What’s going on... August 2009  

Sunday Services

 

Sunday, August 2 – Rev. Fred Howard, “The Salvation of the World”

Robert Hill subtitled his definitive text on Small Group Ministry “Saving the World Ten at a Time.”  So the title of this sermon might sound overly ambitious, but I do believe that claim is an appropriate one for the subject which I will be addressing this morning – that of community building through small groups.  Think about it – UUs as a group and a movement hold out great hope for global peacemaking efforts, but how many of us can honestly say that we know many of our neighbors across the street, or across the pew for that matter?  Courageous, honest efforts to affirm and promote the world community we speak of in our sixth principle must start on the local level within our own tiny spheres of influence.  This fall I plan to start a small group ministry in this congregation through a series of New UU classes.  Old timers are welcome to join as well as companions to those who are newcomers to our faith tradition.  Come with me as I stake out the dynamics of the exciting and rewarding adventure for those willing to be involved in creating a more cohesive sense of community within and around us.   

Sunday, August 9 – Dr. Michael Stolzfus,  “Reflecting on Japanese Culture/Spirituality”

Mike will talk about the experiences involved in leading a VSU Study Abroad Program in Japan for five weeks over the summer.  Topics of discussion will include, travel, comparing and contrasting cultural and spiritual sensibilities, and reflecting on visiting the Peace Park in Hiroshema  

Sunday, August 16 – Dr. Keith Johnson, “The Quest for Immortality by Genghis Khan and the Manners in Which He Succeeded.” 

In various religious traditions there are approximately nine different means of continuity after the biological form dies.  Genghis Khan sought physical immortality, which of course he did not achieve; however, he did achieve immortality in other ways, not all of which were heinous.  Interestingly there are some similarities between his practices and those of the Unitarian Universalist tradition.  

Sunday, August 23 –   David Rodgers, “Sacred Placemaking”

To this day, people acknowledge the sacredness of many natural places regardless of their religious orientation.  Issues of community and institutional identity arise when a group decides to mark a sacred place initially by ritual and subsequently by defining a space or erecting a monument or other structure. Why is the impulse so powerful today regardless of how people engage in spiritual or religious practices?  David will explore the question of what constitutes a sacred place and the process of placemaking to create such a place.  

Sunday, August 30 –   Alan Hunt, “Caring for Aging Parents”

Al says it’s about time for me to speak on a topic that has been very close to me these past six years...The lives of our aging parents as we grow older ourselves: the changes and tasks we are all faced with.   Many of you are aware that Al and his family moved to Valdosta during the past year to care for his wife’s aging mother.  Al’s mother-in-law died earlier this summer.  Come hear this presentation which deals with an issue many of us have dealt with in recent years.

Fred Howard will begin serving as our part time minister beginning in September.  You may contact Rev. Howard by email (preferable).  He is available for consultations on Monday and Wednesday afternoons on most weeks from 2PM to 5PM by appointment.  Fred welcomes any questions you may have about membership in our congregation.  He is also available for weddings and rites of passage ceremonies by prearrangement.

Some comments from our new minister and some contact information below: I am deeply honored by the congregation’s decision for me to serve as your minister for the coming year.  This congregation is responsible for planting the idea of being a Unitarian Universalist minister in my thought process some twelve years ago, not long after I began lay speaking here.  I am so grateful to this fellowship, because I don’t know if I would have had the courage to step out on this adventure if it hadn’t been for your encouragement and support.  Though attending seminary was largely prompted by my desire for further personal and spiritual development and by my yearning to explore the religious landscape along deeper paths, I was also hopeful that my journey would one day lead me to be a parish minister.  With the agreement the Board of Directors and I reached, that hope has now become a reality.  May this year be a mutual blessing for us as we seek to live out our principles and purposes in our relationships both with each other and the world at large.    

 

 

Religious Education for Children

RE will be finishing up the comparison of world religions toward the end of July. In August, the RE class will be painting the chalice that Stephanie Kiyak donated to the church for the RE class to paint.  The class will unveil it at the end of the month. In September, they will also begin studying what it means to be UU and learning more about our roots and history. The RE program for children meets at 10:45 AM concurrent with the Sunday morning service.  Volunteers to help in the classroom are needed. Contacts: Mya Storey; Susan Bailey.  

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INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our minister, Rev. Fred Howard or our President, Doug Tanner or Membership Director, Mya Storey.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.

President’s Corner

Doug Tanner

Utah in July is not my idea of an ideal destination but for thousands of our fellow Unitarian Universalist from around the country it was the place to be.  They had a chance to join together in worship, select new leaders for the upcoming year and support activities which demonstrate our 7 Principles.

This year nearly $30,000 was raised at the conference and donated to the Utah Pride Center .  The Utah Pride Center supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths, adults and families through a variety of programs and around Utah .  As a result of this donation they will be able to increase their statewide outreach and the training they provide for those who work with young people.  The will also be able to expand the operation of their center to five days a week.

Even though none of us could make the trip to attend General Assembly we can all still make a difference and support these types of projects locally and through the UU Service Committee.  Please consider joining the UUSC and also supporting local groups who promote equality and acceptance like PFLAG and Valdosta Pride.

I hope to see you all on Sunday.

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ABOUT OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Happy Birthday  in August to

v Erik 

v Cameron 

Congratulations to

v Fred Howard has been elected vice-president of the Valdosta area Ministerial Association (VAMA) for the next year. 

v George Bennett who will continue another year as the VAMA president.

Keep in your thoughts

v Members and friends who have recently lost loved ones…

News from

v Rhonda and Jason Crawford who have recently moved to Clovis , NM .  Rhonda and Jason attended our church while they were stationed at Moody Air Force Base.  They now have two children, Ethan and Emma.

v Marcia Bauer, who has moved to Hudson , Florida to a resort where she previously lived.  Marcia has been associated with our congregation for many years attending when she was living in this area.  She says she will be attending the local "church" which is the regional camp and UU meeting place, "The Pines".  They generously allow us to use the facility on Sundays. 

 

 

 

Let’s Have Some Fun!!

 

Games Night

Saturday, August 15

7:00 PM at the church

Bring a snack to share, the kids and yourself, and your favorite game and be prepared to have a fun fellowshipping time!  Contact: Susan Bailey

 

Book Discussion and Potluck

Friday, August 28

At the church

Potluck: 6:00 PM – Discussion: 7:00 PM

 

Book: "Feathers" by Jacqueline Woodson  

This is a book chosen by Susan Bailey and her daughter Emily. Emily had asked a while back that we choose a book that she, as well as the rest of us, would enjoy reading. The book is a Newbery Award Winner. It's title comes from an Emily Dickinson poem "Hope is the thing with feathers ..." .

It is described as a "journey into a young girl's heart."  

Plan to read the book and come enjoy the fellowship and discussion. Susan Bailey has agreed to substitute for me this time and be the contact person for this event.

 

Newsletter Editor:  Betty Derrick Website:  Carol Stiles Local Publicity: Dee Tait Photographer: Mya Storey  August 20: Deadline for the September newsletter.

 

MINISTERIAL MUUSINGS

       Rev. Fred Howard                 August 2009

Many of you may have noticed that my sermons are usually centered around a story.  That’s how I try to build a connection with the congregation.  My religious faith is really just a compilation of stories that have touched me in special ways.  That’s why it’s difficult, if not impossible, for me to define myself in theological terms.  Definitions are such an intellectual enterprise anyway.  The soul prefers to imagine, don’t you think?  Yet, as I begin to assume a new role in the life of the congregation, I thought it would be helpful if I elaborated a little on my theological perspective.

It’s called a theology of narrative.  Most everything I have learned and continue to learn about the Divine comes from stories.  Sometimes this knowledge emerges when I hear the story of another person’s faith journey.  On other occasions it materializes when I hear myself unfold the story of my own search for truth and meaning before another attuned human being.  Even the Bible stories I heard as a child continue to have deep resonance within me, though years and experience have taught me to understand many of them more as myths than as actual occurrences. 

The theologian Harvey Cox says in the autobiographical account of his own religious pilgrimage, The Seduction of the Spirit, “All human beings have an innate need to tell and hear stories and to have a story to live by.  Religion, whatever else it has done, has provided one of the main ways of meeting this abiding need.”  Stories that come out of religious seeking have always held a particular fascination for me.  My own personal identity was irrevocably changed by an experience of the divine in a silent Christmas Eve communion service at a time of personal crisis.  My encounter with fellow religionists in the Transylvanian Unitarian community while on pilgrimage there has forever altered the way I look at American culture and our way of life.  So much of who we are is shaped, in some fashion, by our encounter with the religious community.  And it is, in the hearing and telling of these stories, that I experience what I call God.  The only God I know is the one I have come to know as I have built community with others through the sharing of stories.

My personal theology does not focus on belief, but rather on what beliefs make of us.  I basically dislike the tendency to “pigeonhole” people with religious labels.  Unitarian, or Universalist is enough for me to deal with.  While I may claim this identity, I still strive to be secure enough in it to always be open to learning about the religion and culture of other people.  The truth is, I am very interested in other religions, and I am fascinated by the myriad ways that the divine manifests itself in the lives of people throughout the world.  That doesn’t mean I find my own faith unsatisfactory.  It means I still find it incomplete.  I want it to be continually growing and developing by exposure to and challenge from many sectors of human religious experience.

As a physician, I was intrigued when I learned the word curiosity shares the same root word as cure.  When I am curious, when I wonder about other people and their experiences in the spiritual dimension of life, it sometimes feels like I am entering some place of great destiny.  And sometimes I experience it as a place of great healing.  When I listen to someone else who comes from a very different background, I have the chance to gain a whole new perspective on the spiritual journey, so these encounters are beneficial for my own spirit as well.  Often I gain some new insight into the character of the Divine.  When there is mutual respect and no compulsion for us to change or convert the other, then these become the times I think most Unitarian Universalist ministers live for, times of healing and wholeness.  The language of theology and religion tend to become a secondary language during those sacred moments when I feel I am doing my best work to make the vision of Unitarian Universalism actually manifest in a hurting world.  

 

Biography of Fred Howard  

Leonard “Fred” Howard, MD is a candidate for ministry in the Unitarian Universalist Association.  Fred is a native of Macon , Georgia .  He attended Valdosta State College and the Medical College of Georgia.  He practiced medicine as a family physician in Cairo , Georgia and in Douglas , Georgia for twenty years before he heard the call to ministry.  Fred closed his medical practice in 2002 and began part time work as an emergency room physician so that he could attend seminary.  In 2003 he began studies at Candler School of Theology at Emory.  After graduation in 2006, he spent a year in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Emory Hospital .  Though the wards of a hospital were quite familiar to Fred, he was now assuming a very different role, that of a hospital chaplain.  The final leg of his ministerial training was completed in 2007 at the High Street Church in Macon where he did his ministerial internship.  At present Fred continues to work part time in the emergency room in Appling County even as he serves as minister of the Valdosta Church .

                Fred has special interests in contemplative spirituality, mind body medicine, and interfaith and intercultural exchange.  He has been to Transylvania several times and recently led a pilgrimage there for Unitarian Universalists from across Georgia .  In addition to his work in the fields of ministry and medicine, he also works with several non profit organizations.  He is on the Board of Directors of Peacemakers, an organization that fosters world peace by teaching children ethical values common to all religions and denominations in a summer camp program, and the Board of Project Harvest Hope, an organization that works with our sister Unitarian congregations in Transylvania to promote sustainable economic development.

                Fred is married to Kathy Riggins Howard of Blackshear, Georgia.  Kathy and Fred met while attending VSU.  They have three grown children, all of which attended VSU as well – Mandy, an optometrist, Misty, a first grade teacher, and Dustin, now a graduate student at Georgia Tech.  They also have twin grandchildren, Bennett and Kade, who reside in Valdosta. 

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                Social Action Activities

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday (and 5^th when there is one) of each month.  If you would like to help deliver meals beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Frank or Rosie Asbury.    

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 UUA Standing on the Side of Love Campaign

On Sunday, July 27, 2008, a man walked into the sanctuary of my church--Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church--and opened fire. Two dedicated Unitarian Universalists were killed: Greg McKendry, an usher, and Linda Kraeger, a member of Westside Unitarian Universalist Church. Six other people were injured. Every member of our two congregations was affected.

                In the aftermath of that tragic morning, the surrounding community embraced us. We kept our hearts and our doors open, and love came rushing in from every direction.

                One year later, I remain deeply grateful for the countless hugs, cards, meals, and prayers that sustained us. I could not have known then that our commitment to love in the face of violence would inspire the Unitarian Universalist Association to launch the Standing on the Side of Love Campaign. I couldn't be more pleased, however, because experience has taught me that brokenness can only be healed with love.

            As we approach the first anniversary of the shooting, I ask you to join this campaign by pledging to stand on the side of love.

                Unfortunately, our experience is not unique. People across the nation face exclusion, oppression, or violence because of their immigrant status, sexual or gender orientation, religion, race, political views, among other identities. Such dehumanization must be challenged. This campaign invites people of every faith and belief to stand together in the name of love. Our nation is at a critical moment, when our collective voice and action can heal families, towns, cities, states, and nations.

                One week after the shooting, I returned to the pulpit to rededicate our sanctuary. I said, 'A man came into this space with a desire to do an act of hatred, but he has unleashed unspeakable amounts of love.'

                Join with me in that unleashing of love.

I invite you to open your hearts and join thousands of others who are standing on the side of love.

Love,  Rev. Chris Buice, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church  

Standing on the Side of Love is a public advocacy campaign, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, promoting respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Standing on the Side of Love will confront exclusion, oppression and violence based on identity. Based in the aspiration to create beloved community, the campaign will pursue social change through advocacy, public witness and speaking out in solidarity with those whose lives are publicly demeaned. All people, not just Unitarian Universalists, are invited to stand, speak, worship, march, roll, and live on the side of the love.

Sign the pledge to Stand on the Side of Love!

View the Standing on the Side of Love video from General Assembly.

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UU Church of Valdosta Board of Directors

July 8, 2009

Attendance: Doug Tanner, Sue Bailey, Mya Storey, Rosie Asbury, Valerie Webster, Fred Howard and Kari Wells.

·         Treasurer's Report:  Ended the year better than projected due to increase in pledges.

·         Program's Report:  July is filled and most of August.  Valerie is looking for feedback on the speakers.  If you have any comments/concerns please let them know. 

·         RE Report:  Continuing to work on world religions through the summer and towards fall they will start to work on UU History.  They will also be working on a 90 second video for "Causes Mini Film Festival" at VSU.

·         Discussion of the following events: Water Ceremony, Membership Ceremony and Installation of Rev. Fred Howard.  More info to follow on all of those events.

·         Rev. Howard is looking at the possibility of doing an adult religious education class for those who would be interested.  He will work out the details and then put something in the newsletter.

·         Church answering machine is broken and  will be replaced  along with a new message stating appointment hours for Rev. Howard.

·         Looking for more volunteers to sign up for the weekly task.  If you are interested, but are unsure what would be required, please ask any of the board members for more information.

·         Talked about doing potluck lunches in conjunction with services on a more regular basis.  Sue said she would organize the first one sometime in Sept.

·         Discussion about  doing a class for New UU members, (old members would also be welcome)  to learn more about the congregation. More info to follow.

·         Next meeting will be Aug 5, 2009  at 6:00PM.

Are You Getting All the News?!

Recently several of us, who try to keep our congregation’s members and friends informed about what is going on at our church, have been discussing whether everyone is getting all the news.  We communicate with our members and friends through our monthly newsletter, our website, an e-mail list, newspaper notices on the Valdosta Daily Times(VDT) Saturday religion page, and notices in the Sunday Order of Service.  Thanks to the folks who maintain these various communication efforts:  Carol Stiles, website; Dee Tait VDT; Betty Derrick, newsletter and its mailing list; Mya Storey, new member and visitor information.  Getting on the e-mail list may have fallen through the cracks and the board, we hope, will address that issue.   You should know that when Carol posts the newsletter on the website, personal phone numbers, addresses, and e-mail addresses are removed before posting.  Specific concerns regarding illnesses, etc., of congregational members are removed, but awards/successes /congratulations are left in unless otherwise requested.  For children, only first names are included.  Otherwise, most articles are included in the on-line newsletter "as is" - but Carol will be happy to remove any bios, e-mail correspondence, etc., if the individual notifies her in advance.  If you are not receiving the mailed copy of the newsletter with all of the information, you should let Betty Derrick know.  If you do not receive the occasional church e-mails and would like to do so, let Mya Storey, who is the Director of Membership, know.   We are still discussing the best way to be sure we get new people on that list.     All of us who do this work welcome your comments and suggestions.  Thanks to all who plan the events and provide the news we mostly just pass on to everyone.  We just want to be sure everyone is getting the news!

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Treasurer's Report – Rosie Asbury

June 30, 2009

Receipts                June                                       July –present

  Plate                $ 255.00                                     $ 1638.17

  Pledge              3440.00                                     15682.00

  Rent                     100.00                                      2880.00

  Interest Income     0.00                                            0.00

Total Receipts $3795.00                                $20775.17

Disbursements  

   Speakers’ Fees  900.00                                  10650.00

   Repairs & Maint    0.00                                      1710.16

   Newsletter               0.00                                          69.92

   Termite/Pest Ctl   35.00                                      1621.00

   Postage                    0.00                                        556.48

   Supplies                 14.26                                        252.58 

   Utilities                194.30                                     2764.95

   Advert./Website     0.00                                        495.80

   UUA Dues               0.00                                      1422.00

   Others                    0.00                                          176.00

Total  Disburs.$ 1143.56                               $21578.67  

Net Receipt     $ 2651.44                              $  - 803.50

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS                    Joan Lund

  It would seem reasonable to write about the General Assembly in Salt Lake City having just occurred at the end of last month. But the column needs to be in the hands of your newsletter editor before GA. In addition as stated in last month's column I intended to devote two columns to the proposed changes to the UUA Bylaws relating the nomination and election of our UUA President and Moderator. By the time you read this the changes will have been introduced to Article IX, Section 9.5 at GA.

                Last month I wrote about the proposed terms of the President and Moderator changing from four years, with the possibility of serving two terms, to one six-year term for each office. There will be a Presidential Search Committee (PSC) who will submit at least 2 nominations for UUA President at the end of a presidential term or when a vacancy occurs in the office prior to October of the year before the election. The report of the PSC will be announced at GA one year before GA at which there is to be an election, except in the case of an election to fill a vacancy occurring after that date.

                For the election of the Moderator the Board of Trustees (BOT) will submit one or more nominations for the office at the end of the Moderator's term or when a vacancy occurs in the office prior to October of the year before the election. The report of the BOT will be presented at GA one year before the GA at which there is to be a Moderator election, except in the case of an election to fill a vacancy occurring after that date.

                To run by petition for the Office of President or Moderator, or to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term which occurs prior to December 1st of the year before the election the petition may be signed by no fewer than twenty-five certified member congregations, including no fewer than five certified member congregations located in each of no fewer than five different district. The proposed change in Section 9.6 is in the word "may". The Bylaws currently states "shall".

                Certainly the proposed Bylaws changes for President and Moderator are significant and important ones which should prompt much discussion. I hope each Florida District congregation will devote time and energy to debate/discussion concerning the changes. Please know I look forward to hearing from you at jlund@uua.org . I wish a relaxing summer to you all!

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UU Activities and Announcements

August 21-22-Florida District Board Meeting, Oviedo , FL

August 29-District Wide Congregational Teacher Training, UU Congregation of Lakeland , Lakeland , FL

August 28-30- Beacon Youth Advisor Training,University UU Society

Sept. 4-7 – Labor Day Weekend at The Mountain 

 

Greetings Florida District Friends and Leaders

Kenn Hurto , Florida District Director

The 48th annual General Assembly of our Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations met last month in Salt Lake City . Over 3400 people attended, with nearly 2000 delegates. Florida was well represented by 95 people from 25 congregations.   Among the stand out events at this year's session:

·         The Reverend Peter Morales, Senior Minister of the Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church , Golden, Colorado was elected our new President.

·         Gini Courter was re-elected Moderator.

·         Hundreds of delegates participated in a public witness for Immigration Reform at a downtown rally.

·         A "Prom for All" dance was held to welcome "all gender identities/expressions/sexual orientations."

·          Fellow Unitarian Universalist, Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton, gave a stirring Ware Lecture on "Faith and Reason: Race, Justice, and American Political Life."[Video on line at http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2009/ga2009/144263.shtml ]

·          UU University was open to all delegates this year, featuring 6 ten hour intensives on congregational life. [The FLD will have a CD copy of all sessions this fall.]

·         By a narrow margin -- 13 votes; 573 yea, 586 nay -- delegates defeated the Commission on Appraisal's recommended revisions of Article II of the UUA By-laws, also known as the "Principles."  Sentiments against the changes[see:http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2009/ga2009/144198.shtml] were essentially three: a) it's not broke, don't fix it; b) we can do better in the wording; and c) concern that "humanism" had not been noted for its principle role as one of our sources.

·         Delegates also approved congregational witness for six Immediate Witness resolutions

-Pending Legislation Toward Clean/Verified Elections in U.S

U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

-In Support of America 's Red Rock Wilderness Act

-Support Bolivian UUs Struggling for Justice and Human Rights

- U.S. -Sponsored Torture: A Call for a Commission of Inquiry

-Oppose Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Based Violence in Iraq

The full details of the Assembly can be found at

http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2009/index.shtml

                Unitarian Universalism is hale, hearty and challenged at this time. At times, it can feel congregational life is all about mechanics, but a GA reminds anyone attending that this exercise in democracy is founded upon and affirming of great principles: that everyone matters, that all should have a voice, and that, together, we are better than we are apart. The emerging theme of our faith is that we should "stand on the side of love" in all that we do. It is good to be reminded that this is what it is all about.

Blessings to you and may you have a full and restful summer.

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Letter to GA Delegates from the Reverend Peter Morales, Newly Elected President of UUA

 Friends.  As you know, I have just been elected President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). I have trouble expressing how profoundly I am touched by the confidence people have placed in me. I can only say, in the Spanish phrase, mil gracias, "a thousand thanks." 

I am humbled and grateful. The challenges before us are great. We continue to live in a world where fear and hatred cause suffering and violence. Greed and acquisitiveness threaten life on our planet. We are surrounded by millions of people seeking a spiritual home that is free and open. We face historic cultural and ethnic change in America . 

We must learn to express our love and values in new cultural contexts. We will build on the great achievement of President Bill Sinkford in social witness. Ours will be a presidency passionately engaged in the great moral issues of our time: economic justice, peace, and human rights. I would like to thank and praise the Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman, the other candidate for president, for her deep insights and inspiring contributions to our faith. Her concerns for spiritual depth, covenantal relationships and stewardship are values I share. 

To Laurel 's supporters, I offer my warmest welcome. There are no divisions in our movement, only complementarities. Your call for spiritual depth has always been a call that leads us to work together to make a better world. Together, we are answering the same call heard by Servetus, Ballou, Channing, Parker and Susan B. Anthony-a call to leave behind what is outmoded and to let compassion guide us as we shape a future together. 

The challenges we face are great. However, together we have the passion, the spirit, the determination and love to face the tests of our times. Together, we can grow our faith and help heal the world. We can be, we must be, the religion for our time. Together we are beginning an exciting new chapter in Unitarian Universalism. We are on a journey of faith together.  

During the campaign, President Morales lifted up these 5 points as central to his hope for our faith: 

• Create and sustain a sense of urgency throughout our movement. We will grow by unleashing the commitment and idealism in our congregations. Our president must be both a bold visionary and a practical realist.
• Work in close partnership with our fastest growing churches. These are the people who know how to grow our movement. I would challenge them to use their knowledge to help us grow our movement.
• Focus growth efforts by ensuring that the Association's staff is an effective partner to our congregations. Our field staff must focus their efforts on working with congregations committed to sharing our faith and serve as capable consultants who help unleash the congregation's potential.
• Reorganize how we deliver services to congregations so that we are more agile, more versatile, and more useful. There is broad consensus that we should move to a more flexible regional model. Much work has been done already by the Congregations Come First Task Force. As president I'll put high priority on leading the design and then implementing a new service delivery model informed by this work.
• Start new congregations in growing and underserved areas, using new approaches that build on the expertise of our leading congregations and seize opportunities of modern technology.  

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   Beacon Press is partnering with the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. in a new publishing program, "The King Legacy." Beacon will print new editions of previously published King titles and compile Dr. King's writings, sermons, orations, lectures, and prayers into entirely new editions, including significant new introductions by leading scholars. This partnership brings together the legacy of one of the most important civil rights and social justice leaders in the world with one of the oldest and most respected independent publishing houses in America . "We feel enormously privileged to be the new publishers of Dr. King's work. His vision and his message are more essential than ever in a world where, despite great gains, the global aspects of the radical inequities Dr. King devoted his life to exposing and addressing are all too apparent. He has much to teach us, perhaps as much today as in his own lifetime." -Helene Atwan, director of Beacon Press