1. 2020 Congregational Development Programme - Training
The religious landscape is changing at a dramatic pace, and technology is transforming the way we live. How can church leaders adapt and embrace these trends, to grow our Unitarian movement today and into the future?
In two separate 3-day sessions this May at the Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow, the Rev Dr Terasa Cooley will use the frame of Adaptive Leadership to show us how to grow — both in numbers and in spirit — by getting better at understanding congregational systems, navigating conflict, promoting social action, and learning from entrepreneurial ministries. Ministers are invited to attend the 11-13 May 2015 session and lay people on 15-17 May 2015.
Terasa is the Program and Strategy Officer at the Unitarian Universalist Association in Boston, USA, where she oversees all the program departments and key strategic initiatives. She has been a Minister for 25 years, 15 of which she served congregations, and 10 of which she has served the Association.
2020 Congregational Development Team
2. Reminder – Rev John Knopf
The Knopf family and the Edmund Kell Unitarian Church (Southampton) are sending this reminder of a short farewell service to be held at Wessex Vale Crematorium, Bubb Lane, West End, Southampton on 17 April at 11.30am. A longer memorial service for John will be on 18 April at 2.00pm at the Edmund Kell Unitarian Church Bellevue Road, just off London Road, SO15 2AY.
Anyone wishing to offer something to the memorial service, either speaking or a reflection on John Knopf to be shared by Rev John Carter, are invited to send these to him.
07956 304314
3. General Assembly Annual Meetings - "The Great GA Unclaimed Lottery ticket mystery"
The winning ticket for the Iris Voegeli Quilt raffled for Send A Child to Hucklow was unclaimed. The winning ticket was Blue 210.
If you have this ticket please contact Rev Ernest Baker.
Rev Ernest Baker
Send a child to Hucklow (SACH)
4. GA Zette – Daily News Sheet of the General Assembly Annual Meetings
For anyone who missed the General Assembly Annual Meetings GA Zette is the ideal way to find out what went on. Copies of the five editions which were published during the Meetings are now available from The Foy Society. Copies of individual editions are also available for anyone with an incomplete set.
Full sets cost £6.00, single copies of any edition cost £1.50, (inclusive of postage and packing). Copies are also available electronically in pdf format at 50p per copy and £2.50 for a full set.
Please send orders, with name and address for delivery, to Louise van der Hoeven, 13 Lambton Street, Langley Park, Durham, DH7 9YR or email luluvanhoe@yahoo.co.uk, specifying editions required or full sets, as appropriate, together with payment. Cheques should be payable to The Foy Society. For payment by bank transfer please ask for details.
David Warhurst
Foy Society
5. Blessings and Good wishes from the Jesus, Queen of Heaven Team.
It was a real honour and a pleasure to present ‘The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven’ in Birmingham last month at the John Relly Beard Lecture arranged by the Ministerial Fellowship. Many thanks for all of your wonderful messages of support and affection for the piece, both on the day and in your follow ups. Jo and the rest of the team have taken great strength from the experience.
We are excited for the future of Jesus, Queen of Heaven and the Unitarian Church and at the prospect of sharing the piece with you and your congregations across the UK and beyond.
We will be working with our friends in Edinburgh, led by Rev Maud Robinson, to plan a tour for later this year and into 2016. We look forward to working with you to help form alliances between congregations and make links with community groups, Pride festivals, women’s groups and arts organisations to make this happen.
To help us get the planning process underway please get in touch by signing up to our mailing list and letting us know how you would like to connect with the piece. Please tell us if you wish to: just stay in touch; order a script; express interest in screening the film and/or presenting the live piece, including as much info as you can tell us (time of the year/key dates, events or festivals to link in with; links to other church, arts and community groups; venues; size of audience.)
We would also warmly welcome any other thoughts, comments or suggestions you would like to pass on to Jo and the team.
With blessings, best wishes and excitement for the future.
Annabel, Jo and Susan
To contact producer Annabel: queenjesusplays@gmail.org
6. Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund
The Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund website has added an update.
In his 2015 Budget speech to the House of Commons on 18 March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a further £40million to the Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund. This new money brings the total funding package made available to £55million.
The initial scheme is now closed but the Fund will then reopen to new applications later this year, making awards from the additional £25m allocation during 2016. Any applicants who were unsuccessful during the first round of awards will be required to reapply.
Becky Payne
Historic Religious Buildings Development Officer
The Historic Religious Buildings Alliance
The Heritage Alliance
7. Assembly of Unitarians in Europe
June 2017 will see the first ever Assembly of Unitarians in Europe, organised by EUU (European Unitarian Universalists) and DU (Deutsche Unitarier). We invite you and members of your organisation to attend and, if you can, to hold some activities for British Unitarians during the weekend, so that it will truly be a European assembly.
· 3 1/2 days of thought-provoking lectures, workshops, worship, and fun
· Time for reflection, discussion and relaxation
· Opportunity to meet and be in community with Unitarians from across Europe
Please save the date, 2-5 June 2017, and note the location; Ulm/Neu-Ulm, Germany (on the banks of the Danube)
We look forward to seeing you at this exciting event!
The organising committee
PS I have initiated conversation with the Organising Committee on how best to involve British Unitarians. Derek McAuley, Chief Officer
8. Brixton Unitarians
Two of our younger members are our lay preacher Holly Welsh and Sam Jones, recently graduated from Oxford (Theology) and the LSE (Politics) and now working for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Live Below the Line (LBL) respectively.
On Saturday 28 March Brixton Unitarians participated in WWF's Earth Hour, when local businesses and residents were invited to switch-off their electrical supply for one hour.
Sam, on behalf of LBL, also encourages Unitarians in developed countries or otherwise prosperous to raise money for charity by getting sponsored to eat and drink for £1 a day for five days. The challenge week is 27 April – 1 May 2015, Further information can be found on the LBL website.
Brixton Unitarians
9. Media Coverage
- Article about Yorkshire Unitarians marking there 200th Anniversary in The York Press.
- Article about Death of Rev John Knopf in the Southern Daily Echo.
- Article "So who was Rajah Rammohun Roy?" in the Bristol Post.
Derek McAuley
Chief Officer