CUC eNews: March 26, 2019 – Issue 83

In This Issue:

CUC Response to Christchurch

From the CUC Board, Executive Director, and the UU Ministers of Canada

The world weeps with the news of senseless violence and death, and we hold in our hearts the victims and families of the New Zealand mosque shooting. Violence of this kind fueled by hatred and fear cannot be allowed to exist. We choose to respond with love and refuse to respond with more violence.

In the face of our grief, we pledge ourselves anew to act with compassion. Holding true to the inherent worth and dignity of each being, we are moved to respond with kindness and empathy when faced with ignorance and bigotry.

Unitarians will show up beside our Muslim colleagues and siblings. We embrace expressions of religion which champion inclusion and cooperation among all faiths. We will continue to work towards a world where our interdependence is manifested through love and justice.

To demonstrate solidarity and support, we encourage UUs across Canada to participate in vigils in their local communities.

Read “Benediction for the Heavy Heart”

Making Waves in Halifax

The theme for Conference 2020 is Making Waves! Building on the imagery of The Ripple Effect, the CUC’s campaign on water and its related environmental issues, this theme encourages and challenges UUs to make waves that practice radical inclusion, challenge the status quo, and push us to remain relevant into the future.

The waves we make should be far-reaching, have impact beyond UU communities, and affect diverse areas of social justice and equity: racial justice; truth, healing and reconciliation; refugee sponsorship; environmental concerns; assisted dying; radical inclusion of LGBTQ2+, differently abled and marginalized communities; economic and social oppression; multi-generational engagement, and more.

We are called to be an intentionally inclusive community of belonging with adaptive skills and responses to face the challenges of a changing world. We, in fact, envision a world where our interdependence calls us to love and justice.

Votes in the survey that was sent out in early March were very close, with only a few votes separating the final result.

The call for streams and workshops will be issued in the late summer or early fall of 2019. In the meantime, consider volunteering for the conference (because it takes a team to make it happen) and fill in your information here.  Questions about the conference? Email conference@cuc.ca.

2020 National Conference Site

Hosted by the Universalist Unitarian Church of Halifax, the conference from May 15-17, 2020 will take place at the University of King’s College. This small campus is home to just over 1,000 students and its intimate atmosphere makes it easy to get around, with only a few minutes between buildings.

Other campus locations and hotels in Halifax were also considered, and after site visits and consultations with the Host Team co-chairs, the University of King’s College location was picked. One of the main reasons for this is cost. Meals and accommodations at hotels are priced at much higher levels, and the planning team felt that a hotel location would make it financially prohibitive for attendees. King’s small campus and competitive pricing make it a realistic choice, with the accommodations costing much less.

We hope to see you in Halifax, and that you’ll extend your stay to enjoy all that the city has to offer. Registration will open in early 2020.

Volunteer for the Conference

Staff Profile: Joan Carolyn

Joan Carolyn is celebrating her fifth year as Congregational Life Team Lead for Western and BC Regions. The key to making her work possible and filling it with joie de vivre is all the UUs she is privileged to meet. She has discovered that within each Canadian UU community, there exists a wide array of both challenges and causes for celebration. In her work, Joan seeks to draw on and learn from the wisdom and experience, hard work and fun times which have made each UU community UUnique, resilient and full of life.

Joan’s educational background has shaped her perspective on her work, with studies in areas including world religions and cultural anthropology, theology, worship and preaching, conflict resolution, language studies, history, and ethics.

Joan also benefits from strong multi-gen networks informing and blessing her life. She has a deep connection with the full interdependent web of life, and a close defined family that crosses age, nationality, gender identity, race, religion,  and culture, and keeps her supported, loved, laughing, learning and humble.

And in her time off? Joan can be found kayaking, hiking, reading murder mysteries and doing pyrography.

Learn What Our Congregational Development Staff Do

Lay Chaplaincy Training: Designing and Leading Rites of Passage

Friday, April 12 – Sunday, April 14
Registration closes March 29.
Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 79 Hiawatha Road, Toronto

This workshop is for those considering Lay Chaplaincy, recently appointed Lay Chaplains and members of a congregation’s Lay Chaplaincy committee. It provides basic guidelines on the management of a congregation’s Lay Chaplaincy program and the training new Lay Chaplains need to begin their work. The issue over licensing of Lay Chaplains to perform weddings in Ontario is resolved, so this training is ideal for those who have been waiting to take the training in order to become a Lay Chaplain or those who’ve been waiting to explore the option.

Lay Chaplain terms are for six years, so training for new Lay Chaplains is required regularly. Lay Chaplains appointed by your congregations in 2013 or earlier will be retiring soon and you’ll be looking to recruit new ones. Please check the status of your Lay Chaplains and encourage any member who might be interested in attending the Basics Course to consider doing so.

This “Basics” course is the keystone piece to that training, and incoming Lay Chaplains should participate in this training close to the time of their appointment by the congregation. Please note that the Basics training is only held about once a year in each region, so planning ahead will help make sure your congregation is prepared.

We encourage all who are interested in this rewarding and spiritually enriching work to attend. The weekend will be a rewarding experience. One participant in a prior session remarked: “I loved what the trainers and each participant brought to the training experience. Getting to know each of the participants felt as enriching as the actual training”.

Learn More About Lay Chaplaincy

Applications Open for the Junior Youth Observer to the Board (YOB)

Liv Gardiner, Senior YOB

Applications are now being accepted from youth who would like to put their names forward to be the first Junior Youth Observer to the CUC Board!

For the first time, there will be two Youth Observers on the CUC Board. The Board has implemented this to increase engagement with youth, and congregations, and to gain youth perspectives. The YOBs are responsible for bringing youth perspectives and issues to the CUC Board, and for communicating national issues and Board news back to Canadian UU youth.

This is a two-year term. The incoming Jr. YOB will work with current YOB Liv Gardiner for the next year while they learn the ropes. In their second year, they will become the Senior YOB and be responsible for mentoring the next Junior YOB.

Applicants must be:
– Between 14-19 years at the start of their term. This position is especially suited to those who are finishing grade 11 or 12.
– Willing to serve a two-year term.
– Comfortable with and committed to using Google Drive, email, and various social media platforms on a regular basis.
– Willing and available to attend monthly online Board meetings, twice-yearly in-person meetings (about 5 days at a time in May and September) and CanUUdle in May.
– Enjoy big-picture thinking about how Board policies and priorities affect CUC programs and services.
– Comfortable speaking up in a room full of adults.

Take a look at the full job description and application form on the website, and share this information with any youth you think would make a great YOB!

Questions? Contact Liv (yob@cuc.ca) or Casey (casey@cuc.ca).
Applications close March 31. Online elections will be held April 4-18.

Apply Now!

Reminder: April 1 Last Day to Register AGM 2019 Delegates

Please register your Annual General Meeting (AGM) delegates and online voting manager by Monday, April 1. 

Learn More about the AGM

Join the Canadian Unitarian Council on Facebook!

Upcoming Events

Share what’s going on in your congregation. Contact communications@cuc.ca
Deadline: 14th of each previous month.

National Events

CUC 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM), May 11 from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. PT, The Atrium at Centre for Social Innovation, 192 Spadina Ave (please note change of location).

CanUUdle XIX, May 17 – 20 – Hosted by the Unitarian Church of Calgary
CanUUdle is the annual national conference for Canadian UU youth and their adult advisors. It’s a beautiful weekend where youth and adults create an amazing community, worship together, grow as spiritual beings and join in multigen activities. The theme for CanUUdle XIX is Roots and Wings! We will be diving into our identities as Unitarian Universalists.

Chorus, May 17 – 20, Edge Camp Retreat Centre, AB
Each year, Canadian UU young adults (18-35) gather to build beloved community, deepen our cross-country connections, and grow as spiritual beings. Chorus will be held at River’s Edge Camp & Retreat Centre near Calgary. 

International Events

UUA General Assembly 2019: June 19-23, Spokane, WA
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process.

Equity in Action: Gender in an Intersecting World,  April 11-13, 2019, New York City
The UU United Nations Office is excited to host this year’s Intergenerational Spring Seminar on gender equity in collaboration with the UU College of Social Justice. Programming will be interactive and intergenerational, encouraging participants to challenge their assumptions, connecting their activism with grounding in UU faith, and empowering them with the tools to bring back to their communities to make change locally and globally. Youth participation is encouraged – see the primer for youth and youth advisors to help plan for youth participation.

Regional Events

Workshop: Reconciliation in Our Watershed, Friday, April 26 – Saturday, April 27
Unitarian Church of Mississauga
A one and a half day workshop to renew our relationships with Indigenous Peoples and our local watersheds.
Registration: Eventbrite, call 905-278-5622 or email info@uucm.ca

Youth and Young Adult 

Gathered Here: Young Adult Check-In, 4-8, 5-6, 6-10, 7-8, 8-12, 8 p.m. ET
Gathered Here is a monthly online check-in and gathering for Canadian Unitarian Universalist young adults.

Webinars

Worship as a Beacon for Congregational Growth, Saturday, March 30, 9:30 – 12:30 p.m. PT (12:30 – 3:30 p.m. ET)
Part one of two, we’ll explore ways to create meaningful worship that engages minds, hearts, and spirits. Our presenter is the Rev. Dr. Barbara Wells ten Hove.

Connecting Across the Generations, April 13, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m ET
Churches are one of the few places (outside of our own families) where we can make friends across the generations. How can we use that niche to build a sense of community, trust, connection, and care? Facilitated by Asha Philar,  CUC’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry Specialist.

Photography and Video 101, April 20, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Amber Dawn Bellemare will be covering the basic of photography and video creation in this webinar. Among other topics, Amber will address what equipment and software you need, along with providing links to get you started in editing. General guidance and suggestions will be shared to get you up and running. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer period.

Roundtables and Training

THR: Reconciliation Through Film
Film: Angry Inuk – Registration: March 23 – April 10
Watch the film and read the materials: April 10 – April 24
Reflection Group: Wednesday, April 24, 7:00-8:30 p.m. ET and Saturday, April 27, 12:30-2:00 p.m. ET

Lay Chaplain Basics Training: Designing and Leading Rites of Passage, April 12- 14
Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Toronto, ON
This workshop provides basic guidelines on the management of a congregation’s Lay Chaplaincy program and the training new Lay Chaplains need to begin their work.

THR: Reconciliation Through Film
Film: The Road Forward- Registration: April 27 – May 22
Watch the film and read the materials: March 6 – March 20
Reflection Group: Wednesday, June 5, 7:00-8:30 p.m. ET and Saturday, June 8, 12:30-2:00 p.m. ET