The Prairie Star, Issue 70: October 2012

The Prairie Star

Annual Conference 2013

What do you want for your church? For your spiritual life? For the world? How are you going to achieve it? Great things don't just happen.They start with a vision, take shape with a plan, build with hard work, and continue with nurturing.
 
Our conference, "Inspire the Future We Envision", begins Friday night with a keynote lecture by the Rev. Stefan Jonasson, the UUA Director of Growth Strategies and Large Congregation Development. He will look back at what Unitarian Universalists have accomplished in our district's 50-year history. The Rev. Christine Robinson from Albuquerque, New Mexico, addresses the future when she delivers the Judy Memorial Lecture on Saturday. Much as plants and animals have to adapt to change, we must also adapt or risk extinction.
 
The day heats up with workshops and the District business meeting which will include a vote on regionalization, sizzles with a youth-led service Saturday night, and concludes on Sunday. Can you really think of any better company than 250 UUs? Join us!

Sermon Contest
Prairie Star District is seeking a sermon that could be delivered in pulpits across the District on the Sunday of our 2013 Annual Conference that reflects our conference theme, "Inspire the Future We Envision."  Deadline is November 19, 2012.

More Information
More information about the conference speakers, workshop presenter applications  and the sermon contest are at http://www.psduua.org/AnnualConference2013

PSD Awards

Nomination Forms

Every spring, at the District Conference, Prairie Star District acknowledges those hard-working UUs who bring life and vitality to our congregations. Maybe this year somebody from YOUR congregation will be honored with an award.

If you believe that someone from your group qualifies for one of the PSD awards, nominate him/her. Nomination forms which are due by January 31, can be found at http://www.psduua.org/Awards/NominatingForms.

Fall Workshops

Safety Planning for Congregations
Online, October 26 and 30, 6:45 PM

Worship Workshop for Small Congregations
November 2-3, 2012 in Mankato, Minnesota

Growth Workshop
November 3, 2012 in Palatine Illinois
 
Renaissance Module - Curriculum
November 8-10, 2012 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Robert's Rules and Meeting Management
Online, December 6 and 11, 6:45 PM

Online workshops are conference phone calls with a visual component on a web site. Participants will need a computer with high speed Internet access and a separate phone line. Registration is required but free.    
 
In-person workshops have a registration fee.
 
For more information see
http://www.psduua.org/Workshops/FutureWorkshops 
 

Regionalization Update

See http://www.psduua.org/regionalization/updates for the most recent news about regionalization -- the process of Prairie Star District working with two other districts to create a regional governance model. The three boards met together in August. They committed to an active covenantal relationship with one another and decided on some of the  basics for a new regional governance system.

News of People and Congregations

PSD Congregations are buying buildings, expanding their buildings, and buying land, celebrating an anniversary, and coming up with good ideas.

Read the details at http://www.psduua.org/Newsletter/70October2012/PeopleAndCongregations

UUA News Shorts

Assessing Sexual Health: An Online Guide for Unitarian Universalist Association Congregations
Is your congregation sexually healthy and responsible?  Rev. Debra W. Haffner, President of Religious Institute, Inc. and an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, has created an assessment guide for congregations on their sexual health policies and procedures.  Designed for clergy and lay leaders, the guide consists of 9 check lists known as building blocks.  A church could use all or part of the building blocks depending on their size and capabilities and where they are in the Safe Congregation Process.  
Please go to www.UUA.org/safe for more information on this and other resources.

Submit Meditations
Skinner House Books, the imprint of the Unitarian Universalist Association, invites members of UU congregations to submit original poems, prayers, or short prose pieces for consideration for a collection of meditations for congregational leaders. Deadline is November 15, 2012. More information at http://www.psduua.org/Newsletter/70October2012/UUANews

Prairie Star District is a growing community of healthy, vital congregations in covenantal relationship with one another, transforming ourselves and our world by living our Unitarian Universalist principles. One of nineteen districts of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we serve almost 70 congregations in the Upper Midwest. We have three full time staff people and three part time program and support staff members who work with many volunteers to assist congregations. To learn more about us, see our Web site http://www.psduua.org.