Since launching Beacon Press Audio late last year, Beacon Press has expanded their audiobooks collection to include a broad range of voices. In The Third Reconstruction, listen to the story of how Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II helped start the Moral Mondays movement. Haroon Moghul’s struggle to forge an American Muslim identity is brought to life in the audio edition of How to Be a Muslim. Dr. Danielle Ofri’s latest book, What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear, reveals the importance of doctor-patient communication. As Beacon Press director and audiophile Helene Atwan explains, “The great tradition of writing can be traced to an oral tradition of storytelling.” Whether you’re headed to work, traveling long distance for vacation, or preparing dinner, audiobooks are a fabulous way of consuming the written word. Check out more audiobooks on the Beacon Press website.

Finding places to be seen and heard is an important step on the quest for meaning. Whether your congregation has many small group options or none, you can add an online small group experience to connect even deeper with Unitarian Universalism. The Church of the Larger Fellowship has members all over the planet.  Come learn together about what Unitarian Universalism looks like in other places. You might make a friend in another town, state, or country. The facilitated online groups meet twice a month to discuss a theme and connect with one another over a four-month period. Fall groups sign up in late August and September with meetings occurring October through January. If you are interested in joining one of these groups, contact Kevin Jagoe at kjagoe@clfuu.org to learn more.

As the summer wraps up, do you have new young adults from your congregation who are moving away for a job or college? Is your congregation planning to do outreach on a college campus or to young adults this fall? Be sure to check out the HubMap! You can register a group or register as an individual seeking a group or doing outreach. See outdated or incomplete information on the map? Email UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Associate Annie Gonzalez Milliken at agonzalez@uua.org to let her know.

The UUA and its Our Whole Lives (OWL) partners, the United Church of Christ, have produced a one-hour webinar to introduce new material and approaches in the Second Edition of OWL for Grades 4-6, now available from inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop. Facilitators who lead elementary-age OWL programs are urged to access the recorded webinar. The new edition’s ten workshops help children gain knowledge, life principles, and skills to understand and express their sexuality in holistic, life-enhancing ways. This comprehensive, developmentally appropriate program for children ages nine through twelve introduces the topics of values, gender and sexual identity, peer pressure, and healthy relationships with sensitivity and inclusiveness. New topics in the 2017 edition include body image, social media/Internet, and consent. The update also provides a deeper exploration of gender identity and roles. Learn more about the OWL program on our website.

New for the summer hiring season, the UUA Office of Church Staff Finances has created a Welcoming and Onboarding Checklist. This resource is designed to help you prepare for and welcome new staff and ensure that you attend to necessary forms and benefits enrollment steps. Because this is a new resource, we’re considering it “in beta.” That means we’re eager for you to use it and to suggest improvements. The Excel spreadsheet version of the Checklist (for customizing), a PDF version (for easy printing), and a feedback survey  can all be found on our Staffing Practices page, which includes slides from our recent General Assembly workshops. Check out these resources and more on the UUA website.