Newsbriefs - St. Lawrence District of the UUA

A concert by Adirondack singer songwriter Dan Berggren highlighted a September celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glens Falls.

Preceding the concert, an open house at the church featured information about Religious Education, the Adirondack Foothills Peace Center, and other congregation activities, and a boutique offered Fair Trade goods for sale.

UUCGF president Lili Dobert notes that in addition to the anniversary, the congregation is also marking indications of institutional growth, such as a successful move to year-round services and the hiring of a Director of Religious Education,

Efforts to inform the community about the congregation and its work will continue this year as Glens Falls participates in a Capital Region cluster marketing campaign.

Photo: Tomatoes and marigolds growing on the Athens and Sheshequin church grounds

A summer effort by members of the Athens and Sheshequin congregation brought fresh-from the-garden vegetables to those in need.

As part of the congregation's Feed-A-Friend program, members planted tomatoes, herbs and flowers in twelve tubs donated by the local Coca-Cola bottling company. "They were pretty to look at, and those cherry tomatoes grew better than any tomatoes in town," said Diane Allen, an initiator of Feed-A-Friend and church liaison to the project.

In addition, those with home gardens were asked to plant an extra row for the project. "Some members started gardens just so they could participate," said Allen. "Others who didn't have gardens collected produce from friends and neighbors who did." Bags of lettuces, beans, peppers and many other vegetables were brought to church on Sundays and delivered along with the church-grown produce to a food bank, a kids' café, and a senior citizens home.

Distribution of squash and other fall vegetables will continue as long as they are available. In addition, the congregation plans a community dinner featuring basil harvested, made into pesto, and frozen during the summer.

Allen expects Feed-A-Friend to continue next summer and says the church is "open to other possibilities" in the effort to share the harvest. "There's enough food if we can figure out how to make sure that everyone gets a share," she said.

The initial service at the Brockport UU Fellowship was a success, with about 50 persons in attendance, according to Rev. Peggy Meeker, Organizing Minister.

"People are so pleased that we're here," said Rev. Meeker. "So many of those who came to the service said how much it means to them that we're starting up in Brockport."

The Fellowship has scheduled 11 am services for October 11, November 8, and December 6 at the Brockport Exempt Association; Path To Membership classes will follow the Sunday services.

Building Your Own Theology classes, Spirit in Practice spiritual deepening workshops, and Harvest the Power lay leadership development classes will meet twice a month during the fall at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. In addition, a book discussion group will meet at Lift Bridge Book Shop, and Small Group Ministry will begin in group members' homes. Children's religious education will begin in October.

Vicky Gordon, Music Director at the UU Congregation of Binghamton, has been named a Credentialed Music Leader. Gordon and six others were recognized at June's General Assembly as the first to be credentialed by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

As a candidate for the credential, Gordon completed three years of course work and professional development. She also worked with a sponsor and an advisor to demonstrate her knowledge and skill in areas such as articulating a personal vision of music as ministry, building and organizing a music program, planning and conducting worship services, and demonstrating collaborative leadership and church staff skills.

Gordon cites networking with many excellent music leaders from other congregations as a particular feature of the program. Working closely with Binghamton minister Rev. Douglas Taylor, who served as her sponsor, was another positive experience, according to Gordon. "We grew together, and I became even more conscious of the flow of the service, making sure the music worked with the words," she says.

For the community service project required for the program, Gordon took her choir to a nursing home, to perform and then lead a sing-along with the residents. The appearance was a hit with the audience and the choir members. "We hadn't done anything like it before, but we're going to make this kind of thing an annual event," she says.

Now that she has achieved credentialed status and is better known in the UUMN, Gordon will be asked do music leading nationally. "That means the congregation is better known, too," Gordon says. "When I grow, they grow."

Conflict and stewardship will share the focus at this year's St. Lawrence District Presidents Conference.

The conference, scheduled for 9:45 am - 4 pm Saturday, September 26 at the First Universalist Church of Central Square, is open to presidents, vice-presidents and moderators from District congregations.

" A leader needs to be aware of the dynamics that can lead to conflict, work to prevent or reduce tensions that produce conflict, and know when to ask for help," says Jeanne Crane, District Planning consultant. Crane's presentation will include leaders' options for addressing conflict and a model of right relationship.

Sara Clavez, District Fundraising Coordinator, will discuss stewardship in trying times. She will review types of campaigns and the components of a successful campaign, covering steps to increase the effectiveness of a congregation's stewardship program and ways leaders can support the stewardship committee.

The conference will also include an opportunity for participants to talk together about their experiences with the District's cluster system. District President Ernie Hall will facilitate that discussion.

"The Presidents Conference is a great way to start the year off," says Suzy Farrell, co-chair of the SLD Leadership Development Committee. "There's always a buzz after the conference," she says. "Leaders come away with valuable information and the knowledge that others who are dealing with the same issues are there for support."

More Than 600 UUs Show Spirit at Building Bridges Celebration, as Four Congregations Worship Together

Photo: Rev. Sam Trumbore (Albany, left), Rev. Tom Owen-Towle (keynote), Rev. Tom Chulak (SLD), Rev. Deane Perkins (Glens Falls), and Rev. Priscilla Richter (Schenectady) all participated in the joint service

"Gather the Spirit" sounded through the Hilton Conference Center in Saratoga Springs as more than 600 voices were raised in song to open the Capital Region cluster's shared worship service.

Building Bridges: A Celebration of Beloved Community followed the St. Lawrence District Assembly in April. It brought together the Albany, Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs and Schenectady congregations in worship that included a shared four-panel piece of original art and a combined 86-voice intergenerational choir. Ministers, lay leaders and youth from the congregations participated in the service along with District Executive Rev. Tom Chulak and Rev. Tom Owen-Towle, keynote speaker at the District Assembly.

"We were so happy to have that many people coming together," said Kathy McGowan, Schenectady president and chair of the Capital Region Unitarian Universalists of New York (CRUUNY) cluster. She explained that the celebration was not advertised to the general public, as it was meant to build community among the four congregations as they prepare for a UU marketing campaign in the region.

At the service, lay leaders spoke of each congregation's history and accomplishments but emphasized their common aims and values. "This morning, I see an impressive richness of spirit in this very room," said Brent Wilkes, president of the Saratoga Springs congregation. "I see a depth of common understanding about spirituality, about religious tolerance, about social justice."

Photo: Children show some of the details they helped to paint on their church's Building Bridges panel.

Each of the four congregations painted and decorated an interlocking panel that featured actual bridges in the NY Capital Region. The panels were unveiled and described by youth as part of the April 26 service.

CRUUNY has been working toward a growth effort for several years, McGowan said, and all four congregations are participating in training for welcoming visitors and fundraising for the marketing campaign. The Building Bridges Celebration was clearly a success, she added, and another is already planned for next June.

"We Are In this Together," Rev. Chulak Tells Annual Meeting

Photo: Rev. Tom Chulak speaks to SLD delegates

These difficult times offer us the opportunity to clarify our values, particularly as they relate to spending, Rev. Dr. Tom Chulak, District Executive, told delegates to the St. Lawrence Annual Meeting.

"In the midst of this crisis, we can, if we are open, find what is really important to us," Rev. Chulak said. "It is a great chance to give, to change and be changed."

Rev. Chulak called on congregations to offer support and hope to their members, and said that the District was ready to support the congregations. "We are in this together," he said. "Let us never forget that we have a responsibility to build the beloved community, especially in times of challenge."

The annual meeting concluded the 2009 District Assembly, which drew 174 persons to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany. The 59 annual meeting delegates included representatives of 24 congregations and 16 ministers.

In his address, President Ernie Hall reviewed services provided by the district, noting its commitment to meeting changing congregational needs. The Futures Team, he said, is continuing that work, and is expected to produce a long-range plan "that will focus our efforts for many years to come."

Among current services is the Chalice Lighter Program, through which many individuals contribute twice a year to fund grants to district congregations. The grants, which are awarded by the Growth Committee, can fund religious leadership, building projects, or other efforts for growth and renewal. Brief reports were offered from last year's grant recipients, Rochester Unitarian and Albany, and this year's were announced: $5000 to help the Fredonia congregation continue with a part-time minister; $2000 to Rochester Universalist to build a website to appeal to a new generation of younger members; and $5000 to Binghamton for an RE Assistant to help build an expanded Lifespan Religious Education program.

A Safety Policy for district events, postponed from last year's meeting, was approved by the District Board and affirmed at the meeting. The policy will be reviewed in a year.

Other business included the election of Rev. Frances Manly and Katie Replogle to three-year terms as Trustees and Mick O'Bryan to a one-year term as Youth Trustee on the District Board; Karen West to a three-year term and Karen Palmer and Harsey Leonard to one-year terms on the Nominating Committee. David Friedman was elected to a second term as St. Lawrence Trustee of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The 2009-10 budget was approved as presented. Mark Jackson, treasurer, noted that the budget is balanced while maintaining staff and investing in growth through contributions to a shared four-district growth consultant and a small congregation growth program.

Graduating Seniors, Retiring Ministers
Honored at SLD Annual Meeting

Photo: Rev. Douglas Taylor leads hymn sing at Bridging Ceremony

Graduating seniors were honored in a Bridging Ceremony at the St. Lawrence District annual meeting.

Following a medley of their favorite hymns, the youths left the high school group and were escorted to their seats in the larger community by young adults from the district.

Others honored for their service to the District included board members Karen Palmer and Taylor Longo, RE Committee Chair Jacki Thompson, Nominating Committee Chair Katie Replogle and Compensation Consultant Fred Boreali, all of whom are retiring this year.

Jennifer Hamlin-Navias, Jan Gartner, Ellyn Lentz and Leah Purcell received Religious Education recognition for completing five Renaissance Modules.

Retiring District Ministers Rev. Frances Manly (Niagara Falls), Rev. Anne Marsh (Canton), Rev. Wade Wheelock (Canton), and Rev. Maureen Thitchener (Canandaigua) were honored for their service, as were Rev. Max Coots and Rev. Judy Quarles, District ministers who died within the past year.

Jennifer Hamlin-Navias, Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson, and John McCarthy have received preliminary fellowship in the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee named The Unitarian Universalist Church of Hamburg a Vision of Justice Banner Society for 50 - 75% UUSC membership in the congregation; the First Unitarian Society of Albany, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Big Flats, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua, the First Universalist Church of Central Square, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Northern Chautauqua, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta, and May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society received the Creating Justice Banner Society Award for 25-49% UUSC membership. The Unitarian Universalist Society of Northern Chautauqua, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta, the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady, and May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society received the James Luther Adams award for support from budget of at least $1 per member.

Our preeminent mission as Unitarian Universalists is growing the Beloved Community, Rev. Tom Owen-Towle told his keynote audience at the St. Lawrence District Assembly.

Using examples from his life and ministry, the Minister Emeritus of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego offered a vision of a congregation as beloved community, built and sustained by its members.

The Beloved Community has three dimensions: self-love, neighbor-love, and universal love, according to Rev. Owen-Towle. "You can't send forth what you haven't claimed," he said of the importance of self-love. "What you don't own in your own heart you can't give away."

Rev. Owen-Towle pointed out, however, that self-love is not sufficient. "Unitarian Universalism at its most authentic is never only about self-fulfillment - either everybody is saved or nobody is," he said. "As UU's we know that there lies an indisputable oneness at bottom." We must demonstrate an alternative way of being religious, he added, in order to furnish a large, spacious household rather than a snug, comfortable collective.

Rev. Owen-Towle urged his audience to seek the challenge of the Beloved Community. "Beloved Community transcends our own convictions, ever widening its embrace to include outsiders," he said. "It's always bigger than the imaginable."

Helping people find a religious home is a life-and-death issue, Rev. Kaaren Anderson told those gathered for the Gould Discourse at the opening of the 2009 St. Lawrence District Assembly.

The discourse, named for former district religious educator Josephine Gould, is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association Iroquois Chapter, which chooses one of its members to speak each year.

Rev. Anderson, of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, told her listeners that many who feel isolated and disconnected can find a home in Unitarian Universalism, "that takes seriously deeds over any creed, that is about acceptance not exclusion, an open spirituality over an enforced conformity."

Rev. Anderson pointed out that we have a different way of sharing our good news: not "you should" but "if you are," an invitation rather than a debate. We don't say you should like Thai food rather than Italian food, she said, but "If you like Thai food, our Thai food is awesome."

To help with the invitation, Rev. Anderson distributed CD's of Life Now! Radio, a magazine format show produced in Rochester about living well in this life. She urged individuals to pass on the CD's. "Say, 'hey if you like that show, you'd really like the Unitarian Universalist Society here - come with me sometime,'" she explained.

Saying that her congregation "begged, borrowed and stole" ideas from evangelicals in its successful efforts to bring new persons to our faith, Rev. Anderson offered those ideas to other district congregations interested in bringing in new people and making them comfortable:

- Every congregation of more than 250 members should have a membership services director - "a person who serves as a coherent and consistent guide to help the newcomer navigate their way into the congregation and get hooked," in Rev. Anderson's words. Smaller congregations should be intentional in recruiting a volunteer to perform the same job.
- A congregation should have a clear mission.
- A congregation should develop small groups for spiritual deepening.
- In a congregation with less than 500 at worship, the minister should available for no more than one meeting a month, and rather spend time bringing the unchurched into the congregation, while in a larger congregation, the minister should spend almost all of the work week on worship.
- Pastoral care should be provided not by the minister, but by the small groups, whose members care for each other.

Last summer, Rev. Anderson said, her congregation tried a door-to-door campaign modeled after evangelical campaigns, inviting the neighbors to a concert series and asking how the church could be of help. Neighborhood attendance at the series was excellent, she said, and responses to a brief survey suggested that a community garden on the church grounds would meet neighbors' needs. A garden is planned for this summer.

"In the end it is the evangelicals that remind us at First Unitarian that the work we do matters," Rev. Anderson said. " I care about this tradition, I love it, need it, and want it to help save people from disconnection, loneliness and a shallow life."

Building community was the theme reflected in the eleven workshops offered at the 2009 St. Lawrence District Assembly. Participants chose among opportunities to hone individual and interpersonal skills and to improve congregational programs. Links to workshop materials made available by presenters are included here.

- Erin Gingrich, Ministerial Intern at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, offered "Dance as Spiritual Practice," demonstrating dance as a moving meditation focused on embodying the moment.

- In "Dealing Lovingly with Difference," SLD Consultant Jeanne Crane helped participants explore the effect of group identifications on interactions, sensitivity to one's own and others' hot buttons, and the use of "I-statements" to improved communications. Click here for copies of handouts from the workshop.

- Gerry Kent and others from the Amherst congregation presented "Preaching by Parishioners," offering assistance with the creation of an effective summer program. Click here for a copy of the workshop PowerPoint presentation.

- Participants in the Young Adult and Campus Ministry workshop discussed ways of welcoming young adults and keeping them engaged with Elayne Mosher, SLD Young Adult and Campus Ministry Coordinator. Click here for a copy of Young Adult Resources in the St. Lawrence District.

- Rev. Douglas Taylor of Binghamton offered Lean on Us, a guide to develop strong pastoral structures in our congregations.

- Resources and advice for congregation websites were offered by Christy Multer, SLD Communications Consultant, and Don Porter, Schenectady webmaster, in "Building a Better Congregational Website. See http://bit.ly/RJtiw for material discussed at the workshop.

- "Everything youth" was the subject of "Yakking with YAC," as members of SLD's Youth Adult Committee discussed with participants the status of youth ministry in our district and the impact of the proposed district safety policy on youth programs. See http://www.sld.uua.org/conggrowth/SLD_Safety_Policy_3-1-09_web_proposal1.pdf

- In "12 Hallmarks of Healthy Congregations," District Assembly keynote speaker Rev. Tom Owen-Towle outlined the elements of a vital and flourishing Unitarian Universalist congregation, as described in Rev. Owen-Towle's book of the same name.

- Rev. Aaron Payson of the UU Church of Worcester, MA, discussed how congregations can prepare to deal with violence or natural disasters in "When Emergencies Happen: A Guide to Congregational Preparedness." Click here for a copy of the workshop powerpoint; a congregation emergency plan; a congregation incident report; a fact sheet on worship evacuation; a fact sheet on congregation emergency plans; a family disaster planning booklet; a disaster supplies kit; and disaster preparedness information from the Mid-South District.

- Meryl Beier, of Promise the Children, a UU advocacy organization, spoke in a workshop of that name about working with community partners, planning campaigns, and deciding on promotion strategies. See www.promisethechildrenuu.org and click here for links to materials from the workshop.

"Love Will Guide Us" set the tone at the installation of Rev. Sally Jane Hamlin as minister of the First Universalist Church of Rochester on March 29, 2009.

Calling First Universalist "a congregation with mighty vision and strong passion for the saving message of Unitarian Universalism," Rev. Hamlin promised to work to earn "its trust and its joy."

Karl Abbott, moderator, Becky Elwell, president, and Nancy Gaede, chair of the search committee, acted for the congregation in the installation. Karen LoBracco, program consultant, represented the St. Lawrence District and Ellie Syverud, president of the UU Church of Canandaigua, spoke as convenor of the cluster, Genesee Unitarian Universalist Churches Together. District ministers who took part in the service included Rev. Peggy Meeker, Director of Religious Education at First Universalist; Rev. Joel Miller of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, Rev. Hamlin's home church; Rev. Maureen Thitchener of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua; Rev. Kaaren Anderson, Rev. Jen Crow, and Rev. Scott Taylor of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester. Erin Gingrich and Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson, candidates for the ministry, also participated. Marie Gibson, executive director, and Alberta Moss of the Greater Rochester community of Churches and Anne-Marie Brogan, administrator of neighboring St. Mary's Church, brought greetings.

Rev. Hamlin came to First Universalist from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth, Minnesota, where she was interim minister. She is a 2007 graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry.

Sending a team to the Unitarian Universalist Leadership Team Institute can make a difference in congregational governance, according to Kate Thorpe, Moderator-Elect at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton.

Last year's team members participated in UULTI tracks on governance, growth, and stewardship, but Thorpe notes that their learning went beyond the specifics of any area. "Learning about the spiritual aspects of leadership was huge for us," she says. "Personally, I felt like it gave me energy, a point of view - that leadership isn't about pointing a direction or making decisions, it's about inspiring people."

The "unbelievable energy" the team brought back from UULTI has increased the breadth of their governance conversation. "We struggle between being the nuts and bolts group and being more," says Thorpe, adding that this year there has been more discussion of mission and of defining it to create a focus.

That energy has worked for the congregation in other ways, too. "There have been a few times when something has fallen apart, and the people who have stepped in and saved things were from the UULTI team," Thorpe says.

Binghamton sent six persons to UULTI last summer, and plans to send at least four this year. "We recognize that to develop leaders with more than natural skills, we need to support them," Thorpe says. A grant from the congregation's endowment committee will cover most costs for those who attend.

This year's UULTI is set for July 26 - August 1 at Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA. For more information, see http://www.uulti.org/.

Two day-long retreats have resulted in a draft 5-year plan for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cortland. Almost half the members of the congregation attended at least one of the retreats.

The draft, along with a prioritized list of goals and objectives, will be presented to the congregation at its annual meeting.

Retreat participants drafted a vision statement at the first retreat and, with the help of church member and facilitator Julia Ganson, created a framework for the strategic plan at the second. The facilitator and a small group polished the plan to present to the board, and another small group worked on the goals for the annual meeting.

This detailed approach was necessary, according to Chris Ogden, Cortland president. "Our church has a history of talking about things at length with nothing really happening, so it was important that we were going to have a plan as a result of this effort," she said

The vision includes a commitment to meeting spiritual needs while maintaining the church organization and facilities, and the draft plan creates Historic Renovations and Caring committees to work in those areas.

Children in our church schools must be exposed to radically different environments in order to experience the clash of idealism and reality necessary to moral growth, according to Rev. Richard Gilbert, St. Lawrence District Social Justice Coordinator.

"We need to serve not only children at risk from poverty, but children at risk from affluence," Rev. Gilbert said, speaking to SLD religious educators at their fall gathering.

As examples of opportunities to experience this cognitive dissonance, Rev. Gilbert cited programs in which youth from our congregations served in soup kitchens and homeless shelters, visited New York migrant worker camps and colonias across the border in Mexico, worked on Habitat for Humanity houses and helped to rebuild homes on the Gulf Coast.

Such experiences also offer our youth opportunities to feel empathy with the dispossessed and to question conventional wisdom and entrenched power, Rev. Gilbert said.

Within the church community, we need to educate our children for social change, letting them participate in a religious community "that means something," according to Rev. Gilbert. Each religious education class should have a social action component, he added, so that our children will understand that helping repair the world is part of being Unitarian Universalists.

Canvassing Draws Neighbors to Outdoor Concerts in Rochester
Photo: An Enjoyable July Concert at Rochester Unitarian

Neighborhood canvassing with a service focus brought hundreds to a series of open-air concerts on the grounds of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester last summer.

Attendance at the "Enjoy July" concerts averaged 200, with more than half of those from the neighborhood, according to Rev. Kaaren Anderson, Parish Co-minister of the church.

Ten church members and Rev. Anderson went door-to-door in areas near the church, inviting neighbors to the concert series and leaving a short survey about how the church might be of service to the neighborhood. "It wasn't a sales pitch, so that took away all of the fear for the canvassers," said Rev. Anderson. "Most of them said they had a great time."

While not many neighbors have attended church services in the months since the concerts, Rev. Anderson thinks more may come if the church makes follow-up contacts this spring. "If you couple service with evangelism, then you can go back and say 'this is what neighbors said they want,'" she said.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Chautauqua has announced its Sunday speakers for this coming summer. Services are held at 9:30 am in the Hall of Philosophy; there is no entry fee for the Chautauqua Institution grounds on Sunday.

Spiritual practice was the focus of February's youth Spiritual Learning Conference.

The conference, held at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, offered workshops on dance, mysticism and social justice, and the holy in everyday life as well as presentations on Unitarian Universalist worship to 29 youth and adults.

Kelly Masters, St. Lawrence District Youth Program Coordinator, called the conference "a great success" noting that Youth Adult Committee members were excellent hosts and those in attendance were active participants, getting to know each other as they learned about spirituality. Masters said Rev. Joel Miller's workshop on creating truly multi-generational worship for youth and adults - those who grew up UU and those who came to Unitarian Universalism later - was particularly inspiring to the participants.

The conference was a first trial of a new format for youth learning conferences in the district, using local resources and allowing more social, networking, and processing time for participants.

What vision do you hold for the future of your congregation and Unitarian Universalism? The Futures Team has begun a series of meetings in congregations as part of the inquiry phase of its work on a new 5-year strategic plan for the St. Lawrence District. To learn more & share your ideas, visit our new Futures Team page.

Conference in Syracuse to celebrate the Birth & Growth of Unitarian Universalism

How does what happened in Syracuse, NY, 50 years ago speak to us about fundamental UU values, the road we have traveled, and the road that still lies before us? Plan now to join us on October 30-31 as we commemorate the formal vote that brought Unitarians and Universalists together and created the UUA.

Renovations on the new Unitarian Universalist house at Chautauqua continue as rooms fill for this summer's June 27 - August 29 season.

Most rooms in the UU house at 6 Bliss St. are reserved for its first season, but openings remain during several weeks. The UU Fellowship of Chautauqua, which purchased the house last summer, schedules a service led by a UU minister each Sunday of the summer season. Lectures, concerts, and activities offered by The Chautauqua Institution are available during each week.

For information about UU House rooms and reservation forms, see www.uufchautauqua.org. This year's Chautauqua program is described at www.ciweb.org.

This summer Unirondack Camp and Conference Center offers week-long camp programs for five age-groups, as well as trip camps for teens and family camp.

Programs for youths in grades 4 - 12 include all-camp themed activities and workshops focused on arts, nature and games, as well as the traditional swimming, canoeing, and hiking. Activities emphasize UU values and community-building, and are designed to meeting the needs of each age group.

Weeklong camps begin July 5 and continue through August 29; several retreats and weekend events are scheduled for May and June. More details and registration forms for campers and potential staff members are available at www.unirondack.org.

In spite of an ice storm that forced cancellation of one performance, First Unitarian Society of Schenectady's 10th Yuletide Revels was a great success, according to Gareth Griffiths, FUSS music director and Yuletide Revels producer.

"We've never had an audience like this year's," Griffiths said of those who came to the remaining Sunday morning performance. "I think people who'd been in bad moods because of the storm were glad to come in, be warm and enjoy themselves for an hour."

Schenectady's biennial Yuletide Revels, in the centuries-old English tradition, tells a life-death-rebirth story in rhyming couplets, with music, dancing, and audience participation. More than 100 church members were involved in this year's performance as members of the cast, choirs, production crew and support staff.

The production was also a financial success. In addition to donations given at the performance collection, titled sponsorships (among them Baron and Baroness of the Great Hall, Knight and Lady of the Venerable Order of the Chalice) were offered, and a Revels Shoppe sold jester wands, hats, circlets, and t-shirts with the Yuletide Revels logo. Income was about $11,000, Griffiths said.

More than 50 persons from 13 St. Lawrence District congregations attended a "Big Ideas for Small Congregations" workshop at the Unitarian Church of Barneveld in November. Another SLD congregation was represented at a similar workshop in the Ohio-Meadville District.

More than half the congregations in St. Lawrence - 19 of 34 - are considered small, with memberships under 100. The SLD Growth Committee sponsored the Barneveld workshop as part of its effort to respond to the particular needs of those congregations.

At the workshop, Ellen Germann-Melosh, co-author of Big Ideas for Small Congregations, a Friendly Guide for Leaders, led those present in discussion of what they did well, what they could share with each other, and what they would need to create change and grow.

In addition to putting workshop ideas to immediate use, a number of District congregations have applied to participate in a three-year UUA pilot project, which will include a series of workshops and consultations designed to grow small congregations in spirit, maturity and numbers.

Photo: Rev. Darcey Laine and helpers cut the cake at a reception following her installation

The Unitarian Univeralist Church of Athens and Sheshequin celebrated its "Roots and Wings Weekend" in October, marking the congregation's 200th anniversary with a bicentennial dinner and celebrating its hopes and promises for the future at the installation of the Rev. Darcey Laine.

More than 80 members and guests attended the weekend's events. The Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern of Palo Alto California delivered the sermon at the installation service, and Karen Palmer, St. Lawrence District vice president, represented the district.

The UU Fellowship of Chautauqua recently purchased the house, located at 6 Bliss St. on the Chautauqua grounds. The house has 6 bedrooms, one a family room and one handicapped accessible, three full baths (one handicapped accessible) and two half baths. The Fellowship is currently accepting requests for rooms at the rate of $300/week. For rental information and reservation forms, visit www.uufchautauqua.org.

The Chautauqua Institution offers a full summer program of education, entertainment and recreation (see www.ciweb.org). The UU Fellowship of Chautauqua, like many other denominational groups on the Institution campus, schedules services led by UU ministers throughout the season.

Small groups ground individuals in the church, according to Rev. Scott Tayler, Co-Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester. "The sermon is the bait, but small groups are the hook," he says.

There are more than sixty small groups at First Unitarian this fall, including fourteen Soul Matters covenant groups, which consider monthly worship themes, and four Wellspring groups, which focus on spiritual deepening. Other groups and classes focus on education and enrichment, music and arts, social action and community building.

There is a reason for offering many groups focused on spiritual development, according to Rev. Tayler. "Spiritual development groups feed people, and well-fed people don't mind feeding others," he says.

The covenant groups follow monthly worship themes "so as not to silo people off from each other," Rev. Tayler says. The worship topic is something everyone has in common: "It's something to talk about at coffee hour," he explains.

The church offers many traditional adult education classes, but attendance there has been lower than at continuing groups. These days, according to Rev. Tayler, people don't have enough time to commit to four Wednesdays in a row, but will sign up for the fourth Wednesday of every month. In addition, the groups offer opportunities to get to know others well. "Classes aren't enough," Rev. Tayler says. "You need ongoing relationships to complement classes - an ongoing friend community."

Associate Minister Rev. Jen Crow, who is now responsible for groups and adult education, says this year staff members will focus their time on "Journey" groups which include those for women and writers as well as Soul Matters, Wellspring and Buddhism groups. Currently, 216 persons participate in these groups.

The Wellspring spiritual deepening experience includes reading, writing, discussion, and spiritual direction. Rev. Crow, author of the program with First Unitarian members Joy Collins and Libby Moore, notes that a number of Wellspring graduates have taken leadership positions in church. "They have the background of our history and theology and they can articulate what Unitarian Universalism is," she says. "They have a powerful sense of how this has changed their lives and how they want it available to others."

Rev. Crow says she aims to work with group leaders on "how you understand your service in church or out in the community as part of your spiritual life." "It's important to emphasize not just how to get things done here, but how to do things," she says. "To those who deal with you as a leader, you are the church." She and a church member are planning a pilot weekend spiritual leadership training for facilitators of Journey groups. These facilitators, Rev. Crow says, "are shepherding people at a vulnerable time, in addition to bearing the responsibilities of any small group leader."

Hats, mittens and sweaters are warming children in the mountains of Pakistan thanks to the work of knitters at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua.

The group began its work in the year after the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and so far has produced more than 300 knitted items for families in the affected area.

In August, Mujtaba Haider Imran, president of Pakistan Relief, the Humanitarian Aid Division of Wilderness Pakistan, visited Canandaigua to speak with the knitters and others about his organization’s work. More than 35 people attended the Pakistani dinner prepared by Imran and three colleagues and made contributions sufficient to fund a Pakistan Relief skill center, where women and girls learn sewing or other skills to help support their families.

Kathy Keller, a member of the church and one of the knitters, said the group will continue to knit for children in Pakistan. She said the representatives of Pakistan Relief said the Canandaigua package was the first box from outside Pakistan to arrive after the earthquake. “People were so surprised that it was from the US, that we cared about them, that our items were free!” Keller added. (Photo by Mujtaba Haider Imran)

Rev. Peggy Meeker was ordained by the congregation of the First Universalist Church of Rochester on Sunday, August 3.

Rev. Meeker, who graduated from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in May with a Masters of Divinity degree, served last year as Ministerial Intern at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua.

District ministers with roles in the ordination included Rev. Jen Crow, Rev. Sally Hamlin, Rev. Scott Taylor, Rev. Richard Gilbert, Rev. Kaaren Anderson, and Rev. Maureen Thitchener. Other participants were Rev. Meeker’s partner, Marie Gibson, Ellie Syverud, president of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua, Rev. Pat Youngdahl and Rev. Gordon V. Webster of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Richard N. Myers from the Greater Rochester Community of Churches. (Photo by Michael Van Arsdale)

The Social Justice Committee at Syracuse May Memorial plans to resettle an Iraqi family through InterFaithwork’s Center for New Americans, providing household furnishings and a security deposit, rent and food for a month, transportation to appointments and general assistance. Children in May’s religious education program donated their Sunday collections for the past year to the project.

In May the District’s Southern Tier Cluster held a training for those who will take its new In-House Leadership Curriculum to cluster congregations. A grant from the New York State Convention of Universalists funded a consultant to work with cluster leaders to develop the curriculum, which will also be presented at the NYSCU Annual Meeting in October.

Plattsburgh has formed a Compassionate Cooks group to provide meals to members during times of need.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy has awarded a matching grant of $3000 to the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta for restoration of its stained glass windows. The grant is part of the Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Program, which works with congregations to ensure the continued use of their buildings.

After church one Sunday in August, the First Universalist Church of Central Square sponsored an ice cream social with a twist – participants made their own ice cream.

The Canton congregation is planning ride-sharing to church to help members save gas, help the environment, and build friendships.

A carpool/walk-to-church Sunday planned for October in Saratoga Springs will be preceded by Saturday neighborhood suppers to allow members to meet potential walking/biking/driving partners.

The Religious Education Committee at Binghamton sponsored an August camping trip to Chenango Valley State Park in Port Crane.

The Albany congregation is beginning work on construction of its Susan B. Anthony Habitat for Humanity House.

Among the St. Lawrence District congregations holding special services or collections for the Knoxville Relief Fund was the Unitarian Universalist Church of Athens and Sheshequin. In August, led by its new minister, Rev. Darcey Laine, the congregation held a vesper service and sent banners of support to Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and Westside Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the two congregations which lost members in the Knoxville shooting. (Photo by Chris Eng)

Members of four Unitarian Universalist churches marched together in Rochester’s annual Pride Parade July 19, 2008. This year’s parade theme was “Happily Ever After” and Grand Marshals were Pat Martinez and Lisa Golden, plaintiffs in Martinez v. Monroe County, the local case that led the courts to rule that same-sex marriages legally entered into in another state or country must be recognized in New York.

The UU cluster – Pullman Memorial Universalist Church (Albion), Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua, First Universalist Church of Rochester and First Unitarian Church of Rochester – has adopted the name GUUSTO – Genesee Unitarian Universalist Societies Together. (Photo by Gerry Szymanski)

Members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Chautauqua have voted to incorporate and move ahead with the purchase of a building on the Chautauqua Institute grounds. The Fellowship, which meets during the summer, draws members from many other UU congregations.

According to Fellowship president Robert Hopper, the congregation expects to close soon on the house at 6 Bliss Ave., and to make its rooms available for rental next season. “We’re working on steps needed to improve the house to make it appropriately handicapped-accessible, energy efficient and ecologically friendly, “ Hopper said.

Renovations to the house will bring its capacity to 20, including a handicapped-accessible room. According to Hopper, it will eventually be available for off-season group retreats as well as for rental during the Chautauqua summer season. (Photo by Sarah Novak)

First UU of Albany has set up a new planning committee to facilitate discussions during the next year among FUUSANs about who they are as a congregation, what they are called to do at this time, and who are their neighbors.

A FuturesTeam has been created in Barneveld to lead the congregation in molding a vision of the future, to help it set priorities, and to suggest a pathway to that future.

The Canton congregation is examining class issues in an effort, according to Co-Minister Anne Marsh, “to think together about how we can open our doors even wider, and how we can help everyone who walks through those doors feel accepted and included.”

The Earth Day celebration organized by the Fredonia congregation, EarthFest 2008, attracted more than 300 guests to the environment-themed small group discussions, information displays, coffee sales, silent auction, children’s activities and evening concert.

The Oneonta Community Health Center, organized to provide free health care to those without health insurance, will open July 1. The Oneonta congregation initiated the project more than two years ago to meet a significant community need.

The UU Congregation of Saratoga Springs has appointed four mediators as staff for the congregation’s Dispute Settlement Procedure, which offers the confidential assistance of a neutral third party in clarifying and resolving disputes within the congregation.

Knitters at Schenectady are forming a group to work with Afghans for Afghans, a project that sends hand-knit and crocheted wool blankets, sweaters, vests, hats, mittens and socks to the people of Afghanistan.

Rev. David Blanchard has challenged members of the Utica congregation to donate 500 rolls of toilet paper during May. Rev. Blanchard says the mountain of toilet paper will “…help remind ourselves, through a very visual device, what a difference a relatively small group of people can make.” The rolls will be distributed to local agencies that serve the poor.

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee honors 13 District Congregations
April 2008

One of the highlights of the SLD Annual Meeting on April 25, 2008, was the announcement by Jack Maniloff of congregations that are being honored for their support of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee during 2007. Here is the text of his presentation:

"The UUSC's work for social justice and human rights in the United States and around the world is only possible with the generosity of individuals and congregations. The UUSC has recognized a number of congregations in the St. Lawrence District as 2007 Honor Congregations with three types of awards.

The Beacon of Justice Banner Society Award honors congregations in which 75-99 percent of their membership are UUSC members. We celebrate 1 congregation with this award: the UU Church of Athens and Sheshequin.

The Creating Justice Banner Society Award honors congregations in which 25-49 percent of their membership are UUSC members. We celebrate 9 congregations with this award:
     First UU Society of Albany,
     UU Fellowship of Big Flats,
     First Universalist Church of Central Square,
     UU Church of East Aurora,
     UU Society of Northern Chautauqua in Fredonia,
     UU Congregation of Glens Falls,
     UU Church of Hamburg,
     May Memorial UU Society in Syracuse, and
     UU Church of Amherst in Williamsville.

The James Luther Adams Award honors James Luther Adams, whose career spanned most of the 20th century: minister of two Unitarian churches in Massachusetts, then professor at Meadville/Lombard and later Harvard Divinity School. As a teacher, he inspired generations of students as he spoke of the prophetic core of Unitarian Universalism and the moral imperative to justice.

The James Luther Adams Award honors congregations for their generous line-item contribution of a gift from their annual budget of at least $1 per church member. We celebrate 3 congregations with this award:
     UU Society of Oneonta,
     First Unitarian Church of Rochester, and
     All Souls UU Church in Watertown.

The UUSC thanks these UU congregations and members for their exceptional levels of support for the UUSC. Their generosity enables the UUSC to continue its work advancing human rights and social justice, from Darfur to New Orleans."

(Note: Jack Maniloff is a member of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester and is UUSC Regional Coordinator for the St. Lawrence District. He is available to all congregations in the District, to help them learn more about the UUSC's role in our history and in living our UU faith. He can be contacted at jkmf@mail.rochester.edu or by calling (585) 924-1768.)

The fourth annual Spiritual Arts Fair is planned for the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta in April. The fair will feature workshops on topics such as guided meditation, Reiki, and flower essences, along with vendors of related products and lunch made by church members.

Members and friends of the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady have been invited to add stories and notes about milestones, events, joys and sorrows to the timeline posted in the Great Hall during January and February. Rev. Pat Hoertdoerfer, religious education consultant, will reflect on the congregation’s living history project in a service at the end of February.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs is holding a series of four seminars in January and February on sources of conflict, conflict avoidance, and conflict resolution techniques. The series was prompted by the Board’s adoption of a conflict resolution procedure and a Covenant of Community.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Northern Chautauqua sponsors a
Cooperative Dining Group whose members share a meal each week of an eight-week cycle. Members reduce their energy use while they enjoy the company of others in the congregation.

Members of the Hornell-Alfred Unitarian Universalist Society hold silent peace vigils before and after their Sunday meetings in Hornell.

The Chautauqua Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is raising funds for a UU House on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institute, where the fellowship offers a full program each summer. The house would offer rooms to Chautauqua visitors and house other activities during the summer season.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua and the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady have been accepted as candidates for Green Sanctuary accreditation by the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo’s Green Sanctuary program sponsored a small appliance exchange during January, with congregation members bringing in used but usable items for the first three Sundays and choosing needed appliances at the end of the month.

At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Amherst, Eagle Scout candidates installed several birdhouses in the memorial pet garden and built a fence around the area.

The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany is holding a series of conversations – at church and over dessert in members’ homes - where members can reflect on our UU Principles and Purposes. Results of the conversations will be forwarded to the UUA Commission on Appraisal, which is conducting a review of the Principles.

New member churches were admitted to the New York State Convention of Universalists for the first time in more than forty years at the Convention’s annual meeting October 13, 2007, in Oneonta.

The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua became the 24th and 25th NYSCU members following a recent change in NYSCU bylaws which allows the admission of societies which affirm the Convention’s mission statement and commit to incorporate the Universalist name in all communications.

Delegates and others at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta heard keynote speaker John Buehrens, former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, speak on “A House for Hope: Liberating the Spirit of Liberal Religion.”

Next year's annual meeting, set for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Poughkeepsie, NY, on October 10 and 11, 2008, will feature Dr. Charlie Clements, president of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, as keynote speaker.

The new Emerson Community Hall is dedicated by the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany on Saturday, September 15, 2007.

Dave Munro, president of the Albany congregation, speaks at the dedication of Emerson Hall. Also pictured, L to R: Rev. Sam Trumbore, Rev. Dr. Tom Chulak, UUA Moderator Gini Coulter, and Albany vice president Linda Way. (Photo by Ferd Haverly)

Participants in the dedication service spoke of Albany’s commitment, as an urban church, to social justice leadership, to welcoming the stranger, and to seeking and speaking the truth. “We have a strong vision that will fill this new space,” said Rev. Sam Trumbore, minister. “We have a strong vision of the Spirit of Life as interpreted through human minds as our primary source of guidance, a strong vision based on human values as our primary source of action, a strong vision based on respect for and valuing of the interdependent relationship of all life.”

Emerson Hall is composed of a 2500-sq.ft. community room used for worship services and large events, two new religious education classrooms, and a library. The Hall’s maple flooring and the theatre seats in the balcony of the community room were recycled from two closed Albany public schools, and congregation members helped salvage, clean, and transport the materials.

The building expands not just the Society’s space, but its presence in the community. According to Amy Lent, administrator, the new space is popular with community groups for special events and regular use. “It’s already obvious that we’re serving a real community need,” she said.

Members and friends of the First Universalist Church of Rochester, NY, join hands in benediction at the church building centennial celebration in 2007. Rev. William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, spoke at the service, urging the congregation to find ways to spread liberal religious values. In her attached article (pdf format), Karen Dau, church historian, offers a brief summary of the church’s last hundred years and suggests its future direction. (Photo by Michael Scott)

This column is compiled from congregation newsletters and the reports of District Board cluster liaisons. Send your announcements and photos to Ellen Asprooth, SLD Reporter, or call her at (585) 482-3064.