Welcome to our Newest Congregation: Unitarian Universalists of Central Delaware

Posted on July 30, 2012 by jsykes

Some of our newest members

Delaware Interfaith Power and Light is pleased to introduce and welcome our newest congregation; Unitarian Universalists of Central Delaware. Please visit their website or their Facebook page and learn more about this small but very vibrant community, located in Camden, Delaware. They have a full calendar of activities and a very active social justice group.

Ruthann Purchase

Hello! This is good work. Do you have any upcoming events? I am hoping that your organization has some up coming events or some new collaborations. This work is on going in Delaware or just at the national level?

It would be good to put a photo and more information about Camden Friend fantastic example. Also, your post sounds like the UUs are in Camden. You might want to edit that bit so make it clearer and have contact information so people can learn from their example.

Here are a few of my hopes/suggestions for future programs/collaborations:

1. Have you thought about working with Habitat for Humanity who in some regions has built energy efficient homes? We can bring that example here and many will learn as they work. It would be a good way to prove that “Going Green” is practical, even for those who do not believe in Global Warming. Maybe a radio spot about such a collaboration would be positive PR and widen the audience for your message.

2. I also wondered if you have a statement or insights for helping congregations or individuals who rent, to work with their land lords to make a big difference. Legislation to incentive land lords is in order. Do you do any lobbying work?

3. It would be a great challenge and a good process for what seems like a mostly “wealthy,” “liberal” “white” movement, to think deeply about how to win the hearts and minds of “conservative” and “less fortunate” faith congregations. Some have no motivation to change since they see “liberals” as the enemy and equate liberalism with anti-Americanism. Others have no MEANS to change and they see this movement is only for the “rich.”

Please, excuse the terminology of division, for the sake of brevity. And, please, pass these questions on to your networks so that the plans for up coming programs can widen the reach of your messages. How do we move from separatism to inclusion for the sake of Mother Earth? If it is too late for building “unity” for Mother Earth’s sake, or if no one in your group has energy or hope for such, then how do we get inside the heads and hearts of the “anti-liberal” in order to find their courage and motivation for change from their own perspective? Is your organization willing to boast about a conservative organization that is funding energy efficiency or waste reduction in general? Could you honor their efforts with an award ceremony or gift?

4. Consider hosting a moderated, well planned debate to be aired on WDOV or another “conservative” station focused on Faith & Ecology. They have a Sunday morning slot that would be excellent. Then the recording could be uploaded as a pod cast or burned as a CD and handed out. It would have to be very tactfully done with just the right people, so as not to widen the divide, but to give people resources to analyze their own faith community stand and options for their next baby steps in the direction of living with more integrity. An example that is out-of-reach, is no example at all.

If no one in your group is interested in such an out reach, would you consider putting a link on your web site to some who do try to work across various divides? Collecting resources and housing them somewhere else, for those who do not work with “liberals” would be within your mission statement. Maybe at the national level you could make these suggestions?

4. The Interfaith Council of Dover has dissolved, since our main leadership is aging out of the system and our most ardent worker has chosen to work solely with the homeless mission we started. Is it possible that this collaboration of yours could be a way to stimulate the restart?

5. The Indigenous People of any region has the most spiritual authority, the loudest voiced on issues of their ancestral land. Is it possible your group might help empower the voice of our IP? That would be a great theme of a conference! Have you seen Blue Canoe documentary? look on you tube for it’s trailer and other interviews. It is powerful and I imagine the same could be true in the Delaware Estuary if we empowered out Lenape people.