The Guild of Interim Religious Education (GIRE) Consultants provide unique leadership for congregations in the midst of religious education transitions. The unique talents and flexibility of each consultant means that there is someone who will be able to meet your religious education transition goals.
Sandra has more than 20 years of experience with Unitarian Universalist communities, transitional lifespan religious education, Our Whole Lives, Conflict and Staffing Start-ups.
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Bailey Whiteman has extensive experience working in Unitarian Universalist music and choral settings and is well known for her ability to facilitate congregational music program and staffing transitions
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Andrea Perry Lerner has extensive experience working in religious education, and is well-known for her use of social networking to promote Unitarian Universalism.
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With a desire of building community, De Anna shares guidance through all the various aspects of transitional leadership within programs for lifespan faith formation.
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Deborah offers more than three decades of experience working with congregations and their leaders, and has worked with many Unitarian Universalist congregations.
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Lily is an experienced interim religious educator and has served numerous Unitarian Universalist congregations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Ohio.
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Michele is a 30+ year religious educator with 15 years of experience with the United Methodist church and 18 years of experience with the Unitarian Universalists.
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Pete is a life-long Unitarian Universalist. Since 1986, he has been a member of Accotink UU Church in Burke, VA, and has served in RE-related positions with the congregation.
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In my last blog, I outlined the historical and somewhat current application of family systems in the church setting. This application has served us well and has continued to center patriarchal white voices. Yet, there are so many others from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. These voices are emerging, shifting, and creative. Margaret Wheatly, an organization and leadership consultant, researcher and writer looks at organizational systems through the eyes of nature and science. Her understanding of these systems brings a new lens to understanding how the people who make up congregations interact with… Read More
Interim ministers and religious educators are transitional specialists who commonly work with a congregation for a short period of time as the congregation navigates the complicated network of transition between clergy and professional lay leadership. Interim ministry is built on the common understanding that church communities are complicated systems of people with different ideas, thoughts, and emotions. It may seem like the departure of one religious leader and the entrance of another should be a simple process; but the multiple layers of human experience and emotion response make this process more complicated. … Read More