Hello Family,

I’m sending all of you a big, virtual hug because it seems like the new normal is on any given day for there to be in this country or somewhere in the world some type of traumatic event.  With the internet and the 24 hours news cycle, blissful ignorance is becoming more and more difficult to experience.

My prayer for each of you as you process the latest tragedies is that you have a loving supportive community that offers you a sense of safety, comfort and unconditional love.  All of which I am grateful to have in my life and I have dedicated my ministry to helping provide for others.

One example of my efforts to create supportive community is the annual FREE Food and Fellowship luncheon that I host each year at General Assembly for Youth and Young Adults of Color.  So, if you identify as Native American, Asian, Arab, Latino/a, African descent, trans-racially adopted, multiracial and are between 15-30 you are invited to the annual luncheon that will be held on Thursday, June 20, 2013 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown, in the Rose Room (DRUUMM suite) 12:00-2:00.  Please RSVP as soon as possible to mcummings@uua.org.

Another example of my ministry to support community is the annual Multicultural Leadership School, for Youth and Young Adults of Color(age 15-30) that will be held Friday, August 2, 2013 – Tuesday, August 6, 2013.

The Multicultural Leadership School (MLS) is a training designed specifically for Unitarian Universalist (UU) Youth and Young Adults of Color.  The goal of the training is to equip participants to be leaders in their UU congregation, district or continental committee.  The 3 day school will feature experienced facilitators who will be intentional on providing participants with experiences that will foster relationship building, leadership skills, racial/ethnic identity development, inter-cultural collaboration and deepening of  faith identity.  At the conclusion of the training, participants will have a new community of peers, stronger and more confident leadership abilities and a stable foundation for sustainable leadership in Unitarian Universalist congregations and other Unitarian Universalist communities and organizations.

For more information go to http://www.uua.org/re/youth/identity-based/color/158493.shtml .

As always, I would love to hear from you.  You can message me on Facebook at Monica Cummings, email me at mcummings@uua.org or leave a comment for me on the Living Mosaic blog at http://uuyayaoc.blogs.uua.org/.

I Love You,

Rev. Monica