Nonbinary Parents Day is celebrated the third Sunday of April. In anticipation, we share with you a blessing from Side with Love to affirm and celebrate all nonbinary parents and caregivers.

May you feel cherished and cared for today and every day.









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General Assembly 2024 is coming in June! Is your congregation or community ready to take part in our largest annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists from across the country and around the world?

New updates and opportunities are emerging each week as we get closer to June - stay up-to-date by following UUA General Assembly & Conference Services and register to get exclusive access to content and participate in the democratic process that determines the future of our faith tradition.

Today, we're sharing a call for choirs to contribute to Sunday Morning Worship at GA. Sign up your choir through this Google form: https://bit.ly/4cYEoh7. We also share some answers to frequently asked questions for delegates. More delegate information is available online at UUA.org/GA/Congregations.

Register here to join us at GA 2024: UUA.org/GA/Registration.

#UU #UUAGA #UnitarianUniversalism #Gather #Governance #Worship





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Joseph M. Cherry

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In states like Texas, where UUs have been fighting off reactionary bills and actions by the legislature and governor that attack the humanity of LGBTQIA+ people and undermine voting rights, support from partners like #UUTheVote can be "life-giving," affirms the Rev. Erin Walter, a community minister affiliated with Wildflower Church: A Unitarian Universalist Congregation - Austin, TX.

As the UUA's nonpartisan initiative matures beyond election-year voter mobilization, learn how your congregation or community can connect with UU the Vote to defend democracy and support UU justice priorities year-round.

https://bit.ly/3U3VhOK

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #VotingRights #Democracy #Elections



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Christine Slocum

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Christine Slocum

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The Church of the Larger Fellowship’s weekly live video podcast, The VUU, recently featured the discussion, “Caring for Our Trans and Non-Binary Beloveds.” Guest speakers bringing a broad range of experience and insight included Adrian Ballou, the UUA’s LGBTQ and Gender Justice Programs Coordinator (starting at 14:07).

Guests on #TheVUU are scholars, writers, activists, and religious thought-leaders who are shaping Unitarian Universalism and our wider world. Check out this episode and explore others! https://bit.ly/3UkeHAk

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #Podcasts #LGBTQIA #TransLivesMatter



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Jeff Milchen

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Jeff Milchen

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In planning end-of-life decisions, many Unitarian Universalists are embracing the moral and spiritual value of environmentally sustainable funeral practices that avoid the negative impacts associated with some funeral industry methods.

“When you think about caring for the earth, there is value in approaching and treating life and death as part of a whole process, a normal thing,” said UU Rev. Duane Fickeisen, member of First Unitarian Church in Portland, whose wife chose a green burial.

In this story from #UUWorld, Elaine McCardle reports on the evolution of eco-friendly funerals and their increasing popularity among UUs and beyond. https://bit.ly/3UeGB0t

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #EarthDay #ClimateJustice


As the climate crisis grows more serious, the moral and even spiritual value of a green burial appeals to many people.

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Being a leader can be difficult even in the best of times. For many of us, it feels like we are living on the edge of what has been and what might be. As Unitarian Universalists - people of covenant not creed - what we do and how we do it makes all the difference.

Are you striving to foster open dialogue within your congregation? Are you seeking support and insights from fellow leaders? Join a 90 minute Zoom conversation for a collaborative space to share experiences, exchange tools, and gain valuable support. Upcoming meetings with be held on Monday April 15, May 20, and June 3. Learn more about registration and times here: https://bit.ly/3Q0V8e1.

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #ChurchLife


Join us for a series of empowering conversations tailored for congregational leaders: "How to Have Difficult Conversations."

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Elaine McArdle

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Eid Mubarak! We send our love, care, and blessings to all Muslims within Unitarian Universalism and beyond who are celebrating the breaking of the fast in this holy time.

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #Holidays #Islam #EidAlFitr



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What will it take for diverse leadership within Unitarian Universalism to truly thrive and contribute to a radiant and inclusive future? In Seeds of a New Way, editors Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Nancy McDonald Ladd and contributors explore how to foster and nourish diverse and authentic leadership within congregations.

Get your copy today at shopinspirit.org and join the conversation at Justice and Spirit: The UU Book Club on Goodreads at bit.ly/1QcwuNW.


The Justice and Spirit Goodreads Book Club group read this month is Seeds of a New Way: Nurturing Authentic and Diverse Religious Leadership, edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Nancy McDonald Ladd.

What will it take for diverse leadership within Unitarian Universalism to truly thrive and contribute to a radiant and inclusive future? In Seeds of a New Way, editors Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Nancy McDonald Ladd and contributors explore how to foster and nourish diverse and authentic leadership within congregations.

Building on the foundations of the groundbreaking Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry, this collection offers a glimpse into the forming edge of the shared journey happening right now to make diverse leadership, both lay and ordained, more survivable and vibrant. Rather than presenting one definitive pathway or roadmap, Seeds of a New Way recognizes that the specific context and relationships within any given setting will shape the journey and so brings together a diverse array of perspectives, experiences, and strategies to illustrate a range of considerations and possibilities.

As congregations strive to live into the potential and joy of Beloved Community, these essays will inspire them to seed and nourish a new way.

Available wherever books are sold and from inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop at shopinspirit.org.

You can join Justice and Spirit: The UU Book Club on Goodreads here: bit.ly/1QcwuNW.

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Our Sunday read from #UUWorld explores the lifesaving work of the Pink Haven Coalition. An impact of the anti-trans laws being proposed and passed in many states across the U.S. is that many Transgender people must relocate for their own safety or to access gender affirming medical care.

Unitarian Universalists and other progressive faith groups and partners have joined frontline organizers to create Pink Haven Coalition – a network providing direct assistance to people needing to relocate. As the Rev. Jami Yandle, the UUA’s Transgender Support Specialist affirms:

"Helping our trans community survive is not only a spiritual practice but is also a moral and spiritual obligation."

https://bit.ly/3VQd9PU

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #LGBTQIA #MutualAid


Progressive faith groups are partnering with frontline organizers to offer gender-expansive people resources that can help with making a move, either permanent or temporary.

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Beth Casebolt

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UUA Regional Assemblies offer Unitarian Universalists the opportunity to make connections beyond their congregation and together, explore the issues and join in the planning that shapes the future of this faith. The Pacific Western and MidAmerica Regional Assembly will be held April 19-20 remotely via Zoom or in person in Denver, CO or Madison, WI.

Events kick off on Friday with an address by UUA President the Rev. Sofía Betancourt, PhD and the Rev. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. On Saturday, you can choose from multiple concurrent workshops that will help spark ideas, develop skills, and build connections.

Learn more and register today! https://bit.ly/4aCy7GB


A multi-day conference centered on connecting across individuals, congregations, and regions. Friday, April 19 - Saturday, April 20th....

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Congregational Life

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Unitarian Universalist Association of Membership Professionals

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Fin Leary

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Celebrate #EarthDay with Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth! To align more closely with Earth-based philosophies, the gathering will be held on the evening of the full moon on April 23, at 4pm PT / 7pm ET. Advance registration is greatly appreciated.

https://bit.ly/3Qcek8L

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism



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As the 2024 #UUtheVote campaign ramps up, Unitarian Universalists, UU congregations and communities may have questions about what activities faith organizations can engage in without violating IRS rules for nonprofits.

This 2022 Side with Love webinar succinctly answers many of the common questions regarding voter registration and education, partisan vs. issue advocacy, lobbying and more. Join the UU The Vote group on Facebook and bring your questions, your hopes and goals to share with others involved in the work; we can all do something to support democracy and voting rights.

https://bit.ly/4aE0kwg

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #VotingRights #Democracy


July 2022: As part of a monthly training series on organizing skills, Side With Love offered this training for Action Center Volunteer Squad members and individuals…

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As we mark #TransDayofVisibility today, we share and echo the words of Adrian Ballou, UUA LGBTQIA+ and Gender Justice Programs Coordinator:

These are heartbreaking times. Many of our hearts and bodyminds are full of the physical and spiritual impacts of living through these difficult days. Please know that, here at UPLIFT and across our Unitarian Universalist Association, you are loved. You are cared for. We will love, support, and protect you, and we won’t give up on building what we all need to survive and thrive, and in acting and speaking out for the world we need.

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #TDOV #TransLivesAreDivine



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Happy #Easter! Sharing a message from the Braver/Wiser archives by the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon that includes, in part:

“Could Jesus really rise again? Could it really be that the violence of empire and the pain of loss would be denied the final word? In that ancient telling, we don’t get an answer. There is no resolution. There is no certainty. There is only a seed of complicated hope and the persistence of human love to help it grow.

What strikes me about the ancient text is that is was not only Jesus who rose up that morning. It was also the women who loved him, who rose up from the pit of their grief to tend to him. It was also the movement that his teaching sparked: a community who rose up to spread his message of power in weakness and the victory of love.

Is new life possible? Is love stronger, even, than death? The question itself invites us to rise up, and to live as though it were true—to make it true in our living.”

Read more in UU WorshipWeb https://bit.ly/3KZV4qp

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #Holidays



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Central East Region of the UUA

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Trans Day of Visibility is an opportunity to celebrate Trans and Nonbinary people. As Unitarian Universalists, we recognize with gratitude the achievements of Trans people, celebrate Trans lives, and join together to take action in the struggle for liberation.

Join TRUUsT Executive Director the Rev. Julián Jamaica Soto for a special online gathering to celebrate all Trans and Nonbinary people following #TransDayOfVisibility. All are welcome on Tuesday, April 2nd at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. Register today! https://bit.ly/3vrT7jT

#UU #UnitarianUniversalism #TransLivesAreDivine #TDOV



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From our friends at Beacon Press: a reading list for #WomensHistoryMonth that focuses on empowerment, because empowered women empower women through history and today.


By Christian Coleman | Sometimes it happens by trailblazing a path in a testosterone-choked arena. Sometimes it happens through organizing to demand the end of bias and discrimination from our lives and institutions. Sometimes it happens in the quiet of her personal life. And, of course, it happens....

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Sending our appreciation out to the five Unitarian Universalist churches in Massachusetts that are serving as drop-off sites for donations of clothing and equipment for unhoused families, including migrant families, and pregnant people staying in temporary emergency shelters, including the one in our headquarters building in Boston.

Learn more from #UUWorld about how you can support these families in need in the region. https://bit.ly/3TT5Wfp


The temporary space, which opened in early March, is expected to accommodate eighty people nightly when at full capacity.

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From UUA President, the Rev. Sofía Betancourt, PhD: As Holy Week in Western Christianity begins, many of us as Unitarian Universalists are eagerly awaiting the Easter holiday, with its celebrations of life, spring, flowers, and possibility. It can be appealing to move past the fears and challenges that shape so much of our daily living and focus on comforting seasonal rituals.

Ethicist Dr. Miguel de la Torre urges us to resist moving quickly from Good Friday to Easter Sunday without spending any time on the important day in between, when Jesus has died in the Easter story, and the community is sitting with its grief and loss. No matter what beliefs, struggles, comfort, joy, or teachings we associate with Jesus – can we imagine what it would be like to have a primary source of hope, faith, and community strength in our lives stripped away?

Dr. de la Torre says that this hopelessness, this facing honestly into the injustices of the world, is like sitting in the dust of the road on Holy Saturday, not knowing that Easter is coming. And that staying in that grimy place, with all who feel despair in their living, is what true solidarity looks like in today’s world.

Changing our culture to one of sharing and solidarity is work that remains greater than any one religious tradition. In this Holy Week, may we seek moments of love and justice without demanding a comforting container to hold our attention. May we grow in our willingness to answer the call to join those who have long done the work of justice in the lonely dust of the road.

#UU #Easter #HolyWeek #Holidays


As Holy Week in Western Christianity begins, many of us as Unitarian Universalists are eagerly awaiting the Easter holiday, with its celebrations of life, spring, flowers, and possibility. It can be appealing to move past the fears and challenges that shape so much of our daily living and focus on comforting seasonal rituals.

Ethicist Dr. Miguel de la Torre urges us to resist moving quickly from Good Friday to Easter Sunday without spending any time on the important day in between, when Jesus has died in the Easter story, and the community is sitting with its grief and loss. No matter what beliefs, struggles, comfort, joy, or teachings we associate with Jesus – can we imagine what it would be like to have a primary source of hope, faith, and community strength in our lives stripped away?

Dr. de la Torre says that this hopelessness, this facing honestly into the injustices of the world, is like sitting in the dust of the road on Holy Saturday, not knowing that Easter is coming. And that staying in that grimy place, with all who feel despair in their living, is what true solidarity looks like in today’s world.

Changing our culture to one of sharing and solidarity is work that remains greater than any one religious tradition. In this Holy Week, may we seek moments of love and justice without demanding a comforting container to hold our attention. May we grow in our willingness to answer the call to join those who have long done the work of justice in the lonely dust of the road.

#UU #Easter #HolyWeek #Holidays

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Central East Region of the UUA

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This afternoon, we offer a moment of reflection from the #UUWorld archives, where an accidental photo, nearly deleted from a person's phone, conveys a much-needed message from the Earth. Enjoy. https://bit.ly/3TxgSie

#UU #Photography #SpringEquinox #EarthDay


This quite perfect accidental photo.

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On #WorldWaterDay, we are invited to pause in our busy lives and acknowledge the reality that a resource many of us take for granted -- access to clean drinking water -- is not available to millions of people in the United States, Canada, and across the globe.

The People's Water Board Coalition was formed in 2009 in response to a crisis of water access and affordability in the #Detroit area. The group continues to grow in its mission to advocate for the human rights to water and sanitation and equitable access and affordability for impacted communities. Check out their #WaterWednesday podcast and find ways your congregation or community can get involved: https://bit.ly/43Bl4m0.



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Sharing this new story about our temporary overnight shelter with appreciation for the timely and accurate coverage from RNS Religion News Service. As our Executive Vice President Carey McDonald shares in the story, "...the journey to opening the shelter was 'very countercultural to the norms of commercial real estate,' and had everything to do with the UUA’s values."


(RNS) — Amid an urgent need to shelter Massachusetts' growing migrant population, the UUA opened a vacant floor of its South Boston headquarters.

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Elaine McArdle

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March is #WomensHistoryMonth, a time to reflect on the incredible and sometimes overlooked contributions women have made throughout history. Many Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist women have not only shaped and led the UU faith, but they’ve also left an undeniable impact on history in general.

Learn more about this amazing women in our story collection online: https://bit.ly/4ajB8L9

PC: UUA



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Quinn Gormley

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Quinn Gormley

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In her visits with congregations, UUA President the Rev. Sofía Betancourt, PhD has come across some wonderful learning tools for exploring revisions to Article II developed by religious educators, like this board created by Lauren Daniell at Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church in TX and Sara Phinney Kelley's adorable Joseph L. Jet Pig from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley in PA.

How is your congregation engaging with the Article II revisions? Are there concepts, tools, or gatherings you've found helpful? We'd love to know about them - feel free to drop them in our comments below.

#A2TheConversation #UU #PrinciplesAndPurposes





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Beth Casebolt

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On this Sunday afternoon, we offer you a reflection by Molly Peacock entitled, “The Flaw” from the Spring 2022 issue of UU World. It includes:

“...The flaw we live by, the wrong color floss,

now wreathes among the uniform strands

and, because it does not match,

makes a red bird fly,

turning blue field into sky.

It is almost, after long silence, a word

spoken aloud, a hand saying through the flaw,

I’m alive, discovered by your eye.”

Read the full reflection online at:


The best thing about a hand-made pattern is the flaw.

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Congregational Life

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Unitarian Universalist Association of Membership Professionals

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World Water Day on March 21 celebrates water and raises awareness that 2.2 billion people worldwide live without access to safe drinking water. The Revs. Dr. Clyde Grubbs and Karen Van Fossan will host an online conversation about this important and sacred day on behalf of Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth. They are defenders and protectors of water; two spiritual leaders in our UU movement who will help build a heart-centered approach to a right relationship with Mother Earth and her waters.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3wOjGQq

Register to attend: https://bit.ly/3x4ttBW

#WorldWaterDay #UU #UUMFE #ClimateJustice #WaterProtectors

PC: UU Ministry for Earth



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Uplifting this powerful story of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, FL’s partnership with their community to erect a memorial plaque recognizing the Black lives lost from lynching in that state.

Caryl Sheffield, chair of the historical marker dedication committee, said that while the unveiling of the marker may seem like a solemn occasion, it was a celebration that honored the six men and countless others who were unjustly killed.

“Given the climate of assault on the lives, culture and history of African-Americans in the state of Florida, this is a momentous occasion, a serious yet joyous and uplifting occasion, an opportunity for all of us to show that we care about the lives of African Americans,” Sheffield said. “This is not a funeral. It is not a memorial service. It is a celebration of survival.”

Read more from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune:


Almost six years in the making, the community remembrance marker sits just off Fruitville Road behind the Universalist Unitarian Church of Sarasota.

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Quinn Gormley

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Quinn Gormley

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On March 1, we announced our coordinated effort to provide temporary emergency housing and support to approximately 25 families with children who have an immediate need for shelter in Boston. We are grateful for the opportunity to live our values through sharing space in our headquarters building.

If you would like to donate, we are in immediate need of the following items:

Diapers (disposable, multiple sizes)
Baby wipes
Baby bottles (new)
Baby gear (gently used is ok, sizes 0-3):
Clothing, including warm clothing
High chairs

Find more information online on dropping off donations and other ways you can get involved. https://bit.ly/48KVJqE

#UU #UnitarianUniversalist #SeaportBoston



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Sending love and blessings to all who are observing the holy month of #Ramadan. We remain in a terrifying time for our fragile world. May we continue to hold in love and care all those who are in harm’s way, as well as their families and loved ones.

We offer an excerpt of a Ramadan poem by Summer Albayati from the UUA’s Worship Web collection of resources.

https://bit.ly/3IRPlDD



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Alia Shinbrough

:

The UU Addictions Ministry is seeking proposals to create a worship service template and a small group ministry curriculum focused on addiction and recovery.

Proposals must be inclusive of all definitions and paths of recovery and encompass recovery from substance and behavioral addictions and their family effects.

Everyone is invited to submit a proposal for one or both.

Interested applicants should contact the UU Addictions and Recovery Ministry team at uuaamt@gmail.com by March 15th with a proposal and resumé. Priority will be given to those with lived experience of addiction.

#Recovery #UUA #Addiction



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In honor of International Women's Day, we hold every body in liberating love and celebrate the diversity that makes up our humanity. As UUs, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of each person as we fight for gender justice and collective liberation.

Today and every day we celebrate our whole human family. There are many ways you can connect with this work as well. https://bit.ly/3T2lLPU

PC: @‌sideoflove

#LGBTQ #GenderJustice #InternationalWomensDay



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UU World takes a deeper dive into the reasons why the UUA made space available in its #SeaportBoston headquarters building for families arriving in Massachusetts with nowhere to live. Get the full story at https://bit.ly/43a2alH

#UU #UnitarianUniversalist #UUWorld


Amid a shortage of available shelters across Massachusetts, the sixth floor of the UUA's building at 24 Farnsworth Street could serve as a short-term, overnight haven for newcomers in need of aid.

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Are you looking for more impactful ways to articulate our UU values and unequivocally affirm that trans and nonbinary people are beautiful, sacred, and loved?

Check out Side with Love's recordings and resources from Speak Up for Trans Lives: Spokesperson Training to learn how to support trans, gender-queer, and nonbinary people and leverage your voice for justice. The language we use shapes the reality we live in.

Learn More: https://bit.ly/3P01bit

#UUValues

PC: Side with Love



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Jeff Milchen

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Elaine McArdle

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In a world filled with division and challenges, the theme for this year's General Assembly is a powerful reminder of the core principles that unite us as Unitarian Universalists.

"Love Unites, Stories Ignite" celebrates the profound impact of love as a binding force that transcends boundaries and fosters connections within our faith community and beyond. Our faith has always been rooted in the power of storytelling, and this year we'll explore how our stories can ignite change, inspire compassion, and help us build a more just and equitable world.

The 63rd General Assembly will take place virtually Thursday, June 20 through Sunday, June 23, 2024.

Registration for GA is already open. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3wI2fRF.

#UUAGA #UnitarianUniversalist



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Jami Yandle

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Jami Yandle

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There is so much to fight for in 2024. The work before us requires our compassion, consistency, and commitment. Democracy calls on us all to mobilize towards our collective thriving. This year, we will mobilize our friends, our neighbors, our fellow UUs to generate a groundswell of democratic action and leadership towards a thriving future beyond Nov 5 – because we the people are the democracy.

Join UU the Vote on Thursday, March 14 at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT, to ground, connect, and get ready!

It's time to #UUtheVote.

https://bit.ly/48Iq3Cn



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Central East Region of the UUA

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We are honored to support the families and community in #Boston and the surrounding area. We hope other local organizations with empty building space will consider whether their space can be used in this way as well.


"As a religious community headquartered in Boston, we consider it an act of faithful witness to use our facilities to support families in need."

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The UU Addictions Ministry is seeking proposals to create a worship service template and a small group ministry curriculum focused on addiction and recovery.

Proposals must be inclusive of all definitions and paths of recovery and encompass recovery from substance and behavioral addictions and their family effects.

Everyone is invited to submit a proposal for one or both.

Interested applicants should contact the UU Addictions and Recovery Ministry team at uuaamt@gmail.com by March 15th with a proposal and resumé. Priority will be given to those with lived experience of addiction.

#Recovery #UUA #Addiction



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Central East Region Summer Institute

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This Sunday, we offer a story of hope and inspiration from UUs in North Carolina and their state action network, the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina. Through partnership and organizing from a place of care for the health of all people, UUs helped expand Medicaid access in a state not known for its support of such programs.

Get the full story from UU World: https://bit.ly/4cbKCtV



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In a message from Braver/Wiser, the Rev. Bev Spears reflects on her childhood experience of learning history through a lens of white supremacy and asks, “What happens to Black and Indigenous people when the message we’ve received for hundreds of years is: The only worth you have is the worth we afford you; the only dignity you have is the dignity we allow you?”

For Rev. Spears, one answer is, “We spend our lives reclaiming our inherent worth and dignity until a very different history emerges, and a new story unfolds.”

Read Rev. Spear’s post in full here:


From the beginning, the story of Black people in America has been told through the lens of white supremacy.

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Central East Region of the UUA

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Connie Simon

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Connie Simon

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Sharing the information below for any transgender and nonbinary people, friends, family, or allies in need of support and care.

Unitarian Universalism values diversity of sexuality and gender and understands this diversity is a spiritual gift. We create inclusive religious communities and work for LGBTQ justice and equity as a core part of who we are. You are not alone. 🤍

Find helpful guidance and resources at: https://bit.ly/3ST8SrJ



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Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin examines sacred Black "text" in UU tradition, by examining the way our Black ancestors lived.

“You have to seek out the Black folks who were in Unitarian and Universalist or UU congregations, and the work that they were doing in community—whether it was suffrage, or trying to educate Black children, or their working towards social action or civil access. Our 'text' is embodied in the lives of people like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Joseph Jordan, David Eaton, and countless others.”

Read the full reflection: https://bit.ly/3T0VYbo

PC: Igor Alecsander


If you’re seeking sacred Black “text” in our tradition, you have to examine the way our Black ancestors lived.

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Lenore Bajare-Dukes

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On this Sunday afternoon, we offer you this Black History Month reflection: “The Change by Mathew P. Taylor,” from the Spring 2022 issue of UU World.

It includes:

“I can feel the change coming
Like growing pains
I feel the change in my bones
Pulling me
Stretching me
Forming me
Into the true I am
Can you feel it?”

Read the full reflection online at: https://www.uuworld.org/articles/poem-change.


Guided by faith that this too will pass / We can survive this because our ancestors survived

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We are excited to announce that Rev. Molly Housh Gordon, of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, Missouri (UUCC), will lead the Sunday Service at General Assembly 2024.

A lifelong Unitarian Universalist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon is the minister of the UU Church of Columbia, Missouri, where she is currently suing the state of Missouri for their unconstitutional abortion ban alongside 13 other multi-faith clergy co-plaintiffs. Molly is passionate about red-state UU ministry, community organizing, and mutual aid.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to share in worship together virtually and connect with your fellow Unitarian Universalists - register for #UUAGA today! https://bit.ly/3SY7p3A.



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Content Warning: Reference to the death of Nex, a nonbinary child in Oklahoma.

Sharing President Rev. Sofía Betancourt, PhD's post offering a pastoral time for all ages tomorrow, Friday, February 23, at 8pm ET/5pm PT to support those impacted by the profoundly tragic death of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary child in Oklahoma.

Details are available at: https://sidewithlove.org/ourstories/2024/2/22/sacredlives


Content Warning: Reference to the death of Nex, a nonbinary child in Oklahoma.

Beloveds, these days are filled with so much pain and grief. We have received yet more tragic news, this time of the death of Nex Benedict, a non-binary child in Oklahoma, after a violent attack by fellow students at their school. While the details are still emerging, one thing is clear, the ongoing dehumanization of trans and non-binary people by elected officials and hate groups fuels inhumane actions.

Join UPLIFT Ministries tomorrow, Friday, February 23, at 8 ET / 7 CT / 6 MT / 5 PT to be in community and as we hold ourselves and each other in the feelings and needs we’re experiencing right now. All are welcome.

Find a link to register and resources for support in the comments below.

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Staff Writer

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Staff Writer

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Staff Writer

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Staff Writer

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In this time of deep discussion and discernment in our Unitarian Universalist community, we offer some words of wisdom from staff in the UUA's New England Region:

"It is the responsibility of religious community to help us remember we belong to one another as equals — all somebodies with gifts and purpose — and to help us remember that we are connected to the web of Life and Love that came before us and will remain after us."

Read the full post in their Spiritual Leadership collection of online resources at: https://bit.ly/48qkfx9

#InnerWork #UUA #UUism



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Bev Spears

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Bev Spears

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How can UU's continue reimagining a more just and sustainable future for all?

JeKaren Olaoya narrates this Time for All Ages story of youth in North Carolina who are given hope as they reimagine our world as more peaceful and sustainable for all.

Take a moment today and nourish your spirit with a #30DaysOfLove story of climate justice: https://bit.ly/3wgiC7F


A Time for All Ages, "Re-Imagining to Action," by JeKaren Olaoya, for Week Two of 30 Days of Love 2024. Learn more and find other offerings at https://sidewithlove.org/30-days-of-love-2024. This…

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In this week’s Sunday read: With the feeling of love in the air, we revisit the powerful essay by Angelle Eve Castro, “The World is a Better Place When Trans Lives are Uplifted" from the Fall/Winter 2023 issue of UU World.

Angelle’s story, along with reflections by her brothers Sammy Castro-McCauley and Isa Castro-McCauley and her mother Angélica Canlas Castro focused on their love and support for their trans sister and daughter, are all featured in the book “Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families.”

Read the full reflection: https://bit.ly/3SL29QJ

#UUWorld #UnitarianUniversalists #LGBTQIA #TransLivesMatter


Every day I wake up, and I’m more myself than ever before.

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UUA President, the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt has joined religious leaders from a diverse array of faith traditions to urge President Biden to immediately call for a comprehensive permanent ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and lasting peace in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt has said, “The devastating violence has brought pain and grief to so many. We hold all who are in harm’s way, as well as their families and loved ones, in love and care. And as Unitarian Universalists navigate this painful time together as a community, may we hold one another in care and solidarity for the values we share and for our commitment to how we are called to bear witness in the world.”

Read the full letter from @Churches for Middle East Peace: https://bit.ly/48kRS3t



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What should be clear to all of us is that the Israeli government’s forced displacement, punishment, and intentional inflicting of suffering and death upon children and civilians in Gaza is a moral catastrophe that our faith demands we condemn and resist.

#CeasefireNOW

*Edited to include a link to our full statement, "UUA Condemns Violence Against Gaza, Urges Immediate and Total Ceasefire":
https://bit.ly/48hHc5p



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We first joined the call for a ceasefire in Palestine and Israel back in October, rooted in our historic positions as an organization. Nearly four months later, the situation could not be more urgent. We share a new statement today to reiterate our condemnation of the Israeli military’s ongoing violence against Gaza as well as the U.S. government’s unabated complicity in the crisis in Gaza.

Grounded in our shared Unitarian Universalist belief that every human life is sacred, we join the growing chorus of voices across the globe calling for an immediate ceasefire, and we urge UUs to take action in solidarity with liberatory pro-democratic movements of all kinds that are working toward a future of true and enduring peace.

Read our full statement online: https://bit.ly/48hHc5p


We call upon all Unitarian Universalists to open our hearts and be present to the depths of human suffering in this moment.

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