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The Mission of UUAMP is to develop and support the ministry of membership through professional development and collaboration.

The Board of Directors 2018—2019 goals:

*Increase awareness about our open membership to all passionate about the ministry of membership

*Grow regional networks

*Continue to create clear and concise communication with our members

President’s Note


Today

by Mary Oliver

Today I’m flying low and I’m

not saying a word.

I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep.


The world goes on as it must,

the bees in the garden rumbling a little,

the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten.

And so forth.
 

But I’m taking the day off.

Quiet as a feather.

I hardly move though really I’m traveling

a terrific distance.


Stillness. One of the doors

into the temple.

I really like this poem.  It speaks (or not speaks!) to what one of my experiences in Kyiv, Ukraine has been:  silence. Because I don’t speak Russian/Ukrainian well, I find myself being very silent during the day. My children and husband are off at school/work, and I’m home with the dog and cat. I don’t have many people to casually talk to!

So, when I find myself out with people I can speak with or having long conversations with family & friends, I get a very sore throat from talking!  It’s happened several times! I wonder each time, when I’ll learn to either listen more, speak less, or to start training myself to use my voice more on days when I’m alone.  

I also find myself enjoying the quiet.  And although it’s somewhat isolating, it’s giving me time to think.  Time to reflect and wonder. Time to wander through what it is that feeds me.  And I’m still thinking, reflecting, wondering and wandering.

How do you find your stillness and quiet?  How do you reflect and wonder about your world?

I hope you will join us to do some of this self care work and reflection at our Conference in Milwaukee in May.  It’s such an important time to make sure you’re feeding your soul, so you can take good care of the stories and experiences of your congregants and help them find their place.

There’s lots happening in 2019, so read the newsletter and stay in touch!

In faith,
Corie
wahlcori@gmail.com

UUAMP Pre-GA Day 2018 – One Attendee’s Perspective

As a lay membership leader, I found the program on Faith Development sponsored by the UUAMP group to be a team building event for both lay and professional membership persons.   The program highlighted the importance of making faith development a primary and integral part of the membership experience.  I also appreciated the value of this program as a reminder to all of us about what is most important in creating a meaningful faith community. 

In our congregations, lay leaders are often tasked with working collaboratively with the membership director to welcome prospective members, to share our vision, and to convey the spiritual dimension of our UU faith. This workshop offered an opportunity for all members of the team to receive vital spiritual grounding that helps to build inclusive and cohesive membership units within our congregations.
I am further reminded that it is our job to make membership more than  a financial commitment or simply an act of joining the congregation.  Financial giving is not the end game----- but merely the mechanism that allows us to act on our values to fulfill our mission and vision.   

I hope to benefit from many more such programs soon and encourage fellow lay leaders to participate in UUAMP offerings as well.
 
~Marsha Borders, Membership Committee, Unity Temple UU Congregation, Oak Park, Illinois

Join us at the 2019 UUAMP Conference 
Register Here!

May 1 & 2, 2019, at the
First Unitarian Society of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Leadership Video Available!

At last summer's General Assembly, UUAMP Board Members Marie Luna and Mark Bernstein presented a workshop entitled MADE, NOT BORN: CULTIVATING LEADERS IN OUR UU CONGREGATIONS.  The workshop focused on strategies for cultivating leaders and discussed the challenges and solutions in meeting this critical need.  You can watch the video and access the PowerPoint presentation here!

Join us for two great book discussions in 2019! Register here.

Make Room For All: Accessibility and Inclusion Issues in Congregational Life

Opening our doors to people of all abilities is the less talked about test of inclusion in our congregations. This webinar discusses “disability etiquette” and explores the many ways in which our congregations can be more accessible and more welcoming to people with a variety of disabilities.

You can access this webinar, sponsored by UUAMP and the UUA MidAmerica Region here!

Compensation in the Year Ahead

Jan Gartner, UUA Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager
We have great news about UUA plans in 2019! All of our plan insurance premiums (Health, Dental, Life, and Long-Term Disability) are staying the same. As you can imagine, it is no small feat to keep rates steady. A few modest plan adjustments have been made in order to avoid premium increases. Note that the Health Plan rates are based on age. If you’re anything like me, you’re a year older than you were a year ago, so you’ll see a small age adjustment in your rate beginning January 1.

The Health Plan is also introducing some benefit enhancements, including the beginning of a transition to covering IVF in 2020. Read more on our Open Enrollment page. Open Enrollment runs through December 3.

We’ve solidified our Salary Recommendations for the 2019-2020 year, although the charts won’t be posted until December. We’re raising recommendation ranges by 1.8% across the board, in keeping with anticipated changes in nonprofit wages. We’re also communicating to congregations that the cost of living is expected to go up about 3% in 2019, and that it’s important to take this cost of living increase into consideration in setting salaries for continuing staff.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns about your compensation or employment situation at jgartner@uua.org.

Hear! Hear!  

If you ever thought to yourself that serving on the UUAMP board or sub-committees would interest you, then step right up!  Please feel empowered to submit your interest to Corie at wahlcori@gmail.com  

We would love to hear about what gifts and insight you would bring to the board or to our Nominations or Audit Committees, and perhaps our soon to be Conference Planning Committee.  We lovingly encourage your participation in growing and sustaining UUAMP and Unitarian Universalism. If you have any questions, just email!

The View from Here


  As I step away from my Membership Professional Role with the First Unitarian Society of Madison in Wisconsin, I have a perspective to share.  When I began in 2009, I was welcomed by other Membership Professionals (in particular, UUAMP Vice President, Marie Luna from Fox Valley and Kathy Porter, the former Membership Director in Milwaukee). By their offers of help and advice, I survived my first year.

Most of what I have learned I have kept with me and my view has transitioned with the help of our UUAMP connections. Our continual education with Professional Days, the UUAMP Certification Program, book discussions, chats and regional connections have offered best practices. With the help of these good ideas, I was able to stay current with the needs, trends and concerns of our congregations.

These past few years, our congregations have reflected our world in ways unimaginable to our times. The support of UUAMP, the UUA and other UU congregations around us have helped to keep us sane and focused.  Your connection with UUAMP will be integral to your work.  The professional connections are invaluable and the friendships are priceless. I know how difficult it is to take the time to attend these discussions and meetings, but I also know how much we all need it and that it is to the betterment of our positions.

I am wishing you all the best! Breathe and walk forward!  With great love and admiration for what you continue to do.

~Jeanne Sears

Note:  Jeanne is a former Board member of UUAMP and a longtime member of our organization.

Read the latest from the Commission on Institutional Change!

It’s almost Membership Renewal time!  

Feel free to do it now.

And if you need to wait until January for budget reasons, that’s fine too.  We’ll be giving you reminders over the next few months.
UUAMP
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uuamp.org

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