Florida District of the Unitarian Universalist Association

Tips for Congregation Leaders

Tips by Laurel Amabile, Lifespan Program Consultant

Have you come into a Unitarian Universalist congregation and want to organize a community event? Are you trying to interest congregation members for a social justice cause? Not sure where to start?

STEPS TO TAKE: ~Familiarize yourself with the organizational structure

Identify who has decision-making power and get to know them.
Ask about the mission, vision and goals of the congregation and look for ways your project can fit within that framework.
Learn about the budget and how it’s spent, as well as the congregation’s fundraising policies--you can tell a lot about the priorities and values of the organization.

OTHER ASPECTS TO EXPLORE:

-The People & the Politics

Get your hands on the congregation’s by-laws and read through it carefully.
Who holds the power and authority in the organization
Who do you talk to to get things done?
Who maintains the master calendar?
Who your supporters are or could be

-The Programs

Learn about the current programs and identify what may be missing—would your program fill a need?
Find out who oversees Adult Programs or Young Adult group and make contacts.
Look for ways to combine or enhance existing programs, for added value.
Get involved in the congregation. If you’re not a member, JOIN! If you are not making a financial contribution—PLEDGE!

-Resources

Familiarize yourself with the budget (how money is spent, for what, etc.)
Find a way to contribute as well as access resources.
Offer to gather and organize the congregation’s resources for you and others to use and benefit from.
Learn what the fund-raising policies and procedures are and follow them. If such Structures are not clear or existent, work to create them.
NEVER interfere with annual canvass!

Be aware of the “church time” phenomenon. Things can take longer to get done in congregations than other types of organizations because of its unique culture and practices, so get started well in advance. Factors that can slow down organizing include: meeting frequency and full agendas, effectiveness (or not) of committees and church leaders in making decisions. Major programmatic or budgetary decisions may require action by the congregation as a whole.

Be organized –CREATE A DETAILED PLAN AND PRESENT IT! Once approved, carry your plan through, and publicize it. Seek evaluative feedback and report back to the congregation, as appropriate or expected. Build suggestions into future program planning and know that it doesn’t take long for a successful program to become a tradition. GOOD LUCK!

~revised 4/2003, LBA ¶ 5/17/2005

Young Adult & Campus Ministry

The Church of the Younger Fellowship (http://uucyf.org/intro.html ) is one of the most revoluutionary ideas in our movement today! Imagine a church that exists to fulfill the spiritual needs of UU Young Adults (18-35 year-olds) and that will allow us to have a voice within the UUA.

In February of 2005, the Church of the Larger Fellowship Board of Directors welcomed the CYF into its organization, creating a designation for CYF members.

The Task Force and other committees will continue to meet in the coming months to establish organizational structure and financial needs, including a procedure and date by which an official CYF Steering Committee may be elected. The CYF Task Force is currently building an online spiritual community for young adult UUs that incorporates sermons and services by ministers and lay leaders that focus on young adult issues, local organizing for social action, spiritual and social needs, public worship resources for local congregations who wish to reach out to young adults, and much more!

Join the CYF today and help to build our own UU congregation! (https://secure.uua.org/clf/cyf/joincyf.html)

The CYF is intended to be affordable to its members, and sets its minimum
suggested donation at less than $1 a week!

Link to the Young Adult & Campus Ministry section of the Unitarian
Universalist Association website: http://tjd.uuyan.org/

Here you can find a wide variety of programs, resources and information for
UU young adults (ages 18-35 years) and Campus Groups.

For more information on Florida District Young Adult programs, contact Frank
Wells, flya@fmw3.com or Nadya Hand, nadyahand@hotmail.com . For support with UU Campus Ministry, contact Laurel Amabile, Lamabile@uua.org or 828-231-0960.

¶ 5/17/2005

Needs Assessment

If you are the RE professional or RE Committee Chair contact for your congregation, you will be receiving a questionnaire requesting information about your RE programs for all ages—children, youth, young adult/campus ministry, mid-adults and elders. You will also be asked about the needs you or your congregation may have for information, resources or training in the area of lifespan religious education programming. This will help us to learn more about your programs and congregation and provide valuable feedback with which we can plan to better meet your needs. We want to hear from you! Maggie Geraci, DRE, Tallahassee, dremaggie@earthlink.net or Laurel Amabile, Southeast Lifespan Program Consultant, Laurelamabile@aol.com , 828-231-0960. ¶ 5/5/2005

Calendar

April 29-May 1 Articulating Your Faith retreat for Young Adults and campus groups, The Mountain, Highlands, NC. A gathering of UU young adults from around the Southeast. Contact: Laurelamabile@aol.com

June 4 Youth Advisor Basic Training, Clarksville, TN Led by Toniann Read, Youth Director. To register, Contact Laurel Amabile, Laurelamambile@aol.com

June 23-27 UUA General Assembly, Fort Worth, TX

July 10-15 RE Week at The Mountain, featuring the Multicultural Renaissance Module and special programming for experienced religious educators with Rev. Beth Williams, UUA RE Credentialing Director.

July 21-23 or 28-30 (To be confirmed) Combined Jr & Sr High OWL Leader Training, First UU Church, Orlando For more info: Laurelamabile@aol.com

August 4-6 (Thurs-Sat) Teacher Training Renaissance Module, Bradenton, FL. For more info: Laurel Amabile, Laurelamabile@aol.com .

¶ 5/5/2005

Lifespan Resources

The Florida District Lending Library is well stocked with curriculum materials for all ages and resources for congregational leadership. Materials may be borrowed for up to 30 days and a complete listing of categories and titles is available online at: http://www.floridadistrict.org/library.htm . Jessica Curren, District Administrator, handles the library circulation; Laurel Amabile, Southeast Regional Lifespan Program Consultant, arranges for the purchase of new titles. If you have resources you are looking for or suggestions for new titles, please contact Laurel at: Laurelamabile@aol.com .

RE RESOURCES & CREDENTIALING

There are a variety of resources and programs to promote excellence in religious education and professional leadership available through the Unitarian Universalist Association Web site: www.uua.org . The Lifespan Faith Development staff group oversees curriculum and resources and youth programs (http://www.uua.org/re/ ).

New Information about the UUA’s RE Credentialing Program:

Frequently Asked Questions about RE Credentialing (FAQ) - http://www.uua.org/programs/ministry/reco/faq.html

RECC Meeting Precis October 2004 - http://www.uua.org/programs/ministry/reco/RECCMeetingPrecis-Oct2004.pdf

RECC Meeting - Credentialed Observer’s Report October 2004 - http://www.uua.org/programs/ministry/reco/RECCCredObserverReport-Oct2004.pdf

Feedback Received by the RECC - http://www.uua.org/programs/ministry/reco/RECCFeedback.pdf

“Contact the RECC” e-mail link on http://www.uua.org/programs/ministry/reco/recp.html

¶ 5/5/2005

Youth Programs

The Youth Office is pleased to announce that, with the cooperation of some new technology, we have been able to do a major upgrade to the Resources page (http://www.uua.org/YRUU/resources/index.html ) on the YRUU website! (http://www.uua.org/YRUU/news.html ) Almost every single resource we have listed on our website now has a "Printable Version" link next to it -- meaning, you can download a pdf version of the resource and print it out yourself, instead of ordering it from us and waiting a few weeks for it to come (of course, you can still do it that way if you prefer!)

This availability includes both our major booklet-form resources like the Local Youth Group Handbook and the Coming of Age Resource, as well as our shorter primarily online resources, which are now available in both browse-online and download-print forms! (A small warning - some of these files were created from scans, meaning they're *big* to download!)
http://www.uua.org/YRUU/resources/

We hope this increased availability of resources helps you all out – as always, let us know if there are new resources you'd like to see!

Along with our resource page update, we've created a great BRAND NEW resource called "Get Involved with UUism!" It's a comprehensive resource for youth who want to get involved in UUism *beyond* YRUU. There's information and insight about getting involved in leadership at the congregational, district/regional, and national/continental levels, as well as info about different UU-related organizations. It's a must-have resource for any youth group full of UU Superstars!

As with all our resources, this is available in both browse-online and download-print formats at: http://www.uua.org/YRUU/resources/index.html#online

FOR YOUTH ADVISORS

Check out “The Chrysalis Program, a new leadership and skills development program available through the UUA Youth Office. See the program description in the program manual at: http://www.uua.org/YRUU/training/pdfs/chrysalismanual.pdf

You can now request a training using an online form instead of a paper
form: http://www.uua.org/YRUU/training/trainreq.html

You can submit your Chrysalis Verification Form online as well:
http://www.uua.org/YRUU/training/chrysalisform.html

YOUNG ADULT & CAMPUS MINISTRY

Young Adult and Campus Ministry programs and resources are found in the Congregational Services section of the UUA Web site: http://www.uua.org/ya-cm/index_js.html

¶ 5/5/2005

Sermon Contest

The UUA Youth Office would like to strongly encourage any youth, youth advisors, and religious educators to submit sermons to the Commission on Social Witness's annual sermon contest. We'd love to see moving sermons which highlight the efforts of youth to do public witness around the study-action issues, and what we can all learn from youth in this process. Youth Advisors & Religious Educators: Please let youth in your congregation know about the contest, and/or enter it yourself! For more info or to submit sermons, contact Ethan Field, Youth Office Assistant, UUA, 25 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108, Phone: (617) 948-4355, Fax: (617) 367-4798 Email: efield@uua.org

¶ 5/5/2005

Services and Resources

Faith Works —the online (http://www.uua.org/re/faithworks/index.html ) of ideas and resources for lifespan religious education programs; formerly known as the REACH packet. There is also a great REACH archive available online, searchable by topic.

UU World Magazine is available on 4-track cassette audio tape for those who are blind or sight impaired. This service is available upon request by contacting Rachael Brown, Lifespan Faith Development, UUA, 25 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108, rbrown@uua.org , (617) 948-6454.

¶ 5/5/2005

Bridge Connection Gift Packs

Please remember to order your Bridge Connections packs for this year's senior youth! I think there was a typo on the order form we sent out--it said 2004. Nevertheless, the order form is good. Please use them--our deadline was moved up earlier this year so that we can get all of the packets out!

If you don't have a form, you can send the following information (along with a check to UUA for $5 per packet--US or CDN) to YACM Office-Bridge Connections Orders, 25 Beacon St, Boston MA 02108:
-Your contact information
-Your congregation's name (and mailing address if different from UUA directory address)
-Number of packets
-Date of your ceremony (or date you need them by)

If you don't know what this is, for $5, you can get a gift valued at over US$60 for graduating high school seniors (suitable for use in Bridging Ceremonies) that includes:
-a hardcover meditation collection
-a directory of young adult and campus ministry groups
-a postage-paid reply card that entitles the new Young Adult to one free year's subscription to UU World, the CUC quarterly (if in Canada) and the CLF's Quest.

If you have any questions about this program, please let me know.

In peace,

Michael Tino
Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry
Unitarian Universalist Association
tel: 919-401-9944
fax: 530-686-3913
www.uua.org/ya-cm/

¶ 5/5/2005

http://www.rec-room.org

The REC-Room is a Web site that features lifespan religious education curricula and resources of all sorts: activities & game ideas, stories, plays, tips for teachers, and more. http://www.rec-room.org

UU CARDS is an organization of UU Curriculum and Resource Developers that has organized to market the materials they have developed. Website: http://www.hzmre.com/uucards/ .

¶ 5/5/2005

RE Search and Startup Materials

If your congregation is experiencing transition in your paid RE leadership, there are resources and settlement services to help you. The UUA’s Ministry and Professional Leadership Office has established a new settlement service for credentialed religious educators. You may access these services online via: http://www.uua.org/programs/ministry/reco/settlement/ .

In addition, you may benefit from requesting an RE Search Packet from Laurel Amabile, Southeast Regional Lifespan Program Consultant, 828-231-0960, or Laurelamabile@aol.com . Many of these resources are available electronically, and some hard copy job descriptions/postings available upon request.

When you hire or call a new RE professional, let both Laurel Amabile and the District Office know, so that introductory materials and welcome letters can be sent out and contact information updated in our district records.

The Covenanting for Excellence in Religious Education process is recommended for all RE professionals after at least one year of service. This is a fee-for-service program conducted by a trained facilitator, and involves an all-day Saturday process followed by a Sunday celebration service. For planning materials and scheduling, contact Laurel Amabile, Southeast Regional Lifespan Program Consultant, Laurelamabile@aol.com or 828-231-0960.

For New Religious Educators

Two Information Sheets (in MS Word format) for Religious Educators can be found on this website:

Professional Development FAQ sheet —this is designed to answer the questions commonly asked by new religious educators about which professional development opportunities they can take advantage of, where to find them, and how to budget for them. The FAQ sheet includes an annual professional development budget worksheet.
Attending Professional Development Events —this is a guide for new religious educators intended to help them to clarify their professional development goals, identify the programs they wish to attend, what to expect when they get to there, and what to do when they get back home for follow up.

¶ 5/5/2005

The Liberal Religious Educators’ Association

(LREDA) is the professional association for religious educators. Congregations are urged to provide adequate funding for their Directors or Ministers of Religious Education to become members of LREDA. For more information about LREDA membership, contact the Shannon Hawkins, LREDA Administrator, LREDA@uua.org or via http://www.uua.org/lreda.

The LREDA Good Offices Program provides advice and assistance to any LREDA member with professional issues or concerns that could result in conflict within the congregation. LREDA Good Officers have been specially trained and appointed to each district. For more info, contact Florida Good Officer, Connie Goodbread, crgdre@tampabay.rr.com , 727-789-0448, or Laurel Amabile, Lifespan Program Consultant, Laurelamabile@aol.com, 828-231-0960.

¶ 5/5/2005

New IRS mileage rates

The IRS has just announced new mileage rates that take effect January 1, 2005:

A. Taxpayers may deduct 15 cents per mile for miles driven to receive medical services or for moving to take a new job. This is up from 14 cents in 2004. These miles are not reimbursable to a church staff person from a professional expense allowance, although this may be reimbursed to a new employee from a moving allowance.

B. For volunteer services on behalf of a charitable organization, taxpayers may deduct 14 cents per mile, which is the same as for 2004. Church members may itemize this deduction for miles driven as members of committees or to attend religious or denominational events where they are volunteering. It is not clear that simply attending a worship service qualifies one for this deduction, as presumably there are other benefits derived from doing so.

C. For business purposes, taxpayers may deduct 40.5 cents per mile, up from 37.5 for 2004. This is what you have been waiting for.

The latter figure of 40.5 cents per mile is what employers should reimburse employees who use their personal cars on company business, and is the amount that congregation should reimburse ministers and other church staff from their professional expense allowances.

The increase from 37.5 to 40.5 cents per mile is in recognition of higher gasoline costs as well as increases in auto insurance rates.

In actuality, the true cost of operating an average automobile in the US is well over 60 cents per mile, and staff using their own cars for church business should claim reimbursement at the 40.5 cents per mile rate the IRS allows.

Ministers using a church-owned or leased automobile for personal business should reimburse the church 40.5 cents for each mile driven that is not related to the performance of one's duties.

Again, this takes effect January 1, 2005.

¶ 5/5/2005