UU Faith Works: Promising Practices for Lifespan Learning Communities

UU Faith Works Summer/Fall 2005
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From the Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Dear UU Faith Works Readers,

This year brings some exciting changes and additions to the Lifespan Faith Development Staff Group and  I would like to introduce the entire 2005-06 LFD staff group to you.

We are very pleased to announce that Reverend Sarah Ivy Gibb joined the staff as Adult Programs Director on August 1, 2005. Sarah will be familiar to many of you as she has worked for the UUA as a YRUU Program Specialist (1994-95), Our Whole Lives Outreach Coordinator (1997-2001), and a curriculum writer. Sarah, a recent graduate of Harvard Divinity School, was ordained in May by the First Parish in Needham, Unitarian Universalist, where she served as Intern Minister.

Sarah brings a depth and breadth of experiences to this position, including a dedication to justice work in sexuality education and advocacy, safe congregations, anti-racism, and other forms of anti-oppression. As Adult Programs Director, Sarah will oversee the development of programs for adults of all ages, including young adults, middler adults, and senior adults.

Welcome, Sarah!

Dr. Tracey L. Hurd, who has served LFD so well as a Resource Developer since December 2003, has been promoted to Children and Families Program Director. Perhaps you have seen her new book, Nurturing Children and Youth: A Guidebook for Congregations, an LFD product, published by the UUA. If not, be sure to check it out as a resource for your teachers, parents, and RE committee.

Tracey has just completed a successful field-test of a junior and senior high youth program, Families, is preparing a new couples enrichment program for field-test, has developed a teacher development website, is the editor of LFD's resource periodical UU Faith Works, contributes resources for children and families for uua.org, and generally holds a rich portfolio of support for children, parents, families, teachers, and religious educators. All of Tracey's work is faith and justice driven, and she will play a key role in the development of the Tapestry of Faith children's curriculum. Be sure to get to know Tracey.

Congratulations and appreciation, Tracey!

Adrianne Ross, who has supported the LFD director and staff group so admirably for over four years, has been promoted to LFD Office and Project Manager. The expansion of Adrianne's responsibilities is very significant for the work of the director, the staff group, and the entire Tapestry of Faith lifespan curriculum project. In addition to all of the duties of administrative assistant to the director and attendant office management responsibilities, Adrianne will serve as a project manager to our ambitious curriculum and resource development projects. You have undoubtedly benefitted from Adrianne's work, although you may not be aware of the specifics.

Congratulations and appreciation, Adrianne!

The Youth Office has some new positions and faces.

The UUA Board of Trustees has approved the process recommendation of the Consultation on Ministry to and With Youth. This is an exciting process by which the UUA and its member districts and congregations will revision the way we do youth ministry over the next two years. Beth Dana has been hired as Youth Ministry Associate (YMA) – the first-ever – to focus on the youth ministry initiative. Taking a break from NYU, Beth is a Chrysalis Trainer and member of the Anti-Racism Trainer-Organizer collective. Beth is already hard at work bringing leadership to this important work.

Lily Jee Yung Sparks is the June YRUU Programs Specialist, (YPS) for 2005-06. Lily is a past member of both the YRUU Steering Committee and the DRUUMM (Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries) Youth and Young Adult Steering Committee. Lily's responsibilities include supporting the leadership of YRUU and bringing leadership to anti-oppression work. Lily is a valuable addition to the Youth Office, and we are very glad she is with us.

Marissa Gutierrez is our new Youth Ministry Associate (YMA), starting September 1st. Marissa comes to us from southern California, and is a graduate of USC. Marissa's focus will include General Assembly, anti-racism resource development work and AR/AO outreach and networking. We welcome Marissa, and are very pleased to have her with us!

The staff of Lifespan Faith Development is incredibly focused on serving your congregations. Please get to know us, and send us your ideas and success stories as well as your questions and requests. And be sure to send UU Faith Works material to Tracy Hurd, our new editor.

Drive Time Essays is a new resource developed by our District Services Staff Group (see my essay in this issue). This CD is intended for new and not-so-new UUs and includes a good number of essays by religious educators. Thousands of copies were distributed at GA 05. To obtain a free copy, layleadership@uua.org, or Claudia Hull at 617-948-4370.

In faith,

Judith Frediani