I’ve been taking an online class for the past few weeks about how to create better videos and how to use video messages to improve ministry. The guiding question is: what does it look like to be present in the internet/social media space with the core UUFCM message of love and justice, of transforming ourselves and our world? You can expect to see more UUFCM videos on Facebook, on our website, and elsewhere, in the coming weeks and months.
One video example that the instructor shared was an 8-minute video about Unitarian Universalism. Watching it got me excited all over again about our faith. The video consists mostly of little snippets of interviews with UU’s. They talk about misconceptions about our faith, about what drew them here and what holds them here. The interviews are in a large convention space and I’m thinking it must be a General Assembly.
General Assembly, or GA, is the yearly national gathering of Unitarian Universalists. It was supposed to be in Providence, Rhode Island this year, but of course it’s online instead. (Next year it is scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.) GA is exciting because there are thousands of UU’s from large and small congregations together. There is a lot of social justice work, a lot of connecting, and important business such as debating and approving changes to the bylaws. If you don’t think that’s important, remember that the seven principles are part of the bylaws and were created, revised, and approved at GA business meetings.
As a minister, I will attend the GA business meetings and cast a vote. A congregation of our size also gets to send two voting delegates: Brigitte Bechtold and Laura McBride. Ten other members of the congregation are attending GA this year, but not voting.
This will keep me busy all of next week, so I will not be available for most regular Fellowship business. Attached to the 4-day General Assembly is a 2-day UU ministers’ conference. I had a preview meeting of that conference already, and there were 500 UU ministers on the Zoom call. So I will be very engaged in Unitarian Universalism next week, but not directly with this Fellowship. I will, however, be available for any emergencies.
The beauty and power of General Assembly is the same thing that I find in the video I mentioned and in the experience of creating videos for the internet. This religion is far bigger than our 60 members here in Mount Pleasant. We have a national reach and a centuries-old history. Most importantly, we have a life-saving message of love, inclusion and social justice that we need to share.
Prayer:
May the gathering of General Assembly be blessed by joy, love, and dedication to the ideals of justice and compassion. May the delegates and attendees bring their full selves to the task of knowing one another, of opening our minds and hearts to other people’s experience, and the grand task of forming a living thriving body out of thousands of individual voices.
May those of us who go to GA know that we represent the fullness of this Fellowship.
May the world be blessed by the energy of Unitarian Universalism: love for all, justice for all, respect for all, spirituality in many forms.
May it be so.
Andrew Frantz
One video example that the instructor shared was an 8-minute video about Unitarian Universalism. Watching it got me excited all over again about our faith. The video consists mostly of little snippets of interviews with UU’s. They talk about misconceptions about our faith, about what drew them here and what holds them here. The interviews are in a large convention space and I’m thinking it must be a General Assembly.
General Assembly, or GA, is the yearly national gathering of Unitarian Universalists. It was supposed to be in Providence, Rhode Island this year, but of course it’s online instead. (Next year it is scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.) GA is exciting because there are thousands of UU’s from large and small congregations together. There is a lot of social justice work, a lot of connecting, and important business such as debating and approving changes to the bylaws. If you don’t think that’s important, remember that the seven principles are part of the bylaws and were created, revised, and approved at GA business meetings.
As a minister, I will attend the GA business meetings and cast a vote. A congregation of our size also gets to send two voting delegates: Brigitte Bechtold and Laura McBride. Ten other members of the congregation are attending GA this year, but not voting.
This will keep me busy all of next week, so I will not be available for most regular Fellowship business. Attached to the 4-day General Assembly is a 2-day UU ministers’ conference. I had a preview meeting of that conference already, and there were 500 UU ministers on the Zoom call. So I will be very engaged in Unitarian Universalism next week, but not directly with this Fellowship. I will, however, be available for any emergencies.
The beauty and power of General Assembly is the same thing that I find in the video I mentioned and in the experience of creating videos for the internet. This religion is far bigger than our 60 members here in Mount Pleasant. We have a national reach and a centuries-old history. Most importantly, we have a life-saving message of love, inclusion and social justice that we need to share.
Prayer:
May the gathering of General Assembly be blessed by joy, love, and dedication to the ideals of justice and compassion. May the delegates and attendees bring their full selves to the task of knowing one another, of opening our minds and hearts to other people’s experience, and the grand task of forming a living thriving body out of thousands of individual voices.
May those of us who go to GA know that we represent the fullness of this Fellowship.
May the world be blessed by the energy of Unitarian Universalism: love for all, justice for all, respect for all, spirituality in many forms.
May it be so.
Andrew Frantz
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