Mission Peak UU Congregation
M i s s i o n     P e a k     U n i t a r i a n     U n i v e r s a l i s t     C o n g r e g a t i o n
"A Spiritual Community of Caring Hearts and Open Minds"

 


Mission Peak's Spiritual Portrait		 Rev

Rev. Barbara Meyers' Ministry

Quarterly Report to MPUUC Board of Trustees

June 2006

 

To the MPUUC Board of Trustees,

 

The following is a list of the activities I have engaged in during the last quarter as part of my endorsed community ministry.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

 

Yours in faith,

 

 

 

Rev. Barbara Meyers

 

Education

Caring Congregation Program

There are a number of activities with regard to the Caring Congregation curriculum:

  • Field test at the Monterey congregation completed, other congregations still planning
  • Updated the curriculum with input from training
  • Made a preliminary plan for activities on behalf of the grant
    • PCD helped contact all district execs in the UUA about participation
    • Massachusetts congregations interested in having a training
    • Other possible districts: PNWD, PSWD, Heartland
    • Key challenge is setting up a sustaining infrastructure for program
  • General Assembly Plans
    • Prepared presentation to be given at GA in June with Peggy Rahman.
    • Will sell updated curriculum at GA
    • Will use GA presentation as an opportunity to recruit interested congregations
  • Curriculum will be taught again at SKSM in the fall.  So far 11 students from 3 seminaries have enrolled.

Classes and Seminars Given

  • Led a six-session Old Testament Class with 18 students.
    • The class presented a well-received worship service on May 28. Fun!

Classes and Seminars Taken

  • Attended PCD District Assembly workshops on:
    • Congregational Conflict by the PCD "Healthy Congregations Team"
    • Reaching the Unusual Suspects- The Theology of Growth
    • William Shakespeare: The Religious Backdrop of His Age

Healing

Reaching Across

  • Continue working about quarter time at Reaching Across organization.
  • Presented 'Stages of Recovery' to the Reaching Across group on March 20

Support Groups

  • Continued co-leading new interfaith support group for people with depression and sadness.
  • Continued to recommend support group for families of those with mental illness.  Have gotten feedback that this has been helpful.

Pastoral Associates

  • Will end being chair of Pastoral Associates in the fall. Recruited my replacement.
  • Will continue to give training to Pastoral Associates and be compensated for this.
  • Made several visits to congregational members with mental health problems.

Priestly

  • Worship leader for service on “Lessons from the Old Testament” on May 28
  • Guest minister at Monterey congregation speaking about “Living with Mental Illness.” This kicked off their offering of the Caring Congregation Curriculum.
  • Worship Associate for March 26 service on “State of the Congregation” and gave a homily on the status of my ministry
  • Attended PCD UU Ministers Association retreat in San Juan Bautista May 16-18

Social Justice

MPUUC Social Justice Area

Mental Health was chosen as one of three focus areas for social concerns work at MPUUC.  
Money for the Mental Health committee is part of the 2006-2007 church budget.

Community Awareness

  • Mental Health pages on MPUUC web site continue to be widely accessed.
  • UU World published an article about my ministry in their March on-line magazine
  • The Starr King School for the Ministry Journal in March has a feature article about my ministry

'Not in Our Town - Fremont' Mental Health Subcommittee

The focus of this effort is to obtain Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for police officers in Fremont and Newark.
  • Met twice with the Alameda Co. Behavioral Healthcare Services management team and got encouragement and suggestions from them on how to proceed.
  • The Fremont police chief Steckler has said this is an important program and he is sending his hostage negotiation team to CIT training in San Jose.  Educating more officers than this is not in the cards because of money and staffing problems.
  • Plan to maintain a continuing presence on this issue in the community.

NAMI Walk

The congregation participated in a walk by sponsoring walkers for the June 3 NAMI Walk in San Francisco.  The money raised will go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  There will be 10-12 people from the congregation walking and 20-25 people from the congregation as sponsors.

Anti-Stigma Speaker

Spoke to Head Start Teachers as part of a Alameda Country Anti-Stigma Speakers Bureau.

Other

  • Decided to meet with Community Ministry Advisory Committee every quarter and give them interim status reports every 6 weeks.
  • Chaired MPUUC Mental Health Committee about every 6 weeks
  • Met with Committee on Ministry from MPUUC monthly
  • Met with mentor Rev. Dave Sammons every month
  • Attended monthly meetings of the Tri-Cities Ministerial Association
  • Read a number of books on religion and psychology