UURMAPA is hosting a 90-minute Zoom meeting for its members with The Rev. Richard Nugent from the UUA’s Department of Church Staff Finances.  He will give us an overview of the part of the work of this staff group which especially affects retired ministers and partners, share some important news with us, and leave plenty of time for individual questions and comments.  Join us for this always informative webinar!  

Save Friday, November 14 at 1pm Eastern, 12pm Central, 11am Mountain, and 10am Pacific, for this seminar. Click on this link to join the webinar:  https://uuma.zoom.us/j/2535823727?omn=98339492357

This seminar will be recorded and posted to the UURMAPA website for those unable to join on the 14th. 

Go to this signup to attend.  Copy this into your browser:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNBSN0t1JBmKtGmTQ_G52xEjQIPGs2NXdwevWYSpyjxF9nUA/viewform?usp=dialog

A major purpose of UURMaPA is to establish ways for retired ministers and partners to connect with one another in meaningful ways. The Connections Coordinator creates structures and facilitates affiliations through which retired ministers and partners create, deepen, and sustain personal relationships with one another. Small groups are one of many ways to make these connections.

Benefits of UURMaPA Small Groups

A small group is a safe place where you can talk about your circumstances, concerns, joys and/or topics of common interest with others who will not judge or criticize you. Being in a small group can also help you:

• Learn better coping strategies. In a small group, you will learn coping skills from people who have found success using them first-hand. You might learn tips on meditating, journaling, or things you would not have otherwise considered. 
• Grow through shared experiences. A small group gives you opportunities to get things off your chest. Sharing your own experiences with the group can help ease your emotional burden and feelings of isolation. As others in the group share their stories, you can gain valuable insight into how others deal with similar situations.
• Focus on self-care. Small group participants may offer up innovative ideas for how to care for yourself, manage stress, combat fatigue, and feel mentally and physically stronger.
• Maintain a sense of hope. Being around your fellow small group members can help boost your mood and sense of optimism, giving you the emotional reserves to realistically envision a better future.

UURMaPA General-Interest Groups

Upon becoming a member of UURMaPA, and at any time thereafter, ALL members (retired ministers and partners) are invited to join in a facilitated small group experience. Like Small Group Ministry or Chalice Circles, General-Interest Groups:

• have up to eight members, 
• form a covenant of how to be with one another,
• covenant to meet regularly by Zoom technology (usually monthly, for 60-90 minutes),
• have one member “convener” who lightly facilitates the session, 
• open & close with a Chalice Lighting/Extinguishing reading,
• devote 50% of the session to “Deep Check-Ins” (5 minutes/person),
• devote the remaining time to a group-chosen discussion topic and choosing the next session’s topic.

In October and April, each group Convener polls their group to see:

• if everyone wishes to continue meeting,
• whether those continuing want to change anything in the schedule or format, and
• whether they would be open to new members.

New groups can be formed at any time. Places for new members in existing, ongoing groups can occur all through the year, whenever someone shows interest.

If you are interested in helping form a new general-interest group or joining an on-going group, contact the Connections Coordinator at connections@uurmapa.org.

UURMaPA Focused-Interest Groups

UURMaPA supports the formation of small groups who covenant to focus on specific shared interests. 

Groups currently active and open to new participants are:

>>Caregivers 

An on-line support group for UURMaPA members who are partners in care meets monthly. If you are caring for another person, you are welcome to join other caregivers for an hour of check-in, shared resources, and caring for one another. Participants covenant for confidentiality. The group meets using Zoom technology, which can be used from a computer, tablet, or smartphone with a camera, or you can phone in.

The facilitators will help you get set up to use Zoom if you are new to technology. For more information and to join the group, contact one of the Caregiver conveners: Makannah Morris, Yvonne Strejcek and Kathleen Ellis   

>>Grief Support

An on-line support group for URMaPAns who have been recently widowed and are grieving the loss of their partner meets monthly. Duane Fickeisen (convener) says: “For an hour and a half, we check in, catch up as we process our grief, and share resources. Each of us grieves in our own way. We offer a safe and confidential space to find support on our separate journeys.”  For more information and to join the group, contact Duane Fickeisen.

>>Writing for Witness as Resistance 

This group is for anyone refusing to shut down and shut up, as seniors are often expected to do, in response to the chaos, corruption, and cruelty of the current administration. Group participants write on a chosen topic to access and then share their knowing, experience, and wisdom, thus creating a record of Truth against “mis and disinformation” we are subjected to daily. 

A group doing this work together supports one another’s clarity, courage, and commitment to the challenge of pushing back against the deliberate dismantling of our democracy. Writing for Witness is an option for elders who are no longer physically able to be on the frontlines in demonstrations, marches, and protests who have a wealth of experience and wisdom to share historical perspectives that will be important when the time comes to rebuild what has been broken or lost, so the younger generation need not start at square one. Whatever writings emerge could eventually be self-published for posterity. For more information and to join the group, contact Gail Collins-Ranadive. 

>>Goddess 

The Goddess small group is a non-judgmental and confidential gathering that provides a safe space for members to share their life experiences, connect with their feminine energy, and support each other’s personal growth, empowerment, and spiritual development.  Sydney Morris (convener) writes: The Goddess Group meets monthly. We check in, and then go around to answer the question “How has the goddess shown up in your life this month?”  For more information and to join the group email Sydney Morris. 

Ongoing Focused-Interest Groups at Maximum Number and Seeking Additional Conveners

>>Partners 

A partners’ small group is an opportunity for retired ministers’ partners to:

• Come together with other partners to discuss topics chosen by the group, share personal experiences, and establish a social network.
• Share information that is practical, constructive, and helpful.
• Offer support and encouragement to other group members and receive the same in return.
• Share joyful moments and have fun.

To start a second Partners’ Group, a convener is needed. If you are interested in convening a Partners’ Group, contact the Connections Coordinator at connections@uurmapa.org.

Creating Additional Focused-Interest Groups

UURMaPA is exploring additional focused-interest groups to better address the interests and needs of its members. Ideas for groups are:

• Navigating Aging Together: Supporting each other as we handle social, cultural, physical and/or mental challenges
• Living on the Edge: Supporting each other as we deal with financial challenges such as rising healthcare costs, reduced or fixed incomes that may not keep pace with inflation, accumulation of debt from previous decades, falling victim to financial scams, managing the costs of senior living, and adapting finances after the loss of a spouse. 
• LGBTQIA+: This group would offer LGBTQIA+ a safe space for thoughtful discussions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) issues. A space to foster support and sustain collective agency and thoughtful collaboration.
• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color): Provide a safe, supportive space for connection, discussion, and healing from racial isolation and oppression within organizations and communities. Participants can openly discuss their experiences with racism, oppression, and privilege in a way that feels emotionally safe, free from judgment or the burden of educating others. 
• A Living Library: A group where participants become “books” and are “borrowed” by “readers” (other participants) to have a conversation, allowing individuals to share their unique life experiences. In this format, the “books” (participants) share stories and wisdom from their lives.
• Color Outside the Lines: Small group for artists or “wana be” artists of all genres for the purpose of igniting, encouraging, and celebrating creativity. Discussion topics could be: art projects individual members are pursuing or want to pursue, mental blocks to starting or completing artwork, anxiety about sharing creative works, finding the time to make art, and setting goals and gently holding each other accountable for achieving desired goals.
• Book Discussion Group (Novels)
• Book Discussion Group (Non-Fiction)
• Poetry Group

If you would like to convene any of the above groups or have an idea for a focused-interest group you’d like to convene, contact the Connections Coordinator at connections@uurmapa.org who can assist you with starting the group.

Our conferences don’t just happen one day in October or April. They are the result of several months’ planning and the work of about 10 or more people who construct a mediated conference twice a year. So: a round of applause for the planning team: Sonya Sukalski, co-convener, Susan Smith, scribe, Wayne Walder, MiniStorys, Terry Ellen, Odysseys, David McFarland, Evaluation, Anita Farber-Robertson, Connecting Rooms, Linda Wright, Connecting Rooms & Accessibility, Jef Gamblee, Quality Assurance, and Jeff Briere, co-convener, Slide Show and Publicity.

The worship team is led by Joan VanBecelaere, and includes David Bumbaugh, Jan Carlsson-Bull, Jef Gamblee, Ruth Gnagey, Lynda Sutherland, Sylvia Howe, and Marion Visel.

We have a wonderful new Zoom Master, Cynthia Becker, who arranges our offerings and organizes the technical side of things, so that we have as smooth a conference as possible when attendees are in many disparate locations.

And we rely on our members and others for the creation of the content: Those who share their Odysseys, those who visit connecting rooms, those who present our theme, those who offer worship services, those who tell us stories, and those who entertain us make our conferences possible.

We are grateful for all, but the planning team is unanimous in their praise for Barbro Hansson, who always manages to get her rowdy ducklings in a row. For five years now, our mediated conferences have benefitted from her gentle guiding hands. Her service to the Board has been exemplary, and she is rather torn about stepping back after the spring conference. She said, “We’ve come a long way since 2020, when the pandemic forced us to offer virtual conferences.”

She is pleased with the progress of our conferences. “We began with only three people to plan a conference. It’s a miracle we pulled it off. Of course, we had support, individuals who provided guidance. Today, there are more than ten individuals on the planning team with specific portfolios who ensure excellent programming and good quality. For the past three years, I’ve served the Board as the Member-at-Large for Conferences and this is my last year on the Board. I’ve seen the planning team grow not only in numbers but also in excellence. It’s been a real treat to work with and get to know so many new colleagues and partners. I feel truly blessed.”

Sonya Sukalski is a long-time veteran of the conference planning team, and she now serves as a co-convener. She said, “After hearing Margaret Meade’s quote about how to change the world for the better, for much of my adult life, I dreamed about working with a small group of motivated people to do good things. This team, and the team we recreate each conference, always feels powerful, connected, and infused with good will. It feels like we make a difference in our organization—a dream come true!”

Terry Ellen has contributed his talents to the planning team more than once. This fall, he shepherded the Odysseans through the process to record their stories. He said, “Working with the presenters of our two Odysseys and their introducers has been a joy, since all four are not only very competent but also wonderfully easy and responsive people to work with, bringing respect and pleasure together for me. It’s been a foretaste of the outstanding kinds of people we gather together in our conference.”

Despite being hit by a car this summer, Anita Farber-Robertson worked with Linda Wright to set up connecting rooms, and recruit facilitators. She said, “I enjoyed the connecting rooms last conference so much, that I eagerly signed up to coordinate them again this fall. Inviting people to facilitate the connecting rooms provides me with an excuse to reconnect with colleagues, some of whom I have not seen or spoken with in years. The planning team is a group of skilled and committed colleagues, and I hadn’t met most of them. I now consider them trusted friends. What a joy!”

Wayne Walder came up with a concept that allows us to share our stories with our colleagues, and his session last spring was very popular, so we asked him back for more story-telling. He said, “Asking colleagues for stories has been a wonderful blessing. They tell stories about connection and inspiration as well as doubt and sadness. Regardless of the emotional tone, the stories reveal the profound, surprising, and sometimes unknown connections we have with each other and the world around us.”

To register for the conference follow this link:
https://uurmapa.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2767109

We hope to see you at the fall conference. Information about the Odysseys, the service of remembrance and our theme development can be found HERE.

See you at the conference!

I have been on the job now for three months.  I look out my window to see the leaves changing color and then falling on the ground.  Fall is a time where Mother Nature starts her process of regeneration by shedding what isn’t needed to make room for something new.  UURMAPA has a new board as of July and we have been working to continue the success of the previous board under the leadership of Susan Rak.  

We had a retreat in August that allowed us to focus on the longer term of UURMAPA.  We will report what we have been up to at the Fall Conference in just a few weeks.  You may have noticed that we are still in the transition to the new membership system.  We are still working out some kinks to allow people to securely find other members of UURMAPA.  But to do this, we will need everyone to authorize others finding them.  We sent out instructions earlier but will refine them and send them out again.  

Our upcoming conference will focus on our stories about freedom.  The theme for the fall conference is “Stories of the Faith behind Freedom.”  I hope that you will register and attend via Zoom or gather with others in a Pod to participate in what is shaping up to be another deeply meaningful conference for us.

We have also welcomed in newly retired ministers and partners in September.  If you missed the presentation, we recorded it and will have it hopefully available on our website soon.  We had 44 ministers who retired and 23 partners were listed with them.  We hope they will bring their energy and commitment to join with us in continuing to build our association.  Some have already jumped into activities such as our connection groups and the fall conference.  

We are establishing a small chaplain group to be available to all members including partners should the need arise.  We are being pro-active to address potential conflicts when ministers and their partners seek to join congregations where they have not served before.  We hope that the settled or contract ministers will welcome retired colleagues and partners to those congregations.  But if conflicts arise, we want to be able to support our members appropriately.  

We are looking at new ways to reach out to each of you with special programs throughout the year.  We are planning a webinar with the Office of Church Staff Finance to address any questions we might have about our retirement plans.  We also are looking at a program that might involve the UUA Vice President to talk about the UUA and its plans for the future.

We are looking at other ways to strengthen connections among us.  We now have over 1400 people as members of UURMAPA.  These include those who have been retired for a while as well as the newest who have just joined.  As we move more into a technical future with our programming, we don’t want to leave people behind.  We want to create a small group of tech savvy members who would be available to work with those who need help with our technology.  If you would like to be one of those people, contact me.

The bottom line is we are working for you.  Let us know where we can meet your needs.  We will do our best to create something for you.  Happy Fall.

Richard Speck, UURMAPA President

Our gathering (October 20–22) opened and closed with worship services produced by a team of people led by Joan Van Becelaere. Creating the service are Jan Carlsson-Bull, Jef Gamblee, Sylvia Howe, Marion Vissel, David Bumbaugh, Lynda Sutherland and Ruth Gnagey.

The opening service has traditionally been a way to center ourselves and focus our attention on the theme of the conference, which is “Stories of the Faith behind Freedom.” The service will address the importance of story in our lives, and how we can change the world as our story changes. As a catchphrase, “the Faith behind Freedom” was first used during World War Two by Unitarians as the theme of a worship service. At that time, people were dying in Europe and Asia as they fought to protect our freedoms. We realized that we must defend our freedoms today as well, and that our faith gives us the strength to resist tyranny.

The heart of the conference will be the sharing of personal stories; stories of that faith which sustains us and drives us to resist bullying and authoritarian menace. Together, listening to these stories, we hope to reinvigorate our spiritual and physical selves to resist the abrogation of our freedoms.

The closing worship will offer the space and time to reflect on our experiences during the conference, and provide us guidance as we leave each other and return to our separate lives.

Joan Van Becelaere has led the worship team for two conferences and she is honored to work with the creative group of colleagues who comprise the worship team. She said, “We weren’t sure how we would work together when we have team members in different locations, but everyone worked together wonderfully to make it happen. I personally love working collaboratively and believe that the best creative energies are released in that structure. It is a little unusual for many of us to design worship as a team, but this team pulled it off with real style.

“We were blessed with a plenitude of poetic resources to draw from and Jef Gamblee to put together the visual elements. Jan Carlsson-Bull and Sylvia Howe researched and lovingly created meaningful obituaries for the remembrance service to honor our departed colleagues. David Bumbaugh and Marion Visel created the closing worship. Ruth Gnagy, Lynda Sutherland and I worked on the opening. And we are grateful to North UU Congregation in Lewis Center, Ohio for lending us their pulpit to record the worship elements.”

JUMP TO:
Seabeck Conference Center
Wilmington, Delaware
Kingston, Massachusetts
Waverly, Ohio
Winnsboro, South Carolina

*********Seabeck Conference Center, Washington State

Jaco ten Hove is hosting the 4th annual pod at the Seabeck Conference Center on the Hood Canal, west of Seattle. He says, “Seabeck has incredible views of the Olympic Mountains, an excellent campus with modern comforts, and nine delicious meals (that we don’t have to cook or clean up after). For three nights over four days, 30 retired colleagues and partners get to share meaningful face-to-face discussions and local programming, take walks and laugh together, and participate in the virtual conference on a large screen.”

For more information, call or text Jaco at 206/200-5403 or send a message to jbthishere@gmail.com 

*********Wilmington, Delaware

Richard Speck is justifiably proud of Wilmington. He writes, “The world famous Longwood Gardens bring people from all over the world. We also have Winterthur, a large museum dedicated to the American arts of furniture and collections of fascinating objects. The Brandywine River Museum of Art, the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science are all nearby and easily accessible. There is much colonial-era history to explore, including Valley Forge and the Brandywine Battlefield.

“The First Unitarian Church of Wilmington will host for both large presentations and small breakout groups. You might consider bringing a laptop or tablet for use during the breakout sessions. The church has a strong wi-fi signal throughout the building. 

“The church is about 20 miles south of the Philadelphia airport. Hotels are located 1-2 miles from the church. Some shared meals will be at the church with opportunities to go to area restaurants. Where possible, we will offer transportation from either location and from the church to the hotels.”

For more information, write Richard Speck, rgspeck@comcast.net or call him at 302/239-6286.

*********Kingston, Massachusetts (now closed)

If you live in eastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island, you might make a short drive to Kingston MA, where another pod is organized by Judy Campbell. Why go to Kingston? Judy says, “First is to see and hug one another in person after several years of online conferences. Secondly, there are major attractions within an easy drive of the church. Coastal Massachusetts, Kingston and Plymouth, have any number of historic, and cultural attractions, not to mention some wicked good restaurants. The views of the harbor and ocean are stunning.

“The Pilgrim Hall Museum offers outstanding early colonial history and a Wampanoag history and culture collection. The Plymouth Guild for the Arts is a museum of local artists and features an elegant gift shop. Plimoth Patuxet is the oldest town in New England and their living history museum is fascinating: https://plimoth.org

“The pod will meet just a few miles north of Plymouth center at the First Parish Church in Kingston. More information is available by visiting www.kingstonuu.org. The website has everything you need to know about the location and has a map, directions to the church, and pictures of the buildings.”

Contact the organizer, Judy Campbell, at 781/422-6519 or 508/939-1391, or send a message to revdocmom@comcast.net. NOTE: Pod now closed.

*********Waverly, Ohio

Once again, we are gathering at Bristol Village for our on-site fall UURMaPA Conference. We invite you to join us for a laid-back time with beautiful scenery, conversations with friends, and quiet time alone. You must register for the UURMaPA conference on their website.

Seven cottages are available for our use. Lodging cost at $100 is per cottage, not per person. Please let me know which cottage you want and if you will be sharing a cottage with someone.

203 Robin. 2 BR, 1 Queen, 2 twins, 2 full baths. Walk in shower and a bathtub.
320 Robin. 2 BR, 2 Queens, 2 baths with walk in showers.
307 Robin. 2 BR, 2 Queens, 1 full bath.
307 Wendy. 2 BR, 2 Queens, 1 full bath + ½ bath
402 Robin. Handicap Accessible, 2 BR, 1 Queen, 2 twins, fold out couch, 1 handicap bathroom, 1 full bathroom.
202 Robin. 2 BR, 1 Queen, 2 twins, 1 bath, pet friendly.
214 Lee. 2BR, 2 Queens, 1½ baths, very low toilets, therefore not handicapped.

There is a cafe where you can have breakfast and lunch (at no cost because Joan and Ruth are using their resident’s accounts), a swimming pool, walking paths and lots of private space. Since there are kitchens, you may bring your own food.

The cottage where we will meet has two comfortable meeting rooms, a full kitchen, dining area, a pool table, and a large television screen for easy conference viewing.

To register or for more information please contact: Sylvia Howe sylhowe42@gmail.com 

978-317-0013

*********Winnsboro, South Carolina

LoraKim Joyner and Meredith Garmon are hosting a pod in Winnsboro SC at their home, and their One Earth Retreat Center.

Meredith says, “When I retired from 21 years of UU ministry this summer, the two of us moved to our new home on 34 wooded acres and set about furnishing it to be a retreat center, which we call One Earth Retreat Center (OERC). LoraKim, also a UU minister, continues her Community Ministry as co-director of One Earth Conservation.

“We have beds for 11 guests, which will go to the first 11 people who register for them. If you have (and love) an RV, parking it on our property would be an option (though we don’t have water/electricity hook-ups), and for hardy souls who enjoy tent camping, we have a very big back yard where a tent can be pitched. 

“If you’d like to come to our pod, but stay in a hotel, peruse the internet for hotels in Ridgeway SC (about 12 minutes from OERC), or Winnsboro SC (about 15-20 minutes from OERC). Wherever you spend the nights, all meals are included in the cost of registration.

“One Earth Retreat Center is 12 minutes from Lake Wateree State Park. https://southcarolinaparks.com/lake-wateree. We are also about an hour from downtown Charlotte NC, and 37 minutes from the center of Columbia SC.”

To get a sense of the facility, the floorplans and some photos are here: http://hotetsuzen.blogspot.com/p/the-one-earth-retreat-center 

Our One Earth Retreat Center website is under construction – you can take a look at what we have up so far: oneearthretreatcenter.org  

Also LoraKim has put up some posts on the OERC facebook page: facebook.com/oneearthretreatcenter 

To register for our pod (which is separate from registering for the conference itself), email us at garmonjoyner@uuma.org, with your name, contact info, and your choice of accommodation, as below:.

∙ I’d like one of OERC’s beds, please. (Includes 2, 3, or 4 nights depending on whether you may choose to arrive on Sunday, Oct. 19 evening, depart on Thursday, Oct. 23 morning, or both, and 3 meals a day).  $400.

∙ I’d like to stay on the property in an RV or tent (includes all meals). $350.

∙ I’ll make other lodging arrangements, and join the pod for the conference (includes lunch and dinner). $250.