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 2008

 

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 affiliated community ministry.  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

 

Yours in faith,

 

 

 

Rev. Barbara Meyers

 

Education

Caring Congregation

  • San Diego Congregation to have me to do guest workshops October 17-18.

Classes and Seminars Given

  • In a major step in my ministry, my application for a UUMA CENTER chapter presenter was approved. This will subsidize minister's groups throughout the US to bring me in as a speaker as part of their continuing education program.
  • I gave a presentation at PCD District Assembly April 26, 2008 on How to Become a Televangelist - Using Public Access TV to Get Your Message Out. Paul Clifford attended and helped in the discussion with a small but enthusiastic group in attendance.
  • Attended UU General Assembly in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida June 23-29. Participated as a panel member in two workshops at General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale:
    • Community Ministry-Tending the Fire
    • Making Affiliations Work-Community Ministry and Congregations.
  • Was recognized for achieving Final Fellowship as a UU minister in the Service of the Living Tradition on June 26.

Classes and Seminars Taken

  • Hope and Wholeness, May 5-23, 2008. The Wayne E. Oates Institute of Online learning. This introduced me to some of the works of Howard Clinebell focusing on psychology and religion.

County Education Effort Continues

Plans have been made to have a state-wide Mental Health and Spirituality Conference in spring 2009. I have been going to some of the meetings and will participate in this as much as I can with my other activities.

Healing

Reaching Across

  • Continued compensated job at Reaching Across organization, for quarter-time work.

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.

Pastoral Associates

  • Continue to prepare training materials for Pastoral Associates.
  • Made several visits to congregational members with mental health problems, at home and in the hospital.

Priestly

  • Worship associate on May 4.
  • Worship leader on June 22. Subject: Loneliness.

Social Justice

Community Awareness

  • Mental Health Matters Public Access TV Show
    • "Mental Health Matters - Alameda County" was awarded the Alameda County Mental Health Board's Media Award for 2008. Those in the extended crew, local producers, and in Comcast who has played a part in the show, are receiving an award. This is part of the annual Mental Health Board award program for those who have done the most to advance mental health in Alameda County over the last year.
    • Taped shows on: Spirituality in April, Depression in May, Consumer Movement in June.
    • Topics for the next shows have been chosen. They are: Dual Diagnosis, The Trauma, Mental Health in Jail/Prison, First Break, Anxiety and Mental Health in the Asian community.
    • Shows continue to be broadcast throughout Alameda County on Comcast TV as well as being available from anywhere on the internet.
    • NAMI affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky is seeking to broadcast of Mental Health Matters on their local cable station. I've sold them two shows to get started.
  • Mental Health pages on MPUUC web site continue to be widely accessed.
  • Held a Movie Night on May 17 showing the movie Ordinary People with a discussion period afterwards. Thirteen people attended.
  • Participated in Alameda County Mental Health Services Act Planning Council This group does Alameda County Mental Health Services Act (MHSA Proposition 63) MHSA program portfolio reviews, budgetary actions recommendations, and prioritization of new programs. On June 4, final decisions on the Prevention and Early Intervention portfolio were made. One of the programs funded is a media-oriented program featuring the TV show that I produce.

UUA Accessibility Committee

  • Helped to start new Accessibility Group called Equual Access with members throughout the UUA. Will continue to confer via email and teleconference with this group as it forms. The by-laws have been written and now preliminary leadership is partially in place.
  • Started a Mental Health Caucus under the auspices of Equual Access. This group will promote and Advocate for Mental Health Accessibility within the UUA and Beyond

Books Read

  • These books give excellent case study examples of using Behavioral Therapy to treat Autism: The author was in my Metro New York District Training. A very impressive guy.
    • Words from Those Who Care: Further Case Studies of ABA with People with Autism, by Bobby Newman and Dana Reinecke, AMAC, Inc. 2000.
    • Behavioral Detectives: A Staff Training Exercise Book in Applied Behavior Analysis, by Bobby Newman and Dana Reinecke, Dove and Orca, 2007.
  • The Depression Advantage, by Tom Wootton, Bipolar Advantage Publishers, 2007. Wootton emphasizes the benefits that one can receive from having gone through an experience with depression, with examples of the lives of some saints. He also maintains that it is possible for people with depression to live abundantly and creatively. My favorite line: "'Normal' people can go about the rest of their lives pretending everything is fine; we cannot."
  • Stop Walking on Eggshells - Taking your life back when someone you care about has borderline personality disorder, by Paul T. Mason and Randi Kreger, New Harbinger Publications, 1988. This excellent book was recommended to me by the wife of someone with borderline personality disorder.
  • Writing through the Darkness - easing your depression with paper and pen, by Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer, Celestial Arts, 2008. Excellent guide for people to use writing to help depression.
  • Queer(y)ing a Sustainable Personal Theology - A theological "zine", Volumes I and II, by Betty Jeanne Rueters-Ward, a series of writings offering theological reflection by someone who lives with anxiety and depression and who seeks to counter oppression in society. Done as part of requirements for a Master of Arts in Social Change at Starr King School for the Ministry earned in 2008.

Books Reviewed Prior to Publication:

  • The Inherent Worth and Dignity of ALL Individuals: Encouraging Full Participation in Our Unitarian Universalist Congregations, by Bobby Newman, Ph.D., B.C.B.A., to be published in 2008. It lays out a common sense approach of how to live out our UU theology when dealing with people who have mental health difficulties. It doesn't avoid the grey areas, but instead gives people some understanding of how to approach a solution. I intend to make it an adjunct to my Caring Congregation training.
  • When the Mind Takes Ill: What Your Community Can Do, by Larry Hayes, to be published in 2008-09. This will be an excellent resource, chock full of ideas for people and groups who want to take community action with respect to mental health issues.
  • Reaching for God, the Divine Father, by Margaret Bobalek King. This is a book of poetry written over 40 years currently searching for a publisher. Some of the poems relate experiences the author when suffering with bipolar disorder.

Personal

  • Rest
  • Finished weaving for Valerie Stewart. This a service auction item was a graduation gift for Kathryn Landreth and depicted Mission Peak, Lake Elizabeth and some of Kathryn's activities as she was growing up.
  • Attended Complex Weaver's Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida June 29-July 2, 2008

Other

  • Met with Community Ministry Advisory Committee every quarter
  • Chaired MPUUC Mental Health Committee which meets every 6-8 weeks
  • Met with Committee on Ministry from MPUUC monthly
  • Met with other UU community ministers every 2 months