Religion: 2011

What Do We Know?

Faith Formation 2020 most comprehensive study in recent past

Trends: “No religious affiliation” growing More “spiritual” and less “religious” Increasing diversity and pluralism Changing patterns of family life Decline of family religious socialization Increasing impact of electronic life

What This Means

Generally, way we do church now is based in 1950s models

Won’t work for the future, or even for today’s younger people

Congregations increasingly frustrated in things not working

Time for adaptive change, not frustration of technical fixes that don’t fix

Need to “Do” Church Different

Emphasis on “user friendly” for the tasks and jobs

Clarity on mission/vision—why do you exist, and who to serve

Need for vibrant electronic/virtual presence

Need to teach how to “do” church—but not the old way!

Challenges Us All

Same old, same old, won’t workBut it’s what we knowNeed to learn new ways of doing

thingsBrings with it losses and grief

and sense of incompetencyThe path is not clear, but know

what isn’t working

Heartland And MidAmerica

Our job as staff is to help you get to this new place

Requires that we also shift the way that we do things

Emphasis on the future, on how we can be there electronically as well as in person

Moving toward a new day with excitement, fear and loss

MidAmerica:Regionalization 2.0

Nancy Combs-Morgan, Ian Evison, Nancy Heege, Phil

Lund, Lisa Presley, Dori Thexton –

Your Regional Staff

Move toward Regionalization

Two levels of regionalization under way: UUA and Governance

oHow UUA moves into Policy GovernanceoDistricts looking at how changes in UUA-

level impact them: where do they want to be?

Regional Staff workoHow we provide support to congregationsoCross border resource sharing

Both movements happening organically

Emerging Approach

MA staff are changing how working together

Invite your input: contact us!Work transforms as we learn

new and better waysWheatley: strive for “less

arduous and more delightful”Acknowledge change, gain, loss

Who We Are

Future Focused Creating the church of the 21st

centuryFlexible and adaptable

Modeling for service and supportTeam based

In our work and our approach A strong team working with strong

teams in congregations

Where We are Going

Staff with core competencies plus! Individual specializations Generative focus: next best thing

Multiple points of entry When you know us If you don’t Assess and referral system

Social Justice is part of what we do Inclusion writ large Antiracism, anti-oppresion,

multicultural

Ways We’ll Be

Unified, sustainable, excellent administrative structure

Central and unified electronic presence All resources with easy access As present virtually as we are

physicallyOpen and supportive of the form

of governance shaped by our Boards

Six in One

When transition happens We each will be able to assist you in

our core competencies When you need to go deeper, we will

refer you to one of our colleagues We will build on existing relationships,

but not be restricted by them We will have more time to understand

the way “church” is unfolding

First StepsFirst foray is change in how

address youth and young adult programming Work with supporting these ministries

in our congregations Multigenerational faith communities,

including vibrant youth and young adult involvement, instead of district committees

Nancy Combs-Morgan shifting to be 3/4 time working with Emerging Y/YA Ministries in Region

First StepsChange begins September 1st

Some transition work over the summer

Will be learning what it means to work as a region How do we do this without needless

duplication? How does electronic connection help? This group ideal for virtual—they

have always known that world18-24 month “experiment”

What This Means in HL

Not totally sure!Nancy will be continuing work with

youth and young adults, but changed as it will be across the region

Nancy will be 1/4 time Faith Development Director Focused on serving congregations Focused on development of resources

What This Means in HL

Will be experimenting with how to serve congregations Once again: team focus Consultants to do work around

transitions in positions Creating on-line resources for a DRE

“tool-kit” Looking to professional organization

for help in mentoring and training

What’s Next

Moving over the next 12-18 months to having all co-employed District Staff serve the region

Moving to unified administration structure in next 18-24 months

Will grab “low hanging fruit” as we recognize it

What’s Next

Boards will continue conversations on governance

District Staff looking forward to whatever Boards’ decide about governance Need, as a minimum, an advisory

group to help connect us with congregations

Excited about road ahead, and willing to adapt what’s necessary

MidAmerica:Growing

RegionalizationNancy Combs-Morgan, Ian Evison, Nancy Heege, Phil

Lund, Lisa Presley, Dori Thexton