General Assembly 2016 in Columbus…;, OhioYouth Caucus 2016 experience YUGE! What should you do before you arrive? What should you bring with you to General Assembly? Before your arrival: Did you submit your Participant Policies and Covenant (Form 1) and Parent Permission and Sponsor...

Living UU in Stereo Podcast Luminary Leader Martin Tomlinson, Co-Dean of the 2016 UU-UNO Intergenerational Spring Seminar, April 7-9 in New York City, interviews the Director of the Unitarian Universalist Association UU-UNO (Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office), Bruce Knotts. Hear about...

Ever think to yourself, “ACK! There are too many awesome Unitarian Universalist youth opportunities out there, how am I ever going to do them all!?” Sometimes it feels like a high stake game of checkers where you just can't figure out the strategy. Luckily, programs are offered year after year...

“Small but mighty” is a phrase I enjoy. Possibly because I am a petite woman of short stature, yet I like to think I’m relatively powerful. But more than that it’s because that’s how I see our faith. Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a tiny religion and a young one too, though our roots go...

Race to the Top for Unitarian Universalism It’s a thrill every time I get a notification that a new youth has applied to our Luminary Leaders program. But I have to admit, the shock has worn off when I open the tab and see it’s another youth from Eliot Chapel in KirkwoodMODirector of Religious...

Isabelle McCurdy explains the difference you will make... Isabelle McCurdy, Senior Business Manager for the General Assembly 2016 Youth Caucus, was one of the driving forces behind the successful 2015 Youth Caucus Acti… of Immediate Witness, "Support the Black Lives Matter Movement"...

Valentine’s Day is over but that’s no reason to stop sharing the love! Our congregations are generally pretty good at sharing love. From child dedications for our infants to memorial services at life’s end, our congregations are there for the full journey. So how do we share the love when our...

In honor of the Standing on the Side of Love http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/ourstories/2016/1/15/announcing-… Days of Love 2016 campaign, Steven Ballesteros speaks up about the important work of supporting Youth of Color. As a Unitarian Universalist young adult of color I have at times...

In honor of the Standing on the Side of Love http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/ourstories/2016/1/15/announcing-… Days of Love 2016 campaign, Phebe Hawes speaks up about being a light of love in a time of hate.

Fiercely UU is a new blog series where Unitarian Universalist young adults tell stories about what our faith requires of us and how they follow that call. To be fiercely UU is to proclaim human worth and interdependence. In an individualist, greed-based, shame and fear fueled...

In honor of the Standing on the Side of Love http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/ourstories/2016/1/15/announcing-… Days of Love 2016 campaign, Colleen Lee speaks up about her awakening to racial tensions close to home. Social justice is a core value of Unitarian Universalism (UU). Even though...

Youth Caucus Staff : bringing covenant wherever they go General Assembly (GA) 2016 is bound to be a phenomenal experience thanks in part to the 2016 Youth Caucus staff who promise you interfaith exploration, lots of singing, fun and games, ways to tap into important social justice movements and t...

Bends the Arc Toward Justice... New Hampshire(NH) Public Radio(NHPR) seems unaware some days that there is anything else happening in the world, and the internet creepily knows we are in NH and presents campaign ads whenever it gets the chance. There is no missing the fact that, New Hampshire...

Sheila Schuh, Director of Religious Education at First Unitarian Church of RochesterNYracial justice. The youth in your congregation could be a catalyst for a multigenerational conversation to explore their and their neighbors' identitiesracismI’m Not Racist… Am I? If you haven’t seen it yet,...

Fiercely UU is a new blog series where Unitarian Universalist young adults tell stories about what our faith requires of us and how they follow that call. To be fiercely UU is to proclaim human worth and interdependence. In an individualist, greed-based, shame and fear fueled...

And Why This is Great News for Your Congregation by Elizabeth Mount Well, you can’t have missed all the articles about the Millennial generation. I hear we’re entitledarrogantnarcissisticselfishlazypoliticallydisengagedgullibletechnologyabsorbedisolatedfunnyawful: Entitlement. Millennials want...

Summer Seminary attendee the first year it was offered by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Unitarian Universalism (UU). When I was first considering a call to ministry, I received an informational email from my congregation’s Director of Religious Education (DRE), Sally Ahnger, about...

THRIVE HERE ...

LUMINARY ALUM ALEX JENSEN WANTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE... And he's well on his way to making that a reality. Alex is a graduate of the first ever Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Summer Seminary in 2013. Summer Seminary was a very important experience for him, as it helped him discern and...

!SPOILER ALERT! The following post contains spoilers for to young men. We have seen this toxicity, this violence, all too frequently. Isla Vista, Umpqua…;, and Gamergatecheck their own privilege, and are committed to their own liberation by supporting others’ liberation. So, what does this have...

Unitarian Universalism (UU), specifically Summer Seminary. Summer Seminary is a week-long introduction to what being a religious professional could look like for a group of 15-20 youth....

One of the best things about church is that it is an intentional community where you can live your values. In a world where almost everything is based on a transactional "fee-for-service" system, church is one place where things operate differently. A church shares its services with you joyfully,...

Thanks to @KennySWileysubmitting your own thoughts or reflections in a post. Colorado Springs fell victim to two mass shootings. In the first, four people were killed: a passing bicyclist, two women, and the shooter. In the other incident, the offices of Planned Parenthood were attacked, killing...

LUMINARY LEADER KADYN FRAWLEY GRABS LIFE BY THE CHALICE... Midwest Youth Leadership School in 2014 where she learned that each person expresses ideas differently and that everyone longs to be heard and helped....

Faith in the Forest by Katie Gelfand 100 Mile Wilderness in MaineAppalachian Trail, wound up being the greatest challenge of a long journey. Beginning on the second day of a nine day stretch, it rained for 48 hours, which drew in a cold front and dropped night temperatures to near freezing. The...

Luminary Alumni Kendra Burdick isn't one for the spotlight... ChrysalisPeer Chaplain and worship coordinator for her youth group. She was involved with her church's Board of Trustees. Kendra attended Summer Seminary in 2014 to learn more about becoming a military chaplain and gave a sermon at her...

The Revolution Will Not be Televised? Make it Happen by Reading – TOGETHER Skinner House Books and Beacon Press announce Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/group/show/173731-justice-and-spirit-unitaria… and Spirit book club will host discussion about a new book that explore the themes of...

Fear, safety, protests, and supporting the movement for Black lives When my daughter Moira was born I expected to feel deep love. What I wasn’t expecting was how much that love hurt. I love her in this deeply protective way that was horrifying at first and I still find overwhelming....

How Smart Congregations Grow Members This summer at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly, our Youth Media Volunteers interviewed a number of youth about their personal histories with Unitarian Universalism. As I reviewed their footage, something stuck out to me....

The Summer Seminary program for Unitarian Universalist youthStarr King School for the Ministry. Minister in Residence, Kimberly Quinn JohnsonUnitarian Universalist congregation of the South Fork in Bridgehampton, Long Island. She serves on the Unitarian Universalist Association Appoi… Committee...

Finding My Roots “Is she really your sister?” “Oh, she’s real alright.” I didn’t realize how alienated I felt by my surroundings during my childhood until I grew into my young adult years. My parents cared greatly for me, I had wonderful friends, a supportive Unitarian Universalist...

The deadline to apply for General Assembly 2016 Youth Caucus Staff is fast approaching. Take it from Senoir Dean Andrea Briscoe. It’s worth it! ApplicationsUnitarian Universalist youth. I would bet that every youth who serves on Youth Caucus staff has finished their term a different person. Not...

UUs are a theologically diverse spiritual community but have a shared belief that all souls are sacred, courageous love has the power to transform the world, and truth continues to be revealed. 

Camp Unirondack Transforms :| Into :) If there is one thing that seven years at Camp Unirondack has taught me, it is that camp is not just for kids. I know, I know, camp director rhetoric if you’ve ever heard it right? But let me tell you why it’s true. It stems from a struggle that I think many...

The Daily Does of Kirbz, Summer Seminary Alum, Kirbey Geissler has a spiritual practice that is sure to brighten your day. Try it out and pass it on. Read https://thedailydoseofkirbz.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/h-a-p-p-y-l-i-s-t/… A P P Y L I S T.

Bring Your Spirit and Hang With These Two Cool Dudes The voice of Unitarian Universalism at the United Nations, the Unitarian Universalist-United Nations Office (UU-UNO), hosts its Spring Seminar April 7-9, 2016 in New York City. Learn more at uua.org/unspringsemina…;. The UU-UNO is accepting...

Transformed by Struggle Unitarian Universalist tradition in which my parents raised me rarely told me that there was anything that I absolutely couldn’t do....

Attention all Luminary Leaders and Luminary Alumni! Illuminate your creativity and spread the good news of Unitarian Universalism. Create a shareable image, enter it in the contest for a chance to win UU swag!...

We all know Unitarian Universalist youth ministry is not perfect. In fact, it’s often just a jumbled mess of individuals trying their best to transform the lives of teenagers. Here are the top 5 reasons proving my point. It's Not the Same Thing Every Week You can never count on this Sunday being...

All year we in the Off… of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at the Unitarian Universalist Association will be discussing the notion of DEEP FAITH and what it takes to do excellent youth ministry. Here's a preview of some of the things we'll be delving into. Check back tomorrow to read the first...

A.K.A. 5 Things Your Congregation Will Thank You For Our survey of 351Unitarian… href="National Study for Youth and Religion have never shared a personal problem with a member of their ministry team. Now, our survey didn't ask that question so we don't have statistics about it in Unitarian...

Youth's Favorite Parts of Church As you can see by the chart on the right, there is a very clear winner in terms of what youth enjoy the most about church. 44% of youth prefer youth group over every other aspect of congregational life. This isn't new information; we've known that youth prefer the...