MUA News

This is to inform all interested people that in the light of recent government guidelines, and because many of the people who attend our gatherings are in the vulnerable categories, the MUA Executive Committee and the Ministers’ Meeting have decided to cancel the following events: The Midland Unitarian Association’s AGM, which was due to take … Read more

Eleven Unitarians from across the District met at Unitarian New Meeting Church in Birmingham, to hear Rev Andy Phillips of Upper Chapel Sheffield and Diane Rutter, Lay Assistant at Kingswood, share their ideas about running a thriving congregation. Andy was drawing on his experiences of being an active lay leader at Belper Unitarians. He explained … Read more

1. MU Now: the latest issue of the magazine was a slim one, due to less contributions than usual from congregations and individual members. If you wish for a more substantial magazine, please send your items (either news about your congregation, or on the theme of ‘Awakening’) to Rev Sue Woolley by Friday 8th May … Read more

The Midland Unitarian Association’s Executive Committee met on 7th December. Here are the Key Messages: The Spring Training Day will be on the topic ‘Ideas for running a thriving congregation’, aimed particularly at lay people in congregations without a minister, although others are welcome. For more information, contact Rev Sue Woolley. MUA Annual General Meeting will … Read more

Thirteen Unitarians from all over the District came to Unitarian New Meeting Church in Birmingham, to listen to Christina Smith talk about alternative services. She shared her experiences of leading worship at Derby Unity, and there were many new ideas to consider, such as using rounds rather than hymns, using audio-visual links to add interest, … Read more

Yesterday was the MUA Annual Lunch. Thirty of us assembled at Kingswood to listen to Rev Cliff Reed, author of Unitarian? What’s That? and several collections of prayers and reflections, including Spirit of Time and Place, Sacred Earth, and A Carnival of Lamps, sharing some wonderful new material from his forthcoming book, Sunlit Smoke.  He explained that he had taken his lead … Read more

Social justice / social action officer: The Committee would like to co-opt someone from the District’s congregations, to lead on social justice issues and to act as liaison with Citizens UK. Please e-mail Sue Woolley if you are interested in contributing to the work of the District in this way. Trustee disqualification criteria: Sandy Ellis … Read more

The Charity Commission is introducing a new Declaration of Eligibility for Trustees, which all trustees of registered charities will be required to complete. MUA Treasurer, Mr Sandy Ellis will be circulating a document about this in the near future. From this meeting, grants to the two Unitarian ministerial training colleges will be paid pro rata, … Read more

This year’s Spring Training Day, on 11th May at Unitarian New Meeting in Birmingham, was on the theme ‘Music in Worship. Rev Ant Howe, minister at Kingswood and Ministry Tutor of Unitarian College, led most of it. We started with a general session on music in worship, which included singing several hymns. We were lucky … Read more

Last Wednesday, 8th May, the Warwickshire and Neighbouring Counties Monthly Meeting of Protestant Dissenting Ministers held their annual Asparagus Service and Lunch, at Oat Street Chapel in Evesham. This lunch has been held annually since the beginning of the 19th century. This year, over forty Unitarians from around the District gathered to celebrate its beginnings, … Read more