LIBERAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
2009 GENERAL
ASSEMBLY IN SALT LAKE CITY, UT
Registration
form for Professional Day click here
Application
for scholarship money for Professional Day click here
Information
on all LREDA GA Events and Luncheon registration form click here
LREDA PROFESSIONAL DAY 2009: REvive Yourself!
Wednesday, June 24th
Keynote speaker:
Rev. Dr. Nancy Crumbine
"Religious Education:
The Heartbeat of Our Movement"
The keynote will explore how spirituality and creativity
abound within the anxieties of our lives as educators. To nurture ourselves
in ways that keep us centered and healthy in a troubled and broken world, we
can manage our difficulties so that we remember what really matters. Bring
your spirit, enthusiasm and your voices, as music and humor will permeate her
talk.
The Rev. Dr. Nancy Jay Crumbine is a Unitarian Univeralist
minister, a professor at Dartmouth College,
a writer, actor, and public speaker. She has been a keynote speaker at
many UU conferences both in the US
and the UK,
including Star Island
(RE and Arts weeks), UK Hucklow, Silver Bay UU Weekend in New
York, and the GA of British Unitarians in Chester,
England. She is the
author of Humility, Anger, and Grace, Meditations Towards a Life that Matters
and The Unitarian Paradox. Her poems appear in two volumes of The Still
Poodle Poets.
WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS 1:15-2:45 pm
- Writing and
Singing as Spiritual Practice with Rev. Dr. Nancy Crumbine
- A Reconfigured RE
Credentialing Program with Jan Devor and the RECC
- A Conversation for
Chapter Conveners facilitated by Patti Withers and Barb Greve
(registration fee waived for Chapter Chairs/Conveners)
Good Officer training also available. Open to those who
have been nominated by their Chapters.
SOPHIA
LYON FAHS LECTURE
Thursday, June 25th,
10:45
am-12
Lecturer: The
Rabbi Sandy Sasso
"Nurturing the
Spiritual Imagination of Children"
All children have a spiritual life. Despite their desire
to talk about God, religious education has often discouraged children from
asking the big questions of life's meaning. Discover ways to give our
children the language to encourage the life of the spirit.
Annual Meeting and Luncheon: Saturday, June 27th,
12:30-3 at the Marriott
Suite Talks:
Thursday 3-6; Friday 9 am-12; Sunday 3:30-5:30
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PAST
GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
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2008 General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Frequently
Asked Questions
Letter from the LREDA Board to the UUA
Board
Letter to LREDA Members from the LREDA Board
LREDA PROFESSIONAL DAY 2008
Wednesday, June 25
Hyatt Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Click here for SCHOLARSHIP FORM FOR LREDA
PROFESSIONAL DAY
Please note: LREDA will offer two trainings for Good
Officers this year - one during
Pre-GA Professional Days, and the other in October just
prior to the opening of LREDA
Fall Conference.
Schedule
8:00-9:00 AM Continental
Breakfast and Registration
Crystal Ballroom Foyer
9:00-9:30 AM Worship
Crystal Ballroom 3
10:00 AM-Noon Keynote Presentation: “Finding
the Divine in Nature”
Joseph Cornell
Crystal Ballroom 3
Noon-1:15 PM Box lunch
Noon-3:00 PM Good Offices Training (pick up box lunch
first)
Chairman's Boardroom
1:30 PM-3:00 PM Choice of
Workshops
(detailed list follows)
3:30 PM LREDA members
are invited to attend the UUMA’s
Berry Street Lecture at the
Signature Grand Catering Center
in Davie, about 8 miles
(15 minutes) from the Convention
Center area. Carpooling or cab-pooling recommended.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: JOSEPH CORNELL
"Finding the Divine in Nature"
Internationally acclaimed naturalist and author Joseph
Cornell will share
the secrets and insights used by mystics such as Henry
David Thoreau to
feel the Divine in nature. Joseph will also re-enact
inspiring stories from
the life of John Muir to communicate the joy that comes
from living close
to Nature’s heart. To help inspire others,
you’ll learn uplifting Sharing
Nature techniques to experience God’s love,
stillness, and grandeur while outdoors. These games,
stories, songs, and meditations expand one’s sense of
self and help children and adults feel greater
love and empathy for our world. You will also learn about
Flow Learning, a simple yet subtle and
powerful method of teaching based on universal principles
of awareness and spiritual awakening. The
four stages of Flow Learning gently and beautifully guide
people, step by step, to deeper, more
profound experiences of nature and God.
Joseph Cornell is “one of the most highly regarded
nature educators in the world today.” His award-winning
Sharing Nature Books have been published in twenty
languages and have “sparked a worldwide revolution in
nature education.” Joseph is the president and
founder of Sharing Nature Foundation and is the honorary
president of Japan Nature Game Association, an organization
of over 11,000 leaders. For over thirty years
Joseph has been a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and a
student of Swami Kriyananda. Joseph serves at
Ananda Village as a minister
and meditation teacher. For more information, see: www.sharingnature.com
and www.josephbcornell.org.
Wednesday Afternoon Workshops 1:30—3:00
PM
A. Flow Learning in Religious Education Programs
Presenter: Joseph Cornell
~ Crystal Ballroom 3 ~
In this workshop you will experience joyful and inspiring
nature activities and Flow Learning’s four stages: 1)
Awaken Enthusiasm; 2) Focus Attention; 3) Experience
Directly; and 4) Share Inspiration. Flow Learning can
help you generate more enthusiasm among students, increase
their receptivity, give students deeper intuitive
insights and actual experience of your subject, and inspire
greater appreciation and idealism for the topic.
Joseph will discuss ways for adapting the principles of
Flow Learning for all your classes.
B. Rejuvenation through Song!
Presenters: Jan Gartner and Pat Kahn
~ Crystal Ballroom 1~
Singing in community is an uplifting and spiritual experience,
connecting us with something deep within
ourselves and with one another. Join us for hymns,
songs, and chants – enjoy familiar favorites and learn some
new ones. Come prepared to teach a song yourself, if
you’d like!
C. You Asked For It! You Got It! The New, Improved, Updated
LREDA GUIDELINES!
Presenter: Patti Withers, LREDA Board—DRE/Member
Concerns
~ Crystal Ballroom 2 ~
The revised LREDA Guidelines will be voted on at the
Membership Meeting on Saturday. Join us for an in-depth
look at the changes.
D. Mentoring for Formation
Presenters: Gail Forsyth-Vail and the Religious Education
Credentialing Committee
~ Crystal Ballroom 4 ~
Why does the RE Credentialing program require mentoring?
What is its role in the formation of religious
educators? Explore the crucial role of collegial and peer
relations in your professional formation as a religious
educator.
LIBERAL
RELIGIOUS EDUCATORS’ ASSOCIATION
2008 General Assembly
in Fort
Lauderdale, FL
LREDA
Workshop
Presenters/panelists:
Revs. Lynn Strauss, Howard Dana, and Judy Welles
Dialogue
on Classism within Unitarian Universalism
Thursday,
June 26 – 1:30-2:45 PM, Convention Center 316
Notes and Bibliography on Classism, from the Rev. Lynn
Strauss
Sophia
Lyon Fahs Lecture--CANCELED
Our
Sophia Lyon Fahs lecturer has declined to participate in a GA located within
a restricted
zone with
security screening requirements.
Dessert
and Annual Meeting
Saturday,
June 28 – 1:00-3:45 Fort Lauderdale Grande, Ballroom D
Due to
the high cost of a luncheon in Fort Lauderdale, we are instead having a dessert
and fruit
buffet this year before the meeting begins! Please register for the dessert
and
join us
for our important annual GA meeting.
LREDA
Booth in the Convention Center display area
Stop by
and sign up for a time slot to staff the booth – it’s a fun place
to be! Meet
colleagues,
browse through the gREat Ideas Notebook, purchase books and R.E.
teacher
thank you gifts, get information about the Fall Conference in Albuquerque!
The Professional Leadership Coordinating Council
presents:
What’s Going On Here? How Staff Teams Operate
Thursday,
June 26, 11:00 AM - Convention Center 220-221
Each staff member brings unique talents and gifts to a staff
team, and communication is important! Staff Meetings
are a communication tool that benefit the congregation and
workings of a church. A panel discussion will discuss
staff covenants, elements of a staff meeting, and answer
questions.
Panel Members:
Minister: Katie Lee Crane, Sudbury, Mass.
DRE: Mary Ellen Morgan, Napa, Calif.
Administrator: Mona Scott, Lutherville, Maryland
Music Director: Beth Norton, Concord, Mass.
Boundaries
and Healthy Congregational Work Environments
Friday,
June 27, 11:00 AM – Convention Center 304-5
In busy
congregational offices, staff can establish boundaries to help set priorities
and reduce the tendency to
accept
work overload. In single- or multi-staff offices, good boundaries will help
establish work priorities and set a
tone
respected by members, including Boards. We'll explore how to make it work.
Presenter:
Dr. Helen H. Bishop
Welcoming
All: When Ex-Prisoners Join Our Congregations
A
workshop sponsored by AUUA - of interest to anyone involved in
staffing
Friday,
June 27, 1:30 PM - Convention Center—Grand Floridian E
How do
you safely include an ex-prisoner into the life of a congregation? This
workshop reviews issues to consider,
anticipated
resistance, policies and procedures, and special issues raised by sex
offenders.
Presenters:
Rev. Debra Haffner and Rev. Patty Franz
LREDA is
one of the seven partners in PLCC which seeks to find areas of mutual
interest and cooperation among
our UU
Professional organizations. PLCC includes, in addition to LREDA, the UU
Ministers Association,
Association
of UU Administrators, UU Musicians Network, Society for Community Ministry,
Association of Interim
Ministers,
and UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association.
2007
General Assembly in Portland, OR
Please note: LREDA will
offer two trainings for Good Officers this year - one during Pre-GA
Professional Days, and the other in October just before the LREDA Fall
Conference in San Antonio, TX.
LREDA Professional Day Pre-GA,
Wednesday, June 20
Holiday Inn Portland
Schedule
8:00-9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast and Registration
Bellmont A
9:00-9:30 AM
Worship
Bellmont B
10:00 AM-Noon
Keynote Presentation:
Your Surly Inner
Waitress's Guide to Keeping Your Sanity
The Rev. Meg Barnhouse
Bellmont B
Noon-1:15
PM
Box lunches
Bellmont A
Noon-3:30
PM
Good Offices Training
Windsor C
Participants will pick up their
box lunch and go directly to
Windsor C where the training will
be held.
1:30 PM-3:00 PM
Choice of workshops
(detailed list follows)
3:30 PM
LREDA members are invited to attend the UUMA’s
Ministerial
Conference at Berry
Street at
the Oregon Convention Center
Keynote
Speaker: Rev. Meg Barnhouse
Your
Surly Inner Waitress's Guide to Keeping Your Sanity
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
10:00 AM-Noon
~Bellmont
B~
Meg Barnhouse is an
hilarious, creative, and insightful speaker. She uses the
"ha-ha-ha-OH!" format, so audiences learn while laughing. Her
tools for changing self-defeating behavior are profound and easy to grasp,
and she mixes in original songs for a fast moving good time.
Meg’s books and CDS will be available for sale following the Keynote
Presentation.
Meg Barnhouse grew up in North Carolina and Philadelphia, and she has lived in Spartanburg, SC since 1981. After graduating from Duke University and Princeton Theological Seminary, she worked as
Chaplain to Converse College for six years, teaching Public Speaking, Human
Sexuality, World Religions, and other courses. Meg has been active in
the community, helping to found the SAFE Homes Network for battered
women. She is credentialed as a Fellow in the American Association of
Pastoral Counselors. She travels nationwide as a speaker,
singer/songwriter and humorist. She is the mother of two wise, funny
and handsome sons. She has a second-degree black belt in karate, and is
a commentator for NC Public Radio on a segment called “Radio Free Bubba.”
She has also been heard on National Public Radio’s “Weekend All
Things Considered.”
Her books include Rock
of Ages at the Taj Mahal, Waking Up the Karma Fairy,
and her newest, Did I Say That Out Loud? Her first CD, July
Blue, is a mix of 12 original songs and 3 stories. The new CD, Mango
Thoughts in a Meatloaf Town, has 13 original songs, including Move
Over and All Will Be Well.
Wednesday
Afternoon Workshops – 1:30-3:00 PM
A) Just
Breathe
(The Rev. Lena Breen)
~ Bellmont B ~
In the
ancient Sanskrit language, the word for breath is the same as the word for
life. Prana (pronounced prah-nah) can be your best friend. The
masters of Yoga discovered the usefulness of the breath thousands of years
ago. Hatha Yoga includes a system for the conscious control of the
breath. You can learn to breathe more completely, breathing your way to
good health. You will feel more alert, energetic, and alive. We
will literally share each other's breaths and life energy.
B) You Can Say
That Again – Finding Peace through the Use of a Mantra
(Prairie Star Religious
Educators Lori Allen and Cheryll Wallace)
~ Windsor B ~
This
workshop is an introduction to the mantra, simple repetitive words, used for
centuries to bring peace and balance in the midst of chaos or calm.
Along with an introduction to time-honored mantras, participants will create
a symbol that is a reminder of these sacred words.
C) Sabbaticals
as Professional Practice
(Panel of Religious
Educators:
Anne Bancroft, Laura Spencer
and the Rev. Judy Tomlinson)
~ Windsor A ~
Thinking
of taking a sabbatical? Join a panel of colleagues who took one, and
hear about their experience – before, during and after. Bring
your questions: why, how, what, when…
D) Religious
Education Credentialing as Formation
(Religious Education
Committee members Liz Jones and Rev. Kirk Loadman-Copeland)
~ Cambridge ~
There is
more to the process of credentialing than gathering together your samples for
a portfolio, reading a number of books, and learning a specific core body of
material. There is a transformation that occurs in the process known as
formation. What happens in the formation of a professional religious
educator? Come and hear from Credentialed Religious Educators and from
some of our ministerial colleagues about the formation process, and the
results.
LREDA
EVENTS AT GA - Thursday-Sunday, June 21-24
LREDA
Workshop
Spirit Moving Within Families, Among Families, And Beyond
(The
Rev. Barbara Hamilton-Holway)
Friday,
June 22
– 10:45 AM at the Oregon Convention Center - Oregon Ballroom 204
The theme will be the spiritual development of
families. You may already be familiar with her curriculum/worship
series, "Evensong," including her most recent, "Evensong for
Families." Evensong for Families and other programs strengthen
bonds within families, between families, and between families and their
congregations. Families hear each other's stories, feel less alone in
their struggles and celebrations, grow in understanding and appreciation of
differences. Programs help strengthen intergenerational community so
youngest to oldest feel they belong. Barbara will also be co-preacher
along with her husband, Bill, at this year's Service of the Living
Tradition! They are co-ministers at the UU Church of Berkeley in Kensington, California.
Sophia
Fahs Lecture (About the Fahs Lecture & Past
Lecturers)
Home Grown Religion
(Dr. William J. Doherty)
Friday,
June 22
– 2:45 PM at the Oregon Convention Center - Oregon Ballroom 201
Religion is taught, or caught, mostly in the family, but
we act as if it’s mostly about church programs. How can our faith
tradition go more deeply into our homes when we don’t have a creed and
a set of traditions parents can rely on? We need a fresh approach.
LREDA Reception and Conversation
for All UU Professionals
Faith Development in a Too Much of Everything World
(Dr.
William J. Doherty)
Friday,
June 22 – 4:30 to 5:45 PM at the Doubletree – Oregon Room
Our faith development efforts for children risk being
swamped by the me-first, frantic, turbo-charged consumer culture. It
doesn’t help that we operate on a provider/consumer model of program
delivery with fragmented niches of children, youth, and adult
ministries. It’s time for a new conversation about community
based, countercultural faith development. Bring the professionals you
work with to develop a team approach! All PLCC groups are invited!
Luncheon
and Annual Meeting
Saturday, June 23 – 12:30 PM at the Doubletree - Broadway/Weidler Room
The
Annual Meeting begins at 1:45 PM in the Multnomah Room
The
Professional Leadership Coordinating Council presents:
Staffing for Social
Justice: A Shared Responsibility
A
workshop sponsored by UUMA
Thursday, June 21, 2:45 PM - Oregon Convention Center, Portland Ballroom 252
Many
congregations include working toward social justice in their mission, but few
are explicit and intentional about the role of church staff in supporting
it. This workshop offers a panel of presenters who explore what any
size congregation can do to increase professional staff contributions to
social justice work.
Presenters: Rev. Deborah Holder (Urban
Disciples Coordinating Consultant; Santa Fe, NM), Rev. Nathan Woodliff-Stanley
(Minister for Social Responsibility; Jefferson Unitarian Church, Golden, CO),
and Keith Arnold (Minister of Music; Jefferson Unitarian Church, Golden, CO)
Creating a Covenant
of Right Relations
A
workshop sponsored by SCM
Friday, June 22, 10:45 AM – Oregon Convention Center, Portland Ballroom 252
How do
professionals and volunteers “share the ministry,” relating to
each other authentically and constructively beyond simply assigning duties to
each person? Explore how to develop and live out a “Covenant of
Right Relations” that becomes a safe container for the thorniest
issues, and enables a true sharing of ministry.
Presenter: Rev. Cathleen Cox Burneo
Attracting
Quality Employees
A
workshop sponsored by AUUA - of interest to anyone involved in
staffing
Friday, June 22, 1:00
PM - Oregon Convention Center, Portland Ballroom 254
Want
great employees? Have limited funds? When both the employee and
employer understand the market range for a position and discuss what each
brings to the table, a win-win results. We'll explore ways your
congregation can be a "rich" employer.
Presenter: Wren Withers
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LREDA
is one of the five partners in PLCC which seeks to find areas of mutual
interest and cooperation among our UU Professional organizations.
PLCC includes, in addition to LREDA, the UU Ministers Association,
Association of UU Administrators, UU Musicians Network, and Society for
Community Ministry.
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