I normally write blog posts in the evening for morning publication, but I wanted to sleep another night before writing about the Economics of Ministry Summit, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, and hosted this week in St. Louis. So far as I know, its only live presence was by Twitter, with the hashtag #sustainministry,… Continue reading First thoughts about Economics of Ministry Summit
Category: Specialized ministries
Appreciating the City Weekend
A pause from my thread on re-orienting Unitarian Universalist approaches to social engagement to note Esperanto, and two things it can offer us. Today is Zamenhof Day, the birthday of L. L. Zamenhof, Esperanto’s founder. (As featured on the UUA’s Wall of December Holidays.) The first is a cautionary tale. I like Esperanto, the world’s… Continue reading Appreciating the City Weekend
The old Messiah Universalist Home
Then and now. The old Messiah Universalist Home, a Philadelphia retirement home, dedicated in 1902, today houses a Chinese grocery. View Larger Map But no wistful tears. If memory of the successor institutions serves, it survives today — and probably more practically — as UUH Outreach.
Is there anything left of UUMeN?
A quick request — I’m moving to a theme of non-congregational support organizations — but is there anything remaining of the Unitarian Universalist Men’s Network. The website (which is up) has no references past 2006 and nothing for certain past 2004. The domain is registered to an entity in Russia. Please comment if you know… Continue reading Is there anything left of UUMeN?
Who were (are?) the Universalist Comrades?
Call it my late Cold War childhood, but I’ve always found the term comrade thrilling in a slightly transgressive way. Which make the Order of Universalist Comrades, a national men’s organization, so appealing. Appealing, but evidently short-lived. Like similar women’s and mixed young adult organizations, its goal seems to have been fund raising and wholesome… Continue reading Who were (are?) the Universalist Comrades?
Why I blog
Be sure to see the comments, below. The group of Unitarian Universalist bloggers on Facebook have been meditating on a common questions, one of which is “why do you blog?” Some of the reasons I blog are predictable: to muse aloud, to keep notes for later use or to promote something-or-other. It is not a… Continue reading Why I blog
A guide for conference organizing (government transparency or otherwise)
Another happy bragging point about my workplace, the Sunlight Foundation. (And thanks to you who have spoken to me privately about it.) Sunlight has a guide for Transparency Camp, our annual meeting (convocation? unconference?) that has many transferable lessons for those organizing a conference. And while you’re at it, why not try out Sunlight’s SuperPAC… Continue reading A guide for conference organizing (government transparency or otherwise)
Selections from Parish Practice in Universalist Churches: on Young Adults
It seems there is nothing new about young adult ministry anxiety. From 1946.
Selections from Parish Practice in Universalist Churches: on the Non-Local Church
I attended worship at the Universalist National Memorial Church, my last pastorate, this morning. Given that, and the Unitarian Universalist Association bylaws change about non-local congregations, here’s another look back to 1946.
A Coptic fellowship resource: review
A couple of weeks ago I purchased two British Orthodox Fellowship publications online. There’s plenty to say about the fellowship itself, about the publications and how I ordered them, but today I want to focus on one book: Our Daily Life. It’s a 156-page trade paperback, and intended to be a guide book and worship… Continue reading A Coptic fellowship resource: review