Mosaic Makers: Leading Vital Multicultural Congregations

Direct experience in multicultural community is essential to motivating and supporting multicultural leadership development.
—Mosaic Makers Conference participant

Mosaic Makers Conference is a dynamic gathering and learning community for teams from congregations deeply engaged in the work of building intentional multicultural community. These congregations, as identified by UUA national and regional staff, gather together in spiritual community for two and a half days of workshop, experiential learning, and community building around the theme of strengthening the fabric of UU  multicultural ministries.

The conference is a part of the Multicultural Leadership Institute and grew out of the 2011 Multicultural Growth Consultation that brought together congregational leaders from eight UU congregations deeply committed and invested in multicultural ministry to share and learn and journey together.  

Inspired by Mosaic Makers

Multicultural ministries is not about “browning the pews;” it’s about ministering in the context of a larger multicultural community—class, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation/identity, gender and gender expression, and ability and the intersections of these (social) identities.

Mosaic Makers focuses on four areas of ministry:

• Worship: worship that exhibits commitment to excellence, professionalism, authenticity, cultural integrity, and intergenerational inclusion
• Congregational Culture: welcome, culturally inclusive hospitality, intergenerational community, and clear paths of belonging and deep engagement
• Leadership: diverse, inclusive, cross-cultural, intergenerational, continuous learning, and shared
• Justice Ministry: relational, spiritually grounded, contextual, embracing of larger community, praxis-reflection-praxis centered

Additionally, multicultural ministry is not a solo act. This is not a job that the staff or volunteers can do apart from each other.  Multicultural Ministry is shared ministry/team leadership. Commitment is needed from staff and lay leaders.

You can learn more about Mosaic Makers on our fact sheet (PDF). 

Interested in building intentional multicultural community in your congregation? These resources will help you get started:

• Engaging in Multicultural Ministry
• Keep Talking, Start Doing: Ten Ways to Deepen Your Congregation’s Multicultural Journey
• Multicultural Welcome: A Resource for Greeters (PDF, 14 pages)
• Misconceptions About Becoming a More Multicultural Congregation (PDF) developed by the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond’s Committee for Racial and Ethnic Unity (CREU)
• Why Do We Need A Dialogue On Race & Ethnicity?: A Drive Time Essay

Want more? Ask your regional lead if you’re interested in having a Regional Mosaic Maker Event!

Past Mosaic Makers Conferences

• National Mosaic Makers Conferences:

  • Mosaic Makers 2012:The first Mosaic Makers took place in February 2012 in partnership with All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC. Read more about Mosaic Makers 2012 (PDF)!
  • Mosaic Makers 2013: A second Mosaic Makers was held in November 2013 in partnership with All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, OK. Our 2013 keynote speaker was Rev. Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, author and speaker on the intersections of religion, ethics, race, class, and gender and Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies at the Iliff School of Theology. Macky Alston, Auburn Seminary Media Director, also offered his inspired media training for religious professionals. Read more about Mosaic Makers 2013!
    • Did you attend Mosaic Makers? Visit Building on Mosaic Makers Learnings for recommended next steps and resources to take your learnings forward!
  • Mosaic Makers 2017: Our third national Mosaic Makers was held October 2017 in partnership with First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, CA. Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin of Black Lives Unitarian Universalist (BLUU) was the keynote (view her presentation). Dr. Mark Hicks and Chris Crass also provided stellar sessions to deepen our work.
• Mosaic Makers 2015 at General Assembly: Mosaic Maker: Leading Vital Multicultural Congregations community gathered at General Assembly 2015 in Portland, OR for an all-day Mosaic track of workshops on developing, nurturing, and expanding multicultural sensibility and community. Rev. Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado and Executive Officer for the Society of Race, Ethnicity and Religion, offered a a keynote during Thursday’s General Session.
• South-East District Mosaic, Raleigh/Durham, NC, Summer 2015
• MidAmerica Region Mosaic, St. Paul, MN, Summer 2016