Dear Campus Ministry Advisory Committee Folks,
     Here are my notes from the 9 August 2002 meeting for your review.

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** Bridging/Transition Recognition -- recognized the need for a ritual to
address the YA --> Adult transition.

** "Respect" and support needs for lay workers in Campus Ministry
-- June 2002 Youth Advisor Task Force to the UUA Board of Trustees may
provide some experience that we can draw on.  There are some similarities
between campus ministry and youth ministry that may apply here.  For
example, both campus ministry and youth ministry have the following
similarities:

  == receive very little support from many UU congregations (there are some
notable exceptions)

  == rely on volunteers who often receive very little training or support

  == much of the ministry happens out of sight of the congregation and even
at a site away from the congregation

The YATF report can be found online at:
http://www.uua.org/YRUU/yatf/yalksjfaksatf.htm

-- Lay campus ministry workers can join LREDA as non-voting "supportive"
members if they don't meet the requirements for full LREDA membership (this
is the suggested membership level for non-paid YRUU advisors).  This can
provide additional networking and support for these campus ministry workers.
Of course, there will be some paid campus ministry workers who will qualify
for full voting membership in LREDA (especially as support for campus
ministry increases within our association).

-- LREDA experience of creating shared ministry models between ordained and
non ordained religious leadership can be used for creating shared ministry
models in campus ministry as well.  Our DREs and MREs have tons of
experience with this issue.

** "Credentialing" of both lay/volunteer and professional/ministerial campus
ministry workers.  Credentialing is important if we want our campus ministry
folks to have access to campuses and students.  Due to litigation fears and
other concerns, campus administrators may fear granting access to campus
ministry workers without credentialing.

** Levels of involvement for various UU organizations and campus ministry
-- Represented on Campus Ministry Advisory Committee (e.g. UUMA, YRUU,
CUUYAN, LREDA, etc).

-- Liaisons from committee to other UU organizations.  This isn't in place
yet, but we may find a need to connect up with various UU groups such as
CUUPS, Interweave, DRUUMM, etc.

-- Links to various UU groups for campus ministry and post-campus UU
involvement.

-- Organizing overlapping programs with both UU campus ministry folks and
non-campus UU groups.

-- Sharing of information, ideas, resources, training, etc.  For example,
campus ministry workers could benefit from Renaissance modules offerings
(e.g. administration, curriculum planning, philosophy, UU history, UU
identity, worship, multicultural RE, etc).

-- Training:  ensuring that campus ministry information is available for
those involved in the design of UU training for ministers, RE professionals,
youth advisors, etc

** How can YRUU help UU Campus Ministry?
-- Help develop exchange programs (like the current "JAHNNY DEPP" exchange
program) to foster both regional (between districts and regions) and
intergenerational (YRUU <--> YA/CM) cooperation and networking.

-- Encourage YRUU to have district campus ministry and district UUYAN people
available at district YRUU events (presenting workshops and meeting
informally).

-- Encourage YA/YRUU partnerships at district YRUU events (Abbey Tennis as
the theme speaker at the 2002 SW UU Summer Institute Youth Camp is just one
example).

-- Provide to YRUU event organizers speaker lists of people good at
presenting YA/CM info to a YRUU audience

-- Use YRUU expertise to help organize "campus ministry cons" (17-22 age
range?).  YRUU has plenty of experience planning this sort of event already
organized for us (e.g. "How to Be a Con Artist").

-- Look at existing YRUU Youth Council model for ConCentric and CUUYAN
governance.  This may encourage local congregational involvement and
support, district support, creation of "cluster" programming in
multi-congregation metro areas, and coordination of district events and
services using a "YRUU YAC" model.

** How can LREDA help UU Campus Ministry?
-- Networking within LREDA membership to share both campus ministry success
stories and campus ministry stories that are less than successful but may
provide useful experiential learning for campus ministry workers.  A sharing
of experience within LREDA membership about what type of roles religious
educators are now playing in existing campus ministry programs would be
helpful.

-- Mentoring of YA/CM age range persons to pursue religious education
careers (where applicable).

-- Helping answer questions campus ministry like the following ones:
  == Is campus ministry a DRE/MRE responsibility?  Not a DRE/MRE
responsibility?  Or a shared responsibility between a congregational
religious educator and lay campus ministry workers?

  == How much time should a full or part time DRE allocate to campus
ministry?

  == What role will LREDA membership have in curriculum development and
curriculum adaptation for YA/CM?

  == What role will LREDA membership have in mentoring campus ministry
workers?

** How can UUMA help UU Campus Ministry?
-- Be available to campus ministry programs

-- Understand that campus ministry is a valid and valuable program

-- Integrate YA/CM into congregational life

-- Support and advocate funding of YA/CM work

-- Mentoring of YA/CM age range persons to pursue ministry careers (where
applicable).

-- Provide inputs to developing worship that meets the needs of YA/CM
communities.

** How can CUUYAN help UU Campus Ministry?
-- Work effectively with both YRUU and campus ministry groups.

-- Focus on age-bracket commonalities and family life commonalities.

-- Encourage mentoring between older YA and younger YA to assist in the
transition to congregational and wider church involvement.

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Have a great weekend,
Steve
=======================
Steve Caldwell
Home:  uuwebman@aol.com
Work:  steve.caldwell@barksdale.af.mil
http://members.aol.com/uuwebman