Rev'ing Up: Answering the Call of Liberal-Religious Leadership

Welcome back to Rev'ing Up: Answering the Call of Liberal-Religious Leadership! Last week Meagan shared her story of facing the economic realities of pursuing a life in ministry. This week, we hear a bit of Carrie's personal narrative, then expand into a discussion of the competing pressures that define ministry as a career (especially in Unitarian-Universalism). Finally, Meagan and Carrie ask: how would social reforms like universal healthcare and student debt cancellation affect the issues faced by liberal-religious ministers in formation?

If you're pursuing ministry or considering it, you won't want to miss this honest conversation. We hope to continue the conversation with you! Please send us a note at [email protected] or join the Listener Community at facebook.com/groups/revingup. We will be sharing more details about our Rev'ing Up live event very soon.

This episode is also available on YouTube at youtube.com/c/ccnyuu. Community Church of New York appreciates your time spent listening to and watching our shows. If you would like to support our work, subscribing or leaving a comment, rating, or review is a wonderful way to do so.

Ministers are people too and have economic and social needs just like anyone else. Is our faith structured to support them? On today's mini-episode of Rev'ing Up: Answering the Call of Liberal-Religious Leadership, CCNY intern minister Meagan Henry tells her story of being discouraged from pursuing ministry as a young single parent and how she found a way to serve her faith and answer her call in later life.

We plan to revisit this very important topic later on in our season of Rev'ing Up. We invite you to share your thoughts and comments with us by emailing [email protected], or joining our Listener Community at facebook.com/groups/revingup. Stay tuned for more details about our Rev'ing Up live event, coming in late May.

The process of becoming a minister is both individual and community-based. On today's episode, Carrie, Anthony, and Meagan explore some of the complexities and contradictions of ministerial formation through the lens of their personal backgrounds. In a liberal religion where a path to ministership is not restricted by gender, sexuality, or adherence to dogma, what *is* a minister? How is this continuing to change as ministry adapts to the 21st century and new community needs in the COVID-19 pandemic?

This episode is also available on YouTube at youtube.com/c/ccnyuu. 

We always welcome your thoughts and comments on our shows. Join the Listener Community at facebook.com/groups/revingup, or send us a note at [email protected]. We will be hosting a live event in late May with our Rev'ing Up hosts, so stay tuned for that! If you would like to support CCNY broadcasting, please subscribe, leave a rating or review, or write a comment!

Welcome back, Anthony! Anthony has returned from his retreat for Unitarian-Universalists of color and joins Carrie and Meagan for today's conversation about sources of hope. Our three hosts share personal stories of encounters with kind strangers, receiving help from unexpected sources, and moving from the "I" to the "we" by living in community. Stick around 'til the end to hear Meagan share her teen-friendly "elevator speech" on Unitarian-Universalist theology!

One way hope shows up in our lives is through connection and sharing. We invite you to share your experience with us by joining our Listener Community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/revingup. If you prefer email, send us a note at [email protected]. And please know you are welcome to join us for our Rev'ing Up live event hosted by CCNY in late May. More details coming soon!

This show is also available on YouTube at youtube.com/c/ccnyuu. Thank you for listening. If you enjoy the show and would like to support CCNY broadcasting, subscribing, rating, and leaving a review or comment is a wonderful way to do so. 

Between Easter, Passover, and the rites of spring, this is a busy time for liberal-religious leaders! At these transitional times of year many of us feel the urge to engage in communal rituals, and lots of Unitarian-Universalist individuals and congregations share in celebrations of Easter, Passover, and the equinox. And of course, Unitarian-Universalism has its own homegrown seasonal traditions such as Water Communion and Flower Communion. As Anthony is away on a retreat for Unitarian-Universalists of color, Carrie and Meagan host today's conversation about the traditions we share and how we seek to celebrate them respectfully.

We send our great thanks to Rev'ing Up listener Allan for sharing this question with us! If there is a topic you would like to see our hosts discuss, please let us know at [email protected]. 

If you would like to learn more about the Water Communion and Flower Communion rituals discussed on today's show, here are resources provided by the Unitarian-Universalist Association:

https://www.uua.org/worship/holidays/water-communion

https://www.uua.org/worship/holidays/flower-ceremony

This show is also available on YouTube at youtube.com/c/ccnyuu. Thank you for listening and responding! 

"We must transform ourselves and our communities in order to transform society." -- Grace Lee Boggs (1915-2015), organizer and author.

On today's show, our hosts Carrie, Anthony, and Meagan discuss theological formation and moving between theory and practice in a process-oriented religion like Unitarian-Universalism. How do ministers develop their own theology and assist others to do the same?

At the end of today's episode, Meagan mentions a few resources for anti-racists to engage with in response to the recent upsurge in violence against Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities in the US. 

Learn more and sign up for Hollaback bystander intervention training:  https://www.ihollaback.org/bystanderintervention/

Donate to Asian-Americans Advancing Justice -- Atlanta: https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org/

Read Michelle Kim on transformative justice, policing, and AAPI/Black solidarity: https://medium.com/awaken-blog/on-anti-asian-hate-crimes-who-is-our-real-enemy-207ee7354926

Throughout the season, we will respond to your comments, suggestions, and questions. Please contact us at [email protected] and know you are invited to join us for a live conversational event hosted by CCNY at the end of May.

This episode is also available on YouTube at youtube.com/c/ccnyuu! Subscribing, rating, and leaving a review is a wonderful way to support CCNY's broadcasting program. Thank you!

Welcome to Rev'ing Up, the newest media ministry from Community Church of New York.

This show is a container to explore the intersectionalities of life, ministry, and professional clergy formation from the perspective of three Unitarian-Universalist intern ministers.

On today's show, our hosts Meagan, Carrie, and Anthony discuss the challenges of developing a ministerial presence in a time where social contact is limited to the phone and video conference. Join us to discuss how ministerial presence is ever-shifting!

We are so grateful for your feedback and comments on our first episode. Throughout the season, we will respond to your comments, suggestions, and questions. Please contact us at [email protected] and know you are invited to join us for a live conversational event hosted by CCNY at the end of May.

This episode is also available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/Fa59c4KvXJc! Subscribing, rating, and leaving a review is a wonderful way to support CCNY's broadcasting program. Thank you! 

Welcome to Rev'ing Up, the newest media ministry from Community Church of New York.

This show is a container to explore the intersectionalities of life, ministry, and professional clergy formation from the perspective of three Unitarian-Universalist intern ministers.

On today's show, our hosts Anthony, Meagan, and Carrie lay the foundations of our ongoing conversation by discussing the call to ministry and the many forms it may take. 

We are in community with you, our listeners. We invite you to co-create this space with us as we move through our first season. Contact us at [email protected] and mark your calendar for a live conversational event hosted by CCNY in late May.