LIGHT Spring 2023 Programs

Registration opens Wednesday, February 1, 2023, and closes Friday, February 24, 2023. 

Please check back on February 1 to register. 

Digital Privacy and Security

John Leeker, Instructor
Meets Mondays, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Central
March 6, 13, 20, 27
Online
Cost: $275

This one-month course will introduce basic digital privacy and security best practices to counter challenges and threats commonly faced by religious leaders, activists, and organizers. While no prior experience is required for this course, you will need to be prepared to use it for a variety of technology on your personal computer and your smartphone. In many ways, one of the primary texts of this course is your own technology usage and practices. Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to explore how you use technology, what risks your usage poses, and how to reduce your exposure. Each session will consist of a two-hour Zoom workshop followed by a small amount of reading, discussions via Populi, and working through a section of provided digital workbook.

Workshop 1: Threat Modeling
Workshop 2: Passwords, Phones, and Computers
Workshop 3: Communication and Social Media
Workshop 4: Surveillance, Activism, and Public Life

Practicing Post-Imperial Ministry

Rev. Tandi Rogers, Instructor
Meets Wednesdays, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Central
March 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5, 12
Online
Cost: $275

This 6-week exploration picks up from the fall conference, Post-Imperial Futures. We will:

• More deeply understand what Imperialism is, how we got here and what it has to do with Unitarian Universalism.
• Understand where Imperialism shows up in your current ministerial context and find solutions toward dismantling and rebuilding for Post-Imperial Futures.
• Develop a community of praxis and accountability steeped in spiritual practices to sustain us in the work. 

This course is open to both clergy and lay, leader and curious. Articles, short videos, and reflection questions will be suggested weekly as preparation for our time together.

Beloved Conversations Within

Spring Term 2023

March 13 – May 29, 2023
Online
Cost: sliding scale of $250, $300, $350; scholarships available
Registration: February 1 – 28, 2023

Within, the first phase of our program Beloved Conversations, focuses on the internal work that each of us needs to do as we engage in deeper personal understanding, explorations of race and racism, extracting our souls and spirits from white supremacy culture, and work for racial justice. This work is different for white folks and for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC+) and is done entirely in different courses: Gathering Our Selves for BIPOC+ and Un/Learning for Liberation for white people.

The Within program includes individual Lessons, using videos, music, and readings, accompanied by personal reflection prompts and suggested conversations with a Critical Friend chosen by the participant; bi-weekly small group conversations in a Learning Pod; and larger, monthly, facilitated Meaning Making Sessions on Zoom.    

There are two separate terms of the Within program—Fall and Spring—which contain different content. Participants can sign up for one or both and may begin in Spring or Fall.

Grief Following Trauma

Rev. Julie Taylor, Instructor
April 13 – 14, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Central
Online
Cost: $275 

This two-day online workshop is designed for anyone who works with people experiencing grief and loss following a traumatic event. In the course of one’s career, it is increasingly common to encounter traumatic death and loss. Professionals often feel ill-prepared to provide effective care throughout the grief process. The ongoing nature of the pandemic(s) over the past several years has brought new layers in the need for care. This course will cover key grief and loss concepts as well as resources relating to trauma. Participants will increase their knowledge of how trauma impacts the grief process and will gain skills for evaluating and supporting persons who have experienced loss connected to trauma.

Discussed topics include:

• Characteristics of trauma
• Clinical implications of grief
• Primary needs of victims
• What helps and what hurts
• Types of traumatic events
• Traumatic grief and grief reactions
• Death notification
• Supporting grieving people
• Personal self-care plan

This workshop will be registered with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc., and is open to religious professionals as well as other professionals seeking related continuing education.