Deadline To Review Membership For GA 2001, Fair Share

Now is the time to review your membership records. A count of actual members should be sent to the UUA by Feb. 1. This number is the basis for calculating delegates for General Assembly 2001, which will include the election for president, moderator, and other association offices.

The number of members should be reported on the 2001 GA Certification Form that will be mailed to all congregations in November. The membership number is also used to calculate the "Fair Share" contribution that each congregation is asked to make annually to support the work of the UUA.

The UUA Bylaws define a member for reporting purposes as "any individual who pursuant to its procedures has full or partial voting rights at business meetings of the society and who is certified as such by an authorized officer of the society. (Sec. C-3.11).

For congregations with fewer than 550 members, Fair Share is $42 per member this fiscal year and $44 next year. Congregations of 550-plus are asked to pay either per member or 4.2 percent of total expenses. The deadline for all contributions for a particular fiscal year is June 30. Congregations are encouraged to pay on a monthly or quarterly basis. Questions may be directed to Mary Miles, UUA Annual Program Fund director, 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108; or (617) 742-2100, ext. 513.

Interacting With People Who Have Disabilities

In consideration of people in your congregation who may have disabilities, do the following: Be aware of barriers––of architecture, attitude, and communication––that prevent people with disabilities from full participation. Offer assistance, but do not impose. Ask the person about the best way to be of assistance.

During a service, say, "Please stand as you are willing and able." Make a microphone available and ask all speakers to use it to help people with hearing difficulties.

From What Do I Say? What Do I Do?, a free 24-page booklet available from the UUA’s Religious Education department. Contact Rachael Brown, 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108 (617) 742-2100, ext. 454.

Grants Available To Boost Pay of RE Professionals

Congregations that want help in raising the pay of their religious educators to responsible levels may apply for grants from the Liberal Religious Educators Association Grant Committee. Deadlines are November 1, 2000, and March 1, 2001.

Grants of up to $15,000 over a three-year period are available to congregations with a religious educator working half-time or more, to support the compensation package, including salary, benefits, and professional expenses.

The grants come from an $800,000 contribution from the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset, NY. For more information on the LREDA/ Shelter Rock grants contact Michelle Favreault, LREDA Grant Committee c/o the UUA RE Department, Office of Professional Development, 25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108.

Building Our Faith, Building Our Cities

The next urban ministries conference, Building Our Faith, Building Our Cities, will be held March 8-11 at the Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago. Lay leaders and professional staff who are interested in practical information about urban ministries, as well as an opportunity to network and discuss a variety of urban ministry issues, are invited.

Information about the conference is online. Registration forms are online or available from the Rev. Tracey Robinson-Harris, (617) 742-2100, ext. 462, who is deputy director, Department for Congregational, District, and Extension Services, the conference sponsor. Forms should be returned to her at 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108.

The keynote speaker will be Imam Talib Abdur Rashid of the Mosque of the Islamic Brotherhood in New York City. He is active in interfaith work, including a prison ministry. He will also talk about how his religious tradition provides him with guidance and strength. The conference will include a miniconcert by the Chicago Children’s Choir and there will also be a conference choir and a dance.

Membership Committee Kit Available Online

A collection of many of the documents that a membership committee needs is now available on the InterConnections website. The collection of 18 documents includes sample membership bylaws, committee budgets, and job descriptions, as well as several newcomer class outlines and visitor information forms.

Feel free to download any of the documents and tailor them to your own needs. The InterConnections website also contains many InterConnections articles on membership issues.

Election Dos and Don’ts

Churches are free to speak out on issues, but may not participate in political campaigns on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office, the Internal Revenue Service says. To do so risks loss of nonprofit status. Banned activities include candidate endorsements, donations, fund-raising, and even programs that are "nonpartisan" but help or hurt a specific candidate. Forums that do not take sides are allowed.

Young Adult Leadership In Social Activism

A leadership school to train young adults in social activism will be held January 5-10, 2001, at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Centers, Highlands, NC. Cost is $195. Contact Kirstin Maanum at The Mountain, (828) 526-5838 ext. 226.

Prior to attending the school, called 2001: A Leadership Odyssey, participants will take part at home in internet study sessions on UU heritage and values and how they relate to social justice.

The school, made possible by a grant from the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program, is to "provide tools and skills for young adults who are motivated to work for radical social change and responsibility," says Shelley Jackson Denham, director of Milestone Learning Center at The Mountain.

See The Mountain website for more information.

Responses Requested To Leadership Survey

A Page One article in the August InterConnections asked readers to respond to two questions to help a gathering of UU leaders chart new directions for leadership development and training this winter. If you have not responded, please do so.
The questions:

• What UU leadership development and training opportunities have been most useful to you?
• • What new leadership training  opportunities would you like to see?

Tips on Sermonizing

A good sermon must do three things. It must entertain. If you are boring, all else is lost. It must inform. You have to tell people something they did not already know or at least put a new spin on it. And it must inspire. The last point is what makes a sermon a sermon, rather than a lecture.

To Recruit Volunteers Tell About Mission

When recruiting volunteers for committees, rather then telling them "we need you to fill this slot," tell them why they’re the best person for the job. Elaborate on their qualifications, insights, and experiences. Tell them how it fits into the mission of the church and how their participation will help the church move forward.

Tell them specifically what the position entails, including job description, responsibilities, frequency of meetings, and amount of work required between meetings. Include long- and short-range goals. Also tell them how long the responsibility will last (a month or a year) so they’ll know they won’t be on the committee forever.

From the Workshop on Growth for Small Congregations, UUA Department of Congregational, District, and Extension Services.

Service Honors Animals And Places in Our Lives

The Rev. Jacqueline Ziegler, interim minister at the Unitarian Church, Harrisburg, PA (281 members), holds an annual service where members and others may come to remember an animal companion. People are invited to bring pictures of animals that have been part of their lives. At the service they are asked to write a short poem about the animal and read it aloud, as well as light a candle. Ziegler chooses not to use the term "pets," because of its connotation of ownership.

People are also invited to share a sadness about the loss of a geographic place, such as a wetland or woodland that has been developed, or a farm or house from childhood. Ziegler said the service is publicized in the community and attracts people from outside the church. She borrowed the idea from the book by Rev. Gary Kowalski, Goodbye Friend (1997, Stillpoint; UUA Bookstore (800) 215-9076, #4326, $11.95).