Change in Policy

In our original application package, we pledged to notify applicants of our funding decisions within six weeks of the time when the application was received. As we posted the application package in January and set the deadline for October 1, this meant we would be making decisions on a rolling basis -- accepting or rejecting proposals without knowing what future applications might arrive.

We are now changing that pledge to allow a third option. We will continue to review all applications within six weeks. We will fund or partially fund those proposals that meet with the task force's unanimous enthusiasm, and reject those that we feel do not meet our criteria. But applications that do not fall into either category will be set aside until all applications are in. Decisions on those proposals will be announced by November 1. All applicants will be notified of their proposal's status within six weeks of our receipt of the application.

Q: What motivated the change?

A: Perhaps due to the recession, we have less money to distribute and will be approving fewer grants than we originally anticipated. We do not want to distribute all of our available money before the final proposals arrive, and we do not want to reject applications-in-hand simply to save money for applications that may or may not arrive later. While recognizing the inconvenience of delayed decisions, we believe that the new policy will allow us to make fairer decisions and to better keep faith with our contributors.

What is "more"? What is "deeper"?

We've been trying to start an Association-wide discussion about what new resources lay UUs might need to deepen their faith, religious experience, or UU identity. Task force member Doug Muder kicked it off with his UU World online column "That Elusive More" and followed up with a post on his Free and Responsible Search blog. A number of UU bloggers have joined the conversation, including:

The Interdependent Web: What helps UUs go deeper?, scaring parents, defining 'sin,' and more

Surviving the Workday: Theological questions at work

iMinister: Going Deeper

Yet Another Unitarian Universalist: spend money, help people

Chalice Spark: going deeper

One More Step: lay theological education.

UUJeff's muse kennel and pizzatorium: Funds for Unitarian Universalist Lay Theological Education.

Transparent Eye: Going Deeper.

A UU Way of Life: UU Theology - What are the questions that need answering?

If we missed your blog post, mention it in the comments.

What kind of theological education do UUs want or need?

In recent years lay people in our congregations have expressed tremendous interest in having more opportunities for theological education – what some call spiritual formation or faith development. People will sometimes ask, “How can I go deeper into an examination of my Unitarian Universalism than is possible in my home congregation? I want something more than Wednesday night adult ed classes, but don’t have the time, money, or interest in enrolling in a two or three year academic program at a seminary.”

Of course, more and deeper just point in a direction; they don't present a clear goal or map out a way to get there.

Over the last two years two separate “consultations” – conversations involving over two dozen people from various walks of UU life -- were held to explore this interest and discuss how it might be addressed. The invitation letter from President Bill Sinkford to one of the consultations stated, “There is a need for our faith to offer a higher level and a greater depth of theological education to our laity. We need to offer avenues to deeper theological understanding and spiritual growth. The Association must find a way to address this critical need.” (See more comments from these consultations below.)

This year the UUA is devoting 50% of the funds raised for Association Sunday 2008 (an amount that could reach $300,000) to enhance lay theological education. Grants will be distributed by the Lay Theological Education Task Force during 2009. (Here's our application form in PDF or in Word format.)

If you are a Unitarian Universalist, your insight into your own needs and the needs you see in your congregation can help us form the views that we will take into the decision-making process. Feel free to leave comments on this blog or to write to us privately at uulaytheology@gmail.com.

Questions to which we welcome your thoughts:

Do you ever wish you could go deeper into Unitarian Universalism? What does that mean to you? What kinds of programs (if any) does that cause you to fantasize?

Have you taken classes/workshops in the past that make you say, "Like this, only moreso"?

Do you ever envy what other churches/religions offer? Do you know people of other faiths whose religious identities have a depth, a grounding, or a solidity that you wouldn't know how to achieve as a UU?

What lay theological education resource would make it more likely that more lay leaders would have the depth, understanding, commitment, and passion to live out their values in the world?

In your mind, is there a distinction between lay theological education, spiritual formation, and faith development? If so, what is it?

What topics or subjects should be addressed in any lay theological education program curriculum?

What do we need to teach/learn to make it more likely that members of congregations will deepen their faith and live a life more consistent with their faith?

Comments from participants in the consultations that may spur your imaginations:

I see lay leaders burned out from overwork because their spirits are not being fed. We need more theological/spiritual development for our lay leaders.

We do not currently offer an effective way to develop depth and personal and communal level. We need to be doing this work.

Too often we only talk about the how of doing church and not the why. Lay leadership development focuses on the how. Lay theological education focuses on the why.

We need to encourage and promote lay theological education because it's what makes us a faith and not just a club.

Our interfaith partners speak out of a theological depth which makes them more effective in addressing the world's needs.

People need to engage theological questions to become a whole person spiritually, intellectually, psychologically, and practically.

Theological education will help people to live a life of integrity.