An engagement group is a small group that comes together for a series of workshops focussed on a particular activity. It can be any size, but is always set up to ensure that participants feel safe to explore their spirituality and express themselves.
Examples can include meditation groups, reading groups, poetry groups, art and craft, exploring spiritual practices, walking, drama - anything that creates community and encourages spirituality.
You can find out how to set up and facilitate engagement groups at the forthcoming engagement group training event.
Great Hucklow Summer School 2009
When my mum first told me that we were going to Unitarian Summer School, I didn’t like the sound of it. Not more school in the school holidays! So we started calling it summer camp. I didn’t really know what to expect, but my mum said that if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have to go again.
Hucklow turned out to be lots of fun. I met a few new people and I had a great time at the children’s programme, learning about famous Unitarians and doing arts and crafts. I especially liked the play area and all the trees. The leaders of the children’s programme were very kind and funny. The food was good but some meals had food that was quite slimy and tasteless.
At the beginning of this holiday I got tonsillitis and I had to get driven to a cottage hospital on a Sunday night. I got driven by Maggie, which was a relief because Maggie is a retired ambulance driver. Once I got well, I discovered that the kids at Hucklow were fun and playful so I ended up having a really good time!
Sarah Sherman (aged 9)
Rev Lindy Latham, Glen Williamson, Anna Sherman, Sarah Sherman and I attended Unitarian RE Summer School at Great Hucklow from 15 to 22 August 2009, and an excellent time was had by all, though unfortunately Sarah came down with tonsillitis in the first two days and had to spend a night at Buxton Hospital. All better now, but we were worried for her. Summer School attendees all rallied round to help, which was lovely.
I attended an excellent writing workshop with Sheena Gabriel and Rev John Harley, themed around the Hero Journey, and involving much creativity and spiritual depth. The entire week was themed around the Journey, and excellent theme talks were given by Rev Sarah Tinker, exploring the theme with ideas from Jung, Reich, Campbell and others. Another inspiring feature of the theme talks was the inclusion of mini-biographies of personal spiritual journeys by various Unitarians.
Another helpful feature of Summer School was the Getting to Know You Walk, in which you go off for a walk with someone you don’t know yet. The social hour is also a good way to meet other Unitarians and chat over a glass of wine. And there are many optional workshops to choose from. Ned and Mel Prideaux brought a Chartres-style labyrinth, which many people including me found to be a moving and prayerful experience to walk. Lindy did a workshop on storytelling, and I did one on visualisation. John Harley ran a dramatherapy workshop, which was great fun, and Margaret Hamer ran an acting game event. There were also 3 poetry workshops which ran in parallel, a Fimo modelling clay workshop, several walks, a morning meditation every day (I finally learnt to meditate), and a wonderful epilogue service each night, with the chance to learn more hymns from the purple book (my current favourite is Name Unnamed, number 104). As usual, Hucklow food was yummy, and the staff friendly and helpful.
There was a real sense of community and deepening spirituality about the week, and everyone came away with a renewed sense of purpose and joy.
Yvonne Aburrow (aged 41)
Hucklow turned out to be lots of fun. I met a few new people and I had a great time at the children’s programme, learning about famous Unitarians and doing arts and crafts. I especially liked the play area and all the trees. The leaders of the children’s programme were very kind and funny. The food was good but some meals had food that was quite slimy and tasteless.
At the beginning of this holiday I got tonsillitis and I had to get driven to a cottage hospital on a Sunday night. I got driven by Maggie, which was a relief because Maggie is a retired ambulance driver. Once I got well, I discovered that the kids at Hucklow were fun and playful so I ended up having a really good time!
Sarah Sherman (aged 9)
Rev Lindy Latham, Glen Williamson, Anna Sherman, Sarah Sherman and I attended Unitarian RE Summer School at Great Hucklow from 15 to 22 August 2009, and an excellent time was had by all, though unfortunately Sarah came down with tonsillitis in the first two days and had to spend a night at Buxton Hospital. All better now, but we were worried for her. Summer School attendees all rallied round to help, which was lovely.
I attended an excellent writing workshop with Sheena Gabriel and Rev John Harley, themed around the Hero Journey, and involving much creativity and spiritual depth. The entire week was themed around the Journey, and excellent theme talks were given by Rev Sarah Tinker, exploring the theme with ideas from Jung, Reich, Campbell and others. Another inspiring feature of the theme talks was the inclusion of mini-biographies of personal spiritual journeys by various Unitarians.
Another helpful feature of Summer School was the Getting to Know You Walk, in which you go off for a walk with someone you don’t know yet. The social hour is also a good way to meet other Unitarians and chat over a glass of wine. And there are many optional workshops to choose from. Ned and Mel Prideaux brought a Chartres-style labyrinth, which many people including me found to be a moving and prayerful experience to walk. Lindy did a workshop on storytelling, and I did one on visualisation. John Harley ran a dramatherapy workshop, which was great fun, and Margaret Hamer ran an acting game event. There were also 3 poetry workshops which ran in parallel, a Fimo modelling clay workshop, several walks, a morning meditation every day (I finally learnt to meditate), and a wonderful epilogue service each night, with the chance to learn more hymns from the purple book (my current favourite is Name Unnamed, number 104). As usual, Hucklow food was yummy, and the staff friendly and helpful.
There was a real sense of community and deepening spirituality about the week, and everyone came away with a renewed sense of purpose and joy.
Yvonne Aburrow (aged 41)
Festivals of many faiths
Tuesday 8 September
- Nativity of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christians);
- Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic);
- Feast of the Birth of Mary (Anglican)
Friday 11 September
- Ethiopian New Year: The start of the New Year in Ethiopia is recognised by Rastafarians because they believe Ethiopia to be their spiritual homeland, and a place to which they want to return.
Saturday 19 September
Source: BBC Religions calendar
- Navaratri (nine nights) symbolises the triumph of good over evil and marks the start of autumn in Hinduism
- Rosh Hashanah (1st day): Jewish New Year. A two-day festival during which work is not permitted. Commemorates the creation of the world.
- Fast of Gedalliah (Jewish): Fast in memory of the assassination of Gedalliah Ben Achikam, the Governor of Israel during the days of Nebuchadnetzar, King of Babylonia.
- Eid-Ul-Fitr (Muslim): The end of Ramadan when Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah for His help with their month-long act of self-control.
- Autumn Equinox (Pagan): This day is celebrated when day and night are of equal duration.
- Monday 28 September
- Dussera (Hindu): Celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the evil demon Ravana.
- Yom Kippur (Jewish): Day of Atonement - the most solemn day of the Jewish year.
- Michaelmas/ St Michael's Day (Christian)
A feast day in honour of the archangel Michael. Michael is one of only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible (the other being Gabriel).
Source: BBC Religions calendar
Sad news
A copy of the Evening Post for Saturday, 15th August has recently come my way, and I see that it devoted nearly a full page spread to the death of Gordon Jenkins. Gordon was an Old Boy of the Lewins Mead Meeting endowed school. There are very few of us left who remember how much of the vibrant life of the church was the result of the presence of the old boys and their wives. Audrey Cook and I are possibly the two who will best remember the great days of the L.M. Theatre Club and the part Gordon played in it. He wrote several of the plays we performed, and the dialogue was of a very high standard indeed. He was a very good actor as well, and he and his wife, Janet, would take a major part in making and painting our scenery, but I never realised just how good and prolific an artist he was. The Evening Post article made this clear and also detailed his other theatrical connections. There is going to be an exhibition of his paintings on 5th September at the Redcatch Road Community Centre, Knowle, between 4pm and 7pm, all the money from the sale of the pictures to go to a trachoma charity (he suffered from Macular Degeneration) and the Bristol Dogs Home, because he loved animals. Admission is £1.50, including a glass of wine. I'm sure the handful of us who remember him will have had many happy memories of the times we shared with him stirred up by the sad event of his death.
Arthur Brown
The obituary is available on the web at the Evening Post
Arthur Brown
The obituary is available on the web at the Evening Post
LGBT spirituality
Queer theologians are in no doubt that the message of religion, and the nature of the divine, transcends gender and sexuality, and yet embraces gender and sexuality, the world and our bodies. But mainstream theology is having a hard time keeping up with the cutting edge.
Should religion be about transforming the world, or celebrating it? This is at the heart of religious conflict on the issue of human sexuality. But if the central message of religion is love, connection, compassion, then loving relationships are part of the solution, not part of the problem. In Wicca, there is a saying, "All acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals", and that means all, including same-sex love. Similarly, Unitarians and UUs have been LGBT-affirming for decades.
Should religion be about transforming the world, or celebrating it? This is at the heart of religious conflict on the issue of human sexuality. But if the central message of religion is love, connection, compassion, then loving relationships are part of the solution, not part of the problem. In Wicca, there is a saying, "All acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals", and that means all, including same-sex love. Similarly, Unitarians and UUs have been LGBT-affirming for decades.
I want to celebrate the brave pioneers of LGBT spirituality, and the continuing activism of those who seek to end religious homophobia.
Soulforce is an organisation that campaigns for freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression. They engage in dialogue with homophobic organisations and religious spokespersons.
The LGBT Religious Archives Network coordinates identification, collection and preservation of personal papers and organizational records from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender religious people. There are some truly inspirational stories on their website, and it is a vital historical resource.
Soulforce is an organisation that campaigns for freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression. They engage in dialogue with homophobic organisations and religious spokespersons.
The LGBT Religious Archives Network coordinates identification, collection and preservation of personal papers and organizational records from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender religious people. There are some truly inspirational stories on their website, and it is a vital historical resource.
There are many more individuals and groups out there speaking up for the inclusion of LGBT people in religious life - too many to list here. I will leave you with two examples to illustrate why including LGBT people is so important. The first is that of Peggy Neff, who lost her partner Sheila Hein in the 11 September 2001 attack on the Pentagon. Initially it looked as though she might not receive financial assistance, as the state of Virginia was only providing compensation for spouses, children and parents. The good news is that Peggy Neff has now received compensation.
The second example was a leaflet, If I told you, a collection of essays by LGBT college students. It was the saddest thing I ever read. In it, various college students told of their isolation and fear at having to hide their sexuality. Sadly it is no longer available online, but I copied some excerpts.
Of course, none of this will reassure people who feel that their tradition, or their holy book, tells them that LGBT sexuality is wrong. I am sure they feel that they are listening for the Divine will in their adherence to this view. So there's no point in shouting at them - we need to calmly engage in dialogue, examining their (and our) underlying assumptions, patiently going through the texts and the traditions, listening to their fears, and so on. That is why the work of people like Soulforce and the Equality Riders is so important, because it's all about changing the hearts and minds of the anti-gay lobby in a non-confrontational way.
The second example was a leaflet, If I told you, a collection of essays by LGBT college students. It was the saddest thing I ever read. In it, various college students told of their isolation and fear at having to hide their sexuality. Sadly it is no longer available online, but I copied some excerpts.
Of course, none of this will reassure people who feel that their tradition, or their holy book, tells them that LGBT sexuality is wrong. I am sure they feel that they are listening for the Divine will in their adherence to this view. So there's no point in shouting at them - we need to calmly engage in dialogue, examining their (and our) underlying assumptions, patiently going through the texts and the traditions, listening to their fears, and so on. That is why the work of people like Soulforce and the Equality Riders is so important, because it's all about changing the hearts and minds of the anti-gay lobby in a non-confrontational way.
~ Yvonne Aburrow
Dates
Wednesday 2 September
Unitarian pub gathering—8pm at the King William in King Street, Bristol. Please wear a Unitarian badge in case new people from Frenchay & UMB don’t know each other.
Sunday 6th September
Frenchay 10.30 Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm Rev Lindy Latham
Sunday 13th September
Frenchay 10.30 Bernard Omar
Sept 20th September
Frenchay 10.30 Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm Rev Lindy Latham
Sunday 27th September
Frenchay 10.30 Kay Millard
Annual Celebration of Rammohun Roy
Unitarian pub gathering—8pm at the King William in King Street, Bristol. Please wear a Unitarian badge in case new people from Frenchay & UMB don’t know each other.
Sunday 6th September
Frenchay 10.30 Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm Rev Lindy Latham
Sunday 13th September
Frenchay 10.30 Bernard Omar
Sept 20th September
Frenchay 10.30 Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm Rev Lindy Latham
Sunday 27th September
Frenchay 10.30 Kay Millard
Annual Celebration of Rammohun Roy
Arnos Vale cemetery from 12.00pm
Organised by Carla Contractor
Organised by Carla Contractor
Bright Lights at UMB at 3.00pm
During some of our time together, we will not only share our summer stories and celebrate meeting again with food and fun, but also re- consider how we want to shape the future of the group and include new people.
Please come – whoever you are! Share your ideas.
Sunday 4th October: Harvest
Frenchay 10.30 Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm Rev Lindy Latham
[Frenchay Committee following their service]
Sunday 18th October: Group visit to Cardiff Unitarians.
Please join us for a day’s outing to Cardiff by coach. A great way to share time together and meet new Unitarians and old friends as well as having time to explore the beautiful city of Cardiff.
To book a place, please let Lindy - lindy.latham@talk21.com - know ASAP. Coach fare is £12.50.
During some of our time together, we will not only share our summer stories and celebrate meeting again with food and fun, but also re- consider how we want to shape the future of the group and include new people.
Please come – whoever you are! Share your ideas.
Sunday 4th October: Harvest
Frenchay 10.30 Rev Lindy Latham
UMB 6.00 pm Rev Lindy Latham
[Frenchay Committee following their service]
Sunday 18th October: Group visit to Cardiff Unitarians.
Please join us for a day’s outing to Cardiff by coach. A great way to share time together and meet new Unitarians and old friends as well as having time to explore the beautiful city of Cardiff.
To book a place, please let Lindy - lindy.latham@talk21.com - know ASAP. Coach fare is £12.50.
We will be picked up from UMB at 10.30am & from Frenchay at approx 10.50am.
We will spend “free time” in Cardiff centre, and then be taken to Cardiff Unitarians for their service in the afternoon. This will be followed by afternoon tea and we will return from Cardiff at about 5.00pm.
Frenchay chapel will be open on that day for those not coming. Please bring poems, prayers and readings to share. Yvonne will be opening the chapel.
Saturday 24th October
Quiz evening at Frenchay chapel
Sunday 25th October
Bright Lights
Sunday 1st November
Rev Ashley Hills will be leading worship at Frenchay and UMB.
Saturday 14th November
Free style Felting with Jane Blackall
We will spend “free time” in Cardiff centre, and then be taken to Cardiff Unitarians for their service in the afternoon. This will be followed by afternoon tea and we will return from Cardiff at about 5.00pm.
Frenchay chapel will be open on that day for those not coming. Please bring poems, prayers and readings to share. Yvonne will be opening the chapel.
Saturday 24th October
Quiz evening at Frenchay chapel
Sunday 25th October
Bright Lights
Sunday 1st November
Rev Ashley Hills will be leading worship at Frenchay and UMB.
Saturday 14th November
Free style Felting with Jane Blackall
- cost £10. Email Lindy Latham to book: lindy.latham@talk21.com
Chapel open on Bank Holiday Monday
Frenchay Unitarian ChapelBeckspool Road, Frenchay
31st August
From 10.30 am – 1 pm
Everyone welcome! Come in, enjoy a coffee and have a look around this fascinating Unitarian Chapel that was built in 1691.
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