Service to the Community Module, Context of Worship - spring 2018
21-25 March 2018
The educational training for this module took place in the Broumov monastery Educational Center.
Lecturers
Derek McAuley
The Chief Officer of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches in Great Britain since 2009. He leads a small staff team, based at Essex Hall, to support local congregations and to represent the Movement externally. He is currently heavily involved with a training and education development project embracing ministry and lay leadership.
Born in Northern Ireland he was educated at the Queens’ University of Belfast graduating with a BSSc degree i n Political Science and Economics. Subsequently he completed a MA in Welfare Organisation and Management at the University of Liverpool. His professional background is in healthcare management and he previously worked in mental health and community services in the North West of England.
He is a member of the Chartered Management Institute and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is a Trustee of the McDougall Trust, which works to promote democracy around the world.
Rev. Dana Lightsey
Rev. Lightsey is currently serving as the Developmental Minister for High Plains Church, Unitarian Universalist. This is her fourth year working with this congregation to achieve their developmental goals of deep, systemic and cultural change. Rev. Lightsey and the congregation are currently exploring the possibility of moving in with another church to share space and collaborate on developing an interfaith center. This powerful vision creates a new model of “doing church” for the 21 century built on bringing people and organizations together to build relationships across differences and collaborate on common endeavors.
Rev. Lightsey was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2010. Her first job was working with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She helped them recover from the unexpected illness and death of their minister, Rev. Suzanne Meyers.
In 2012, Rev. Lightsey became the Consulting Assistant Minister at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Colorado. In addition to helping them adapt to numerous staffing changes, she also helped them create a new model of Social Justice with an all-church ongoing project to companion an entire community of people suffering from deep poverty.
Before going into ministry, Dana was a music teacher in the public school system for 17 years. She has taught K-12 General, Vocal and Instrumental music. Music is an important part of her ministry with all ages. She uses music and ministry for leading Dances of Universal Peace and Sufi zikr spiritual practice.
Rev. John Midgley
Is a retired UK Unitarian minister. He became a Unitarian as a teenager and trained for the ministry at Unitarian College, Manchester and Manchester University. He served congregations in the north west of England for more than 40 years. He was also a tutor at Unitarian College for twenty years and worked for the British General Assembly for six years as Development Officer, during which period he helped at Leadership Schools. Since his retirement he has served as chair of the board of directors of the Inquirer, the British Unitarian newspaper for which he is a regular writer.
Rev. Celia Midgley
Is a retired UK Unitarian minister. She has been a Unitarian from childhood and after graduating from Manchester University she worked as a teacher. She then became Religious Education and Youth Secretary for the British General Assembly before training for the ministry at Unitarian College Manchester and the Open University. She served congregations in the north west of England for over twenty years and assisted at Leadership Schools. She now serves as secretary for the British Unitarian ministers’ professional body, the Ministerial Fellowship. She has also been a member of the Executive committee of ICUU and now serves its Nominating Committee.
Celia and John both have an interest in international contacts. In 1998 Celia undertook a three-week post as visiting minister, assisted by John, to the Prague Unitarian congregation.
Schedule
Wednesday, March 21
Purpose and Sense of a Sermon
15:30–16:15 Tradition / Where did the sermon come from, freedom of the pulpit and the pew
16:20–16:50 Form / Sermon x lecture and other forms of presentation
17:00–17:45 Congregation / Sermon in a context of church program, sermon topics
17:55–18:25 Goals / Therapeutic effect of sermon and other goals
Thursday, March 22
Sermon Preparation
09:00–09:45 Resources / Where to draw inspiration, keys to choosing topics, friends and social group as a source of inspiration; should one use personal experiences or only objective facts?
09:55–10:40 Methods of preparation and presentation / Exegesis
11:00–11:45 Methods of preparation and presentation / Dramatic reading, extemporaneous speaking
11:55–12:40 Techniques of speaking / Finding your own style
14:00–16:00 Sermon preparation - workshop
Friday, March 23
Congregation and outreach to the public
09:00–09:45 Multicultural congregation / reality of postmodern times, ethical problems of the public and our contribution to their solving
09:55–10:40 Multicultural congregation / intergenerational and multicultural programs, the need of meaning and purpose in service
10:50–11:35 Multicultural congregation / specifics of Czech culture: closeness x openness
13:00–13:45 Public representation / what "represent" means, private life x public role
13:55–14:25 Public representation / personal boundaries
14:45–15:15 Public role / styles of communication, differences between lay and ministerial leadership
15:30–16:30 Public role / working with text, techniques of speach (workshop)
Saturday, March 24
Programs and working with membership
09:00–09:45 Unitarian worship / meaning of unique worship style, openness of UU worship compared to other traditions
09:55–10:40 Unitarian worship / tradition x habits, dynamics of change, active change in a congregation
10:50–11:20 Unitarian worship / symbols, how to work with them creatively (workshop)
11:40–12:10 Programs in a congregation as a service to members and public (lectures, workshops, etc)
12:20–12:50 Programs in a congregation as a service to members and public (workshop)
14:15–14:45 Pastoral care / meaning of pastoral care in a congregation
14:55–15:40 Pastoral care / types of interaction, tools for pastoral work
15:50–16:35 Pastoral care / how to create an atmosphere of trust (workshop)
Sunday, March 25
Support service to congregations
10:00–10:30 Service to congregations /role of global or international organization
10:35–11:05 Service to congregations /role of regional and national organization (UK)
11:10–11:40 Service to congregations /role of regional and national organization (USA)
11:50–12:35 Service to congregations /role of regional and national organization (Czech Republic)
12:45–13:30 Service to congregations /role of regional and national organization (discussion)