All The Resources a Religious Educator Could Want: JPDLFD News 18 January, 2008
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Lyn Cox
Jan 18, 2008, 2:43:12 PM1/18/08
to JPDLFD
Dear Friend of Unitarian Universalist Religious Education,
Welcome to Joseph Priestley District Lifespan Faith Development News.
This issue is packed full of announcements and resources that cover a
wide range of faith development issues for children, youth, and
adults. To begin, you will find the usual announcements about events
such as the JPD Music & Worship Arts Festival and the Teacher
Development Renaissance Module. There are some extended announcements
related to the JPD Spring Conference & Annual Meeting. I've included
a word from the UUA about congregational certification, which is due
February 1. Towards the end, I explain some of the new resources
posted on the Google Group and how to find them. Finally, there's the
popular "Finding Lyn" article with some calendar items. There's a lot
to keep you reading on a snowy day.
JPD MUSIC AND WORSHIP ARTS FESTIVAL
Professional and lay worship leaders will enjoy gathering in song and
spirit on Saturday, February 23, at the Unitarian Society of
Germantown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Keynote presenter Jeannie
Gagné is known for her leadership in inspirational UU contemporary
worship. If any youth in your congregation are interested in music,
this would be an excellent time to help them to get involved with
Unitarian Universalism in a new way. The registration fee will be
$35. Contact Kathy Smith at ka...@jpduua.org for more information.
RENAISSANCE MODULE
The volunteer leader's faith development supports the faith
development of the participants with whom they lead. This is the
assumption of the Teacher Development Renaissance Module, to be held
March 5-7 at the Bishop Claggett Center in Buckeystown, MD. This
newly updated module will be co-led by Rev. Judy Tomlinson and our own
Rev. Betty Jo Middleton. The $300 registration fee ($275 if received
by February 6) covers five meals and two nights at the retreat center
as well as precious time for collegial connection and a quality
program. Contact Rev. Lyn Cox at l...@jpduua.org for more information,
or visit http://jpduua.org to download the flyer and registration
form. The flyer and registration are also available at
http://groups.google.com/group/jpdlfd in the files section.
SPRING CONFERENCE AWARDS
Awards at the Joseph Priestley District Annual Meeting & Spring
Conference include the Outstanding Unitarian Universalist series, the
Journey Toward Wholeness Sermon Award, and the Youth Empowering and
Supportive (YES) award to congregations.
The deadline for YES award applications is February 14. YES is
awarded to congregations, not youth groups, so be sure to involve
leaders outside Youth Ministries and Religious Education in the
application.
Submissions to the Journey Toward Wholeness Sermon Award competition
are due on February 15. The recipient must be available to deliver
the winning sermon at the Spring Conference & Annual Meeting as well
as the JPD Racial Justice Conference in the fall.
Nominations for Outstanding UU Youth, Outstanding UU Young Adult, and
Outstanding UU are due by February 29. The nomination form for the
Outstanding UU awards are available on the JPD website and at
http://groups.google.com/group/jpdlfd in the files section.
More information about all of the Spring Conference awards is
available in the January 2008 JPD Packet. Visit
http://www.jpduua.org/pages/jpd-packet-2008.php to download all or
part of the JPD Packet.
KIDS AT THE SPRING CONFERENCE NEED YOU
We (JPD staff) would like to produce high-quality, UU-identified
structured programs for elementary-age children and middle school
youth at the JPD Spring Conference & Annual Meeting. We need a few
adult leaders in order to make that possible. The coordinators for
the Kindergarten-5th grade children's program and the coordinators for
the 6th-8th grade Middle School program will receive waivers for the
registration fee (which includes two breakfasts and one lunch) and
reimbursement for half the cost of a double hotel room. We also need
people to lead and assist with one-time, 1.5-hour sessions for each
group; workshop leaders can receive a 25% discount on registration if
you get back to me by the end of January. Leading a district-wide
event such as this would look shiny in your portfolio for the UUA
Credentialing program. The JPD Spring Conference & Annual Meeting
will be held March 28-30 at the Doubletree in Bethesda, MD. Visit
http://jpduua.org to download a save-the-date flyer. Look for
registration forms and a brochure describing the programs in
February.
COUNTING NOSES
Congregational Certification and Address Information is due to the UUA
by February 1. Note that there's a new "Average Weekly Attendance"
category, which asks congregations to count every person of every age
who is in the building on Sunday morning. Your administrator can
visit http://dyn.uua.org/congregation/ to do the certification on-
line. If you're not sure if your congregation has already completed
the certification, go to http://dyn.uua.org/congregation/not-certified.php
to check the list.
RESOURCES ON THE GOOGLE GROUP
I've uploaded some files to the Google Group that you may find
useful. Some are essays, some are nuts-and-bolts instructions, some
are pointers to more resources.
There are two documents from Olivia's House, a grief and loss center
for children in York, PA. They are bibliographies of books useful for
families experiencing grief and loss. One document organizes the
books by age group, while the other document organizes the books by
topic. Visit http://oliviashouse.org/ for more information about
Olivia's House.
I recently led a visioning workshop for the children and youth of a
congregation in transition. The workshop plan is called
"ChildrenVisioning.doc" on the Google Group. My assumption with this
workshop is that children and youth will tell us a lot through art and
imaginative play if we listen. Kids know more than many people give
them credit for about what's important in a congregation and what it
means to be a Unitarian Universalist.
Several people have asked me about safety policies and background
checks. I can say more about this later, but meanwhile I've posted
the instructions for using ChoicePoint, the background check service
we use in the JPD for new employees. At $50 per name, it's probably
more than you want to spend for volunteers, but I definitely recommend
something like this for congregational employees and maybe key
volunteers such as nursery coordinators and youth advisors. There are
other background check services out there that are more and less
expensive, covering more and less background. Many thanks to Cristina
Sanchis, the JPD Administrator, for providing the instructions. Look
for "ChoicePointInstructionsRevise7Dec07.doc" in the file list.
I've posted an essay about things to consider when designing a Coming
of Age program. The three-page document reviews curricula, includes
some thoughts about mentoring, gives resources for risk management
related to mentoring, and concludes with a recommendation that
religious professionals make time to meet with Coming of Age youth at
least once. Look for "ComingOfAgeThoughts.doc" in the file list.
Go to http://groups.google.com/group/jpdlfd/files to see the list of
resources posted on the Google Group. I believe I've set the
permissions so that anyone can download files, even if they aren't
members of the JPDLFD Google Group. If you have any trouble, let me
know.
FINDING LYN
Here is a sample of the collegial meetings, worship services, and
events where you might catch up with me:
January 23: Chesapeake UUMA & Music Directors; Bethesda, MD
January 26: CONtribution Youth Con; Alexandria, VA
February 5 & 6: Priestley-Kingsbury UUMA; West Chester, PA
February 7: Central MD Middle School Cluster planning; phone meeting
February 9: District Youth Steering Committee; location TBA
February 10: First UU Church of Berks County; Reading, PA
February 12: DSAREC; Harrisburg, PA
February 13: GWAREC; Adelphi, MD
February 23: JPD Music & Worship Arts Festival; Philadelphia, PA
February 24: UU Congregation of Wyoming Valley; Kingston, PA
Whew! What a lot of news and resources. Thanks for sticking with
it.
Peace,
Rev. Lyn Cox
Acting Director for Lifespan Faith Development
Joseph Priestley District
202-262-0485
l...@jpduua.org
Welcome to Joseph Priestley District Lifespan Faith Development News.
This issue is packed full of announcements and resources that cover a
wide range of faith development issues for children, youth, and
adults. To begin, you will find the usual announcements about events
such as the JPD Music & Worship Arts Festival and the Teacher
Development Renaissance Module. There are some extended announcements
related to the JPD Spring Conference & Annual Meeting. I've included
a word from the UUA about congregational certification, which is due
February 1. Towards the end, I explain some of the new resources
posted on the Google Group and how to find them. Finally, there's the
popular "Finding Lyn" article with some calendar items. There's a lot
to keep you reading on a snowy day.
JPD MUSIC AND WORSHIP ARTS FESTIVAL
Professional and lay worship leaders will enjoy gathering in song and
spirit on Saturday, February 23, at the Unitarian Society of
Germantown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Keynote presenter Jeannie
Gagné is known for her leadership in inspirational UU contemporary
worship. If any youth in your congregation are interested in music,
this would be an excellent time to help them to get involved with
Unitarian Universalism in a new way. The registration fee will be
$35. Contact Kathy Smith at ka...@jpduua.org for more information.
RENAISSANCE MODULE
The volunteer leader's faith development supports the faith
development of the participants with whom they lead. This is the
assumption of the Teacher Development Renaissance Module, to be held
March 5-7 at the Bishop Claggett Center in Buckeystown, MD. This
newly updated module will be co-led by Rev. Judy Tomlinson and our own
Rev. Betty Jo Middleton. The $300 registration fee ($275 if received
by February 6) covers five meals and two nights at the retreat center
as well as precious time for collegial connection and a quality
program. Contact Rev. Lyn Cox at l...@jpduua.org for more information,
or visit http://jpduua.org to download the flyer and registration
form. The flyer and registration are also available at
http://groups.google.com/group/jpdlfd in the files section.
SPRING CONFERENCE AWARDS
Awards at the Joseph Priestley District Annual Meeting & Spring
Conference include the Outstanding Unitarian Universalist series, the
Journey Toward Wholeness Sermon Award, and the Youth Empowering and
Supportive (YES) award to congregations.
The deadline for YES award applications is February 14. YES is
awarded to congregations, not youth groups, so be sure to involve
leaders outside Youth Ministries and Religious Education in the
application.
Submissions to the Journey Toward Wholeness Sermon Award competition
are due on February 15. The recipient must be available to deliver
the winning sermon at the Spring Conference & Annual Meeting as well
as the JPD Racial Justice Conference in the fall.
Nominations for Outstanding UU Youth, Outstanding UU Young Adult, and
Outstanding UU are due by February 29. The nomination form for the
Outstanding UU awards are available on the JPD website and at
http://groups.google.com/group/jpdlfd in the files section.
More information about all of the Spring Conference awards is
available in the January 2008 JPD Packet. Visit
http://www.jpduua.org/pages/jpd-packet-2008.php to download all or
part of the JPD Packet.
KIDS AT THE SPRING CONFERENCE NEED YOU
We (JPD staff) would like to produce high-quality, UU-identified
structured programs for elementary-age children and middle school
youth at the JPD Spring Conference & Annual Meeting. We need a few
adult leaders in order to make that possible. The coordinators for
the Kindergarten-5th grade children's program and the coordinators for
the 6th-8th grade Middle School program will receive waivers for the
registration fee (which includes two breakfasts and one lunch) and
reimbursement for half the cost of a double hotel room. We also need
people to lead and assist with one-time, 1.5-hour sessions for each
group; workshop leaders can receive a 25% discount on registration if
you get back to me by the end of January. Leading a district-wide
event such as this would look shiny in your portfolio for the UUA
Credentialing program. The JPD Spring Conference & Annual Meeting
will be held March 28-30 at the Doubletree in Bethesda, MD. Visit
http://jpduua.org to download a save-the-date flyer. Look for
registration forms and a brochure describing the programs in
February.
COUNTING NOSES
Congregational Certification and Address Information is due to the UUA
by February 1. Note that there's a new "Average Weekly Attendance"
category, which asks congregations to count every person of every age
who is in the building on Sunday morning. Your administrator can
visit http://dyn.uua.org/congregation/ to do the certification on-
line. If you're not sure if your congregation has already completed
the certification, go to http://dyn.uua.org/congregation/not-certified.php
to check the list.
RESOURCES ON THE GOOGLE GROUP
I've uploaded some files to the Google Group that you may find
useful. Some are essays, some are nuts-and-bolts instructions, some
are pointers to more resources.
There are two documents from Olivia's House, a grief and loss center
for children in York, PA. They are bibliographies of books useful for
families experiencing grief and loss. One document organizes the
books by age group, while the other document organizes the books by
topic. Visit http://oliviashouse.org/ for more information about
Olivia's House.
I recently led a visioning workshop for the children and youth of a
congregation in transition. The workshop plan is called
"ChildrenVisioning.doc" on the Google Group. My assumption with this
workshop is that children and youth will tell us a lot through art and
imaginative play if we listen. Kids know more than many people give
them credit for about what's important in a congregation and what it
means to be a Unitarian Universalist.
Several people have asked me about safety policies and background
checks. I can say more about this later, but meanwhile I've posted
the instructions for using ChoicePoint, the background check service
we use in the JPD for new employees. At $50 per name, it's probably
more than you want to spend for volunteers, but I definitely recommend
something like this for congregational employees and maybe key
volunteers such as nursery coordinators and youth advisors. There are
other background check services out there that are more and less
expensive, covering more and less background. Many thanks to Cristina
Sanchis, the JPD Administrator, for providing the instructions. Look
for "ChoicePointInstructionsRevise7Dec07.doc" in the file list.
I've posted an essay about things to consider when designing a Coming
of Age program. The three-page document reviews curricula, includes
some thoughts about mentoring, gives resources for risk management
related to mentoring, and concludes with a recommendation that
religious professionals make time to meet with Coming of Age youth at
least once. Look for "ComingOfAgeThoughts.doc" in the file list.
Go to http://groups.google.com/group/jpdlfd/files to see the list of
resources posted on the Google Group. I believe I've set the
permissions so that anyone can download files, even if they aren't
members of the JPDLFD Google Group. If you have any trouble, let me
know.
FINDING LYN
Here is a sample of the collegial meetings, worship services, and
events where you might catch up with me:
January 23: Chesapeake UUMA & Music Directors; Bethesda, MD
January 26: CONtribution Youth Con; Alexandria, VA
February 5 & 6: Priestley-Kingsbury UUMA; West Chester, PA
February 7: Central MD Middle School Cluster planning; phone meeting
February 9: District Youth Steering Committee; location TBA
February 10: First UU Church of Berks County; Reading, PA
February 12: DSAREC; Harrisburg, PA
February 13: GWAREC; Adelphi, MD
February 23: JPD Music & Worship Arts Festival; Philadelphia, PA
February 24: UU Congregation of Wyoming Valley; Kingston, PA
Whew! What a lot of news and resources. Thanks for sticking with
it.
Peace,
Rev. Lyn Cox
Acting Director for Lifespan Faith Development
Joseph Priestley District
202-262-0485
l...@jpduua.org
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