Resources & Services

We are pleased to offer a wide range of resources for congregations and lay leaders, church professionals, ministers, and religious educators. We look forward to serving you!

The MBD email list, MBD-L, is a great way to keep up-to-date with discussions and announcements in the MBD. Join MBD-L here.

Resources for Congregations and their Leaders

MBD Ethics and Safety Guidelines

(click here)

OSHA Regulations and Congregations

(click here)

Transformation Team

The Mass Bay Transformation Team works with a congregation to learn and develop healthy and open behaviors that help it adapt to the inevitable challenges that we all face. We believe that a congregation itself has the capacity to do this work, and that our role is simply to provide coaching in methods that have been shown to be successful in other congregations. We are rooted in a philosophy that conflict is inevitable in our congregations, and that it exists to teach us something about how to live with differing opinions and perspectives. We begin by conducting an assessment with the governing board and then training a team of well-respected members within the congregation to conduct listening circles in which better knowledge of the situation and dreams and desires of all the congregants may be gathered. This information is then given back to the governing board to discern future steps. We believe such a method is far more healthy than a confrontative "all-congregational meeting" in the beginning of a time of stress.

The charge for this service is $500 to have the consultant work with the board and train the facilitators. The District matches this fee for the consultant.

Grants for Congregations

Drive Time Essays: Wisdom for and by Unitarian Universalist Lay Leaders Like You

(click here)

Ministerial Settlement Representative

Contact: Rev. Sylvia Howe

Nominating Committee

In developing a slate of candidates for MBD leadership, to be presented at the Annual Meeting, the Nominating Commmittee seeks to create a balanced representation among elected officials of the district.
Contact: Mark Richards

Music & Worship Services

The MBD Music and Worship Arts Team is available for consultation, workshops, and worship. Contact the team leader Rev. Art Lavoie.

Ministry For Earth Representatives For MBD

Ministry For Earth is deeply committed to assisting UU congregations who are working to raise UU consciousness and affirmation of the 7th Principle through congregational and individual action. Among the principal ways the MFE works towards this goal is by supporting congregations who are interested in making comments on the UUA SAI Threat of Global Warming, and by administering the UU Green Sanctuary program.
Contact: Wendi Irvine or Bruce Langmuir.
MFE web site: www.uuministryforearth.org

Personnel Policy Manual for Religious Organizations

Click this link for a model policy manual: http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/leaderslibrary/22672.shtml. The model manual is for consideration by Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations that may wish to modify their current personnel Manual, or to create such a Manual for the first time. It is available both in Word format (so it can be edited) and in PDF format.

The Parish Paper: Ideas and Insights for Active Congregations

(click here)

Resources for Church Professionals

Association of Unitarian Univeralist Administrators
Mass Bay District AUUA Chapter

The purpose of the AUUA, and the Massachusetts Bay Chapter, is to provide training and support for members; to be a clearing house for church administrative information; and to improve recognition of church administration as a profession. Contact Lyssa Andersson for Mass Bay AUUA Chapter meeting schedules and information.

For national AUUA information, contact Administrator@auua.org or visit the website http://www.auua.org/

Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network

The UUMN provides consultation and assists in making referrals dealing with church music programs and musicians, and also provides musical workshops for district-wide conferences. UUMN is committed to helping congregations develop excellent music programs and to supporting UU musicians. To that end, members of the UUMN organization have agreed to serve as liaisons between UUMN, district offices and local UU musicians. The UUMN LIaisons for the Mass Bay District are:

Mary Neumann from the Melrose UU Church and Anne Watson Born from First Unitarian Society in Newton .
To learn about the differenct programs available through UUMN, visit their web site: http://www.uumn.org

Eastern Massachusetts Unitarian Universalist Ministers and Employees Group (EMUUMEG)

Eastern Massachusetts Unitarian Universalist Ministers and Employees Group offers health insurance coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to employees living and working in the plan's coverage area.
Contact: Lyssa Andersson, phone 781-631-1215.

Medical Insurance for Church Employees

Find out more about the UUA's Health Plan

The Church of the Larger Fellowship

CLF is a UU congregation by mail and cyberspace providing a UU connection for people who are housebound, work on a Sunday morning, want additional UU resources, are looking for UUism 24/7. Web site: http://www.clfuu.org

What resources can the CLF provide?