessment that debuted at General Assembly 2013? It’s a simple tool that can be used by anyone who participates in a UU congregation to better understand how young adult ministry is functioning in...

It seems incongruent to write about a "national" Indigenous People's Day given that the culture and society of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, whose habitation of this land predates its discovery by Europe and control by the United States by hundreds of years, has been...

Go Deep into Unitarian Universalism in congregation or community, as many or as one - the UUA Bookstore has what you need. –Ed. Resources for Small Group Ministry from the Skinner House Books Skinner House has selected five books full of spiritual inspiration, reflection,...

Can it be detrimental to the principles of Unitarian Universalist faith when the people who witness for a cause overshadow the cause itself? Pursuing this line of thought, the Rev. Andrew L. Weber suggests we not to lose focus on the issues at hand.–Ed. Getting Arrested like a...

The Rev. President Peter Morales is arrested at the National Day of Dignity and Respect .– Ed. While Government Shuts Down, Immigration Reform Steps Up As members of Congress continue to bicker and stall over the federal government shutdown, tens of thousands of people descended...

Excerpt re-posted from USA Today . Read the full story here . What do Millennials really seek from religion? Dana Sand, USA TODAY, October 2, 2013 A recent report found that Millennials crave depth in spirituality and recommended five ways for faith communities to build...

Kathleen Carpenter reminds us that standing up from a position of privilege can be easier than you think, and that as UU's it is an opportunity for re-dedication to values and principles. – Ed. I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to...

We publish the definition of " Confidence ", " Likelihood " and " Uncertainty " as a service to our loyal readers. – Ed. The latest report from the IPCC which analyzes data on climate change states "extreme confidence" that human activity is responsible for global warming, yet...

The Landscape of Faith Does Not Look as it Used To Over the past few years, the national conversation [1] on the changing nature of religiosity in the United States has built to a crescendo. This transformation in religious practices, assumptions and institutions is being felt...

A new vision for young adults at GA 2014 is coming your way. Greetings young adult UU friends and family! We are your 2014 General Assembly Co-Facilitators, Hannah Roberts and Nic Cable. We’ve been basking in the energy and momentum coming out of Louisville and GA 2013. The...

Learn how to recognize non-suicidal self-injury and what you can do to help. From the Faith Development Office of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Wednesday, October 30 from 4-5PM Eastern , or Monday, November 4 from 9-10PM Eastern . ( Click on the image to download this...

Here is a good way to bring people to congregation by reaching beyond the congregation's walls from right where you are by Rev. Tandi Rogers from the Growing Unitarian Universalism blog. –Ed. How to Yelp, Foursquare, Rate, and Be Mayor My friends, today we are going to Yelp and...

The Godless in Dixie blog identifies 9 ways " Your Religion May be Harmful If... " Unitarian Universalism overcomes those 9 "ifs" with only Seven Principles . We publish an excerpt which comes to us by way of Patheos.com –Ed. Your Religion May Be Harmful… If it inspires...

I am often asked how we can reshape our faith to become a home for the Millennial Generation , and it is a huge and important question that isn’t easy to get into a quick sound bite or bumper-sticker slogan. In my role as Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the...

Propose Your Vision of How "Love Reaches Out" The General Assembly (GA) Planning Committee , the UUA Board of Trustees , and the UUA Administration seeks program proposals for GA 2014 in Providence, RI on the theme of "Love Reaches Out". You are encouraged and invited to help...

Rev. Erik Wikstrom argues that the head of the congregation could be the "Chief Faith Formation Officer," and solicits your opinion or dissent... – Ed. What If The DRE Ran The Church? Of all the things I've done in my career perhaps the thing with the best title was when I was...

The Rev. Tandi Rogers wonders how we can reach people when we can't even reach them? We re-post her observation from the Growing Unitarian Universalism blog on the frustration of not being able to connect electronically in the electronic age, and a solution for the problem. –Ed...

Best Practices and Opportunities Want to know how to build the leadership capacity of your youth? Looking for ideas on how to support your youth leaders? Curious about how to make your mostly-adult committees welcoming and accessible to youth? This webinar is intended for adults...

The Resource Development Office of the Unitarian Universalist Association ( UUA ), with the generous sponsorship and initiative of the UUA President’s Council, seeks field testers for a new Tapestry of Faith curriculum. The Wi$dom Path: Money, Spirit, and Life This is a...

In the Roman Catholic tradition, October 4 is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis (1182-1226) was a monk who founded the contemporary order of Franciscans . He was known for his vow of poverty and his special connection to animals, among many other things. Many...

Changing demographics and lifestyles present a challenge to the relevancy and health of faith organizations as we have known them for the past half-century, however Carol Howard Merritt, in this post from the Alban Institute , encourages us to see the opportunity for growth and...

Consensus is building that humans are responsible for global warming and climate change. A new report from the United Nations IPCC provides opportunity for reflection upon the Seventh Principle of Unitarian Universalism. – Ed. IPCC¹ Climate Change Report Expresses Extreme...

Connect with Campus Ministry Leaders Sunday October 6, 2013 Are you a student leader? Minister? Lay leader? Faculty advisor? Religious Educator? Is your group just getting started? Hitting your stride? Going strong for 20 years? Join the Monthly UU Campus Ministry Leaders...

As a privately held company, Barilla is immune from shareholder advocacy ¹, but as a consumer products company the threat of boycott is real. Chairman Guido Barilla's comments provide an opportunity for people of faith to act together in rejecting intolerance and homophobia. –...

Maybe the best way to pass faith on is to love playing with it first. We re-post this article which is part of a special Patheos Symposium, " Passing on the Faith: Teaching the Next Generation ".–Ed. Why Passing on the Faith Isn't Good Enough What if, instead of passing on the...

We post an excerpt of a story about groundbreaking equality and justice – on the Federal Bench. – Ed. Todd Hughes, First Openly Gay Circuit Court Judge In History, Confirmed By Senate by Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post . WASHINGTON -- The Senate made history on Tuesday...

We re-post this story from the UUA International blog. – Ed. A Seminarian’s Experience at Tsubaki Grand Shrine Sarah E. Gillespie is a UU seminarian & 2014 M.Div candidate at Andover Newton Theological School. In July 2013 she was the recipient of the UUA’s Tsubaki Grand...

50 years ago the nation gathered in Washington D.C. and marched for jobs, freedom and justice. These photos documenting Unitarian Universalist public witness, published by the UUA on Facebook, provide the opportunity to reflect upon our Unitarian Universalist Principles , and...

AdvisorCon2013: The Return of the MAYANs August 2-3, 2013 marked an historic moment for Unitarian Universalist youth ministry leaders in the MidAmerica region . After many months of hard work and dedication, the Mid America Youth Advisor Network, (MAYAN) was officially launched...

This report of a Unitarian Universalist Congregation acting upon the beliefs we share comes from our friends at UU World and provides the opportunity for reflection on our Fifth Principle . – Ed. Florida Church Welcomes Boy Scouts Spurned by Baptists When three local units of...

Luminary Leaders is a network that connects youth leaders to opportunities throughout the Association. A number of opportunities are available this year, including a drawing to win up to $500 in scholarship assistance for a UU event. You can learn more at www.uua.org/luminary ....

When private companies provide incarceration facilities and services, government often finds that the more people incarcerated, the cheaper it is. We re-post this story from the Huffington Post which provides insight into how the culture of Mass Incarceration works. – Ed. One...

Can't Get Enough? Neither Can We. For the second year running, Skinner House Books has produced an e-book selection of sermons and lectures from General Assembly. Available through the UUA Bookstore , click on the cover and make them yours...

We re-post this piece by the Rev. Carl Gregg, Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick , Maryland, as an opportunity for reflection and example of the Fourth Principle of Unitarian Universalism in action. – Ed. Building Your Own Theology September 10,...

We post an excerpt of this report from the New York Times on the first extensive interview of Pope Francis, revealing his view of the Catholic Church. Read the entire article here . –Ed. Pope Bluntly Faults Church’s Focus on Gays and Abortion By LAURIE GOODSTEIN of the New York...

Your stories are needed! Unitarian Universalist chaplains serve diverse communities in many different institutional settings. For the first time the wisdom of those who do these ministries is being collected in an edited volume to be published by Skinner House Books . So what...

Dear Friends, This fall, congregations across the country will celebrate Join the Move Sunday . This is a chance for us to celebrate our Unitarian Universalist community and to strengthen our connections. If you haven’t already, I invite your congregation to sign up. Our...

This post by Lynn Ungar comes to us from the Quest for Meaning, a UU Collective, on patheos.com . The incomprehensible act of violence upon which Lynn comments allows reflection upon the First Principle of Unitarian Universalism . At moments such as this the words of the Rev....

Who knew such a little book could say so much? Neither too big nor too little, this pocket size welcoming guide from Skinner House Books is actually the right size. The Pocket Guide is one of the most complete introductions to Unitarian Universalism available, covering ministry...

We re-post this story from the GLAAD blog , about the resolution passed at the recent Disciples of Christ General Assembly welcoming all people to their congregations, "as they feel the have been welcomed by God." Their resolution is in keeping with the Third Principle of...

Reading Makes Doing Happen Since the inaugural Unitarian Universalist Association Common Read in 2010, the program has focused on big issues of our times, providing a venue and framework for intentional reflection and work on issues of injustice through the prism of Unitarian...

This post comes to us from the Faith/Spirituality page on Living Mosaic . Read more from the Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell here .– Ed. By Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell "How many times have I heard people remark, “You can believe anything and be a Unitarian Universalist.” Or someone might...