What's New for 2021-22

Rooted in the feedback from our subscribing congregations, we're excited about the many ways we're enhancing our 2021-22 resources and support.

Multi-Platform Church Support

• Hold Multiplatform Support Circles for church leaders to share strategies and offer support - held in May, Aug, Sept, Oct. 
• Ensure online and in-person resources in all packets.
• Continue identifying and securing online permission status for resources in worship packets.

Decentering Whiteness

• Continue increasing and centering marginalized voices.
• Add a paid Widening the Circle Research Team to Soul Matters staff to help us increase ARAOMC ("Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, MultiCultural") resources in RE.
• Provide direct focus on the spiritual needs of BIPOC ("Black, Indigenous & People of Color") ​. Whereas last year our resources focused on increasing awareness of white supremacy systems and helping white UUs become better allies, this coming year we will increase material and resources that are centered on BIPOC needs. We are exploring a number of strategies to achieve this, from hiring additional staff to enlisting the help of anti-racism teams in our Soul Matters congregations to partnering with BIPOC-centered organizations already doing the work.

Small Groups

• Creativity Matters curriculum: Creativity Matters groups were piloted last year and now we’re ready to offer monthly packets and facilitator training to support you running these groups in your chruch setting. Learn more here.
• UU Writers curriculum: This year we’re piloting a UU Writers small group that explores each of our monthly themes through the practice of creative writing. Learn more here.
• Online small groups & classes: A number of our smaller Soul Matters congregations have expressed a struggle achieving critical mass for the small groups and classes they run. So they’ve asked us to run some online groups and classes that would be open to UUs from around the country. We’re excited about this effort and will pilot a number of online spiritual development groups, classes and retreats. Learn more HERE.

Religious Education 
             ​You can watch a webinar presentation of these RE enhancements by clicking HERE.

• Support multi-platform RE: We are shifting from last year’s focus on resources for online RE to a new focus on resources for both in-person and online RE. This includes not only our basic RE packets but other RE resources such as Crossing Paths, Chalice Home, Soulful Home and our Youth Packet. 
• Increase ARAOMC ("Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, MultiCultural") resources: We’ve hired Soul Matters religious educators to be on a new “Widening the Circle RE Research Team,” that will identify and curate practical RE resources for children’s programming based on the Widening the Circle of Concern report, 8th Principle efforts and characteristic of white supremacy learnings.
• Integrate ARAOMC  ("Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, MultiCultural") resources: We are shifting from last year’s goal of having one session a month address ARAOMC themes to integrating ARAOMC engagement throughout all sessions, as recommended by ARAOMC leaders. We will also strategically maintain some sessions focused fully on ARAOMC lessons. 
• Direct focus on the spiritual needs of BIPOC ("Black, Indigenous & People of Color") children and families: Whereas last year our resources focused on increasing awareness of white supremacy systems and helping white UUs become better allies, this coming year we will increase material and resources that are centered on BIPOC needs. Our Widening the Circle RE Research Team will be integral to this work.
• Increase the amount of “wisdom tales”: Last year our Stories for All Ages resources focused on published storybooks. We will continue to recommend storybooks, but our focus will also be on identifying public domain wisdom tales that are “told” rather than books that are “read.” 
• Expand “For All Ages Moment” resources: In addition to adding more wisdom tales, our “for all ages” resources will expand to include other experiential ideas such as science demonstrations, musical moments, skits, role plays, object lessons, and guest “star” visits.
• Refine our meditation resources: We will continue to develop the “meditative story” approach we’ve been using and we will increase the number of body-based and movement-based meditations.
• Redesign our “little ones” packet (i.e. prek-1st grade): We are rethinking the categories and types of resources we include in our pre-k-1st grade packet to ensure it is age appropriate and better addresses the challenges of multi-platform church.
• Youth Packet Researcher: We are exploring hiring an additional staff person to help with the design of our Youth Packets.
• Expand our Crossing Paths line up: Last year we added Paganism to the religions we cover in Crossing Paths. In 2021-22, we are adding Humanism.

Worship Support

• Continue providing online permissioned and ARAOMC focused material.
• Lay Worship Support Circle: We are piloting a once-a-month gathering of lay worship leaders at which we will provide coaching and ideas for weaving our themes into lay worship. Participants will also brainstorm ideas together. More information coming soon on our Trainings & Webinars page.
• Create a sermon video clearing house that enables congregations to more easily connect with ministers who want to do online guest preaching or sell the use of sermons they’ve videoed.