Children’s Programs Authors

• Rev. Alice Anacheka-Nasemann (co-author, Moral Tales, Faithful Journeys and Beloved Community) is the Associate Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marlborough and Hudson, Massachusetts. She holds a M.Div. degree from Andover Newton Theological School.
• Kate Tweedie Covey (author, Toolbox of Faith), a life-long Unitarian Universalist with a M.Ed. from Tufts University, serves as Director of Religious Education at Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Lafayette, Colorado. She is the author of several independent UU curricula.
• Gabrielle Farrell (co-author, We Give Thanks and Windows and Mirrors) is Director of Religious Education at All Souls Church, Unitarian, in Washington, DC. She has a B.S. in Special Education and a B.A. in Elementary Education.
• Natalie Fenimore (co-author, Windows and Mirrors), a master’s level credentialed religious educator, is a M.Div. student at Wesley Theological Seminary. She serves as Director of Religious Exploration at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, Oakton, Virginia.
• Gail Forsyth-Vail (author, Stories in Faith; co-author, Harvest the Power), a master’s level credentialed religious educator, is the Adult Programs Director in the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. She holds a M.A. from Rivier College. Gail is the 2007 recipient of the Angus MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education.
• Aisha Khadr Hauser (co-author, Wonderful Welcome), an associate level credentialed religious educator, serves the UUA as the Children and Families Program Director in the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. She holds a M.S.W. and previously worked as a family and children’s therapist.
• Dr. Tracey L. Hurd (Nurturing Children and Youth: A Developmental Guide) is a developmental psychologist, writer, and teacher who holds a Ph.D. from Boston College. Tracey previously served the UUA as a member of the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. She is a member of First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts.
• Rev. Christopher Holton Jablonski (co-author, Miracles), a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry, serves the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, California as Minister of Religious Education.
• Rev. Lynn Kerr (contributor to Principled Commitment; co-author, Beloved Community) is the half-time Minister of Lifespan Religious Education at First Unitarian of Toledo, Ohio and the part-time Consulting Minister for First Universalist Church of Lyons, Ohio. She holds a M.Div. from Starr King School for the Ministry.
• Rick Kimball (author, Amazing Grace and Riddle and Mystery; co-author, Gather the Spirit) holds a M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is the author of Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Adults, The New You The Creator and other programs, many co-written with his partner, Tirrell. He is an active member of the Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church of Portland, Maine.
• Susan Dana Lawrence (co-author, Wonderful Welcome) is a writer, editor, media producer, and educator who currently serves the UUA as Managing Editor in the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. A member of the First Parish Malden (Massachusetts), Universalist, she holds a M.A.T. from Tufts University.
• Christy Olson (co-author, Creating Home; co-author, Beloved Community) is a professional curriculum writer, religious educator and an adjunct faculty member at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She holds a M.A. in Theology from the College of St. Catherine.
• Nick Page (author, Making Music Live) holds a M.Ed. from Lesley College. He has published more than 50 choral works and is the author of three books for teachers. He conducts the Mystic Chorale of Boston and leads workshops throughout the U.S. and Europe.
• Elisa Davy Pearmain (co-author, Moral Tales; story consultant) is an author, professional storyteller and adjunct faculty member at Lesley University where she earned a M.Ed. Her books include Doorways to the Soul: Fifty-two Wisdom Tales from Around the World, and Once Upon a Caring Classroom: Storytelling for Character Education and Bullying Prevention in the K-8 Classroom.
• Dr. Nita Penfold (author, Spirituality and the Arts in Children's Programming), a published poet and exhibiting artist, teaches spirituality and arts as adjunct faculty at Andover Newton Theological School. She earned her D.Min. from the University of Creation Spirituality.
• Dr. Christine Théberge Rafal (co-author, Gather the Spirit) earned an Ed.D. at Harvard University. She is a freelance author, research consultant, and teacher of journalism and creative writing. She is a member of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Massachusetts.
• Michelle Richards (co-author, Beloved Community), a Credentialed religious educator now serving the Central Midwest District as a small church and RE program consultant, is the author of Come Into the Circle: Worshiping with Children (Skinner House Books) and the middle school program, Compass Points.
• Dr. Miriam Smith, (co-author, Miracles) is a published author, researcher, educational consultant and musician whose recent projects include teacher trainings and web-based curriculum development for children and families through Education Development Center, Inc. She received her Ed.D. from Clark University.
• Rev. Lynn Ungar (co-author, Faithful Journeys and Beloved Community) holds a M.Div. from Starr King School for the Ministry and a D.Min. in religious education from McCormick Theological Seminary. She serves as minister for lifespan learning for the Church of the Larger Fellowship.
• Dr. Jenice View (co-author, We Give Thanks and Windows and Mirrors) is a lifelong member of All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC. She has a Ph.D from The Union Institute and is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University.
• Jessica York (co-author, Creating Home; author, Sharing the Journey: Small Group Ministry with Youth) currently serves the UUA as Youth Programs Director in the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. She holds a B.A. from Yale College and has done graduate work in fine arts at Tulane University. She is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham (Alabama).

Youth Programs Authors

• Nicole Bowmer (co-author, Heeding the Call) is the Religious Education Assistant at First Unitarian Church in Portland, Oregon. As a writer, editor, and outreach coordinator, her background is in grassroots social justice and environmental projects.
• Beth Dana (co-author, A Place of Wholeness) a lifelong Unitarian Universalist, is a seminarian at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. While working toward her B.A. in Religious Studies and Metropolitan Studies at New York University, she took a two-year leave to work as a UUA Youth Ministry Associate.
• Karen Harris (author, Exploring Our Values through Poetry) holds a M.A. from Boston University and has taught English in public schools for years, currently at School-Within-a-School in Brookline, Massachusetts. She has also taught beginning teachers at Boston University’s School of Education, where she is pursuing a doctoral degree in education.
• Jesse Jaeger (co-author, A Place of Wholeness) served the UUA as Director of Youth Ministries for six years and, before that, served in the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry. He currently is a full-time stay-at-home dad and a part-time Membership and Volunteer Coordinator for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lynn.
• Mary K. Isaacs (author, Building Bridges) is a lifelong UU with a B.A. in drama from the University of Texas, Austin. She is a prejudice awareness trainer, grief group facilitator, and Credentialed religious educator, currently serving as the acting director of religious education at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston (Texas).
• Jennifer McAdoo (co-author, Mission Trip Handbook) is a credentialed religious educator and currently serves First Unitarian Church of Yarmouth (Maine) as the Director of Religious Education. She has led youth and adult mission trips in Guatemala, Romania, Massachusetts, and Maine.
• Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh (author, Coming of Age: A Handbook for Congregations; co-author, Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Young Adults) has served the UUA as Adult Programs Director and currently serves the Winchester (Massachusetts) Unitarian Society as co-minister. She co-authored Sexuality and Our Faith, Grades 10-12. She holds a M.Div. from Harvard University.
• Anne Principe (co-author, Mission Trip Handbook) is a Bachelor's Level credentialed religious education currently serving First Parish in Brookline, Mass. She was recently ordained an interfaith community minister with the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine. Her social justice involvements including many years of border ministry in the El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juarez, Mexico area, relief work in New Orleans, and most recently with teens and adult learners in Lynn, Mass.
• Jill M. Schwendeman (co-author, When Youth Lead) is director of youth programs at White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. She holds a M. Div. from the University of Chicago. Jill has designed award-winning social action programs for youth and adults.
• Jodi Tharan (co-author Heeding the Call) is presently studying for the M.Div. at Starr King School for the Ministry where she will be a Starr King Teaching Fellow in Spring 2011. In 2009 Jodi received the Marjorie Bowens-Wheately Grant from the UUWF. THis grant afforded her the time to be on the Worship Committee at Starr King. She has designed curricula for First Five of California & Seneca Center—agencies that serve immigrants, foster children and strengthen early childhood education. Jodi is an observant Jew and a candidate for UU religious leadership.
• Jessica York (co-author, Creating Home; author, Sharing the Journey: Small Group Ministry with Youth) currently serves the UUA as Youth Programs Director in the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. She holds a B.A. from Yale College and has done graduate work in fine arts at Tulane University. She is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham (Alabama).

Adult Programs Authors

• Dr. Richard Bellingham (co-author, Principled Commitment), a UU lay leader, has more than 25 years of experience working in the areas of ethical leadership, organizational learning, leadership development, team development, and business transformation. He has an Ed.D. from Western Michigan University, and has authored more than 50 publications and training guides.
• Rev. Colin Bossen (co-author, UU Resistance and Transformation), a life-long UU and minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society at Cleveland, Cleveland Springs, Ohio, is co-author of Walking Between the Worlds: A Bridging Curriculum. He is a past editor and contributor to the Journal of Liberal Religion. He earned a M.Div. from Meadville Lombard Theological School.
• Rev. Jackie Clement (co-author, UU History) earned an M.Div. from Andover Newton Theological School. She is minister of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Saugus, Massachusetts. She is author of “Time/Money Balance” in Taking It Home, a resource for families.
• Rev. Alison Cornish (co-author, UU History) serves as minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork in Bridgehampton, New York. A lifelong UU, she earned her M.Div. from Andover Newton Theological School. She also holds degrees in art history and building conservation and has worked in the areas of architecture and building preservation for 20 years.
• Melanie J. Davis (co-author, Principled Commitment) holds an M.Ed. in human sexuality education from Widener University, where she is working toward a doctorate. She is an adjunct professor of human sexuality at Moravian College and an active lay leader at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Somerset Hills, New Jersey.
• Gail Forsyth-Vail (author, Stories in Faith; co-author, Harvest the Power), a master’s level credentialed religious educator, is the Adult Programs Director in the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. She holds a M.A. from Rivier College. Gail is the 2007 recipient of the Angus MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education.
• Julia Hamilton (co-author, UU Resistance and Transformation) is a M.Div. candidate at Harvard University. She holds a B.A. in dramatic arts and is an experienced playwright, actor, and director. She previously served the UUA as Worship Web Coordinator in the Lifespan Faith Development staff group.
• Rev. Barbara Hamilton-Holway (author, Spirit of Life), co-minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley (California), has taught literature and served in the Peace Corps in the Fiji Islands. She is the author of Evensong: An Eight-Week Series of Gatherings; Evensong for Families and Who Will Remember Me? A Daughter’s Memoir of Grief and Recovery. She holds a M.Div. from Starr King School for the Ministry.
• Dr. Stephanie Haymaker (co-author, Principled Commitment) is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Oldwick, New Jersey. She holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Clinical and Health Psychology from the University of Florida.
• Dr. Mark A. Hicks (author, Building the World We Dream About) is the Angus MacLean Professor of Religious Education at Meadville Lombard and Associate Professor of Educational Transformation at George Mason University. He holds a Ph.D. in education from Columbia University and is a lay leader at All Souls, Unitarian in Washington, DC.
• Rev. Craig Hirshberg (co-author, Principled Commitment) is a community minister in private practice, specializing in teaching spiritual and contemplative practices and facilitating spiritual formation retreats. She holds a M.Div. from Drew Theological School.
• Rev. Jonalu Johnstone (author, New UU) serves as Program Minister of the First Unitarian Church, Oklahoma City. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, she was ordained in 1993 by the UU Fellowship of Greater Cumberland (Maryland) and has contributed leadership to Interweave Continental, the UUMA Committee on Ethics and Collegiality, and the Southwestern UU Conference.
• Mandy L. Keithan (Sexuality and Our Faith: A Companion to Our Whole Lives for Young Adults) is a religious educator who most recently served the Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring (Maryland). She has an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree from Goddard College with a focus on sexuality, education, and anti-oppression and is an Our Whole Lives trainer and teacher.
• Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh (author, Coming of Age: A Handbook for Congregations; co-author, Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Young Adults) has served the UUA as Adult Programs Director and currently serves the Winchester (Massachusetts) Unitarian Society as co-minister. She co-authored Sexuality and Our Faith, Grades 10-12. She holds an M.Div. from Harvard University.
• Laura Anne Stuart, M.P.H. (co-author, Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Young Adults) frequently leads workshops at colleges on issues of sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity. She received her Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan.
• Rev. Dr. Thandeka (author, UU Theology) is author of many works, including Learning to be White: Money, Race and God in America. Before receiving her Ph.D. in philosophy of religion and theology from Claremont University, she was an Emmy award-winning television producer. She is working on a new book, Affect Theology: Returning Rational Theology to its Senses.
• Rev. Dr. Michael J. Tino (co-author, Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Young Adults), minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester serving Mount Kisco/Bedford, New York, previously served the UUA as Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry. A graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School and the author of Finding Your Path, he holds a Ph.D. in cell biology from Duke University.
• Rev. Dr. Matt Tittle (co-author, Harvest the Power), a retired naval officer, serves as the minister of the Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston. He holds a M.Div. from Meadville Lombard Theological School and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Illinois.
• Gail Tittle, M.S.W. (co-author, Harvest the Power) works as Manager for Curriculum Development for Texas social services at the University of Houston. She holds a M.S.W. from the University of Illinois and served 14 years in the Air Force.
• Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom (author, Spirit in Practice) is the UUA’s Director of Worship and Music in the Ministry and Professional Development staff group. He has a M.Div. from Harvard University and is the author of Teacher, Guide, Companion: Rediscovering Jesus in a Secular World and Simply Pray: A Modern Spiritual Practice to Deepen Your Life.

Consultants to Tapestry of Faith Programs

• Melodie Feather (music consultant) is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Musicians’ Network, who also holds a DDS from Marquette University School of Dentistry. She currently serves as Acting Director of Music at the Washington Ethical Society in Washington, D.C.. She is the editor of Come Sing a Song with Me: A Songbook for All Ages.
• Janeen Grohsmeyer (story-writing consultant) is a professional storyteller and the author of A Lamp in Every Corner: Our Unitarian Universalist Storybook. She is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Southern Maryland and has been a religious education teacher for many years. She holds degrees in physics, mathematics and engineering.
• Rev. Lynn Kerr (contributor to Principled Commitment) is the half-time Minister of Lifespan Religious Education at First Unitarian of Toledo, Ohio and the part-time Consulting Minister for First Universalist Church of Lyons, Ohio. She holds a M.Div. from Starr King School for the Ministry.
• Polly Peterson (story-writing consultant; author, Stirring the Nation’s Heart: Stories of 19th Century Unitarian and Universalist Transcendentalists and Reformers) has been a member of First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts, for two decades. She works as a writer and editor of educational materials and has Master’s degrees in elementary teaching from Beloit College, child development from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and library and information science from Simmons College.
• Rev. Kimi Riegel (contributor to Families) holds a M.Div. from Meadville Lombard Theological School and a M.A in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago. A life long UU, she is currently the minister of the Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield, Michigan.
• Elizabeth Schroeder, Ed.D., M.S.W. (Implementation Manual for Trainers, Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Young Adults) is a trainer, consultant and author in the area of sexuality education. She is the executive director of Answers at Rutgers University, a program dedicated to providing and promoting comprehensive sexuality education.
• Dr. Joanne Szamreta (children’s integration consultant) is Professor of Education at Lesley University, where she teaches courses in early childhood bilingual education, children with special needs, psychology, and early intervention.