After a (fabulous) consultation last week in Orlando, the Congregations and Beyond initiative is off and running! UU bloggers are off and running (feel free to add your insights to the comment section below), including writings like this one from folks who attended the consultation posted here, here and here. If you haven't yet joined the Facebook discussion UU's Exploring Congregations and Beyond, I highly encourage you to do so (but turn off your mobile alerts first)! This active group of over 350 folks is posting things left and right, and there are some rather in-depth comment streams which raise critical issues like language and identity and also link to other resources across the net. Young adults have been present in this conversation every step of the way, and will continue to be so, but I'm hoping to see more young adult groups and leaders weigh in and help shape the discussion. As young adults, we've been wrestling with many of these issues for years and have earned some wisdom from our experiences. For example, I can't count how many times I've heard stories about congregationally-based young adult groups that have difficult relationships with church leadership. We know about the struggle to get congregations to understand what "reaching out" really means in practice, and we know how hard it can be for us to navigate the uncharted landscape. This month's Young Adult Leaders Roundtable discussion conference call will focus on Congregations and Beyond, among other areas. If you'd like to participate we would love to hear about how your young adult group is addressing the UU needs which go beyond the traditional structures of congregations. These Roundtable discussions are open to all young adult leaders, just email me at yayadirector@uua.org to participate. Our next call is March 1 at 8 pm. The fun has only just begun, folks! So stay tuned.