Amidst the escalating crises from DC to Gaza, Side With Love offers The Gathering to collectively rededicate ourselves to love, joy, and justice. Earlier this week, we gathered to stoke that fierce love and rekindle our collective hope and dream of a world of beauty, love, peace, and respect. We gathered to remind each other that what each of us—each of YOU—does matters. We gathered to make sure you are grounded in our faith and in specific actions YOU can do. From Rev. Nancy’s grounding to Nicole’s teachings about power to the powerful story of Georgia UUs organizing together for utility justice, what will carry you through this week and motivate you in rooted, strategic action?

You can watch the recording and view the presentation slides. After you watch, we would love your feedback!

As we said at The Gathering, the avalanche of news will keep tumbling and we keep each other out of despair. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things together. Here are the next steps we invited you into:

• Ground yourself. What is 1 thing you will do to tend to your spirit and regulate this week?

• Amplify. What is something you will share with 3 people tomorrow?

• Use materials from the UU Climate Justice Revival to collectively reimagine a spirit-filled and liberatory future.

• If you already did the Revival, Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice has tools for you! Access materials and sign up for the community meetings at SideWithLove.org/ClimateJustice or email Rachel at ClimateJustice@UUA.org.

I invite you to let us know which of these actions (or others!) you are taking this month, and be sure to read our Action Center Weekly Update for specific actions you can take this week. We publish the update every Tuesday on our Action Center.

More Resources and Links

• Listen to more music: Hallelujah by MaMuse and Loosen by Aly Halpert

• Hear more from the Georgia Claiming Our Power crew at our Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting in October

• One Million Rising’s 3-session training in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation

• Join the Faithful Futures multi faith training series for people of faith committees to Reproductive Justice

• Get involved in the Stop Avelo Organizing

• Side With Love Action Center

• Side With Love’s Dos & Don’ts Grounded, Resilient & Responsible Toolkit

• UUA Community Resilience Hub

We are more powerful than we know—and we need that power well-organized to confront the regime we are facing together. Do at least one thing to celebrate your beautiful, fabulous, body and self this week, and we will see you again in September.

May we dedicate ourselves to love today and always,

Revs. Ranwa, Cathy & Side With Love Staff Team

P.S. Don’t miss our September 8th Gathering on Solidarity with Deepa Iyer!

We kick off the church year with live music from Parker Woodland and a conversation about Solidarity with Side with Love’s Nicole Pressley and Deepa Iyer, author of this year’s UUA Common Read Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection. As Nicole said after a conversation at General Assembly, “Deepa’s work at the intersections of solidarity, social change ecosystems, and movement building has been an important roadmap for so many of us navigating the complexity and urgency of this moment. Her reflections on grief, solidarity, and sustainable activism are brilliant and grounding.” Join us to continue the conversation!

At the June Gathering, Shana Aisenberg sang us an invitation and a prayer:

“We rededicate ourselves to love, on this day, on this day.”

Amidst the escalating crises from Los Angeles to DC to Gaza, Side with Love offers The Gathering to collectively rededicate ourselves to love, joy, and justice.  Last night, we gathered to stoke that fierce love and rekindle our collective hope and dream of a world of beauty, love, peace, and respect. We gathered to remind each other that what each of us – each of YOU– does matters.  We gathered to make sure you are grounded in our faith and in specific actions YOU can do.  From Shana’s music to Nicole’s teachings about strategy and power to Rev. Kentina’s presentation about the incredible faith rooted reproductive justice work SACReD, what will carry you through this week and motivate you in rooted, strategic action? 

You can watch the recording and view the presentation slides.  After you watch, we would love your feedback!

As I said at The Gathering, it is central to Unitarian Universalism that EVERY body is sacred, and that each of us has a role to play in building a world where that is true.  What will you do this week? 

Take Action:

1. Find 1 thing you can do in our Side with Love Congregational Reproductive Justice Action Guide 

2. Join the August Faithful Futures multi faith training series for people of faith committees to reproductive Justice that Rev. Kentina shared

3. Send Avelo “Abduction” Airlines a message on X, Facebook or Insta or LInkedIn , or email: Socialmedia@aveloair.com and let them know you won’t fly on their planes if they’re collaborating with ICE to profit off of kidnapping  #StopAvelo

4. Get involved in the Stop Avelo Organizing 

I invite you to let us know which of these actions (or others!) you are taking, and be sure to read our Action Center Weekly Update for specific actions you can take this week. We publish the update every Tuesday on our Action Center.

Resources:

• Our Chalice Lighting was “A Protest and a Party,” by Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave, p371-2 of “For Pride,” in Blessing It All: Rituals for Transition and Transformation, edited by Revs. Heather Concannon and Allison Palm.

• SACReD 

• Renewed Clergy Consultation Service 

• Follow Shana Aisenberg at Shana Songs and String Equinox Band 

• Follow Faith in Action and Faith in NJ who are anchoring the work to stop illegal detentions at Delaney Hall Detention Center in New Jersey. 

• Preparing for Pride 2025: Resources for Safety and Liberation

• Side with Love Action Center

• Side With Love’s Dos & Don’ts Grounded, Resilient & Responsible Toolkit

• UUA Community Resilience Hub (includes resources for risk mitigation & digital security)

At The Gathering, we invited you to Glitter Up, Share with a friend, and Act.  There is no time like the present!  Take a few minutes right now to sign up, make a call to Congress, put a note in your congregational newsletter, and call or text 3 beloveds.  We are more powerful than we know – and we need that power well-organized to confront the regime we are facing together.     

Do at least one thing to celebrate your beautiful, fabulous body and self this week, and we will see you again in August.  

May we dedicate ourselves to love today and always, 

Rev. Cathy & Side with Love Staff Team

At our monthly Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting on May 21, we learned how one of our Green Sanctuary teams is working through the new Green Sanctuary materials! Released in February 2024, the new materials are designed to be more manageable, accessible, and impactful for our congregations. Watch the recording here.

Visit our Green Sanctuary 2030 hub to:

• Subscribe to receive updates

• Download the materials.

• Join one of our monthly Community Meetings!

Ready to start the GS2030 process? Sign up here!

So you held a Climate Justice Revival.... now what? The Revival Planning Team offered this space to come together with other UUs who are also moving through the Rest, Celebrate, Reflect, Synthesize, Organize process following the Revival. This informal gathering provided ample time for conversation and brainstorming next steps together.

• View the presentation slides

We lead the Gathering to offer you spiritual and political handholds for your actions toward liberation. We care about the work you are doing right there in your community. We hope that this month’s Gathering nourishes you with the poetry and words from Rev. Julián Jamaica Soto; that you come away with a better understanding of a Theory of Change from Nicole Pressley; that you get as excited as we are by the Avelo “Abduction Airlines” campaign and our beloveds confronting ICE malfeasance at Delaney Detention Center in New Jersey.

This month, we dove into two critical (and exciting) campaigns to resist ICE:

• Umme Hoque from Siembra NC shared about the new campaign to Stop Avelo Airlines, whose contract with ICE went live on May 12th. Umme shared the extensive research and strategy of this campaign, giving hope and inspiration towards a path to victory. This campaign has roles for everyone—from research to protest to advocacy. Check here if you are near an Avelo airport!

• Rev. Robin Tanner and Charlene D. Walker joined us for a live update from Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark New Jersey, where Faith in NJ has been fighting ICE detention facilities for a long time—and fascism has ratcheted up their tactics in the last few days. Learn about this ongoing campaign at the 54-minute mark in our recording.

If you missed us live, you can watch the recording and view the presentation slides. After you watch, please do take 2 minutes to answer this feedback survey about The Gathering and what you’re doing in your community!

Upcoming Events: 

• June The Gathering: Monday, June 9th at 5pm PT / 8pm ET and bring a friend!  [NOTE: The recording above contains the incorrect date! This is correct]

• Join the Stop Avelo call on May 22nd 8pm ET / 5pm PT 

Key Links:

• Stop Avelo campaign—sign the Avelo Pledge and learn how to get involved

• Follow Faith in Action and Faith in NJ who are anchoring the work to stop illegal detentions at Delaney Hall Detention Center in New Jersey

• Side With Love Action Center

• Side With Love’s Dos & Don’ts Grounded, Resilient & Responsible Toolkit

• UUA Community Resilience Hub (includes resources for risk mitigation & digital security)

At The Gathering, I asked folks to think about something you would share with 3 people and how many people you will recruit in your congregation to sign the Stop Avelo pledge (or another campaign you are working on). Rev. Julián invited us to picture how and when you will do that.

Friends, now is the time. Please take a few minutes right now to sign the pledge, make a call to Congress, put a note in your congregational newsletter, and call or text 3 beloveds. Together, we will continue to resist fascism and build towards a world where everyone has love, safety, respect, and beauty.

Finally, please do tend to your spirit and regulate this week (perhaps with more of Rev. Julián’s poetry in Spilling the Light!).

In April, Side With Love Organizing Strategy Director Nicole Pressley introduced a framework for analyzing to understand our power and what we are up against, predict what comes next, and plan our actions strategically.  Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen invited us to think about a time we took a risk in line with our values, how that felt, and what made it possible.  She invited us to reflect on our personal resiliency and the solidarity so deeply needed right now as we make sure to center those most targeted (and most at risk) by federal and state governments.  Rev. Tania Marquez closed The Gathering with a somatic practice focusing on gentle touch and self-awareness. 

We hope you will come to our next Gathering on Monday, May 12 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET and bring a friend! 

You can visit our webpage for The Gathering to see all the dates, a promotion kit, recordings, crisis resources, and links.  

As a reminder, here’s what we invite you to do after this month’s Gathering: 

1. Ground yourself: What is 1 thing you will do this week to tend to your spirit and regulate? (bonus if it brings a smile to your face!) 

2. Practice analysis in community.  Try it with January 6th: 

• History: Where did this come from? When has this happened before? When can we find patterns or features?   

• Structure: What were they thinking? What are the primary grievances? What systems/institutions facilitate this occurrence? 

• Politics: How is this possible? How did they acquire the power to take this action? How will this power express itself elsewhere? 

• Now what: What can and will our team or congregation do to block this or build something else? 

1. Practice Discernment Together using Spiritual Discernment and Preparation for Collective Action: Tips and tools for resilient and sustained activism By Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen

Additional Resources 

• More about Rev. D’Orlando, the minister in New Orleans who Rev. Elizabeth talked about  

• Join us for the Green Sanctuary 35th Anniversary Celebration and Call for Renewal this Wednesday 

• SWL Risk discernment & assessment - 2 workshop sessions you can use in your congregation and a simple handout for immediate decision making

• Side with Love Action Center

• Side With Love’s Dos & Don’ts Grounded, Resilient & Responsible Toolkit

• UUA Community Resilience Hub (includes resources for risk mitigation & digital security)

On April 9, the Revival Planning Team offered this space to gather together with other UUs who are moving through the Rest, Celebrate, Reflect, Synthesize, Organize process following the Revival.  Watch the recording here.

We were joined by Terry Welsher from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett.  This informal gathering provided ample time for conversation and brainstorming next steps together.

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides from Terry Welsher

• View the presentation slides from Side With Love

• Watch the recordings of our UU Climate Justice Revival Info Sessions

We hope you'll join us at our upcoming events:

• Green Sanctuary 35th Anniversary and Call for Renewal on April 16 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

Working with the New Green Sanctuary Materials on May 21 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

On March 12, the Revival Planning Team offered this space to gather together with other UUs who are moving through the Rest, Celebrate, Reflect, Synthesize, Organize process following the Revival. Watch the recording here.

Andrew Batcher shared about organizing a Revival that brought together multiple UU congregations.  This informal gathering provided ample time for conversation and brainstorming next steps together.

This is the only space specifically held for Revivaling congregations. It's your community! We're so grateful for everyone who attended the first Revival Community of Practice, and we look forward to learning, sharing ideas, and building community with you all again at the next Community of Practice on April 9 at 7pm ET.  After receiving feedback from folks, we've decided to extend the meeting to be 90 minutes to allow for more full conversations.  RSVP today!

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides (Google Slides - PDF)

• Watch the recordings of our UU Climate Justice Revival Info Sessions

We hope you'll join us at our upcoming events:

Green Sanctuary 35th Anniversary and Call for Renewal on April 16 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

Huge thanks to Deb and Sheila from the UU Church of Berkeley for talking through the ways their congregation Explored the Possibilities for Mitigation using the new materials!  We enjoyed a robust discussion about the new materials and the ways the UU Climate Justice Revival works together with the revitalized Green Sanctuary Materials.  

The new Green Sanctuary 2030 materials are designed for more action, less paperwork!  Instead of a process where teams have to report a ton of information to the UUA, the new materials are here to support your congregation.  As one presenter said, “Having this plan gave me confidence.  I never would have attempted anything so ambitious without the support of this plan.”  If you haven’t downloaded the new materials, check them out!

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Green Sanctuary Celebration and Call for Renewal with President Sofía on April 16 from 7-8:30 ET.  RSVP today!

If you had to leave early or weren’t able to make it, you can watch the video or review the slides and materials shared.

• Watch or listen to the video recording

• Slideshow

• UU Church of Berkeley’s Future Mapping Exercise

• Films they mentioned include: 2040 and The Letter: A Message from Our Earth,  Additionally, they featured a Zoom presentation featuring two physicians who spoke on the topic of "Healthy Air for All: Time for Action."

To get a more complete orientation to the new Green Sanctuary Materials and Process and the ways they can support your congregation,

• Attend a Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation (first Wednesday of most months)

Or Review

• The Green Sanctuary 2030 orientation video

• The recording from the GS New Materials Release that took place during the February Green Sanctuary Community Meeting

You can sign up for an orientation or access these videos at SideWithLove.org/ClimateJustice

Subscribe to receive updates:  https://sidewithlove.org/subscribe

Download the materials at https://sidewithlove.org/green-sanctuary-process-materials 

Ready to start the GS2030 process?  Sign up at bit.ly/JoinGS2030

Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation
April 2, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM CT

Get to know the new Green Sanctuary! Green Sanctuary orientations provide an overview of the process and allow for plenty of time to get all of your questions answered. Come learn how to transform your congregation through climate justice.

What's next after the Revival? Revival Community of Practice
April 9, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET

So you held a Climate Justice Revival....now what? Come together with other UUs who are also moving through the Rest, Celebrate, Reflect, Synthesize, Organize process following the Revival. Learn together! Make Connections! Move Climate Justice forward together. This informal gathering will provide ample time for conversation and brainstorming next steps together.

Green Sanctuary 35th Anniversary Call for Renewal with President Sofía Betancourt
April 16, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET
Celebrate 35 years of Green Sanctuary and renew your congregation's commitment! Join President Sofía and friends to celebrate this impactful and transformative program that has organized UUs to take action on climate for 35 years, and learn about the new Green Sanctuary process that will carry our faith through the coming years. All are welcome! Renew your commitment to faith based actions that advance climate justice in our communities.

You can watch or listen to the recording of The Gathering on March 10, 2025, read the transcript, or view the slides

The Gathering is a new monthly virtual event from Side With Love, designed to offer:

• Spiritual Grounding – Strengthen your heart and spirit for the work ahead.

• Political Analysis – Understand the threats to democracy and justice.

• Collective Action – Organize with others to block anti-democratic forces and build a just and loving world.

Our launch on March 10 was led by Side With Love Staff Nicole Pressley and Rev. Cathy Rion Starr, with Katia Hansen sharing about the immigration context, and Rev. Lane-Mairead Campbell sharing lessons on showing up for and with trans folks in Western New York. bēheld grounded us with live singing.

We hope you will come to our next Gathering on Monday, April 14th and bring a friend! 

You can see all the dates, a promotion kit, recordings, crisis resources, and links at sidewithlove.org/the-gathering.  

As a reminder, here’s what we invite you to do after The Gathering: 

1. Ground yourself. What is one thing you will do this week to tend to your spirit and regulate?

2. Ground in community. What is a nugget from this session you will share with your people? 

3. Go deeper with your people. 

For individual reflection: download Sacred Circles or purchase printed copies

For group reflection: Congregational Asset Mapping Guide 

For  “how to” or “should I?” questions:  Grounded, Resilient & Responsible Toolkit

4. Write yourself a note about how & when you will do this.

Resources from the webinar

• ​​beheld music invite you to stay in touch

• Side with Love Action Center

• UUA Community Resilience Hub

• UURISE’s website

• Learn more about the sanctuary lawsuit the UUA is part of in UU World

• For more about Sensitive Locations: UUA Defending Faithful Sanctuary and Hospitality Webinar

• For those looking to connect to local immigrant rights groups, start by asking for connections from a UU State Action Network

• Find UU State Action Networks at CUUSAN

• If you don't have a SAN, reach out to UURISE to help get you connected to local organizations

• Find the Chalice Lighter on the  WorshipWeb app
  

In our Sacred Circles worksheet, we encourage individuals to reflect on these three questions:

1. What brings me joy?

2. What do I have to Offer?

3. What does my community need? 

   Image description of the Sacred Circles Worksheet: "Sacred Circles" is a flier with graphic flowers at the top. Most of the page is three colorful circles overlapping with "Love" in the center. One circle reads "What my community needs." Another circle reads "What Brings Me Joy," and the third circle reads "What I have to Offer." "Hope" is also written where the circles overlap.

With Love at the center of our faith, we can embody our shared value of generosity by clearly identifying the resources we hold and can offer to our community. Congregations of all sizes are fundamentally hubs of Love’s resources: the people who make up our membership, the infrastructure we build to serve our mission, the values we hold in common and our commitment to realizing them in the world, and the relationships we nurture with one another and our communities. Because of the inherent richness within our congregations, we play a crucial role in the ecosystem of local organizing and justice-making.

Congregations can be wellsprings of significant resources for their communities, both in ongoing and emergent ways. The more authentic and mutual our relationships are with community partners, the more effectively we can share our assets with those who share our values and goals. By practicing generosity, we honor the interdependence that has the power to transform our world with justice and Love.

View The Guide Download The Guide

The Green Sanctuary 2030 materials have been revised and updated to better serve the needs of our dynamic congregations. On February 19, we gathered at our Green Sanctuary Community Meeting to learn all about it and how these materials can help you advance climate justice and cultivate thriving communities. Watch the recording here.

Visit our Green Sanctuary 2030 hub to

• Subscribe to receive updates

• Download the materials.

• Join one of our monthly Community Meetings!

• Ready to start the GS2030 process?  Sign up!

As people of faith and conscience, we are called to be bold in love, steadfast in our values, and unwavering in our commitment to justice. In the face of growing authoritarianism, fear, and division, we must respond—not with despair, but with courage, resilience, and collective power.

That’s why Side With Love invites you to join us on Tuesday, March 4 at 7pm ET/4pm PT for

Webinar

Grounded, Resilient, and Responsible: Responding and Organizing in Authoritarian Times

Register Now: March 4 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT

This moment calls for us to be deeply grounded in our values, resilient in the face of challenges, and responsible stewards of justice. Together, we will explore:

✅ Simple tips on communicating safely in public and on private channels 
✅ Strategies for responding in crisis moments 
✅ Practical tools for organizing and resisting authoritarianism

Join us for powerful stories from the organizers who helped write the Grounded, Resilient, and Responsible toolkit. Learn how these tips can help you meet this moment. 

Now more than ever, we must show up for one another. Join us to deepen your commitment, strengthen your skills, and stand in solidarity for a just and liberated future.

🔗Register now to join us on March 4

---

New! Action Center Weekly Update

We are in a critical moment. Power is being consolidated in the hands of the few, while attacks on democracy, bodily autonomy, and human dignity escalate. But nothing is inevitable. Justice movements are powered by people like you—people who organize, resist, and build a loving and liberated world.

That’s why we’re launching the Action Center Weekly Update—a resource to keep you informed, equip you with immediate actions, and help you strengthen your organizing skills. Each Tuesday, find our newest update at our Action Center as well as the archive of past updates.

Check out our Action Center Weekly Update for the week of 2/18/2025

Community Resilience Hub

Through this hub, we offer guidance and resources on how to take action now, support each other, and build a resilient community that stands firm in the face of uncertainty.

UUA Community Resilience Hub

On February 12, the Revival Planning Team offered this space to gather together with other UUs who are moving through the Rest, Celebrate, Reflect, Synthesize, Organize process following the Revival. This informal gathering provided ample time for conversation and brainstorming next steps together. Watch the recording here.

This is the only space specifically held for Revivaling congregations. It's your community! We're so grateful for everyone who attended the first Revival Community of Practice, and we look forward to learning, sharing ideas, and building community with you all again at the next Community of Practice on March 12 at 7ET. After receiving feedback from folks, we've decided to extend the meeting to be 90 minutes to allow for more full conversations. RSVP today!

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides

• Watch the recordings of our UU Climate Justice Revival Info Sessions

We hope you'll join us at our upcoming events:

• Green Sanctuary New Materials Release on February 19 at 7pm ET

• UU Climate Justice Revival Facilitator Training on February 26 at 7pm ET

On January 29, we held our annual Celebration for our Active Green Sanctuary Teams to come together to share what they’re working on. It’s a fast-paced, inspirational review of all the good work our congregations are doing. 

• View the slides

• View the chat feed, with more stories and suggestions

Recommended Resources

• Green Sanctuary: subscribe to receive updates, join the process, RSVP for upcoming events, and more

Upcoming Green Sanctuary Community Meetings

Green Sanctuary New Materials Release February 19, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CT

The Green Sanctuary 2030 materials have been revised and updated to better serve the needs of our dynamic congregations.

Join the February Green Sanctuary Community meeting to learn all about it and how these materials can help you advance climate justice and cultivate thriving communities.

Working with the new Green Sanctuary materials

March 19, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CT and May 21, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CT

In February, we released the new Green Sanctuary materials which are designed to be more manageable, accessible, and impactful for all congregations! During our March and May meetings, we'll feature one of the Green Sanctuary teams working through the materials. Learn from each other and build community! 

Green Sanctuary 35th Anniversary Call for Renewal with President Sofía Betancourt

April 16, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET

Celebrate 35 years of Green Sanctuary and renew your congregation's commitment! Join President Sofía and friends to celebrate this impactful and transformative program that has organized UUs to take action on climate for 35 years, and learn about the new Green Sanctuary process that will carry our faith through the coming years. All are welcome! Renew your commitment to faith based actions that advance climate justice in our communities.

On January 14, UU the Vote, Side With Love, key partners, and special guest musicians Sandy O. of Emma’s Revolution and Holly Near hosted this celebration to honor the incredible work of UUs in 2024 to building and growing our democracy and dig into our work ahead. Watch the recording here.

Resources from the meeting:

• Presentation slides

Upcoming events:

• 30 Days of Love from Side With Love—stay tuned!

• Interfaith Service & Moral Mass Meeting, Monday, January 20 at 6pm ET

• Good Trouble Congregations Celebration, Tuesday January 28 from 8–9:30pm ET—if your congregation was awarded Good Trouble in 2024, you should have received an email confirming this from us. If you applied for it and haven’t heard back, please email us as soon as possible at voting@uua.org.

With over 375 UU Congregations hosting the UU Climate Justice Revival and 125 ACTIVE Green Sanctuary 2030 Congregations, UUs are mobilizing for Climate Justice...but how? 

As climate disasters become more commonplace, we need stronger networks of community care. Whether you want to convene a regional Revival, work on disaster response, collaborate on statewide advocacy, or just learn how others are approaching their climate justice work, working together with other UUs can be a powerful response to the problems of our times. 

Find resources and upcoming programming at sidewithlove.org/climatejustice.

After this year’s election, we must come together to nourish our spirits and move in our collective power. This is about more than one election; it is about grounding ourselves in the values and communities that drive our fight for justice. No matter your issue — climate justice, democracy, gender justice, or decriminalization — we are in this work together. 

This final session included an invitation for congregations to do the preparatory groundwork for meeting this moment as well as analysis from UUs in organizing who shared what they see as immediate needs for UU response.

• Missed the first session? Recording & resources for Session One: After Election Day

Resources

Where we've been & where we might go

Rev. Angela Tyler-Williams, Co-Director for Movement Building for SACReD (Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity

• Pastoral Care from Black Lives of UU for Black UUs

• Vespers and other spiritual tending spaces from DRUUMM for BIPOC UUs

• UURISE

• UUSC CAPAS Program

• United We Dream

• Detention Watch Network

• List of local bail and bond funds

• List of resources and calls to action around immigration

• How to map your congregation’s assets to put in service of community

• SACReD

• Woven Together webinar series

• Curriculum Facilitator Training Registration

• Community Resilience Hub

Save the Date

• Tuesday January 14 8-9pm ET: UU the Vote Celebration

• Tuesday January 28 8-9pm ET: Good Trouble Congregations Celebration

Music Played

• Human Nature by Beautiful Chorus

After this year’s election, it is critical that we come together to nourish our spirits and move in our collective power. This is about more than one election; it is about grounding ourselves in the values and communities that drive our fight for justice. No matter your issue; climate justice, democracy, gender justice, or criminalization, we are in this work together. That’s why we are excited to invite you to join us for Forward Together: Anchoring in Community Post Election, a virtual series designed to offer space for reflection, spiritual grounding, and practical organizing in response to the evolving political landscape.

Session One: After Election Day

Resources

• Feelings Wheel

• UU the Vote Congregational Action, Activity, and Story Reporting Form

• UUA Community Resilience Hub

• UUA & Side With Love Skills Survey

Upcoming Events

• Forward Together 11/19, 8-9pm ET. Register now.

• Tools for Tending with BLUU and DRUUMM, 11/21, 7-9pm ET. Register now.

Our October Green Sanctuary 2030 Monthly Gathering was a fireside chat with UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt and UUSC President Rev. Mary Katherine Morn on UU Theological Grounding for Climate Justice. After the conversation, participants were invited to join small group discussions.

Host Your Own Congregational Viewing & Discussion

You are welcome to share the recording of our meeting or watch the conversation only and use these discussions for your own small group conversations!

• Video: UU Theological Grounding for Climate Justice Fireside Chat (32 min)

• Discussion questions:

  • What are you holding in your heart or mind?

  • How does your personal faith call you to climate justice?

  • How can this growing understanding of the faithful call to climate justice transform your current climate actions?

Talking about abortion is the first step to busting stigma, stopping harmful restrictions, and expanding access. On September 30, we learned how to have deeper conversations about abortion that are rooted in values and facts, defuse extremist talking points, and develop skills to use in one-on-one conversations. Watch the recording here.

Resources from the webinar:

• View the presentation slides

• Join Yeson4’s Weekly Phonebanks

• Learn more about Avow Texas

• Learn more about ongoing work of the National Network of Abortion Funds

On September 18, we joined Deepa Iyer for our September Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting: “What do I have to offer?” + the Social Ecosystem Framework. Watch the recording here.

We all have an important part to play in our congregation! To create a world that liberates all of us, we need each and every one of us. Deepa Iyer's Social Change Ecosystem Framework identifies ten "roles" all working towards and with the values of equity, liberation, justice, and solidarity. This framework is built on the recognition that we all have “innate gifts, lived experiences, learned skills, and formal and informal knowledge that can propel social change.” It also celebrates that we are fluid and adaptable, with our "role" changing from one context to the next. We’re using this framework in the UU Climate Justice Revival and in it can be helpful when bringing together you GS2030 Teams.

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides

On August 7, we hosted Green Sanctuary 2030 + the UU Climate Justice Revival to learn how both the Green Sanctuary 2030 community and the UU Climate Justice Revival can spark and light the way to transforming climate justice in your congregation. Watch the recording here.

On September 28-29, congregations will host UU Climate Justice Revivals to collectively reimagine a spirit-filled and liberatory future. Through conversations, worship, and advocacy, congregations will work together to realize climate justice and collective liberation in our communities. Congregations will receive everything they need to host a revival in their communities, including discussion guides and materials for all ages, training, worship resources, and advocacy actions designed to transform our communities through climate justice.

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides

• Watch President Rev. Sofía Betancourt's video, which was played on the fifth presentation slide

Let's Reimagine Together! Register your congregation for the UU Climate Justice Revival today! UUClimateJustice.org.

On July 20, we offered a virtual workshop to talk about abortion, led by Caroline Duble, Political Director of Avow Texas. Watch the recording here.

Talking about abortion is the first step to busting stigma, stopping harmful restrictions, and expanding access. We learned how to have deeper conversations about abortion that are rooted in values and facts, defuse extremist talking points, and develop skills to use in one-on-one conversations.

Resources from the webinar:

• View the presentation slides

• Join our UU the Vote x Yeson4 Phonebank on Thursday, September 5 at 6pm ET

• Join Yeson4’s Weekly Phonebanks

• Learn more about Avow Texas

• Learn more about ongoing work of the National Network of Abortion Funds

On July 17, we hosted Green Sanctuary 2030 + the UU Climate Justice Revival to learn how both the Green Sanctuary 2030 community and the UU Climate Justice Revival can spark and light the way to transforming climate justice in your congregation. Watch the recording here.

On September 28-29, congregations will host UU Climate Justice Revivals to collectively reimagine a spirit-filled and liberatory future. Through conversations, worship, and advocacy, congregations will work together to realize climate justice and collective liberation in our communities. Congregations will receive everything they need to host a revival in their communities, including discussion guides and materials for all ages, training, worship resources, and advocacy actions designed to transform our communities through climate justice.

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides

• Watch President Rev. Sofía Betancourt's video, which was played on the second presentation slide

Let's Reimagine Together! Register your congregation for the UU Climate Justice Revival today! UUClimateJustice.org.

On May 15, Side With Love offered our May Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting: Climate Justice Brainstorm! Watch the recording here.

Advancing climate justice is one of the essentials of the Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice... but how do we do that... exactly? We joined other UU Congregations for our annual Climate Justice Brainstorm to hear what's worked, what hasn't, and how we're learning, supporting each other, and adapting along the way.

We hope you'll join us at one of our upcoming UU Climate Justice Revival Info Sessions.

Are you excited for the first-ever UU Climate Justice Revival... but... still have so many questions? Is it on Zoom or in person? Can kids participate? Is it a regional or national event? When we do new and different things, questions are expected! Come to the UU Climate Justice Revival Info Session and get all your questions answered!

Register for any session:

• Tuesday, May 21 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

• Wednesday, May 29 at 10am PT / 1pm ET

• Thursday, June 6 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET

Video recording of April 17 meeting

Overview
Rev. Cathy Rion Starr led us through the Universe of Possibility presentation, after which we all spent some time drawing our unique Universe of Possibility for work we're doing in our congregations and communities. We reflected on questions like: 

• How many people are in each circle? Who’s in your core?

• Is your committee reflective of the congregation as a whole in terms of demographics and interests?

• What do you invite folks to at each level?

• How is the flow of leaders in and out of the circles?

• What are your hopes & dreams for your universe? What changes would you like to make?

It was so helpful to frame our work through this tool, but don't take my word for it, here's what some of your peers said:

• "Love this tool and this group… looking forward to working with y’all!" - Sharon G.

• "Thank you, Rev. Cathy, for reminding us about the importance of different levels of involvement!" - Diane D.

• "This is a great topic — impactful teams! Our UU congregation has many teams and they all operate differently. Love this model and I think we can apply it broadly. I hope to learn more about building community and spiritual connection simultaneously. Thank you!" - Carolyn T.

• "I loved this! Lots to think about and weave into all my future efforts!" - Dorothy S.

This will definitely be a workshop we reference time and again in the coming months!

Resources from the meeting:

• Introductory slides

• Rev. Cathy's slides

• All resources to engage with the Universe of Possibility

Links shared:

• Check out our Green Sanctuary page to subscribe to receive updates, join the process, RSVP for upcoming events, and more

• Sign up for all of our Green Sanctuary 2030 & Climate Justice events

• Join the Green Sanctuary 2030 Community!

•  The link to the Action Report Form is here: bit.ly/GS-ACTIONS

• Check out the Building and Community Transformation Resources

• Sign up to host Reimagine Together: from an Extractive Age to a New Era this September 28-29 at UUClimateJustice.org

On March 20, we joined Dorothy Swain of UUs of Grants Pass and Gabi Johnson with the Pursuit Church of the Nazarene, both from Grants Pass, Oregon, for our Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting on Climate Justice & Racial Reconciliation in Predominantly White Congregations. Check out the recording and resources shared below.

Dorothy and Gabi's community organizing on Grants Pass Remembrance: from Sundown to Sunrise exemplified interfaith partnership and climate justice actions deeply rooted in the context of oppression in their community. They shared tons of great resources all linked below.

We hope to see you for April's Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting on Nourishing Impactful Teams with Rev. Cathy Rion Starr on April 17. RSVP today!

Resources from the meeting:

• UUs of Grants Pass

• Pursuit Church of the Nazarene

• Grants Pass Remembrance (Linktree and YouTube)

• UUGP Picturing Climate Justice Service

• Taylor Stewart's TED talk, How Do You Reconcile a Lynching?

• Oregon Remembrance Project

• Northwest Seasonal Workers Association

• Sustainable Rogue Valley

• Grants Pass Sustainability Plan 

• Southern Oregon Climate Action Now

• Siskiyou Field Institute

• Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center

• Rogue Climate

• Pollinator Project Rogue Valley

• Williams Community Forest Project

• Water League

We’ve all heard about the funding available for congregations to advance clean energy through Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, but…really…don’t we all still have questions about how it works?! We joined other UUs figuring out how to put these opportunities into action in our communities.

In this 2024 webinar, Peg MacMorris with Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, CO, shared the way her congregation is approaching installing solar with IRA funds and Sabina Shelby with the Unitarian Church of West Hartford, CT, talked us through the Financial Incentives for Energy Investments at Houses of Worship document the IRA PLC group created to help congregations access IRA funds.

Watch the recording below or on Vimeo.

Following the presentation, Michael Cohen with Solar United Neighbors and First Unitarian Church of Orlando, FL, and Russell Outcalt from UU Fellowship of Raleigh, NC, chimed in with Peg and Sabina to answer questions from the audience.

Resources from the meeting:

• Financial Incentives for Energy Investments at Houses of Worship

• Building and Community Transformation Resources

The Green Sanctuary 2030 process provides congregations with an accessible and impactful framework to advance climate and environmental justice. On February 21, we learned from the recently recognized Green Sanctuary 2030 Congregation, the UU Fellowship of Raleigh, NC, about the ways their congregation renewed their environmental justice commitments through the GS2030 process. See the recording and resources below.

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides from Side With Love

• View the presentation slides from Russell Outcalt from UU Fellowship of Raleigh, NC

• Check out our Green Sanctuary page to subscribe to receive updates, join the process, RSVP for upcoming events, and more

• Sign up for all of our Green Sanctuary 2030 & Climate Justice events

• View GS2030 Active Congregations

• Engage your community around the Environmental Justice for All Act:

• Action: bit.ly/UUSJ_EJ4All2023

• Poster: bit.ly/EJ4All-23_Poster

• Sign up for UUSJ Action Alerts at UUSJ.org

Questions? Email Environment@UUA.org.

On January 25, Side With Love hosted a webinar on Reimagining with Energy Democracy. You can review the slides here and recording here.

Reimagining with Energy Democracy was part of two larger events, Side With Love’s 30 Days of Love and our Clean Energy as a Human Right series. Throughout this series, we’ve invited folks to embrace a visionary approach to clean energy, not just as a technical solution, but as a moral imperative. Rather than falling into the scarcity mindset so common in climate spaces, we encourage you to embrace abundance and ensure that our clean energy work nourishes thriving communities for all. The Clean Energy as a Human Right series includes:

• Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding

• Creating Hubs of Climate Resilience with Federal Clean Energy Funding

• The UU Ministry for Earth’s Solstice Celebration, “Light for All” which featured the Energy Democracy Project

• Reimagining with Energy Democracy

While this was the last in our Clean Energy as a Human Right Webinar Series, it marks the beginning of a dedicated focus on Energy Democracy. Here are some ways you can get involved right now. Watch What Does Energy Democracy Mean To You and sign up for the Energy Democracy Project’s REFOCUS Campaign, check out their zine, messaging guide, and list of collaborators where you can connect with local energy democracy campaigns like Cleveland Owns Solar in Ohio, POWER Interfaith in Pennsylvania, and People Power Solar Cooperative in California.

This webinar was also part of our 30 Days of Love, Reimagining :: Climate Justice. Reimagining encourages us to shake off our can’ts and embrace our coulds. What could the future hold if love was at the center of our selves, of our relationships, of our actions, of our world? When we embrace reimagining, we move past myopic, my-way-or-the-highway thinking and into the space of possibility; shifting from scarcity into abundance.

Our focus on Reimagining started last May with our Abolitionist Visions of Climate Justice webinar. We’re happy to share the graphic illustration and printable coloring page from that event as a gift to our community.

If we are to realize a world with no fossil fuels, where clean energy is a human right, and all beings thrive, we need new systems, norms, approaches, and ways of being to bring that world into existence. Without a clear vision of the world we want, we prioritize short term gains and false solutions; we advance goals disconnected from cultural shifts, we divide our focus, and our movements are out of alignment with justice. Consider what this radical reframing could look like. How would it feel? What does not exist in that future world? What is the shift that needs to happen in you to commit to this future? Bring this reimagining to your work in your relationships, congregations, and communities.

Big thanks to the sponsors of this event, including: the Energy Democracy Project, Cleveland Owns, People Power Solar Cooperative, POWER Interfaith, The Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, Reamp Network, UUs for Social Justice, UU Service Committee, UU College of Social Justice, JUUstice Washington, UU Women’s Federation, UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina, and Peace Education Center of the Hudson Valley.

We do this work together, with love at the center of our climate actions, and I am so grateful for the support and collaboration and unique work of each of these amazing organizations.

Unitarian Universalists are called to grapple with the question of “what is safety?” Black liberation organizers say “We Keep Us Safe" as a way to proclaim that true safety comes from relationship, community and structures of care and mutuality outside of state structures of violence and control. How do we build our political and theological commitment to keeping each other safe in the face of state and interpersonal violence?

In this skill up, Nora Rasman and India Harris define safety and security grounded in abolitionist practice, discuss our spiritual mandate towards building sanctuary, and concretely outline what we can honestly offer to ourselves and each other. View the January 21, 2024 webinar below, or on Vimeo.

See the slide deck for this Skill Up

Links referenced during the webinar

Spiritual Grounding from Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen

Transform Harm, a resource hub for ending violence

Get In Formation - Community Safety Resource from Vision Change Win

Unitarian Universalist Association’s Common Read Curriculum for Defund Fear

The Million Experiments podcast and this episode on abolition

Join our online Slack community’s Community Safety and Security Channel

On January 17, Side With Love gathered to celebrate the good work our congregations are doing to create Green Sanctuary in our communities! Green Sanctuary teams shared how they're transforming their communities through congregational transformation, climate justice, mitigation, and community resilience. Watch the recording here.

Resources from the meeting:

• View the presentation slides

• View the chat transcript

If you have questions about the Green Sanctuary process, you can reach out to Rachel at Environment@UUA.org. Learn more about the Green Sanctuary 2030 process, RSVP to attend an orientation, or sign up to join the community here. Stay up to date on Green Sanctuary 2030 by joining our email list here.

Upcoming Events

Reimagining with Energy Democracy
January 25, 2024 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET | Online

Join us for Reimagining with Energy Democracy on January 25! For the last in our webinar series on Clean Energy as a Human Right, we invite you to explore the power of Energy Democracy and the ways our congregations can reimagine energy for our communities. Energy Democracy helps frontline communities build power and liberation by reimagining how we organize our lives toward new systems that support the health and wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems.

Join the Energy Democracy Project, Cleveland Owns (OH), People Power Solar (CA), and POWER Interfaith (PA) for Reimagining with Energy Democracy on January 25, 2024 at 4PT - 5MT - 6CT - 7ET Cosponsors include: Energy Democracy Project, Cleveland Owns, People Power Solar Cooperative, Power Interfaith, UU Ministry for Earth, UU Women’s Federation, UUs for Social Justice, UU Service Committee, UUs for a Just Economic Community, Re-Amp Network, UU college of Social Justice, JUUstice Washington, UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina, Peace Education Center of the Hudson Valley. RSVP here: bit.ly/EnergyDemocracyWebinar.

Inflation Reduction Act Peer Learning Circle
February 28, 2024 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET | Online

We’ve all heard about the funding available for congregations to advance clean energy through Inflation Reduction Act Funding, but…really…don’t we all still have questions about how it works?! If this sounds like you, we invite you to join the Inflation Reduction Act Peer Learning Circle to learn with other UUs figuring out how to put these opportunities into action in our communities. Get up to speed by reading this short primer on the opportunities available for congregations, then bring your questions and good ideas to the PLC! RSVP here!

Tending SOIL

Reach out to Rev. Cathy Rion Starr if you'd like to learn more about the Tending SOIL (Skills, Organizing, Interdependence, Liberation) program at CRionStarr@UUA.org. To learn more, watch the introductory video here.

On January 11, Side With Love joined our partners at the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and American Friends Service Committee to learn about the history of police foundations and the threat they pose to democracy. We took a close look at the funding behind APF—and explored how people can organize to stop them through collective corporate divestment. You can watch the recording here.

Across the country, for-profit corporations are funding private police foundations. With this dark money, these police foundations pour millions of dollars into militarized policing that harms Black and Brown communities.

That includes the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), which is seeking to build Cop City. APF's funders include big corporate names like Bank of America, Coca-Cola, and Cox Enterprises. It's also the largest police foundation in the U.S., despite Atlanta only having the country's 39th largest population.

Resources from the webinar:

• View the webinar notes

• Join the Stop Cop City! Corporate Week of Action (January 15-21)

• View the companies and foundations funding Cop City

We hope you'll continue to be part of the movement to stop Cop City. Take action now! Tell CEOs: stop funding Cop City and militarized policing!

On December 6, Side With Love joined the American Friends Service Committee for a webinar to hear from the organizers, activists, and other professionals accomplishing the transformational work of abolition - from combatting exploitative fines and fees to decarcerating architecture.

With the construction of Atlanta's Cop City looming overhead and the demands of the 2020 uprisings as of yet unrealized, a world beyond policing and incarceration can seem unreachable. But while still an unmet ideal, the foundation for an abolitionist world is being built by those who remain dedicated to dismantling and replacing an entrenched system which promises safety while producing the opposite. In the face of state repression and Draconian policies upholding the myth of safety, the work of abolition is actualizing it.

Below are resources from the webinar:

• Watch the webinar recording on YouTube

• View the webinar notes

• Take action: tell CEOs to stop funding Cop City and militarized policing

We hope you'll continue to be a part of this webinar series exploring the issues at the heart of the movement to stop Cop City! Please register for the next event:

• Session Three: Police Foundations and Policing on January 11 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. Register to join us!

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Love Resists teamed up earlier this month to host the first webinar (in a series of three) to educate people about the “Cop City” project underway in Atlanta and equip them to stop this destructive plan (and similar schemes elsewhere in the U.S.).

We invite you to:

• watch the webinar recording

• use the Q and A and webinar notes as a resource

• take action to tell CEOs to stop funding Cop City and militarized policing! 

As one of our speakers said, we choose relentless optimism in the face of this struggle! Confronting the sponsoring companies about their harm to our community is the first step leading up a corporate divestment campaign AFSC will lanch in January 2024. Please stay in touch for opportunities to take further action to Stop Cop City!

Please attend our second webinar in this series, addressing abolition, on December 6th.

To stay connected with our speakers and their efforts to combat environmental justice and environmental racism:  

• Join Dr. Jacqueline Echols and the South River Watershed Alliance in contacting the regional and national EPA to remove priority language from the Dekalb consent decree, and support SRWA’s legal fund to help Stop the Swap of public park land to a private developer. Connect with them on Instagram @southriverforest @southriverga 

• Follow founding editor of the Atlanta Community Press Collective, Sam Barnes on Twitter/X and support ACPC’s work

• Follow Commissioner Ted Terry on Twitter/X for ways to support his appeal of Dekalb County’s land disturbance permit issued to the Atlanta Police Foundation

• Get involved with organizer Neil Sardana and Georgia Conservation Voters efforts to Stop Cop City and help combat the environmental racism of Georgia’s Public Service Commission

REGISTRATION FOR THESE WEBINARS HAS CLOSED!

Increasingly, our congregations are finding themselves the targets of online harassment, phishing, doxxing, and other forms of digital hate – often as a result of the ways we are embodying UU values in the world. Unfortunately, many of our UU communities do not have the skills and the infrastructure to protect themselves from malicious digital targeting that is constantly evolving.

Equality Labs' Digital Security For All Workshop is a dive into the world of digital security, and what that means for you and your organization. We will develop some common ground and shed light on types of attacks and security concerns that affect our communities, engaging with you at a strategic level as you plan for your organization.

We cover everyday, practical steps to mitigate online harassment, fraud, and other forms of cyber attacks. We look at how the data broker ecosystem coupled with open-source intelligence (OSINT) from social media increases security risks to individuals and organizations. We then look at key preventative measures including data broker scrubbing, phishing awareness, multi-factor authentication, password management, VPN, and other tools that can be immediately applied in anyone's daily lives.

Open to all congregational leaders but especially targeted to those who manage secure information such as congregational websites, social media accounts, databases, and communications.

Cost: $100 for congregational team of up to 5 attendees for both sessions. This cost is highly subsidized so we can bring this impactful training to our congregations.

• Session 1: Monday, January 22, 2024

• Session 2: Monday, February 5, 2024

• 4:30pm PT - 6:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET - 9:30pm ET

Register your team of up to 5 attendees at https://bit.ly/DigitalSecurityForCongregations

We are grateful for the presence of so many hundreds of people at the November 6 event, “Why We Cannot Turn Away: Resources for UU Leaders Engaging Palestine & Israel.” We apologize for the delay in release of these materials, although unfortunately the violence in the region continues and these conversations are very much still ongoing. We hope you will find these resources helpful for both your own learning and reflection and that of your congregations and communities. 

We are keenly aware that members of our Unitarian Universalist community do not all share an identical analysis of the history of the region or the realities of the current crisis, and yet what is clear is that we are all united by our shared heartbreak over the killing, kidnapping, displacement and violence impacting so many of our human siblings, regardless of their national identities. 

As you continue to engage in communal learning, action, and lament in your congregations and communities, please feel free to use these resources in whatever way is helpful to you. You can find the full recording here, as well as the presentation slides, which you may use freely in whole or in part. You can also find more information on many of the issues covered in the webinar in our “Why We Cannot Turn Away:” Expanded Resource Guide; please feel free to share this with whoever needs it. You are also invited to refer back to the October 17th UUA Statement on the Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza and Israel for both the UUA’s statement on the current crisis and a dive into the history of our collective UU engagement with issues related to Israel/Palestine over the past 40 years. 

We recognize that given the intensity of this moment, not all of us are in a space for deepening our learning, taking action, or consuming more perspectives, coverage, or information; many among us simply need spaces in which to grieve, rage, and be held. We are pleased to offer you this template for small-group conversation circles, intended for use in your congregations as a way to invite your people into a space of heart-centered listening and reflection. The template includes facilitator instructions, recommended group agreements, an opening prayer and ritual, and questions for reflection.

We are keenly aware that the current catastrophe is far from over, and the ripples will continue to touch the whole world for the foreseeable future. As Unitarian Universalists, we are committed to continuing to learn and heal together, struggling for justice and liberation for all, and working toward a global community in which all people are safe and free from violence in all its forms. 

In faith and solidarity, 

The Rev. Ashley Horan, UUA Organizing Strategy Director

The Rev. Summer Albayati, UUA Pacific Northwest Regional Staff

The Rev. Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson, Senior Co-Minister, First Unitarian Society of Madison, WI

The Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, Side With Love Congregational Justice Organizer

The Rev. Leah Ongiri, Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Formation and Family Ministries, First Unitarian Church of Portland, OR

The Rev. Sana Saeed, UUA Central East Regional Staff

This Skill Up was led by Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, our Congregational Justice Organizer, on November 19, 2023. UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt invites us to remember "what symbols, messages, principles, or experiences are most central to [our] deep understanding of Unitarian Universalism.” During this Skill Up, we took time to discuss and practice articulating our theologies of justice-making with faith-centric language that can be used in outreach, public statements, petitions, letters, and more.

• View the webinar on Vimeo

• View the slide deck

• View the notes from our discussion

Our Skill Ups are a monthly training series to help build organizing capacity across our congregations and communities. We are grounded in our UU calling to be lifelong learners and organizing traditions' call to share what we know for our movements to grow. View past Skill Ups or sign up for upcoming Skill Ups.

We hope you enjoyed last night's Green Sanctuary 2030 Community meeting with Rev. Kelly Dignan from the UU Ministry for Earth as much as we did!  Rev. Kelly offered lots of great resources in her presentation (see the video recording or slides) and the community offered several in the chat.  We encourage you to sign up for updates from the UU Ministry for Earth - www.uumfe.org - to receive their resources like Monthly Musings and their Earth Day Resources (emailed to subscribers on February 1).   You can reach out to Rev. Kelly directly at kellydignan@uumfe.org.  

Make sure to RSVP for UUMFE's Winter Solstice Celebration: Light for All on the Darkest Night.  This celebration is part of the Clean Energy as a Human Right webinar series including, Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding and Creating Hubs of Climate Resilience with Federal Clean Energy Funding.

Are you ready for the Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration on January 17?  We can't wait to hear updates from our GS2030 Teams.  Fill out this short form to let us know that you'll be there to share your good work.  Presentations need to be no more than 3 minutes long so we can make room for everyone!   Complete the form to let us know you want to present and make sure you RSVP here!

Congratulations to the UU Fellowship of Raleigh, North Carolina on their Green Sanctuary 2030 Recognition!  UUFR has completed significant work on each of the four essentials for climate action - Congregational Transformation, Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience, and Justice with plans for continued action.  Great work UUFR!

Resources: 

Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta is the book Rev. Kelly mentioned:

Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class, and Environment, edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Jennifer Nordstrom (Skinner House Books, 2018), as the 2018-19 Common Read.

Cultural appropriation. Two links from the UUA website:

Resources for Cultural (Mis) Appropriations

Considerations for Cultural Borrowing

The Monthly Musings issue on humility includes the poem: Homage to Rocks.

Sign up for UU Ministry for Earth updates, and keep an eye out for Earth Day resources which will be shared on February 1.  

Additional resources

“How to find joy in climate action" TED talk.

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication has been tracking opinions on global warming for many years through their 6 Americas surveys and Yale Climate Opinion Maps.  You can use the YPCCC Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY)  to survey your congregation’s opinions on climate change.  Lots of great resources on this site!

Side With Love joined Denise Abdul-Rahman from Black Sun Light Sustainability, Shina Robinson from Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and Miguel Yanez-Barnuevo from Environmental and Energy Study Institute for an informative discussion on ways you can turn your faith into action to create hubs of climate resilience for our communities. This was the second session of our webinar series on Clean Energy as a Human Right.

Below are resources from the webinar:

• Video Recording: Hubs of Climate Resilience (1:20, embedded above)

• Presentation slides

• Slides from Denise Abdul Rahman, Black Sun Light Sustainability

• Slides from Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo, Environmental & Energy Study Institute

• Slides from Shina Robinson, Asian Pacific Environmental Network

Shina mentioned her work with PSE Healthy Energy as a great technical partner for the RYSE hub. They developed a resilience hub mapping tool with info on solar and storage capacity for community centers, public schools, and places of worship, along with data about EJ burden and climate threats, available here.

How can we think more expansively about transforming our buildings and grounds into hubs of climate resilience? If your congregation is thinking about installing solar panels with the 30% direct pay option, think about adding battery backup (which has an additional 30% option) to offer your buildings as an emergency shelter in extreme weather or a cooling center during power outages.

We hope you'll continue to be a part of this series on Clean Energy as a Human Right! Please register for the next event:

• Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth's Light for All Winter Solstice Worship Service on December 20

The first webinar in Side With Love’s series toward Clean Energy as a Human Right: Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding, was offered October 25, 2023.

While congregations are excitedly learning about federal clean energy funding, how can make sure we're prioritizing justice in our actions? How can put our faith into action to ensure those most impacted by climate disruption benefit the most?

Featuring Just Solutions, Emerald Cities Collaborative, and Rewiring America , this webinar covered how your congregation can put your faith into action to advance visionary approaches to clean energy funding with justice at the center.

• View the recording

• View the slides

This event was co-sponsored by Side With Love, Interfaith Power & Light, Blessed Tomorrow, Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, and UU Ministry for Earth.

Engage in the full Clean Energy as a Human Right webinar series with Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding on 10/25, Creating Hubs of Community Resilience on 11/9, UUMFE's Light for All on 12/20, and Reimagining with Energy Democracy in 2024.

This Skill Up is led by Rev. Ashley Horan, our Organizing Strategy Director. We often talk about partnership and solidarity in organizing, and the crucial role of showing up well in crucial moments. But how do we know which potentially risky asks we're actually ready to say "yes" to -- and follow through with? We discussed a framework for having congregational conversations about risk, including expanding our courage as communities with significant power and resources. Our Skill Ups are a monthly training series to help build organizing capacity across our congregations and communities. We are grounded in our UU calling to be lifelong learners and organizing traditions' call to share what we know for our movements to grow.

View on Vimeo

View the slide deck

Webinar Recording: Risk Discernment for Congregations

We know we need to get to Net Zero and fast, but how? The People's Church of Kalamazoo has made a commitment to cut their emissions to achieve Net Zero by 2030. We joined Tom Hackley from People's Church to learn how their Green Sanctuary Team is working to meet this ambitious and critical goal!

• View on Vimeo

• View the slide deck

Video of Oct 2023 Green Sanctuary webinar

Conflict is inevitable. What plan do you have to engage? Let’s get together and explore ways to transform harm and restore relationships in our congregations with Wendy Weirick, a Restorative Circles Facilitator. You’ve met her as a Side With Love Zoom host who has held the Green Sanctuary and Climate Justice gatherings with tender care as we lean into this work. Now, she invites us in to share one of her passions, conflict at the community level.

• View the training

• Download the slides

Earlier this year, Side With Love and UU the Vote program and field staff were joined by UU State Advocacy Network staff and UU volunteers to talk about the impact of UU the Vote on the 2020 and 2022 elections as well as plan for what we will be doing in 2024. This interactive workshop invites us to dive deep into the practices, relationships, and strategies of our electoral organizing that helped us to reach over 5 million voters since 2020.

View the workshop now.

The Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice framework guided the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor's climate leaders to change the way they look at their work... or make that the congregation's work. UUAA has a history of environmentalism that has mostly focused on mitigation: on decreasing their carbon footprint. Enrolling in GS2030 guided them to rethink things -- to look more at climate justice (yikes! that's hard!) and congregational transformation (what is that?) As a result, they have sparked more cross-group collaborations, increased our community outreach activities, and, well, maybe they're having more impact!

We had a fantastic kick-off to our fall Green Sanctuary 2030 Community meetings last night with Surprise Lessons in Congregational Transformation.

The discussion, led by Sandy Simon and Edward Lynn of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor covered so much ground! From Radical Welcome to Racial Justice to Relationships to Visioning Processes to Energy Wonk questions, this was one incredibly informative conversation. Check it out:

• View the recording

• Download the slides

• Download UUAA’s presentation

As we think about how to transform our congregations through climate justice, relationships are key. And anytime you're building relationships, there is potential for conflict. Our September GS2030 Community Meeting will cover Navigating Conflict in Our Climate Work with Restorative Conflict Circles with Wendy Weirick. RSVP today!

Also, don't forget to RSVP for Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding on August 29 to learn how your congregation can put your faith into action to advance visionary approaches to clean energy funding with justice at the center.

In her 2023 Berry Street essay, the Rev. Cecilia Kingman reflects upon the rise of authoritarianism, right-wing ideology, and fascism both within Unitarian Universalism and in the wider world. In this first session, join Rev. Kingman and the Side With Love team for an interactive opportunity to engage with this essay and the kinds of faithful responses it demands on behalf of our UU faith.

PRE-REQUISITE: Watch or read the 2023 Berry Street essay, “My Little Pony Was Right: Reflections on Fascism Without & Within” by the Rev. Cecilia Kingman

• Session 1: July 17 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT

• Session 2: August 14 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT

As UU congregations are increasingly being targeted by right-wing hate, all of our congregations should be prepared to respond to threats with skill and courage while also remaining grounded in our values. In this space for all religious professionals, UUA staff from Congregational Life, LGBTQIA+ & Multicultural Ministries, Safer Congregations, and Side With Love shared observations about trends on the national scale, offered resources for assessing security threats/creating safety plans/discerning and growing risk tolerance, and building connections to fight back against overwhelm, fear, and isolation.

Find our catalog of extensive resources and recommendations at our Responding to Threats page (found under the Programs & Resources menu).

We know we need to focus on climate justice, but where do we start? For many Green Sanctuary Teams, the Justice campaign is the most challenging and also the one with the most room for growth and collaboration.  View the recording for our June community gathering in which we discussed and brainstormed how to enact climate justice in our congregations and communities.

• View the slides

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs Decision (June 24) overturning Roe v. Wade, Side with Love offered this webinar to highlight reproductive justice and faith organizing on the ground in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Our speakers shared their proactive ongoing work, reactions to the new environment post-Dobbs, and what support and partnership looks like for them. Facilitated by Rev. Ashley Horan, Director of Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team; and Rev. Rob Keithan, Interim Steering Committee Co-Chair of SACReD, the Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity and Minister of Social Justice at All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, DC.

• View the recording

We're especially grateful to guests Beulah Osueke, Deputy Director at New Voices for Reproductive Justice and Elaina Ramsey, Executive Director, Faith Choice Ohio. We recommend that you check out the training events offered by Faith Choice Ohio, especially their training on Self-Managed Abortion. 

For those of you registered for the UUA General Assembly 2023, make sure to log in to the Whova app and check out our Side WIth Love/UPLIFT Action on-demand workshop, “Organizing Your Congregation for Reproductive Justice.” 

REFERENCES FROM OUR CONVERSATION: 

• New Voices for Reproductive Justice (PA) 

• Faith Choice Ohio 

• SACReD, the Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity . Click "Congregations" to learn more about the congregational designation programs and sign up to get more information about the 7-session SACReD curriculum.

• Side With Love’s UPLIFT Action campaign for LGBTQIA+, Gender & Reproductive Justice 

• If you are a registered Florida voter, please sign the petition to put abortion on the ballot!

As UU congregations are increasingly being targeted by right wing hate, we anticipate an uptick in attention and disruptive tactics heading into Pride month. In this informal space for religious professionals, we will share some observations about patterns we're seeing on the national scale, point toward some existing resources for support, identify gaps, and make connections to fight back against overwhelm, fear, and isolation.

This was an informal gathering of religious professionals of many stripes from across the US, and we spent time sharing observations about the national context and emerging patterns among our congregations, offering some resources for congregations as you make plans for security and crisis response, and engaging one another’s experiences, wisdom, and questions to both foster connection and shape future resource and training creation at the UUA. We were grateful for all those who gathered in real time and are happy to share the video and collected links and resources offered yesterday. 

UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE:

• GLAAD Anti-Drag Report

• Unbowed, Proud Boys are planning now for their biggest Pride Month disruptions ever, extremism watchdogs warn

• Fact Sheet: Anti-LGBT+ Mobilization on the Rise in the United States

• The Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial is underway. But the new leadership has moved on from the 2020 election to LGBTQ issues.

• Far right protests targeting the LGBTQ community show a troubling correlation with violent attacks

• How to Stop Neo-Nazis from Crashing Pride Month

SECURITY AND PLANNING RESOURCES

NOTE: Many of these resources recommend or mention involving police or other law enforcement as a part of security responses. Rooted in our UU values and an ethic of aspiring abolitionism that yearns for a world in which policing and systems of punishment are not central to our society, we highly recommend ongoing conversations and praxis to help our UU communities understand safety differently and to move away from depending on law enforcement as our only form of crisis response. And, we recognize that in certain cases – sometimes at the urging of our partners – we do not currently have access to alternative infrastructure and viable safety structures, and therefore must work with police and other law enforcement. We urge UU communities and congregations to think critically and in advance about whether and when to engage with law enforcement, and to take into consideration the ways in which police often make people from targeted communities – especially trans and queer people – inherently more unsafe by their very presence. 

• Protecting Pride, An organizing guide for safely and successfully celebrating LGBTQIA2S+ joy in these times

• “Risk, Courage and Discernment: Spiritual Preparation”, an exercise by Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen

• Facilitation Guide for Congregational Conversations about Risk Discernment. From Side With Love. A guide for engaging congregations/congregations in their discernment of risk when planning action(s).

• Community Power & Resource Mapping: A Guide for Congregations. From Side With Love. A resource guide and assessment tool for supporting congregations in their identifying partnerships when planning actions.

• Southern Poverty Law Center & Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab: Two resources, one for Parents/Caregivers and the other for communities, which lay a foundation for understanding the nature of extremism, dynamics of radicalization, and steps you can take to prevent them from taking root in your community.

• Beginner Safety Planning for Pride Events

• Bard Center for the Study of Hate Releases New Community Guide for Opposing Hate Co-written by Western States Center and Montana Human Rights Network

• CISA Security Self-Assessment for Houses of Worship

• Best Practices for Security Houses of Worship (ASIS)

• ASIS International - Security Resources for Houses of Worship

• SURJ Community Safety Toolkit

• UUA Handbook for Training Manual for Ushers & Greeters

• UUA Safer Congregations Resources

• Anti-Doxing Guide for Activists Facing Attacks

• SPLC’s 10 Ways to Fight Hate

• FEMA/DHS Grants for Non-Profit Security

• Parasol Patrol

• DontCallThePolice.com - resources by city

• UUA Resources on Alternatives to Calling the Police

• Protecting Pride Events from Armed Extremist Activity

• Church Mutual: Ramp Up Your Cybersecurity

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Security Self-Assessment for Houses of Worship

DEESCALATION & SECURITY TRAININGS:

• DC Peace Team (Unarmed Civilian Protection, Peace & Deescalation Trainings)

• AVADE De-Escalation & Personal Security Training

• Sheepdog Church Security

Imagine it's 2050 and we've achieved all of our wildest hopes for climate justice...what does it look like? The abolitionist movement imagines a future without police and prisons, drawing on deep convictions, faith, imagination, and hope to do so. The climate justice movement is diverse, vibrant, and equally hopeful: but do we UUs have a vision of what a just climate future is? Without a clear vision of a world where all can thrive, we run the risk of prioritizing short-term gains, false solutions, legislative goals disconnected from cultural shifts, and distractions that divide our focus.

Watch the recording of this radical gathering of thinkers for abolitionist visions of climate justice. Facilitated by Side With Love Climate Justice Organizer Rachel Myslivy, the panel will include Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, Ecowomanist theologian and sole candidate for UUA President*; Dr. Rashid Shaikh, director of science emeritus at the Health Effects Institute in Boston and co-convenor of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Caucus on Climate Justice; and Antoinette Scully, Faith-Based National Organizer for the UU Women's Federation. 

* NOTE: This event was sponsored by Side With Love and was not a campaign event

Are you wondering if Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds can transform your congregation? They can! With 30% direct pay options for churches and nonprofits, IRA funds present a great opportunity for UUs to reduce our carbon footprint while cultivating communities of care and prioritizing climate justice. Even better, the UUA has funding options to help you maximize IRA funds!

In this webinar, join Carey McDonald, UUA Executive Vice President, to learn about how you can leverage UUA funding options with IRA funds for an even bigger impact.

• Watch the presentation on Vimeo

• View the slides

• Federal Funding for Energy at Houses of Worship resource hub from Interfaith Power & Light

• Google Drive folder with resources shared at the meeting

Upcoming Webinars

• Abolitionist Visions for Climate Justice - May 25, 7ET

• Go Green to Get Green: How to get Energy Efficiency Grants for Congregations Webinar - June 1, 5ET

• Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation - June 7 Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation, 7ET

• Climate Justice Brainstorm! Green Sanctuary Community Meeting - June 14, 7ET

UUA Funding Opportunities

• UUA Loan and Grant Programs

• Faithify.org

• Chalice Lighter programs: 

  • Central East

  • Southern

  • MidAmerica

  • Pacific Western

Benchmarking resources

• Planning the Energy Future of your Congregation

• Calculating your Carbon Footprint with Russ Outcalt Video at Green Sanctuary Community Meeting

  • Spreadsheet 

• Interfaith Power and Light Cool Congregations Benchmarking resources 

• Energy Star for Congregations 

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• If you’re ready to join the process, please fill out the interest form 

• RSVP for climate justice events

•  Sign up for Green Sanctuary and Climate Justice emails

•  View previous webinars and trainings

Questions?  Email Environment@UUA.org

Before the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade made abortion legal across the United States, clergy from a wide variety of religious traditions developed a coordinated, skilled, responsive underground network that supported people experiencing "problem pregnancies" to access abortion care from trustworthy doctors and medical professionals. This network of more than 1400 clergy and hundreds of providers -- which included many Unitarian Universalists -- helped hundreds of thousands of people access safe abortions before the Roe decision.

Now, we look back at the Clergy Consultation Service to learn so we can prepare and coordinate to take risks again for reproductive justice. Let's learn our history to plan for our future.

Resources Mentioned

• UPLIFT Action’s Congregational Repro Justice Organizing Resources

• Sexing History Podcast

• Interactive Map of States' Abortion Access Status from Guttmacher

• SACReD: The Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity

• National Network of Abortion Funds 

• News Article: Missouri Clergy Lawsuit Challenging Abortion Ban

• The Lawyering Project

 If you were in the Clergy Consultation Service or were helped by them and want to share your story with Dr. Gillian Frank, please feel free to reach out at gfrank @ princeton.edu. 

Ready to Take Action?

Organize your congregational team to engage with our Reproductive Justice Congregational Organizing Series for Teams 2023. This three-session series includes all the resources and grounding for creating an accountable organizing plan.

Biden promised to be a climate president – yet under his watch, the U.S. continues to be the biggest producer of oil and gas in the world. In the first few years of his term, he approved more lease sales for new oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters than Trump. And his administration has approved new oil and gas projects, like the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska and multiple oil and gas export terminals in the Gulf. Global scientists have been abundantly clear – we cannot avoid the very worst impacts of the climate crisis if we allow for any more fossil development.

UUs, it’s time to show up!  

This June, People vs. Fossil Fuels are mobilizing to turn up the heat and make Biden take real climate action – by ending the era of fossil fuels.  Join us for a national week of action  June 8th - 11th 2023 to demand Biden use his executive powers to end the era of fossil fuels and declare a climate emergency! 

With mobilization tools like individual coaching, communication templates, action plans, and more, PvFF and partners are supporting folks to host bold, creative, and disruptive actions to lift up their local fights against oil and gas developments.  

May Mobilization Call

Join Side With Love, UUMFE, and People vs. Fossil Fuels for a conversation about the campaign, distributed actions, and supports available, including coaching and movement chaplaincy for UUs.  This will be an open space for UUs to come together and discuss plans for End the Era of Fossil Fuels Distributed Actions

Hosted by  Side With Love, UU Ministry for Earth, and People vs Fossil Fuels, the webinar included an overview of the campaign, ways you can bring the action into your congregation, and opportunities for Movement Chaplaincy support for UUs engaging in the actions.  

• Watch the recording

• Review the slides

Action Steps:

1. Review the Action Toolkit for planning your action

2. Add your event to the Action Map or join an existing effort in your area https://tinyurl.com/actionmap-EndtheEra

3. If you’re hosting an event, request coaching support from PvFF 

4. Join PvFF Action trainings 

5. RSVP for Movement Chaplaincy with UUMFE to prepare: May 30, 2023 4PT-5MT-6CT-7ET

6. Add Your Event to the Side With Love Action Center so other UUs can find you!

7. Tell us what you did!  Add your action to the Side With Love Story & Report form

8. RSVP for Movement Chaplaincy to debrief: June 15, 2023  4PT-5MT-6CT-7ET

Michael Cohen, Solar United Neighbors, gave an overview on Solar for congregations and share a little about the process the First Unitarian Church of Orlando is going through to consider installing solar with IRA funds.

You can watch the presentation and check out Michael’s Handy Links for UU Congregations on Energy Efficiency & Solar.  

What’s Next?

What next?  Join us in May to learn about how you can leverage UUA funding options with IRA funds for an even bigger impact.  On May 17 at 7ET for Carey McDonald, UUA Executive Vice President, will discuss IRA funds and UUs: Funding Clean Energy and Climate Solutions!  With 30% direct pay options for churches and nonprofits, IRA funds present a great opportunity for UUs to reduce our carbon footprint while cultivating communities of care and prioritizing climate justice. Even better, the UUA has funding options to help you maximize IRA funds! Register Now

About Green Sanctuary 2030

Are you thinking about joining the Green Sanctuary 2030 process?  Come to an orientation to learn more and get started!  Orientations are the first Wednesday of each month at 7ET.  Sign up for these and all Climate Justice events at https://sidewithlove.org/climatejustice.

 

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Find our other climate justice and Green Sanctuary 2030 webinars here.

UUs have long been part leaders in powerful multifaith movements fighting for trans and queer rights and liberation. Join UPLIFT Action and Side With Love staff for this webinar, lifting up the faithful work UUs are engaging in right now in the context of the wave of hateful legislation and violence against trans and queer people. We'll hear stories from congregations and State Action Networks on the ground, and point toward ways you and your community can take meaningful action.

• View the recording

Speakers included:

• Rev. Erin Walter, Texas UU Justice Ministry

• Rev. Jami Yandle, Texas UU Justice Ministry

• Alex Kapitan, Transforming Hearts Collective

• Rev. Elizabeth Mount, UU Church of Cheyenne, WY

• Congregational Leaders from Tennessee Valley UU Church, Knoxville, TN

• Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina

• DL Helfer, TRUUsT

• Steven Leigh Williams, TRUUsT

• Adrian Ballou, UUA LGBTQ and Multicultural Ministries

• Rev. Ashley Horan, Side With Love

• Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, Side With Love UPLIFT Action

Recommended Resources and Tools

• New Resource - Making a Difference With Our Words: Tools to help UUs thwart anti-transgender bills and attacks

• Recording & Resources from “Combatting Anti-Trans Legislation 101 Training” 

• Recording & Resources from “Speak Up for Trans Lives: Spokesperson Training” 

• Transforming Hearts Collective

• TXUUJM & Transforming Hearts Collective Partnerships

• Subscribe to TXUUJM Newsletter

• Host a Children's Diversity & Justice Library

• 2021 Action of Immediate Witness: “Defend and Advocate with Transgender, Nonbinary, and Intersex Communities”

• Find a Drag Story Hour Chapter near you

• Read the TRUUsT Report 

• UPLIFT Transgender / Nonbinary Monthly Gatherings 

• Trans/Nonbinary UU Pastoral Care Space for Children, Youth, Adults

• Resource Roundup for Advocating For Trans Lives

• Further reading on the UPLIFT Gatherings

• Support Trans UUs in Florida

• Subscribe to UPLIFT Action

• 5 Practices of Welcome Renewal for Congregations

• Connect with Your UU State Action Network

Providing honest, caring, and timely feedback is essential to nurturing trust. That’s why we believe Evaluation is an act of Love.

We need to be able to speak directly and frankly to each other about what we want and need from each other, what we think could be done differently, as well as celebrating our successes. Every time we love one another enough to offer debrief and appreciation, we deepen our relationships and the power of our collective. We can create groups and communities grounded in relationship and trust. Thus, we can meet the justice work of the moment powerfully and nimbly. In this skill-up, you will practice ways to bring debrief culture and loving feedback to your own context.

• Watch the presentation

• View the slides

• Download the handout (with exercises)

Sarah Berel-Harrop, Side with Love Squad and Texas UU Justice Ministry Leader

About Sarah

I'm the Intern Minister at the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry and a seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School. I grew up UU in Houston, Texas. During the 2020 election cycle, I became deeply active with UU the Vote and appreciated the leaderful learning culture. I'm passionate about nurturing groups and communities grounded in relationship and trust that offer alternatives to paradigms of domination and control.

Find past and upcoming skill ups here.

This month's Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting, Connecting with State Action Networks on Climate Advocacy, highlighted ways to engage with UU State Action Networks to advocate for policies that reduce emissions at the local, state, and national levels.  Special thanks to Deb Cruz from JUUstice Washington and Rev. Lisa Sampson-Garcia from UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina for leading the conversation! 

UU State Action Networks do powerful justice work across the country, and they offer timely information on actions affecting your community, including: 

• Resources and research on justice issues.

• A community of like-minded folks you can activate for specific events.

• Support and guidance for getting your congregation involved in justice work at the local level.

• Justice-oriented worship services to inspire and inform your congregation.

• Professional development and networking opportunities.

If you’re interested in getting involved with legislative advocacy and justice work that impacts your local community, find the SAN nearest you or consider starting your own!  

What’s Next?

We've got some excellent opportunities for shared learning and mutual supports in our upcoming Green Sanctuary 2030 Community meetings!  RSVP today!

April 19: Solar 101 + IRA Funds!  Michael Cohen, Solar United Neighbors, will give a quick primer on Solar for congregations and share a little about the process the First Unitarian Church of Orlando is going through to consider installing solar with IRA funds.   

May 17: Funding for Congregational Clean Energy & Climate Solutions UUA’s Executive Vice President, Carey McDonald, will share UU-specific funding mechanisms to use in conjunction with the Federal Funding opportunities to advance equitable clean energy and climate justice.  We encourage you to watch the recent webinar on Planning the Energy Future of Your Congregation to prepare for this conversation. 

**We're planning to host peer learning circles to support congregations considering IRA funding for clean energy & Climate solutions.  Email Environment@UUA.org for more info!

June 19: Climate Justice Brainstorm!  For many Green Sanctuary Teams, the Justice campaign is the most challenging and also the one with the most room for growth and collaboration.  Bring your questions and ideas and join the conversation!  

You can RSVP for these and all of our climate justice events at SideWithLove.org/ClimateJustice

On February 21, 2023, Side With Love Create Climate Justice, Interfaith Power & Light, and others hosted a webinar on Planning the Energy Future of Your Congregation. 

Learn about the importance of benchmarking your facilities’ energy use to shape your congregation’s plan to cut energy costs and care for our sacred Earth. This is the first step to making a plan to take advantage of federal funding, like the Inflation Reduction Act. Presenters include: Jerry Lawson, National Manager of EPA’s Energy Star for Small Businesses and Congregations; Sarah Paulos, Interfaith Power & Light’s Cool Congregations Program Director and Tom Hackley from People’s Church of Kalamazoo, MI. This webinar is part of a series hosted by Interfaith Power & Light and our faith partners.

• watch the Recording,

• review the Resources, and

• RSVP for upcoming events!

Big kudos to the People's Church of Kalamazoo Michigan, a UU Society, for sharing their journey to Net Zero!  If you were there live, you probably noticed how many UUs were in attendance!  Go team! 

Are you an energy wonk with a knack for navigating federal policy?  Do you love helping others brainstorm opportunities for clean energy upgrades?  Or maybe you're just really excited about the IRA and other federal funding opportunities for equitable decarbonization?  We're looking for a few good UUs to support shared learning around federal opportunities to fund the clean energy transition. Email Environment@UUA.org for more information.

Come learn from Zoe Johnston, UU Young Adults for Climate Justice, about ways to engage young adults in your congregation, especially with your Green Sanctuary 2030 and other climate justice organizing.

How do we get young adults involved?  Where do we find them? 

How do we support them? 

In this Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting, we learned from Zoe Johnston with UU Young Adults for Climate Justice about ways to engage young adults in our congregations, especially with Green Sanctuary 2030 and other climate justice organizing.  

• View the webinar

• Download the slides

Zoe shared some helpful framing for effective YA leadership, including: 

• Timing:  hold meetings outside of school and work hours

• Accessibility: hold meetings on Zoom or in physically accessible spaces

• Focus:  the work of your group speaks to the lived experiences and material reality of young adults

• Dynamics:  Name any possible power dynamics that are play. When we are transparent, we can build deeper trust.

• Value the presence, input, and perspective of young adults!

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Join the Green Sanctuary Team meetings for shared learning and mutual support with other UUs working on congregational transformation through climate justice on the third Wednesday of the month at 8PM ET. Each meeting includes a short presentation on a climate justice topic, followed by open discussion on pressing needs. Find past meetings and register for upcoming ones at sidewithlove.org/climatejustice

I came to activism late in life after retiring from a career in music and then technology.  I didn't know anything except that I wanted to do something to contribute to making the world more equitable for all.  Armed only with my lofty goals, I reached out to folx in the UU community, a little intimidated but willing to learn.  I was met with welcome, patience, humor and support by some extraordinary folx that had been doing this work for years.   

Now I coordinate Side With Love’s Skill Up Series, our monthly trainings on organizing skills to help YOU build stronger teams in your congregation and community.  When I think about our Skill Ups, they mirror my experience:  welcoming, fun, and educational offerings to help all of us get to a higher level in this work that we cherish of harnessing love’s power to stop oppression.

Will you join us this semester?

This Spring, our Skill Up Theme is "How to Talk About Hard Things.”  You are heartily invited to attend these very informative and rich workshops that not only cover high-level concepts but also offer practical guidance and hands-on practice. Each topic will be delivered by experts and long-time organizers with special knowledge and experience presenting:

• Feb 19 - Facilitation: Leading Gatherings with Grace and Impact, led by experienced facilitators Rev. Cathy Rion Starr, Side with Love Leadership Development Specialist; and Elisse Ghitelman, Side with Love Squad Leader 

• Mar 19 - Evaluation is an Act of Love, led by Sarah Berel-Harrop, Side with Love Squad and Texas UU Justice Ministry Leader

• Apr 23 - Facing the Apocalypse With a Smile, led by Rachel Myslivy, Side with Love Climate Justice Organizer  

• May 21 - What Do Impacted Communities Need - How Would I Know? Led by Rev. Michael Crumpler, UUA LGBTQ and Multicultural Programs Director 

All Skill Ups run 90 minutes starting at 4 ET • 3 CT • 2 MT • 1 PT 

These topics cover some of the most daunting challenges that we face going out in the world to do this work.  How can I design and hold really fun and impactful meetings - even when the subject matter is hard?  How do I give my colleagues feedback in a way that is loving and builds us up?  How in the world can I talk about climate change without sounding all doom and gloom?  How can I know what impacted folx really need before even thinking about how to engage?   

Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to be lifelong learners, and organizing traditions teach that we need to share what we know for our movements to grow.  We begin each session with grounding from our Fun & Spiritual Nourishment Squad volunteers and then dive into the training content.    

Our Skill Ups are our invitation into a regular practice of learning together.  Join us for one or all of these wonderful workshops! 

Will you join us this Sunday?

You can view and sign up for the events at sidewithlove.org/skillups.  We post all of our Skill Up recordings, slides and worksheets there too – so browse our Skill Up Library for more resources!  

We look forward to seeing you as we come together to learn and be energized!

In faith, love & learning,

 

Cal Ball

Side with Love Squad Skill Ups Coordinator

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Cal joined the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco in 2020 and since then, has worked as a squad volunteer with Side With Love supporting voting rights and voter mobilization initiatives through the UU the Vote campaign.  In his career, Cal worked as a professional musician and producer.  He was a staff songwriter for EMI Music Publishing and recorded albums for Atlantic, Universal Music Group, and Curb Records. Prior to his retirement, Cal also worked for a variety of technology companies in the California Bay Area.

In January, Climate Justice Organizer Rachel Myslivy hosted the Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration. The event spotlighted the amazing work UUs are doing through the Green Sanctuary 2030 program.

We heard from about twenty Green Sanctuary 2030 congregations on their successes, challenges, and everything in between.  It was inspiring and exciting to hear all of the great things happening in our congregations.  Thank you all for your excellent work!

Did you miss the celebration?  Or wish you would’ve taken notes on that one awesome presentation?  You’re in luck! 

You can watch the recording of the Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration or review the slides.  Get inspired!

Join the GS2030 Community!

Each month, we hold Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientations on the first Wednesday of each month and GS2030 Community Meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 4PT-5MT-6CT-7ET.  You can RSVP for these events and all Side With Love Climate Justice events at SideWithLove.org/ClimateJustice

I hope to see you all for our next GS2030 Community Meeting on Wednesday, February 15 when Zoe Johnston with UU Young Adults for Climate Justice will help us all understand how to engage young adults in your Green Sanctuary work.  RSVP today for Young Adults in UU Congregations:  More than Just Committee Members!

New to Green Sanctuary 2030?

Join our next Green Sanctuary Orientation on March 1 to learn how to transform your congregation through climate justice!  

Thank you so much for signing up for “Community Conversation”, the third and final workshop in our series on “Climate Resilience through Disaster Response & Community Care”. Whether you attended in real-time or plan to watch the recording later, we are grateful for your commitment to building communities of care in the face of climate disasters.

• View the recording

Recording and materials for Session 1

Recording and materials for Session 2

Next Steps

How can we continue to grow community around climate disaster preparedness and response?  What do UUs need to foster communities of care in the face of climate change?  How can we work together to cultivate thriving communities?  

Tell us what you need! 

Thank you for engaging in one or more of the workshops on Climate Resilience through Disaster Response and Community Care.  We’ve loved learning alongside UUs across the country on ways we can make our communities stronger and more resilient.  For our final workshop in the series, we want to hear from you! 

How can we support your Climate Disaster Response and Community Care initiatives?

Please let us know what you learned from the workshops, what challenges you're facing as you organize climate disaster response in your congregation, and - most importantly - how we can help!  The Side With Love Team is here for you.  Tell us what you need!

We have all sorts of ideas: We could host regional meetings!  We could organize gatherings around climate disaster topics like fire or floods!  We can put together more resources!  The possibilities are endless!  Tell us what would be most impactful to your work on these issues.  Help us build this work together!

Please let us know what you need by filling out this brief survey. 

Thank you so much for signing up for the “Mobilizing for Action,” the second workshop in our series on “Climate Resilience through Disaster Response & Community Care”.  Whether you were able to attend in real-time or plan to watch the recording later, we are grateful for your commitment to building communities of care in the face of climate disasters.   

Next steps:  

1. Make sure you RSVP for the third and final workshop in this series: Community Conversations on November 15.  We encourage you to invite 1 or 2 more people from your congregation to attend, so we can continue to grow our community of support!

2. Check out the  Climate Disaster Response for UUs Guide.  This guide is chock full of tools and resources to help individuals and congregations to Assess Climate Impacts and Mobilize for Action.  Every community is different, and climate impacts will vary at the hyper-local level.  Some neighborhoods may be devastated by a hurricane while others experience only minor impacts.  Adequate preparation and response for climate disasters must center the lived experiences and impacts of climate disasters on those most at risk.  We’ve paired tools for each section to help you think through every step of the process.

3. Join the conversation!  If you are looking for another place to connect with others working on climate justice, join us on the Side With Love Slack Channel.  You can join at this link:  http://bit.ly/SideWithLoveSlack. Check out the #climate-justice-general or #climate-justice-green-sanctuary channels to find your people! 

4. Tell us what you’re doing and what you need!  We’d love to hear how your congregation is preparing for climate disasters and how we can help!  Please email RMyslivy@UUA.org and let us know!

Resources & Materials from Session 2

Linked below are materials & resources from our October 25 session on “Mobilizing for Action.” These resources and more can be found in the UUA Climate Disaster Prep Google Drive Folder.

• Climate Disaster Preparedness Guide for UUs 

• Climate Disaster Response for UUs Materials & Resources

• Assessing Climate Impacts & Mobilizing for Action Worksheet - gdoc - doc - pdf

• Case Study-  gdoc - doc - pdf 

• Reflections: Case Study to Reality  - gdoc - doc - pdf

• Assessing Climate Impacts Graphic Worksheet - pdf

• Climate Disaster Congregational Asset Mapping Tool - pdf & gdoc

In addition, you can access a copy of the slides or watch the recordings from previous workshops at the links below:

September 27 slides - recording

October 25 slides - recording 

We invite you to share this recording and these resources with others in your congregation as you explore how to incorporate what was discussed into your own efforts to support your community through any experiences of climate disaster. Consider consulting with key congregational leadership to complete your Congregational Asset Map, or begin to identify who in your broader community has the most direct knowledge and experience of the climate threats in your area. 

If you have any other questions or ideas for how we can support your organizing for climate justice in the face of climate disasters, please email us at Environment@UUA.org. We want to hear from you about what kind of gatherings, workshops, or coaching will help you live your UU values to the fullest in community

 

We look forward to seeing you again on November 15!

 

In faith & justice, 

Rachel Myslivy Rev. Ranwa Hammamy

Climate Justice Organizer Congregational Justice Organizer

Side with Love Side With Love

We are so excited to organize with Unitarian Universalists like you who are committed to promoting LGBTQIA+, Gender, and Reproductive Justice.  With the sacred right to bodily autonomy being attacked on multiple fronts, our presence as people of faith is critical to lives all around the country.  Fueled by the joy that is this prophetic and powerful community, it’s time for all of us to take action together!  You can find more opportunities to learn & act together at the Side With Love Action Center, but here are some highlights from our launch party from October 13, 2022.

• View the webinar

• View the slides

Don’t forget to sign up for the UPLIFT Action Newsletter so you can continue to get more updates about ways to connect and take action together!

QUUer the Vote

With the 2022 Election season ending in 24 days, it is time for us to QUUer the Vote and make sure all of us have the right to say what happens to our own bodies.  With reproductive freedom on the ballot in multiple states, making sure people vote our values is crucial to our collective access to bodily autonomy. 

• Friday, October 14 Phonebank to Detroiters with MUUSJN & Michigan United to support the Reproductive Freedom for All Act

• Monday, October 24 SURJ Phonebank to Kentucky Voters to Prevent the Constitutional Abortion Ban

• Weekly Monday UU the Vote Text Banks to Michigan to support the Reproductive Freedom For All Act

Learn & Organize in Your Congregation for Reproductive Justice

The movement for reproductive justice is rooted in bodily autonomy for ANY BODY that can become pregnant and/or parent a child.  Abortion access is part of the work, but it’s not the only way our bodies and lives are being restricted in our reproductive journeys.  Learn more and mobilize within your congregation by participating in one or both of these upcoming trainings!

• SACReD Reproductive Dignity Curriculum Training for Congregations (10/23 or 11/9) 

• Congregational Reproductive Justice Training for Teams (Two-Part Series)

  • Part 1 (11/13)

  • Part 2 (12/4)

Phone Bank with the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey

In just a few days, the National Center for Transgender Equality, Trans Latin@ Coalition, Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, and National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliancewill lauch the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey (USTS).  The USTS is the largest survey of trans people in the United States, collecting data that will inform media, educators, policymakers, and the general public, on issues critical to trans lives and experiences.  Help be part of this crucial project that covers topics such as health, employment, income, the criminal justice system and more. Learn more here and sign up to phone bank with the USTS starting October 19!

UPLIFT Monthly Trans/Non-Binary Gathering Space

Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings focused on trans, nonbinary, and other not (completely or at all) cis UUs.  Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary UUs and co-create support and community across our faith.  All you need to bring is yourself (and other trans/nonbinary friends, if you’d like)!  

These gatherings focus on getting to know each other and on sharing our collective dreams, ideas, and talents for this space.  Expansive definitions of trans, nonbinary, and UU all apply.  If you are interested in this space, and you aren’t cisgender, it’s a space for you.

NOTE: This space is intentionally multi-generational.  It is open to and welcoming of trans/nonbinary elders as well as children, youth, and young adults.  Standard UUA online safety measures apply to ensure all people under 18 are able to attend.  We're glad to have you here!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the amazing presentation on Engaging Marginalized Communities with Rev. Ranwa Hammamy at the last Green Sanctuary Team Meeting. If you missed it, you can watch the video of the meeting here and download the slides here.

Green Sanctuary Team Meetings

Come together for shared learning and mutual support with other UUs working on congregational transformation through climate justice on the third Wednesday of the month at 8PM ET. Each meeting includes a short presentation on a climate justice topic, followed by open discussion.

• 10/19/22 - Congregational Engagement on Climate Justice with Michael Hughes, UU Fellowship of Corvallis, OR

• 11/16/22 -  Blueprint for Climate Action Teams - Mary Rodgers, Phil Webster, & Kenneth Crandell, UU Congregation of Columbia

• No meeting in December

Thank you so much for signing up for the first webinar of our “Climate Resilience through Disaster Response & Community Care” series at Side With Love. Whether you were able to attend in real-time or plan to watch the recording later, we are grateful for your commitment to building communities of care in the face of climate disasters. 

Resources & Materials from Session 1

Linked below are materials & resources from our September 27 session on “Assessing Climate Impacts & Making Connections.” Please note that most of these can be found in the UUA Climate Disaster Prep Google Drive Folder, in both PDF & Google Doc formats.

• Climate Disaster Preparedness Guide for UUs 

• Climate Disaster Response for UUs Materials & Resources

• Climate Disaster Congregational Asset Mapping Tool - pdf & gdoc

• Case Study (Part 1) - pdf & gdoc

• Assessing Climate Impacts Worksheet - pdf & gdoc

• Assessing Climate Impacts Graphic Worksheet - pdf

• Climate Disaster Response Reflections Worksheet - pdf & gdoc

In addition, you can access a copy of the slide presentation from our September 27 webinar/workshop here, and watch the recording of the entire workshop here. 

Next Steps

We invite you to share this recording and these resources with others in your congregation as you explore how to incorporate what was discussed into your own efforts to support your community through any experiences of climate disaster. Consider consulting with key congregational leadership to complete your Congregational Asset Map, or begin to identify who in your broader community has the most direct knowledge and experience of the climate threats in your area. 

We also encourage you to share your reflections on your process with us, by sharing your copy of the “CDR/Climate Disaster Response Reflections” worksheet that you may have begun working in during the September 27 webinar. Sharing or emailing a copy to Rachel Myslivy at RMyslivy@uua.org will help us understand & better meet your needs, both as an attendee and as a climate organizer in your congregation. 

We also want to remind you to register for the second part of this series, Mobilizing for Action, which will be held on Tuesday, October 25 at 7pm ET/  6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT. We encourage you to invite 1 or 2 more people from your congregation to attend, so we can continue to grow our community of support!

And if you are looking for for another place to connect with others working on climate justice, join us on the the Side With Love Slack Channel.  You can join at this link:  http://bit.ly/SideWithLoveSlack. Check out the #climate-justice-general or #climate-justice-green-sanctuary channels to find your people! 

If you have any other questions or ideas for how we can support your organizing for climate justice in the face of climate disasters, please email us at Environment@UUA.org. We want to hear from you about what kind of gatherings, workshops, or coaching will help you live your UU values to the fullest in community

We look forward to seeing you again on October 25 & November 15!

In faith & justice, 

Rachel Myslivy Rev. Ranwa Hammamy

Climate Justice Organizer Congregational Justice Organizer

Side with Love Side With Love

In July 2022, Side With Love hosted the Climate Disaster Response Workshop for individuals interested in organizing in their communities to respond to climate disasters, led by Rachel Myslivy, Climate Justice Organizer, and Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, Congregational Justice Organizer.

What now?

• Watch the recording of the Climate Disaster Response Workshop

• View the presentation slides (Slides) (PDF)

• View the Climate Disaster Preparedness for UUs Guide

• Continue the conversation: join the #issue-climate-justice Slack channel

Come together for shared learning and mutual support with other UUs working on congregational transformation through climate justice. We invite you to join our Green Sanctuary Team Meetings, which take place virtually on every third Wednesday of the month at 5PT - 6MT - 7CT - 8ET. These community conversations are open to anyone who is interested in transforming their congregation through climate justice. Sign up here.

Additionally, we are offering this series again this fall. Join this series of workshops with activities to help you identify the climate risks, understand who is most at risk and how your community will be impacted. From there, make a plan to prepare for and respond to climate disasters in your neighborhood.

Sessions: Sept 29: Assessing climate impacts & making connections; Oct 6: Mobilizing for action; Oct 13: Community conversation. All sessions are 2 hours long and begin at 7ET - 6CT - 5MT - 4PT.

We also invite you to sign the Climate Justice Voter Pledge. Join us in creating a groundswell of politically active climate voters to build the power to change policy and build resilient communities.