17th, 2009!
Images from Candidating week follow...
Friday, June 12, 2009
A New Beginning
17th, 2009!
Images from Candidating week follow...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reverend Carie Johnsen: Our Candidate for Minister of UUCC
The Ministerial Search Committee
is delighted to invite you to participate in
Candidating Week: May 9 – 17, 2009
for the Reverend Carie Johnsen,
The Committee’s Candidate for Minister of our Church
With unanimous enthusiasm, the UUCC Ministerial Search Committee is pleased to present Carie Johnsen for your consideration as minister.
As a newly minted minister, the UUCC will be Carie’s first settled ministry. In June 2009, she completes her Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and will be ordained at a ceremony jointly shared by her teaching congregation, First Parish Church Duxbury, and her home congregation, First Parish Brewster in Massachusetts.
Carie was born and raised in “a typical mid-western Lutheran family” in Huron, South Dakota. In the mid 80’s Carie moved east to the big city (Boston) for a career in social services, progressing from front-line work with clients to management positions in both private and public service agencies. Carie found Unitarian Universalism in 1993 when she joined First Parish Brewster. In the ensuing years she engaged in the life of the Brewster church as a volunteer RE teacher, as Membership Coordinator (staff position), and as a commissioned chaplain.
Carie earned a BA in Study of Religion in 2004; was accepted to Harvard Divinity School; and in the summer of 2007, her call was strongly affirmed when she received a full scholarship. Her senior thesis was entitled, “Through the Lens of Class: Who are we and how can we build beloved community rich in socioeconomic diversity.” Of her thesis work Carie writes, “I hope to bring a greater awareness of issues of class into UU communities. Through critical examination of these issues of race and class, power and privilege, oppression and injustice, I will lift up models for community partnering that bring about social change through community and relationship building, cross-class alliances and political advocacy for systems change. My childhood working class identity now straddles a middle class profession consequently providing a unique insight into the class and race work we are called to engage.” Carie is the parent of two sons Justin and Michael who are eighteen and entering their adult years.
The search committee was drawn to Reverend Carie Johnson by her array of strengths and skills. Carie is a warm person who can forge meaningful connections with individual congregants while modeling healthy boundaries. She sees universal truths in daily events, recognizing the sacred in every day. It’s important to her to be in ministry with all ages. Carie has a strong background in the area of social action and is a skilled organizer both of people and of events. Finally, Carie understands the role and responsibilities of an after-pastor. She has had training on after-pastoring and will continue to do so.
On her future in ministry, Reverend Johnson, writes “My hope for parish ministry is to be in deep relationship with members and community. To be a part of congregational life as the minister is a privilege and a joy. To be a part of the fuller lives of the members is an honor I hold with the deepest respect and seek to serve with utmost integrity.”
For more information, please check Carie’s Ministerial Packet. It will be available during Fellowship hour in upcoming Sundays.
Please join us in extending the warm hand of welcome to Reverend Carie Johnsen when she visits us in May. We encourage everyone to participate in the various opportunities which will be offered that week to meet her.
Candidate Week Brief Schedule May 9 – 17, 2009 (note the change of dates!)
May 9 Welcome activities
May 10 Reverend Johnsen will preach at Sunday Worship
May 10 – 17 Organized meetings and activities so everybody will have a change to meet Carie. Full schedule to be announced.
May 17 Reverend Johnsen will preach at Sunday Worship
May 17 Congregational Meeting after the second service. The sole purpose of this meeting is to vote on calling the Reverend Carie Johnsen to be our next minister. Those present and holding voting membership may vote.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Rev. Kron Online
Rev. Kron delivered a masterful and very moving sermon last Sunday. For those of you who may have missed it, or would like to share it or hear it again, here's a link to a podcast of a similar sermon he gave at the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota last September before their Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop. Our compliments, and thanks to them!
http://firstuniv.podbean.com/2008/10/20/2008-09-21-keith-kronbeyond-categorical-thinking/
http://firstuniv.podbean.com/2008/10/20/2008-09-21-keith-kronbeyond-categorical-thinking/
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Beyond Categorical Thinking, a workshop at the UUCC
Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 12:45pm following worship services
with Rev. Keith Kron. Lunch will be available directly following the 2nd service and childcare will be provided.
Will the new minister hear me?
Will my concerns and needs be met?
Will the minister understand what I’m living with?
How will the community respond to our minister?
In answering these questions, a picture of the “ideal minister” (categorized by age, gender, gender identity, nationality, physical ability, race, and sexual orientation) comes to mind. With this picture in place, it can be easy to unintentionally exclude ministers who fall into certain categories. At times, as we get caught up in comparing candidates to our “picture,” we can even forget what it is we hoped for in a minister.
Beyond Categorical Thinking promotes inclusive thinking and helps prevent unfair discrimination in the ministerial search process. The congregation will learn more about its institutional culture, examine ways it can be more inclusive in its consideration of ministerial candidates, and surface subtle and often unintentional, unconscious biases members hold that may result in a decision to not select the minister who would be the best fit for their ministerial needs. Beyond Categorical Thinking encourages the healing of oppressive dynamics that divide us and prevent us from sharing our real gifts with each other.
The selection of a minister is important to all of us, and this workshop is another opportunity for everyone in our congregation to be a part of that process. Please join us on Sunday, February 1st!
with Rev. Keith Kron. Lunch will be available directly following the 2nd service and childcare will be provided.
Will the new minister hear me?
Will my concerns and needs be met?
Will the minister understand what I’m living with?
How will the community respond to our minister?
In answering these questions, a picture of the “ideal minister” (categorized by age, gender, gender identity, nationality, physical ability, race, and sexual orientation) comes to mind. With this picture in place, it can be easy to unintentionally exclude ministers who fall into certain categories. At times, as we get caught up in comparing candidates to our “picture,” we can even forget what it is we hoped for in a minister.
Beyond Categorical Thinking promotes inclusive thinking and helps prevent unfair discrimination in the ministerial search process. The congregation will learn more about its institutional culture, examine ways it can be more inclusive in its consideration of ministerial candidates, and surface subtle and often unintentional, unconscious biases members hold that may result in a decision to not select the minister who would be the best fit for their ministerial needs. Beyond Categorical Thinking encourages the healing of oppressive dynamics that divide us and prevent us from sharing our real gifts with each other.
The selection of a minister is important to all of us, and this workshop is another opportunity for everyone in our congregation to be a part of that process. Please join us on Sunday, February 1st!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Progress Report from the Search Committee
Your search committee has made great strides in the weeks following Thanksgiving! We completed the UUCC Congregational Packet -- a thick binder containing detailed information about our congregation. Make sure you stop by and see one for yourself during Fellowship Hour on Sunday. We all put a lot of time into it, and we are proud of the result. We hope you will agree that it is a true and appealing portrait of our spiritual home.
The other big news is that, as of the first week in December, the UUA Ministerial Transitions Office in Boston gave us a list of candidates interested in our church! Of course we cannot relate details about the individuals on the list, but we can tell you that they are a diverse and talented group. We will be sending copies of our UUCC Congregational Packet to those in whom we are interested, and in turn, these ministers will send us their own informational packets so that the search committee can get to know them better.
A Word on Confidentiality…
Members of the congregation are entitled to know about the process we are following and the progress we are making in the search. But please be aware that members of the search committee have pledged to keep the names and all other personal details about ministers applying to our position in the strictest confidence, including where they are applying from. There are some very good reasons for this rule of confidentiality (from the UUA Settlement Handbook):
● Ministers currently settled in a congregation may not have told their present parishioners that they are contemplating a move. These parishioners are entitled to hear the news from their own minister at the appropriate time. To “leak” a minister’s name can undermine his or her ability to serve the present congregation, and will almost certainly damage our chances of attracting that potential candidate.
● When the identities of unsuccessful applicants are known, it heightens the competitive aspect of the search process. This hurts collegial feeling among ministers and can create hard feelings among congregations.
● It is harder to resolve differences among the members of a search committee if others in the congregation learn details about individuals being considered and start voicing their opinions. The search committee must be allowed to conduct their confidential work in private.
A final note: if, by some chance, you learn of the identity of any of the applicants (it’s a small world after all!) we respectfully ask you to keep the information entirely to yourself.
The other big news is that, as of the first week in December, the UUA Ministerial Transitions Office in Boston gave us a list of candidates interested in our church! Of course we cannot relate details about the individuals on the list, but we can tell you that they are a diverse and talented group. We will be sending copies of our UUCC Congregational Packet to those in whom we are interested, and in turn, these ministers will send us their own informational packets so that the search committee can get to know them better.
A Word on Confidentiality…
Members of the congregation are entitled to know about the process we are following and the progress we are making in the search. But please be aware that members of the search committee have pledged to keep the names and all other personal details about ministers applying to our position in the strictest confidence, including where they are applying from. There are some very good reasons for this rule of confidentiality (from the UUA Settlement Handbook):
● Ministers currently settled in a congregation may not have told their present parishioners that they are contemplating a move. These parishioners are entitled to hear the news from their own minister at the appropriate time. To “leak” a minister’s name can undermine his or her ability to serve the present congregation, and will almost certainly damage our chances of attracting that potential candidate.
● When the identities of unsuccessful applicants are known, it heightens the competitive aspect of the search process. This hurts collegial feeling among ministers and can create hard feelings among congregations.
● It is harder to resolve differences among the members of a search committee if others in the congregation learn details about individuals being considered and start voicing their opinions. The search committee must be allowed to conduct their confidential work in private.
A final note: if, by some chance, you learn of the identity of any of the applicants (it’s a small world after all!) we respectfully ask you to keep the information entirely to yourself.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Search Committee Seeking Photographs!
Do you have photographs to share with the Search Committee? We need images to illustrate the "Congregational Packet" a comprehensive collection of information all about the UUCC that will be sent to selected ministers in search. If you have digital images that would help illustrate our community, please email them to Deb Fahy, secretary of the Search Committee by Saturday, November 22nd.
In particular, we are looking for pictures from the following: choir, musicians, maypole, caberet, fellowship dinner, dessert theater, Sunday services, Peace Jam, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, Walking with the Person You Love (at the Statehouse), World Aids Day Gathering, Values Discernment, Anti War rally, Lewiston rally in support of the Somali community. Or, anything else you think would help to round out the picture of our community! Thank you for your help.
In particular, we are looking for pictures from the following: choir, musicians, maypole, caberet, fellowship dinner, dessert theater, Sunday services, Peace Jam, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, Walking with the Person You Love (at the Statehouse), World Aids Day Gathering, Values Discernment, Anti War rally, Lewiston rally in support of the Somali community. Or, anything else you think would help to round out the picture of our community! Thank you for your help.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Profile of the Minister We Seek
(As read by Terry Cookson at one of the Gatherings after services on Sunday, October 26, 2008)
Our next minister will understand the role and responsibilities of an after-pastor in healing a congregation betrayed by ministerial misconduct. This person will recognize and support UUCC’s system of broad based ministry – led by the minister but implemented by our pioneering Small Group Ministry program, skilled ministerial associates (confidential lay listeners), and very empathetic caring committee. In our perfect world we also want a minister to provide meaningful worship, help maintain our strong bonds of community, and encourage social activism.
Our wounds will take time to heal and the hurt will surface in unexpected ways. Our new minister will know that these experiences can be transformed into spiritual growth. S/he will connect with church members while modeling healthy boundaries. Our next minister will be a warm person who recognizes everyone’s importance in the church, who listens and communicates effectively, and acknowledges the importance of children in the congregation.
We want to leave church on Sunday energized and full of purpose, with something to think about and live on during the week. Our next minister will present stimulating and challenging Sunday services while drawing on the choir, children's story, and other strengths and talents of the congregation. Homilies and readings are most inspiring if drawn from life experiences thus we want someone who can see universal truths in daily events. Sunday's Fellowship Hour will be more alive with the inspiration of the moving services our new minister will present, which will foster community building.
Community is one of the great benefits of congregational life. Our minister will help us be a Welcoming Congregation, in all respects, while also helping us provide for our members' needs and ensure that families and friends create and maintain strong social bonds so that no one goes untended and slips away unnoticed.
S/He will be realistic about what it takes to run a church and will help the congregation be practical about our goals and how to accomplish them. We have a history of strong social action. Our entrance is adorned with a large “Love, not fear, practiced here” banner. We will benefit from a minister who advocates this message while sharing our desire to create social justice and make a difference in the world.
We are committed to a positive future. We seek to build lasting bonds and a safer world. We are looking for an optimistic minister who wants to be a part of the spiritual journey of the Unitarian-Universalist Community Church in Augusta, Maine.
Our next minister will understand the role and responsibilities of an after-pastor in healing a congregation betrayed by ministerial misconduct. This person will recognize and support UUCC’s system of broad based ministry – led by the minister but implemented by our pioneering Small Group Ministry program, skilled ministerial associates (confidential lay listeners), and very empathetic caring committee. In our perfect world we also want a minister to provide meaningful worship, help maintain our strong bonds of community, and encourage social activism.
Our wounds will take time to heal and the hurt will surface in unexpected ways. Our new minister will know that these experiences can be transformed into spiritual growth. S/he will connect with church members while modeling healthy boundaries. Our next minister will be a warm person who recognizes everyone’s importance in the church, who listens and communicates effectively, and acknowledges the importance of children in the congregation.
We want to leave church on Sunday energized and full of purpose, with something to think about and live on during the week. Our next minister will present stimulating and challenging Sunday services while drawing on the choir, children's story, and other strengths and talents of the congregation. Homilies and readings are most inspiring if drawn from life experiences thus we want someone who can see universal truths in daily events. Sunday's Fellowship Hour will be more alive with the inspiration of the moving services our new minister will present, which will foster community building.
Community is one of the great benefits of congregational life. Our minister will help us be a Welcoming Congregation, in all respects, while also helping us provide for our members' needs and ensure that families and friends create and maintain strong social bonds so that no one goes untended and slips away unnoticed.
S/He will be realistic about what it takes to run a church and will help the congregation be practical about our goals and how to accomplish them. We have a history of strong social action. Our entrance is adorned with a large “Love, not fear, practiced here” banner. We will benefit from a minister who advocates this message while sharing our desire to create social justice and make a difference in the world.
We are committed to a positive future. We seek to build lasting bonds and a safer world. We are looking for an optimistic minister who wants to be a part of the spiritual journey of the Unitarian-Universalist Community Church in Augusta, Maine.
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