Dear Companions,

Our society increasingly moves ever more into the world of electronic communications. Our District no less so. This is our second “Monthly Packet” delivered to you via e-mailed web link. We’ve chosen that format as the most accessible. [Clearly, if you're reading this, you already know how to download the free .pdf reader, but you might want to let your members know how by sending them to: http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/ .]

We hope this format is congenial to you and allows you to post items that are most relevant to you — either to your own website/e-mail or even to print out items for your bulletin board. As ever, our goal is to be relentlessly useful. If you have suggestions for how we might improve our communications, please let me know (khurto@uua.org).

And if you are not yet receiving our free, once or twice monthly e-news, FLD Connections, just send us a note; we’ll gladly add you to our roster. There you will find on-going items of interest both within the Florida District and around the Unitarian Universalist world. You can also expect regular commentaries on congregational and faith matters by Connie Goodbread, our Lifespan Program Consultant, Joan Lund, Trustee to our Unitarian Universalist Association, and me. Additionally, we welcome relevant and short pieces (fewer than 300 words) from our readers that are of broad interest to our congregations.

Lastly, the annual General Assembly of our Unitarian Universalist Association takes place in Salt Lake City, June 24-28. This gathering of the clan is always a high point, reaffirming our solidarity as a people and challenging us to better witness for love and justice in society. While, unlike our Muslim cousins, we don’t have a pillar of faith requirement to attend GA, but every Unitarian Universalist really ought to go at least once. You will be amazed. (See http://uua.org/events/generalassembly/index.shtml for registration and housing information.) I hope to see you there.

This year, we elect a new President for our UUA. The Reverend Bill Sinkford completes his second term. Vying for the Presidency are two exceptional Unitarian Universalists: The Reverend Laurel Hallman (Senior Minister, 1st Unitarian Universalist, Dallas, TX) and the Reverend Peter Morales (Senior Minister, Jefferson Unitarian Universalist, Golden, CO). Whether your congregation is sending delegates or not, every congregation gets to vote! Be sure to keep an eye out for your delegate credentials packet and instructions for absentee voting in the next weeks. Full information on voting will be found at: http://uua.org/events/generalassembly/businesssocial/15019.shtml. Please be sure your congregation participates. Background information for each candidate can be found:

Laurel Hallman, http://www.hallmanforuuapresident.com/.
Peter Morales, http://moralesforuuapresident.org/.

Gini Courter, currently Moderator of the UUA, is unopposed for re-election.

We received mixed news among our congregations regarding the impact of the national recession on our ministries. Congratulations to all who are rising to the occasion to minister faithfully within and beyond the congregation’s doors. As you wrestle with your congregation’s financial capacities, be sure to stay committed to your core ministries. One of the things that is certain: Good ministry and good stewardship go together. Perhaps now is the time for some of our “fund-raising” models to be disposed of and for us all to emphasize our holy work. People support heart-filled ministry; so in these lean times, let us remain courageous, of full heart. To help, I’ve included in this packet a “best practices” tip sheet compiled by the good people at our UUA. I hope you find it helpful, even inspiring. If we can help further, do call.

May there be blessings on you and your ministries!
Rev. Kenn

Faith Development
By Connie Goodbread

The smart church understands that it must embrace change and learn to reinvent itself over and over again.
Are we comfortable with the discomfort that comes with needed change?
Are we willing to change ourselves?
Are we willing to be changed by the wisdom of others?
Are we open minded?
No, I mean really open-minded?

Faith Development is all we do.

The evolution of Religious Education to Faith Development is happening at all levels of Unitarian Universalism. The issue that comes up in our congregations is the discomfort around the word faith. We have intellectualized education. It is a technical word -void of emotion -something we do for others. We provide an education for those who need it. We have become comfortable with “religious” because of the word “education” -I always ask, “Why are we comfortable with the word religious and uncomfortable with the word faith?” Is it because we think that religious education is teaching about every faith other than our own? Do we think there is nothing to teach about our own faith? If we do not teach Unitarian Universalism who does?

Look these words up in the dictionary and think how you might apply their true meaning to Unitarian Universalism. When I apply these two words to Unitarian Universalism I find them useful in helping me to define our spiritual discipline. I find myself going deeper into the faith and I am moved. Each of us has faith in something; people, science, tomorrow, The President, Democracy, our seven principles, God – something.

To be in the place where we are struggling with words is not bad. It is necessary. To deeply understand and appreciate this struggle with words is important. It is genuine and part of what each individual goes through it in the process of faith development. But we also need to be sure that we do not get in the way of the struggle just because it makes us uncomfortable. Stopping the struggle is not good for the individual, congregation or our faith. It is not helpful. The struggle is important and valuable.

Religious Education has come to mean children being in some kind of separate program from adults on Sunday morning because they need to be educated. We added Lifespan to Religious Education in an attempt to help folks understand that it is for everyone. But that didn’t work. What we need is a different term all together and so we come to Faith Development. Faith Development is the term that people who study human development have chosen for this particular aspect of what makes us human. Faith Development happens right along with mental/cognitive and bodily/kinesthetic development. It is the human trinity -another word that folks will be uncomfortable with -but our intellectual, physical and spiritual development is what makes us uniquely human and the deeper we can embrace these three aspects of our being the more fully human we become.

Faith Development is a lifelong process. It is never ending. We cannot stay in the comfortable place that we have found -we must move on and become. We are always becoming. We are never finished. There is always more to do. There is always change and hopefully, I will be more tomorrow than I am today.

Few of us are lucky enough to be born Unitarian Universalists. Many of us come into Unitarian Universalism and think it is the end instead of the beginning. Those of us who are comer inners say things like, “When I found this congregation it was like coming home.” That is wonderful but it is only the beginning. Now that we are safe in the home faith that we have always longed for we must work from this strong foundation to become all that we can be. We cannot merely rest in the calm of this safe harbor, making of it a walled sanctuary. We must open ourselves up to change, enter into the tumult and ride the waves of life, gathering others who need the life saving message of Unitarian Universalism. We must be fearless, bold and courageous.
We must become and become again.

Faith development is all we do.
Unitarian Universalism is all we teach.
The congregation is the curriculum.