Registration is at 8:30 (with breakfast!).  Keynote starts with worship at 8:55.  Workshops after lunch!

Teaching 101 — Rev. Dan Harper – Let’s go over the basics of teaching Sunday school — how to have a great opening, how to keep the children or teens engaged & excited by the content, how to do an effective closing that will make them want to return. We’ll also introduce one model for Sunday school. Whether you’re brand new at teaching Sunday school, or an old hand, it never hurts to go over the basics! Come join a 24-year veteran of Sunday school teaching for a relentlessly useful workshop, guaranteed to give you at least one tip or technique that you can use next time you teach. Presenter: Rev. Dan Harper, Assoc. Minister of RE, UU Church of Palo Alto.

Pacific Western Region Youth Ministry Highlights — JeKaren Olaoya – Join us as we share all of the cool things happening in youth ministry across the country, in our region, and with our district. Learn more about the importance of youth ministry, goals for the future and have a little fun with activities you can take back to your youth! JeKaren Olaoya is the PCD-Youth Events Coordinator representing Eric Bliss, Youth Ministry Specialist for the Pacific Western Region of the UUA.

Family Ministry Roundtable — Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh and Rev. Sheri Prud’homme – Come learn and share some of the creative ways congregations have created children/family ministries that look different than traditional programming. Come share your ideas, dreams, fears, & questions. Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh is the Lifespan Faith Formation Specialist on the PWR’s Congregational Life Staff & has been consulting with congregations in family ministry transitions. Rev. Dr. Sheri Prud’homme is Assistant Professor of Religion and Education at Starr King School for the Ministry and Associate Minister for Faith Development at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland where they have had worship-centered children & family ministry for 7 years.

Sustainable Small Group Ministry for Adults and Youth – Bob Miess – More than discussion groups, different from classes, more focused and intentional than social activities, Small Group Ministry can transform people’s lives and the ways they communicate with one another. Join the leader of the team that researched many models and created the Small Group Ministry at the First Unitarian Church in San Jose to learn about several different models and strategies to support groups that engage adults and youth in spiritual growth and development of rich connections with one another. Presenter: Bob Miess, Children & Youth Coordinator, UU Church in Livermore.

The Intersection of White Supremacy Culture and “The Death of Sunday School” — Kim Sweeney – It is commonly held that change work in congregations is long and slow and often challenging. It is also no secret that white supremacy culture is deeply embedded in the processes, practices, and decision-making norms of our congregations. Could our resistance to change actually be a manifestation of white supremacy culture? Might our inertia towards shifting our models of Sunday School be linked to long ingrained patterns of white supremacy culture?

Positive Discipline – Alisha Mancinas – Alisha Mancinas is a certified positive discipline parent educator with 7+ years teaching in Spirit School classrooms at the UU Church of Fresno. Positive Discipline is a non-punitive research-based approach to effective discipline that teaches. We’ll discuss basic science of the brain & do an activity linking challenging behaviors with opportunities for children to learn life skills & ways to problem solve together to build the trust & connection we all need to be successful.

Youth Advisors Roundtable – with Derby Davidson.  Join Youth Advisors from different congregations to share about what’s working well in your programs and get ideas to improve the areas that aren’t going as well. Bring your triumphs and questions and spend time in a focus session aimed at sending you away with fresh ideas to add life to your youth programming.  Leader:  Derby Davidson brings years of work leading youth programs and supporting youth-group advisors. He is President of our PCD-LREDA Chapter and Director of Religious Education, UU Fellowship of Redwood City.

Safe Congregation updates – Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh – Come hear about the latest updates, templates, and suggestions from the UUA to ensure that your congregation’s Safe Congregations policies are providing the highest level to protect your congregants, staff, and the congregation as a whole

Whole Congregation Family Ministry — Kim Sweeney – In this workshop, we will delve into the challenges facing today’s families and consider ways our congregations might serve as an antidote. Participants will explore ways in which older adults, parents, non-parents and staff can engage in faith formation practices with children in a beneficial way for all.

Service trips that spark congregations — Kristin Famula, Acting Director of Lifespan RE, UU Fellowship of Northern Nevada – Have you considered organizing a service/learning journey for youth in your congregation? Interested in leading a multigenerational social justice trip? Come explore how you can create a successful, exciting, immersion-learning opportunity at your congregation! UU lifespan religious educator Kristin Famula has organized and led over a dozen learning journeys and several for youth through the UU College of Social Justice and the Living Legacy Pilgrimage. Join us for an interactive workshop and bring your questions and ideas!

Leading music in RE class — Julie Rinard – Making music together brings memorable times of joy, depth & unity for any group. You don’t need to be a music professional to bring music into an RE room, just confidence, a few tools & hints. Come enjoy learning and sharing them. Julie Rinard is a music teacher for kids & youth in Sacramento. She was the director of Progressions at San Jose Jazz, an intensive program to help at-risk youth identify, cultivate and celebrate their gifts through music.