Leadership Development is a Spiritual Practice: JPDLFD News 7 December 2007

[Lyn Cox]

Dear Friend of JPD Religious Education,

This edition of Joseph Priestley District Lifespan Faith Development
News is bursting at the seams with information to help you get 2008
off to the right start. I realize this may mean that the current
newsletter will take awhile to digest; such are the challenges for
those of us living in the best UU District ever.

This issue includes announcements and updates about a number of
leadership development opportunities: Building a More Effective Staff
Team January 10 or January 16, Planning for Growth and Vitality
January 25-27, CONtribution Youth WinterCon January 25-27, the Teacher
Development Renaissance Module March 5-7, and the JPD Spring
Conference and Annual Meeting March 28-30. For congregations in
central Maryland, there's an announcement about a Homecoming service
on December 30 at Paint Branch UU Church.

In the feature news section, I share some thoughts about summer day
camp and Coming of Age. Finally, there's a call for comments about
Middle School Clusters so that I can report back to our benefactors at
the UU Funding Panel.

Here we go!


Building a More Effective Staff Team
January 10 (on-line) or January 16 (in Wilmington, DE)
This workshop will spark conversations among congregation-based staff
teams about working together, managing conflict and anxiety, and
creating a covenant. The workshop is being offered two ways: on-line
on January 10 or in person in Wilmington, DE, on January 16.
Participants in the on-line training will need access to a computer
with a high-speed Internet connection and a good-quality phone for a
conference call. Look for the registration form on the JPD home page
(www.jpduua.org) or in the files section of the JPDLFD Google Group.


Planning for Growth and Vitality
January 25-27 at Murray Grove
This weekend workshop for the smaller mid-size congregation (150 to
300 members) will help teams to build a "Mission and Ministry Focus"
and equip teams to lead the congregation to make changes for growth.
This workshop is meant for teams of leaders who represent significant
segments of the congregation. It is highly recommended that the
professional religious educator and a parish minister attend as part
of the team. Look for the registration form on the JPD home page
(www.jpduua.org) or in the files section of the JPDLFD Google Group.


CONtribution: District Youth Steering Committee-sponsored WinterCon
January 25-27 at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, Alexandria, VA
Each January, the JPD Youth Steering Committee (DYSC) sponsors a
social action-themed con for high school youth. WinterCon 2008 will
emphasize practical CONtributions that youth can make in social
justice arenas. In between a keynote presentation and three workshop
slots, youth will enjoy getting to know each other and deepening their
Unitarian Universalist faith. Check http://jpdysc.org/ for
information as it becomes available. It's never to early to submit
reference check forms for advisors who plan to accompany high school
youth to cons.


Teacher Development Renaissance Module
March 5-7 at the Bishop Claggett Center in Buckeystown, MD
Renaissance Modules are continuing education experiences for
professional Religious Educators and other leaders who guide UU
religious education ministries. The Teacher Development module is
based on the premise that the teacher's own faith development supports
the faith development of participants in their program. Under this
premise, the ability of religious education teachers to share of
themselves in relationship to the participants in the program is of
the utmost importance. A flyer and registration form for this module
will be available soon. Check the January JPD packet for details.


Voices of Justice, Hands of Change: JPD Spring Conference and Annual
Meeting
March 28-30 at the Doubletree in Bethesda, MD
The JPD Spring Conference and Annual Meeting is a leadership
development event, decision-making meeting, and celebration of
Unitarian Universalism all in one. The 2008 Spring Conference theme,
"Voices of Justice, Hands of Change" calls for ideas and inspiration
to help congregations incorporate social justice as part of their core
missions. Workshop proposal forms are available in the December JPD
packet (www.jpduua.org). Workshop proposals are due January 2. If
you would like there to be quality programs for children and middle
school youth, e-mail me ASAP at l...@jpduua.org to volunteer. The JPD
Spring Conference is an example of congregations working together. I
look forward to seeing you there.


Homecoming Service Welcomes UU Young Adults
December 30, 2007, 10:00am at Paint Branch UU Church in Adelphi, MD
On the Sunday morning between Christmas and New Years, Paint Branch UU
Church Co-minister Jaco ten Hove and Youth Worship Associate Pallas
Bane will lead a Homecoming Service that especially welcomes all young
adults, including those whose journeys might have drawn them away from
UUism for a while. The service will be for everyone, but with a young
adult flair, plus special music and a free Welcome Back Brunch to help
folks connect and reconnect. Visit the church's website at www.pbuuc.org
for more information.


Resource Pointer: Curriculum for UU Summer Day Camp
As the winter weather descends, I think ahead to summer days and
opportunities for fun with in-depth UU identity. If you are thinking
of offering a UU summer day camp in 2008 and are looking for a
curriculum, I highly recommend Chalice Camp by Rev. Sheri Prudhomme
and Laila Ibrahim. This curriculum is available for purchase directly
from the authors; let me know if you are interested and I will give
you their contact information. For a brief description, visit
http://archive.uua.org/ga/ga04/3043.html to read an article written
during the curriculum's development stage.


Opinion Pointer: Coming of Age
I was asked recently for some information about getting started on a
Coming of Age program for a congregation that hadn't had one before.
I've posted my response (edited to make it more generally useful) on
the JPDLFD Google Group under the name "ComingOfAgeThoughts.doc." The
document includes recommendations for curricula and safety policies.
Enjoy.


Middle School Clusters: Thank You, UU Funding Panel
As many of you know, the JPD has enjoyed a grant from the UU Funding
Panel over the last two years to help organize Middle School Cluster
events. Our report back to the UU Funding Panel with news about the
program's success is due in early January. If you have photos,
flyers, or testimonials from a UU Middle School Cluster event
supported by the grant, please send them to me so that I can include
them in the report.


Where's Lyn: A Sample of Upcoming Events
December 9, Preaching at the UU's of Southern Delaware, Lewes, DE
December 12, Attendance at Greater Washington Area RE Council,
Rockville, MD
December 16, Storytelling at the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore,
MD
January 3, Attendance at Central RE Cluster, Churchville, MD
January 8, Attendance at combined UUMA/DSAREC meeting, Lancaster, PA
January 9, Greater Washington Area RE Council, Arlington, VA
January 10, Co-leading "Building a More Effective Staff Team" on-line
January 16, Co-leading "Building a More Effective Staff Team" in
Wilmington, DE


Thanks for reading! As always, I welcome your comments and
questions. If you found this newsletter useful, be sure to tell
friends and colleagues. There's plenty of room in the Google Group
membership!

Peace,

Rev. Lyn Cox
Acting Director for Lifespan Faith Development
Joseph Priestley District of the
Unitarian Universalist Association
202-262-0485
l...@jpduua.org