The final closing date for the Annual Meetings is fast approaching. Please ensure that all bookings have been received at Essex Hall by 5.00pm on 7 March 2018.
Additionally, this year's Motions and Background Papers have been released. These have been mailed out to congregations, worship leaders and those booked for the Annual Meetings but if you wish to view or download them, they can be found at https://unitarianmeetings2018.com/ under the menu item 'Policy & Debate'.
1. Executive Committee Key Messages, 19 January 2018
1. Retirement of the Chief Officer Derek McAuley, Chief Officer of the General Assembly, gave notice to the Executive Committee (EC) of his intention to retire on 30 April 2019. The EC is grateful to Derek for giving fifteen months’ notice, allowing time to plan for the future. The EC established a small working group to take forward a recruitment and selection process for his successor.
1. Christmas Message from the President of the General Assembly
Recent diggings have unearthed in what is now Turkey evidence that our hunter-gatherer ancestors joined together in the winter months to worship and celebrate. As they took up farming our ancestors started living in cities. The oldest known city in the world is close to the religious complex in Turkey.
1. Executive Committee Key Messages, 25 and 26 September 2017
1. Nightingale Centre Success
The Executive Committee made its annual visit to the Nightingale Centre as the venue for the September meeting and met with members of the Management Committee and the Centre Manager, Stella Burney. All were pleased to hear that the Centre has had a very good year, with the highest level of income ever. It was encouraging to learn that there had been several groups from other faiths booking this year who had found the Centre very welcoming.
It was with sadness that we learned of the death of Rev Desmond Porter on 06 September 2017, at the age of 82. He served at Newry, Warrenpoint and Banbridge (1978-93), Bolton Halliwell Road (1993-07) and Bolton Egerton (Walmsley) (1993-2007).
The funeral service will be at Underbank Unitarian Chapel, Stannington, Sheffield, S6 6AP at 10.30am on Tuesday 19 September 2017, followed by burial in the graveyard.
Are you interested in the Unitarian Youth Programme? Do you have children, teenagers or grandchildren that are in the correct age brackets to come to our weekends? Would you like to send your children to the programme but does something keep stopping you? Are there things that you would like the Youth Programme to offer but it does not? Have you been through or are currently going through the Youth Programme yourself and are interested in its future?
1. Thinking of training for the Unitarian ministry?
Applications for training beginning in Autumn 2018 should be received by Monday 2 October 2017. Short-listed applicants will be called for interview at Oxford on 4 – 5 January 2018.
The format of training provision is currently under review and the 2018 intake will have the opportunity to engage in a more flexible approach to training.
Rev John Harley has decided, after 12 years in the role, to resign from the post of General Assembly Youth Coordinator at the end of October 2017.
John says: “I have enjoyed working with a wonderful team of voluntary youth leaders over the years and it has been a privilege to work with our talented children and young people and witness them exploring our beloved faith and bringing it to life.
A weekend of fun, games and storytelling for 7-12 year olds in the historic city of Canterbury from 28-31 July 2017 staying at the youth hostel. Time to explore the Canterbury Tales visitor attraction and go swimming near Whitstable. There will be free transport from London. There are only 12 places available with a fee of £110.