Engaged Diversity

1
Engaged Diversity

• Don Heights Unitarian Congregation

2
Calling for a Shared Ministry Team

• Diverse perspectives
• Magnify creative ideas
• Need for broad congregational ownership
• Share the vision
• Involve many
• Ministry is the act of serving. Shared ministry
  is what we do to serve our congregation and the
  broader community, individually and together.

3

• Don Heights will dedicate time energy to
  exploring barriers to being more welcoming and
  affirming of diversity
• diversity of age, ability, sexual orientation,
  race, ethnicity, culture, faith, socio-economic
  status and theological perspective.
• This shared ministry initiative will include
  Sunday Services, workshops, movies, adult
  programs and social action.

4
The Plan

• Recognition this is an ongoing effort
• Phase I Introductory Exploration
• September 2007 creation of Team
• October 2007 strategizing
• November 2007 committee contact
• January 2008 Implement

5
Creating the Team

• Introduced in the Newsletter pulpit
• Hosted post-service info session
• Set planning meeting
• Shared info with congregation

6
Strategizing

• Involve Committees
• Sunday Services
• Adult Programming
• Social Action
• Publicity

7
Visible Diversities

• Race Age
• Gender Size
• Sometime visible
• Other abilities
• Socio-economic status
• Religious affiliation

8
Invisible Diversities

• Sexual orientation
• Theological orientation
• Education
• Sometimes invisible
• Other abilities
• Ethnicity/ language
• Socio-economic status

9
January Services 2008 January 6th Engaged
Diversity Introduction   January 13th Street
Health Stories The Health of the Homeless
Presenters Erika Khandor Laura Hanson
Socio-economic diversity January
20th Celebrating the T in LGBTQ One familys
Sacred Journey Presenter Joan Wiley Gender
sexual orientation diversity  
10
February Black History Month

• February 3rd
• The Meaning of Drums - The Afrikan Drums
• Presenter Musician
• Waleed Abdulhamid Kush
•  
• February 10th
• Through the Fire or How Long Can I Be Afraid?
• Speaker Rev Alicia Forde
• How Diverse Are We, Really?
• Service Presenters Rev. Debra Faulk Engaged
  Diversity Shared Ministry Team
•  
• February 24th
• Black History Month in a Multicultural Society
• Presenter Caldwell Taylor
•  

11
March Services

• March 2nd
• Joyful Noise Songs of Diversity
• Musicians Jane Perry the Joyful Noise Choir
•   Musical diversity
• March 9th
• Ethiopia Connections
• March 16th
• Building Your Own Theology
• Rev. Debra Faulk Participants in Building Your
  Own Theology
• Theological Diversity
• March 23rdth
• Rise Again Easter
• Rev. Debra Faulk Participants in Building Your
  Own Theology
• Theological Diversity
•  
• March 30th
• Do We Know How to Work Together pulpit shuffle

12
April May Services

• April 6th
• The Road to Beloved Community The Prophetic
  Imperative
• April 13th History in a Meal Modified Passover
  Seder
• Musician Allan Merovitz
•  
• April 20th
• Interfaith Explored Whatcha Gonna Do With
  Whatcha Got?
• Speaker J.W. Windland
• April 27th
• Ageism - Is It a Reality?
• May 4th Disabilities or Just ...Different
  Abilities?
•  
• May 11th
• Diversity Is Life Work

13
Other Events

• Videos
• Amazing Grace
• Transamerica
• Workshops
• Healthy Sexuality
• Everyones a Drummer
• Spirituality for the Long Haul Nancy Reeves
• Joyful Noise

14
World Cafe

• What has been the greatest learning with Engaged
  Diversity initiative?
• Hidden prejudices how can we reveal them?
  Welcoming diversity requires exploring these
  issues
• What are the potential outcomes for the Engaged
  Diversity initiative?
• What more can we do to Engage Diversity?

15
Next Steps

• Go out into the community
• Continue the education piece
• Social Action activities
• Go Deep
• Go Out
• Credential

16
Congregational Resolution

• The Congregation affirms the intention to move
  ahead with the CUC Celebrating Diversity
  credentialing process through the continuing
  commitment to the Engaged Diversity Initiative.