Report of Bill Sinkford, President to the UUA
(Brief Summary: More notes on Thursday Plenary Session at
http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2008/commonthreads/115837.shtml
Sinkford’s address is near the end)
The vision that guides his work and that of the UUA staff is summarized in three important goals:
1. Support health and vitality of local congregations
UU RE Curriculum
Diversity of Ministry
New direction for support of youth ministry from national organization to programs in congregations
Growing congregations
What is the saving message of your congregation?
2. Open doors to those who yearn for what we have
Time magazine ads
Google ads
No longer content to be invisible
Growth initiatives
Satellite ministries in Albuquerque, NM
3. Credible religious presence in the world
Marriage equality
Campaign for peace while supporting troops including having more UU chaplains (whom he infroduced)
AIDS prevention -- Just say no didn’t work in the Garden of Eden
http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/ is a good on-line resource
Who is my neighbor? New sanctuary movement
Now is the Time capital campaign results: $50 million goal $39 million raised at Association Sunday events in congregations
Challenges for the future:
Attention to language
Association of congregations
Youth ministry
Faith development
Vision, mission, goals
New Slogan:
Nurture your spirit and heal the world
Ours are the only hands in this world
Ours is a theology of hope and courage
Bill Sinkford at Closing Worship: Let us develop a confidence of who we are and who we might yet become
