Pamphlet Prices Cut

Most UUA pamphlet packs have been permanently reduced in price to $5. For listings see the UUA Bookstore catalog online or call (800) 215-9076.

Leadership Guides For Beacon Press Social Justice Books

The UUA's Beacon Press has developed leadership guides for three of its books to facilitate discussions by groups including adult education classes, social justice groups, and book clubs.

The guides are available for What is Marriage For?, Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun, and Common Fire. The guides are available free on the Beacon Press website, and copies of the guide for Common Fire are being mailed out to 1,200 religious education directors this summer in a REACH packet.

The three books are available from the UUA Bookstore online or call (800) 215-9076.

Common Fire, by Laurent A. Daloz and other authors, is a study of community activists and how they keep from feeling overwhelmed or hopeless. #1011 $15.

Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun is Geoffrey Canada's memoir of growing up in the Bronx and includes discussions of racial and economic oppression and inner city violence. (1995) #4056 $12.

What is Marriage For?, by E.J. Graff, is a history of marriage from a feminist perspective. It illuminates the many forms marriage has taken through history and includes a persuasive argument for the legalization of same-sex marriages. (1999) #3952 $25.

Each leadership guide includes discussion points, opportunities for journal writing, and group and social justice activities. The guides were written by Wendy Bivens and Marta Valentin. Beacon expects to publish more such guides to encourage the use of Beacon books for group discussions.

Journey Toward Wholeness Sunday News

One hundred twenty-five congregations participated in Journey Toward Wholeness Sunday this winter and spring, an increase of 25 over 1999, says Susan Leslie, associate director of the Faith in Action department. The event, held on a day chosen by each congregation, is part of the UUA's Journey Toward Wholeness antiracism initiative.

Two-thirds of a Journey Toward Wholeness Sunday special offering stays with the local congregation for its antiracism work. The rest supports the UUA's Whitney Young Jr. Urban Ministry Fund and antiracism training and resources. Congregations that wish to participate in JTW Sunday receive a book suggesting appropriate readings, chalice lightings, prayers, etc.

For information on how your congregation can participate next year, or on other parts of the Journey Toward Wholeness initiative, go to http://www.uua.org/faithinaction or contact Susan Gershwin; (617) 742-2100, ext. 642; or 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108.

UUA Young Adult Office Adds Contact in Boston

The UUA Young Adult/Campus Ministry office will have a staff person in Boston as of September 5 to help congregations with resources and requests for information. Intern Jesse Jaeger may be contacted at (617) 742-2100 or 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108.

He becomes the fourth staff member of the Young Adult/Campus Ministry Office. Young Adult/Campus Ministry director is Rev. Donna DiSciullo. She and administrative assistant Garrett Klugh are based at 20 Nassau St., Suites 510-511, Princeton, NJ 08542 and can be reached by phone at (609) 252-1412. The fourth staff member is Joey Lyons, district organizer and conference coordinator, (503) 288-6464 (Portland, OR).

RE Directors Can Get UU Kids' Magazine at Reduced Bulk Rates

One of the tools that directors of religious education find most helpful in teaching UU values is the quarterly magazine, uu&me!, for children six to 12. Published by the Church of the Larger Fellowship, the magazine is now available at reduced rates to DREs who order five or more subscriptions.

Regular subscriptions, mailed to individual subscribers, are $17.95. Churches that order five to 10 subscriptions pay $10 each. Eleven or more subscriptions are $7.50. The magazines will be sent to the church, to be distributed by mail or through church school.

To place a bulk order, send a check payable to CLF-uu&me! or a credit card number (with expiration date please), along with the name of a contact person, the church address, and the number of subscriptions to: CLF, 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108, or email your request to Betsy Williams, the CLF's director of religious education.

Antiracism Workshops Planned in Several Cities

Jubilee World I and II antiracism workshops will be held in the months ahead, sponsored by the UUA Faith in Action Department. Jubilee I workshops are open to congregations in the beginning stages of antiracism work. Jubilee II workshops require some preparatory training.

Jubilee I: Oct. 13-15, Arlington, VA; Oct. 20-22, Community Church of New York and UUF of Raleigh, NC; Oct. 27-29, UUF of Bellport, NY; Nov. 3-5, Hingham, MA.

Other antiracism gatherings include: Nov. 3-5, Youth of Color Gathering, St. Louis, MO, and Jubilee II workshop, Denver, CO; Feb. 9-11, 2001, People of Color Gathering, Pacific Southwest District.

Congregations wishing to find out if participating in these workshops would be right for them may contact Christine Murphy, 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108; (617) 742-2100, ext. 451.

Public Radio Support Yields On-Air Publicity

When members of the UU Fellowship, Fairbanks, AK (62 members), contribute to National Public Radio they get not a coffee mug but publicity for the fellowship.

Six years ago the fellowship hit upon the idea of encouraging members who donate to the local station to give the money to the fellowship, which uses it to buy NPR advertising. The fellowship collects $1,000 annually, which buys a 10-second spot every Saturday and Sunday on the morning Weekend Edition news program.

About 100 times a year listeners in Fairbanks hear the following: "Weekend Edition is brought to you in part by the Fairbanks Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, a tradition of thoughtful spirituality and inclusive community." UUF member Brian Rogers credits other members with the idea. During the station's pledge drive the fellowship reminds members they can contribute directly to the fellowship. "Either way the station gets the money," says Rogers. He says many members also donate some money directly to the station to get the program guide.

New Guide Available For Explaining Our Faith

Articulating (Y)Our Faith, a guide to explaining the basics of Unitarian Universalism to non-UUs, is available through the UUA's Young Adult-Campus Ministry office.

The new guide, which includes role playing, UU history, and essays, was prepared for young adults, but may be used by anyone. It includes a workshop format and it may also be used in a several-session adult education setting. The guide, developed by Revs. Jaco ten Hove and Barbara Wells, coministers at Paint Branch UU Church, Adelphi, MD, grew out of their General Assembly workshop by the same name.

The guide is $15 and may be ordered online at http://www.uua.org/ya-cm/ or from the Young Adult/Campus Ministry office at 20 Nassau St., Suites 510-511, Princeton, NJ 08542, or by calling (609) 252-1412.