"Here is a complete workshop to help lay people gain experience writing and preaching a full-length sermon for their congregation. This easy-to-use guide for both facilitators and participants provides a step-by-step lesson plan for eight sessions. Workshop members learn about the theory and theology of preaching, then practice writing and speaking with authenticity, gradually building toward composing quality 20-minute sermons. Workshop leaders learn to foster a supportive environment in which participants offer one another helpful feedback. The Shared Pulpit includes a separate leader's guide, readings for homework, sample sermons, and exercises to help first-time preachers polish their preaching craft."--Back cover.

Nearing his final days, a beloved Unitarian minister meditates on life, love, and death: “The goal is to live in such a way that our lives will prove worth dying for.” On a February day in 2008, Forrest Church sent a letter to the members of his congregation, informing them that he had terminal cancer; his life would now be measured in months, not years. He went on to promise that he would sum up his thoughts on the topics that had been so pervasive in his work—love and death—in a final book. Church has been justly celebrated as a writer of American history, but his works of spiritual guidance have been especially valued for their insight and inspiration. As a minister, Church defined religion as "our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die." The goal of life, he tells us "is to live in such a way that our lives will prove worth dying for." Love & Death is imbued with ideas and exemplars for achieving that goal, and the stories he offers—all drawn from his own experiences and from the lives of his friends, family, and parishioners—are both engrossing and enlightening. Forrest Church's final work may be his most lasting gift to his readers.

On September 24, 2009, Forrest Church succumbed to a three-year battle against esophageal cancer. As his final gift, the beloved minister and acclaimed author wrote one last book, leaving behind a clear statement of his universalist theology and liberal faith. The Cathedral of the World draws from the entire span of Church's life's work, recasting public addresses and adapted book chapters, articles, and several previously unpublished pieces into a single argument. Giving new voice to the power of liberal religion, Church invites all seekers to enter the Cathedral of the World, home to many windows but only one Light.

A Unitarian Universalist minister for more than forty years, David Bumbaugh has taught Unitarian Universalist history at Drew Theological School and at Meadville Lombard Theological School. He is currently Associate Professor of Ministry at Meadville Lombard and Minister Emeritus of the Unitarian Church in Summit, New Jersey. Book jacket.

Just ten years after it was first published, Worship That Works is already a classic text of the Unitarian Universalist liturgical arts. Following a road trip in which they visited congregations of various sizes and traditions, the authors offer essential theory and best practices for lay worship leaders, ministers, and student ministers alike. Significantly updated, this second edition includes revisions and new chapters on multicultural worship, multigenerational worship, and new models of services for contemporary practices.

Appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in 2017, the UUA Commission on Institutional Change served through June 2020. Widening the Circle of Concern: Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change represents the culmination of the Commission’s work analyzing structural and systemic racism and white supremacy culture within Unitarian Universalism and makes recommendations to advance long-term cultural and institutional change that redeems the essential promise and ideals of Unitarian Universalism. The members and staff of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change were Chair Rev. Leslie Takahashi, Mary Byron, Cir L’Bert Jr., Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore, Dr. Elías Ortega, Caitlin Breedlove, DeReau K. Farrar, and Project Manager Rev. Marcus Fogliano.

An updated edition of the classic introduction to the history and beliefs of Unitarian Universalism—from a senior minister of the Unitarian Church For those contemplating religious choices, Unitarian Universalism offers an appealing alternative to religious denominations that stress theological creeds over individual conviction and belief. Featuring two new chapters, a revealing and entertaining foreword by best-selling author Robert Fulghum, and a new preface by UU moderator Denise Davidoff, this updated edition of the classic introductory text on Unitarian Universalism explores the many sources of the living tradition of this ‘chosen faith’.

Offers fresh answers to the age-old question, "Why pray?" Building from the shared prayer forms of many faiths, Wikstrom offers a modern prayer bead practice that you can make your own. In addition, the author includes practical suggestions for composing prayers to use with the beads. Simply Pray is an excellent guide for anyone seeking a unique spiritual practice that is deeply rooted in the world's great religions. Wikstrom identifies and defines the four major types of prayer that are practiced by all the world's major religions: * Naming the many ways in which the holy is present in daily life and the wider world * Knowing the self introspectively --both in its strengths and weaknesses * Listening to the "voice of quiet stillness" that resides in each individual * Loving by reaching out to the world Simply Pray uses these four core prayer types to develop a modern worship practice, using prayer beads as a frame of reference. The book offers illustrated prayer-bead techniques that can be used directly or customized for personal use. There are also helpful tips on how to make prayer a part of your daily routine, as well as how to to make prayer beads and the benefits of using them: * Prayer beads serve as a focus for meditation. Much more than a mnemonic aid to prayer, prayer beads engage the senses to create a state of mindfulness. * Prayer beads are mobile altars. Simply touching the beads as they rest in a pocket, briefcase, or purse brings a prayerful presence to mundane moments. * Prayer beads serve as reminders of prayer and help keep track of prayers. Simply Pray is for anyone who is seeking a modern prayer practice that is deeply rooted in world tradition.