Hello UUCUC! We wanted to start out this week by thanking the 90-or-so participants in our recent cottage meetings. We found these honest and heartfelt conversations to be so powerful and inspiring; you have really solidified our understanding of where we are and where we want to go with our next settled minister. We will be conducting focus group discussions in the coming two weeks, and then the next (and last) congregational ask that we have: attending the “Beyond Categorical Thinking” workshop on Friday, November 18th (7:00 – 8:30 PM) and Saturday, November 19th (10:00 – 11:30 AM). Please plan to attend this important seminar, details of which are below. It will be held on Zoom so you can go from wherever you are comfortable (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelX4a84xsXg8QHRrPLfJxs8NIIQxDwMrbDSiQX7UkDugIWVQ/viewform).
If you have any questions about Beyond Categorical Thinking, feel free to reach out to us at search@uucuc.org. As an added bonus, we have in our midst a trained leader of these workshops who would be happy to talk to you as well: Jerry Carden! Feel free to reach out to him as well.
In loving service,
Janet Revell Barrett
Wendy Graves
Chris Hannauer
Tanja Hodges
Pat McClard
Dave Sharpe
Angela Urban
Think of a minister. Don’t think of an elephant.
Chances are, you thought of both. And distinct images perhaps came to mind. In terms of a minister, what came to mind? Was it a person of a particular gender, race, or age?
Beyond Categorical Thinking is a highly recommended part of the search process for our congregation. In finding the person who would be the best match for our minister, we could potentially overlook or even let biases keep us from knowing that a particular person would be the best match for us.
Other congregations have assumed that their ideal minister looks a certain way, and often ministers who are not white or male or heterosexual or able-bodied or of a particular age or class are discounted and seen as “less than” in some ways.
Credentialed ministers in our faith who are People of Color, LGBTQ+, disabled, young, old, working class, etc. still face discrimination as part of the ministerial search process.
In our efforts to find the best match, our congregation will host a Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop on November 18th and 19th. We will have trainers come and meet with our Search Committee and facilitate a three-hour conversation where we will have a chance to examine how we can avoid letting prejudice become a part of our search process. This is yet another way for us to put our faith into lived experience and improve the odds that regardless of identity, we will find the minister who is the best match for us and who will serve us well.
This opportunity allows the entire congregation fuller participation in the search process. It will allow us to explore our hopes and concerns for a new minister, learn more about the search process, and see how our own history (both personal and congregational) might interfere with our efforts in this search.
So, come on Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th to participate in this service provided by the UUA. Our trainers will be Donna Dolham and Gil Guerrero.