Workshops at the Annual Conference 2010

Adaptive Leadership: Tools for a New Future

The framework of Adaptive Leadership, developed by Ron Heifetz and Cambridge Leadership Associates, gives us some new handholds for understanding the bewildering array of challenges before us and offers ways of making progress in tackling them. In this workshop we will explore some core concepts in this model, such as learning to distinguish between technical and adaptive challenges, methods of shared leadership, creating holding containers for difficult conversations, identifying ways in which we avoid the work we must do, and institutionalizing reflection and continuous learning.

Presenter: Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley

Finding Hope in a Warming World

Author Bill McKibbon's newest book "Eaarth" forces us to come face to face with the fact that global warming has already irrevocably changed our planet. The Earth we've known, what Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell called "a grand oasis" in 1968, is no longer the planet we live on. McKibbon posits that we now live on Eaarth, a planet that seems the same in many ways, but will, in fact, never be the same.

How do we live on this new planet of intense storms, permanent droughts, rising sea levels, disappearing glaciers and the dislocations caused by these extreme weather events? How do we have hope for a future in a world we no longer know or understand? What do our faith traditions say about this? And what actions are we called to take as people of faith in a changing world where the status quo is no longer working?

We will explore these questions together - with insights from a panel of members of different faith traditions during this session.

Presenters include:

• Dr. George Hadley, Professor of Humanities, Brigham Young University
• The Reverend Tom Goldsmith, Pastor, First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City
• Elaine Emmi, Salt Lake Quakers
• Dee Rowland, Peace and Justice Commissions, Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake
• The Reverend Diana Johnson, Executive Director, Utah Interfaith Power & Light (Moderator)

Bridges to Build

An examination of some strategies and techniques for building bridges of understanding with our friends of different faiths.

Presenter: Dan Litchford, Ogden Interfaith

Evolving from Chair-led to Participant-led ARE Sessions & Beyond

Learn how, in a small Fellowship, a struggling Adult RE program was revived, curriculum developed and participants recruited. Hear how the program evolved from chair-led to participant-led curriculum and presentations. Ideas, successes, and resource lists will be shared.

Presenter: Sondra Dunkle, Pocatello Unitiarian Universalist Fellowship

Citizen Advocacy: How Regular People Create Fair and Just Communities

This workshop will empower community members to be more involved in creating change in their own communities through the political process. The goal is to educate people about the many tools they have to create positive change in the communities they live in. The information can be used to affect change on any social justice issue: immigration, non-discrimination, health care or marriage equality. This 75 minute training includes information on how to influence policy, how to lobby elected officials, how to get involved with a political campaign and how to earn media coverage.

Presenter: Brandie Balken, Equality Utah

Stop Talking, Start Walking!

We all complain about the political situation in our local, state and national governments. Stop complaining, get out of your chair and take action! Learn how the Coalition of Religious Communities (CORC) has brought together people from across the state of Utah who belong to 18 different faiths to work on economic social justice issues and how we pick those issues. CORC’s successes include passing a Utah hate crimes bill, putting regulations on payday lenders both locally and state-wide, and getting more than 50% of the sales tax on food removed in Utah.

Presenter: Linda Hilton, Coalition of Religious Communities

UUs and Atheism

Open forum, after a short introduction, covering the discussion leader’s spiritual journey and why he is a happy non-believer in the UU church. Topics discussed will range from:

• Reasons for embracing atheism
• The acceptance of atheists in various UU churches and, conversely, the acceptance of UU Christians, UU Pagans, etc.
• The reasons for a non-believer to be a UU

Presenter: Tom Taylor, Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden

Congregations and Transitions

Presenter: the Reverend Steven Cook, Interim Minister of Wellesly Hills Unitarian Church, Boston

Reaching Out and Going Deeper

Hear from UU youth and adults who've participated in faith based immersion programs ranging from working on a local organic farm to a building project in Guatemala. This workshop highlights current opportunities and presents various models and a planning guide for creating new programs. A panel of experienced youth and adults will answer questions and provide tips for deepening and extending UU values through immersion programs.

Presenter: YRUU

Mindful Eating Service

The presenter will discuss ideas on developing a mindful eating service for UU congregations. The workshop will ask participants to engage in a guided silent meditation while eating a diverse set of simple and healthy foods. Mindful eating is a form of meditation which enables the person to fully experience and appreciate the flavors, feelings, and spirituality associated with the act of eating. A dramatic contrast to the busy and hurried way in which most Americans experience eating, the mindful eating service can remind us to slow down, savor, and focus on the moment. After experiencing the silent meditation, Suzanne will facilitate a discussion about the participants’ experiences, and address questions about how to organize a similar event at other UU churches.

Presenter: Suzanne Marychild, Cache Valley Unitarian Universalists

Journey from LDS to UU

A panel reflecting on where we began in the "ward," why we left it behind, and how we got out into the UU world. We will consider the issues that moved us and how we made the move.

Presenters: John Hinds and Members of UUCO

Faith to Change the World

Learn how you can work with your congregation and the UU United Nations Office (UU-UNO) to influence global change. The UU-UNO represents the diverse voices of our faith at the United Nations. This voice is vital in supporting advocacy of human rights. Learn about UU efforts to address gender based, stop climate change, end criminal sanctions and violence against LGBT people, and more.

Presenter: Holly Sarkissian, UU UNO Envoy Outreach Coorindator

OUTreach: Starting & Operating a Safe Space for LGBT Youth

Program will cover:

• Determining a need
• Determining a structure to address the need
• Determining the cost (time, talent, treasure) to support the structure
• Finding the resources (time, talent, treasure)
• Operational challenges
• Evaluating the program
• Sustaining the program

Presenter: Gary Horenkamp, OUTreach Coordinator, UUCO

Posted Monday, 16 August 2010 12:22 Written by Jess Cullinan