[UU Young Adult News] Young Adult News - December 2006 - Issue 45

Mon Dec 4 21:02:50 EST 2006

Young Adult News - December 2006 - Issue 45

WELCOME

1. Welcome from Mary Manchester, C*UUYAN Steering Committee Facilitator

REMINDERS

2. 1st UUA Conference on Contemporary Worship
3. Register for a Regional Young Adult Anti-Racism Conference!
4. Queer Young Adult Email List

EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES

5. APPLY for C*UUYAN Staff Conference positions
6. Summer of Spirituality and Service Internships 
7. Young Adult Ministry Coordinator Position Open in Philadelphia, PA
8. Alternative Spring Break
9. Synapse Article Submissions Wanted

INFORMATION

10. Important Letter for Young Adult Youth Advisors from the
Consultation on Ministry To and With Youth
11. Spiritual Youth (and Young Adults) for Reproductive Freedom 
12. Young Adult & Campus Ministry Office Contacts

1. Welcome from Mary Manchester, C*UUYAN Steering Committee Facilitator

	Dear UU young adults and allies,

	During these shortest days of the year, I hope that everyone is
reading this from a safe and comfortable place surrounded by loved ones.
I know this time of year is always a struggle for me, but the scramble
to profess my appreciation for my friends and family through the
practice of gift-giving always lifts my spirits.

	There is always a lull this time of year as far as Steering
Committee business goes. This past week we had a productive conference
call; we are following up on the new Drug and Alcohol Policy, the
ConnectUU Resolution, and Project Committee and Young Adult Board
Observer appointments.

	I attended a district conference a few weeks ago, and it
definitely renewed my energy for Young Adult ministry. The conference,
ConSensual, was held in my home district. It had a great turnout and was
a lot of fun. I would definitely encourage everyone to attend a district
or regional Young Adult conference sometime this year, and if a district
or region nearby does not hold regular conferences, come to Opus or
ConCentric this summer. They will be held at UniCamp, which is near
Toronto, Ontario.

	Again, I hope everyone is loved and supported this winter. Have
a great New Year.

	Mary Manchester,
	CUUYAN Steering Committee Facilitator

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2. 1st UUA Conference on Contemporary Worship

	Spiritually Vital and Alive: UUA Conference on Contemporary
Worship
	Feb 22-24, 2007 - San Diego, CA

	Ministers, religious professionals, and young adults of all
sorts are invited to attend the 1st UUA conference on Contemporary
Worship.For more information, including a registration form, visit
www.uua.org/ya-cm/resources/Worship/ or contact Michael Tino at
mtino at uua.org.

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3. Register for a Regional Young Adult Anti-Racism Conference!

	These conferences, led by trainers in the Groundwork Program (UU
Youth and Young Adult Anti-Racism Trainer-Organizers), focus on the
foundational building blocks of anti-racism including: the history of
race and racism in the U.S.; racial identity development; developing a
common analysis and definitions of race and racism; and understanding
the different types of power. We use experiential learning as much as
possible and focus on community building and spiritual reflection.

	DATES: LOCATION:

	November 10-11 Pittsburgh, PA
	January 12-14 Phoenix, AZ
	January 12-14 Bethesda, MD
	January 19-21 Fort Worth, TX

	If you want to host a Groundwork anti-racism training conference
in your school or congregation like these cool folks are doing, visit
our website at: www.uua.org/ya-cm/groundwork

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4. Queer Young Adult Email List

	The Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry has created a new
email list for queer-identified young adults-as a means of increased
communication and planning for future events of particular interest to
queer young adults within our denomination.

	If you'd like to be subscribed to this list, please send your
email address to Nancy DiGiovanni, Program Associate in the YACM office,
at ndigiovanni at uua.org.

	For now, besides this list, I'm also collaborating with the YRUU
(Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) office, Interweave and other
queer-identified young adult leaders to build a stronger young adult and
youth presence at Interweave Convocation, February 9-11 in Atlanta, GA.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS and please contact: Nancy at ndigiovanni at uua.org or
the Youth Ministry Associates: Beth Dana, Laura Manning and Kat
Manker-Seale at yruu at uua.org if you'd like to be involved in planning
this event.

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5. APPLY for C*UUYAN Staff Conference positions*

	Apply for Opus and ConCentric Staff!!!

	Concentric 2007: August 10-14, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario
	"In the Spirit of Leadership" is an inspirational weekend of
organizational networking, skill building, and faith in action for young
adult leaders and allies on the local, district, and continental levels.
Staff applications and full position descriptions can be found at
http://www.uua.org/ya-cm/conferences/concentric.html.

	Opus: "The Circle Game" August 15-19, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario
	At OPUS we will explore and honor the cycles, revolutions, and
interdependent connections that are important to our lives, communities,
and planet. Staff applications and full position descriptions can be
found at http://www.uua.org/ya-cm/conferences/opus.html. 

	The deadline for ConCentric and Opus staff applications is
December 15, 2006.

	TO APPLY: Please complete the volunteer application form at
http://www.uua.org/ya-cm/youngadults/volunteer/volunteer_application_for
m.html

	*Effective January 8, 2007, all U.S. citizens traveling by air
to and from Canada are required to have a valid passport to enter the
United States. As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling
between the United States and Canada by land or sea (including ferries),
may be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as
determined by the Department of Homeland Security. Ample advance notice
will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport
cards for land/sea entries. American citizen travelers are encouraged to
apply for a U.S. passport or the passport card when it becomes
available, well in advance of anticipated travel. American citizens can
visit travel.state.gov or call 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778) for
information on applying for a passport. TO APPLY FOR A U.S. PASSPORT
visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

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6. Summer of Spirituality and Service

	The UU Summer of Spirituality and Service is a six-week program
run by the UUA Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry and
co-sponsored by the Ballou Channing District. Interns will be paid a
$150 per week stipend and their transportation costs will be covered.
Housing will be provided by local UU host homes for the six weeks.
Completed applications must be postmarked by February 1, 2007

	Program runs June 1 - July 14, 2006 and is based in Boston,
Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. Open to Unitarian
Universalists of ages 18-25. See http://www.uua.org/ya-cm/summer/ for
more details. 

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7. Young Adult Ministry Coordinator Position Open in Philadelphia, PA

	Thanks to the generosity of congregations and donors who
participated in YACM Sunday last year, the First Unitarian Church of
Philadelphia is creating a new position for a Young Adult Ministry
Coordinator. This is a 4 hour/week position that pays a stipend of
$3,000/year. The Young Adult Ministry Coordinator will report to the
congregation's Senior Minister. The application deadline is December 15.
Please contact Seth Carrier <mailto:sethcarrier at gmail.com>  at
sethcarrier at gmail.com for more information.

	Back to Table of Contents 

8. Interested in a different kind of Spring Break?

	Join the Southern Energy Network for Spring Break in the
Appalachian Mountains! SEN is currently partnering with grassroots
community groups in the coalfields of Virginia and West Virginia to
create Mountain Justice Spring Break, an opportunity for young people
from across the country to visit coalfield communities affected by
mountain-top removal coal mining, toxic coal sludge disposal and other
impacts that our fossil-fuel dependency is currently having on the land
and people of Appalachia. 

	Join us for one of two weeks this coming March for community
service and organizing projects, campaign action, and the opportunity to
learn from those most directly-affected by the injustices of the coal
industry in Appalachia and stand up for Mountain Justice! (fill out an
interest form at http://www.climateaction.net/mjsb)

	Help us set dates for the event that work for your school, and
shape the experience based on what you want to see. Registration will be
available as soon as we have enough input from students to determine
dates.

	Sincerely,
	Willie Dodson
	GA/SC campus organizer
	Southern Energy Network

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9. Synapse Article Submissions Wanted!

	The following letter is a call for submissions to Synapse, the
publication of Young Religious Unitarian Universalists and the UUA Youth
Programs Office. It is a special invitation to young adults from UUA
Youth Ministry Associate Beth Dana.

	Dear Current and Former YRUUers,

	Since the Consultation on Ministry To and With Youth
(www.uua.org/trus/youth) began, there has been no forum for current and
former YRUUers, who have contributed to and received so much from this
organization, to voice their thoughts publicly and collectively during
this time of change.

	I'm writing to you about an important project - offering you an
opportunity for current and former YRUU youth to voice your thoughts on
the Consultation on Ministry To and With Youth through Synapse, the
magazine by and for UU youth (www.uua.org/yruu/synapse). 

	I have been researching our YRUU history and how UU youth felt
about the changes that led to the creation of YRUU in the early 1980s. I
plan on writing a piece about "Community in Times of Change" for
Synapse. I would love for this to be accompanied by original pieces by
other current and former YRUUers about the present day. This is where
you come in!

	I encourage you to:
	" Take this opportunity to submit a piece of writing - any
format and length is welcome OR You can call 617-948-4356 and express
your thoughts verbally by leaving a voicemail. I would then transcribe
it into writing for Synapse. (Note: The voicemail recording is the voice
of Mr. T - don't be alarmed, it IS the Youth Office.)
	" Remember that Synapse has been the voice of YRUU members for
over 20 years.
	" Use Synapse to give YOU a place to voice your thoughts,
anxieties, criticisms, and hopes for this time of change. 
	" Use your voice as a part of the transformation of YRUU.

	Here are some questions to think about:
	" How do you feel about the Consultation on Ministry To and With
Youth? 
	" How do you feel about YRUU and this time of change? 
	" What effect does change have on your experience of the YRUU
and UU community? 
	" What changes are you most excited about?
	" What are you nervous or anxious about?
	" What have your recent experiences been in YRUU and as a youth
in Unitarian Universalism - the highs and the lows? 

	With each submission, please include:
	" Anything about yourself including your name
	" Your district/region or state/province
	" How old you are

	If you feel reluctant to contribute your thoughts in such a
public way, you may remain anonymous, but please still share your
thoughts. I want to create a space for every voice to be heard if you
have something you would like to say.

	Please send all submissions by February 1, 2006 to yruu at uua.org
(or through voicemail). I encourage you to submit to Synapse at any
time, but we hope to get this specific article/section on the web by the
end of 2006.

	Contact me if you have any questions - bdana at uua.org or
617-948-4352. As a member of the YRUU community (in various roles) for
more than 8 years, I care a lot about this organization and want to
create space for every person to be heard, no matter your involvement or
style of expression. I have been extremely lucky to work with and learn
from many of you over the years.

	In community,
	Beth Dana
	Youth Ministry Associate, Youth Office, UUA
	22-year-old former YRUU youth from Albany, NY and the St.
Lawrence District

	P.S. Please forward this letter to anyone you think would like
to contribute!

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10. Important Letter for Young Adult Youth Advisors from the
Consultation on Ministry To and With Youth

	Dear Youth Advisor,

	Thank you for your commitment to Unitarian Universalist youth.
The Task Force of the Consultation on Ministry To and With Youth would
like to better understand the vital roles and complex experiences of
adults who work directly with youth.

	Not only do we wish to learn from your expertise and feedback,
but we also hope to better understand the diversity of adult involvement
in the spiritual lives of youth across the Association. To do this, we
ask you to complete the survey found at this link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=797602772057

	In these 20 to 30 minutes of questions, we ask you to reflect on
support, training, vision for youth ministry, and the definition of
youth empowerment as well as offer demographic information. We realize
the limitations of survey data; however, we hope that open-ended
questions create the space to communicate your unique and significant
knowledge.

	As a religious community, we can and must do a better job of
supporting and sustaining you in your ministry to and with youth. In the
spirit of youth ministry, we hope that this survey serves as a window
into the lived experiences of youth advisors.

	We will keep the link to this survey "live" from December 1st,
2006 until February 28th, 2007. If you have any questions or concerns,
feel free to contact us by e-mail or phone.

	In faith,

	Megan Dowdell
	Co-convener
	(508) 314-0783
	mdowdell at uua.org

	Jesse Jaeger 
	Youth Program Director 
	(617) 948-4359 
	jjaeger at uua.org

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11. Spiritual Youth (and Young Adults) for Reproductive Freedom 

	Where can I get more information?
	E-mail us at info at syrf.org and visit our website at
www.syrf.org.

	What is Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom (SYRF)?
	Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom (SYRF) educates,
organizes and empowers youth and young adults (ages 16-30) to put their
faith into action and advocate for pro-choice social justice. SYRF is a
program of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Click here
to go to the RCRC website. 

	SYRF creates venues for youth education and activism, designs
youth-specific materials, and builds lasting relationships with youth
oriented organizations, campus clergy, and youth programs of our
denominations. Since young people lead this program, SYRF lifts up
pro-faith youth and young adult perspectives on reproductive choice
issues and provides young people with tools and opportunities to
advocate for choice on their campuses, high schools, congregations and
communities. 

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12. Young Adult & Campus Ministry Office Contacts 

	Nancy DiGiovanni - Young Adult and Campus Ministry Program
Associate
	(617) 948 4629 ndigiovanni at uua.org
	Joseph Santos-Lyons - Director of Campus Ministry & Field
Organizing
	(877) 270 3302 jsantoslyons at uua.org 
	Michael Tino - Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry
	(919) 401 9944 mtino at uua.org 
	Erik Kesting - Young Adult and Campus Ministry Assistant
	(617) 948 6463 ekesting at uua.org

	www.uua.org/yacm

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