Justice in our time will not be defined by our anxiety but by our joy and critical effectiveness.  Wisdom in our time will not only be defined by traditional scholarship but also by spiritual maturity.  There are incredibly large challenges before.  How will we rise to them?  How will we learn to blossom?  Come to FLOWER and find out!!! The Rev. Dr. Leon Dunkley is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. The church of his childhood was the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Monmouth County in Lincroft, New Jersey. From this church and from its minister, Reverend Harold Dean, Leon learned about the sweetness of life. He learned about compassion, peace and possibility. He received his undergraduate degree at Tufts University and his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. He was interested in traditional drumming of Ghana and the Republic of Zaire, the Kora tradition of Senegal, the Gamelan traditions of Java and Bali in Indonesia, the African American and jazz tradition(s) in the Americas and, most recently, in Bluegrass and Country Blues.   He sings and plays several instruments— including guitar, piano, conga, gangogwe (West African double bell), didjeridu. He is just getting started on the dobro and octave mandolin. [Continue Reading]

Rev. Dr. Natalie M. Fenimore currently serves as the Minister for Lifespan Religious Education at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock. Prior to this, she has served as a Parish Minister at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, MD, and as a Minister for Religious Exploration at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, VA. In addition to serving on the Board of Starr King, Rev. Dr.  Fenimore also serves on the Board of the Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry (UUTRM). She is a past-president of the Liberal Religious Educator’s Association (LREDA) and a member of the UU Minister’s Association Professional Guidelines Committee. Rev. Dr. Fenimore holds a M.A. from Hood College and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary. She is a candidate for a Doctor of Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary. Rev. Fenimore is a Credentialed Religious Educator, Master’s Level. Rev. Dr. Fenimore is an engaging preacher and worship leader who brings passion to lifespan religious education and faith development. In her own words, “religious education is central to Unitarian Universalism…a process of giving an outline for living. Religious education encompasses all aspects of learning and growing.”  

The Family Ministry training is designed for shared ministry teams with a goal of helping religious professionals deepen and expand their understanding of and experience with family ministry in service to the whole congregation. Together we’ll unpack the idea of “family” as well as what we mean by “church as family.” We will also discover what ministering to, with and within families might look like. There is no “one size fits all” way to do successful family ministry. Paradigm shifts can take time and systemic change often happens in stages. We will examine the cultures in our own congregations to help us understand where we are and what might be possible. Then we will create a vision for holistic ministry for our UU families and explore how to get there.

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