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Here's the grid calendar, which includes all events sponsored by and recommended by MidAmerica Region:
https://www.uua.org/midamerica/events
And here is the new Event Registration list:
Our church needed a new roof and we didn’t have the money to pay for it. We had a member who yelled at people during coffee hour. New members weren’t stepping up to volunteer, let alone be leaders. When new people did step up, their ideas were ignored.
These were the kinds of challenges that I faced when I first stepped into a leadership position. I went to every local workshop offered by the UUA, and read every book in the church’s small library, but I kept making mistakes. Other leaders suggested I attend EAGLES, the Eastern Great Lakes Leadership School, but I didn’t have the money nor the vacation time.
That was over 20 years ago.
Since then, I felt a call to the ministry of Leadership Development, with the vision of having EAGLES-caliber leadership development available to all leaders, not just the ones with the money and vacation time.
The result? The UU Leadership Institute.
Your national UUA Congregational Life staff now offers a series of core leadership courses to equip your leaders with tools and wisdom so they can lead with courage and confidence.
Each 8-module course is offered at a low cost of $30 each. Registered participants receive notifications every two weeks as each new module opens. Participants who register later can access “released” modules and catch up with the rest of the class.
In faith and service,
Rev. Renee Ruchotzke
I had no idea what to expect from my first trip to Disney World this summer, but I left with lots of impressions: discomfort with the total commercialism; awe at the detailed work put into the park; and delight in the way that people visiting Disney World are “all in.” None of the visitors were too cool, or too world-weary, to put on a pair of Mickey Ears and sing along to “It’s A Small World After All.”
Continue reading The Beauty Spilling Out on UUA.org.
They were a new rage that soared in popularity with the military: a weapon that could pinpoint its target, reduce unnecessary “collateral damage” like civilian casualties, fly to hard to reach places instead of using ground forces, use remote piloting thus protecting U.S. military personnel involved in this form of combat. The concept was an easy one: using the drone devised for surveillance, just equip it with lethal weapons. Israel first used the drone in its surveillance and intelligence gathering of Palestinian territory, but the U.S.
Continue reading The Case Against Lethal Drones and Autonomous Weapons Systems on UUA.org.
In January, I was invited to join the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) Faith Coalition by my friend and colleague in faith, the coalition chair, Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer. Mike has the responsible swagger of one who would never invite another into any initiative that would be a waste of time. Apart from that, two other vital components peeked my interest making the invite irresistible, namely Faith and AIDS.
This was my fourth summer on the youth staff at a conference on Star Island, located off the shore of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Many sea gulls nest on the rocks of the island’s rim, away from the buildings, but walking on the rocks on the island’s perimeter had become one of my most favorite things to do over the years. I would climb up and down the rocks, take some photos, and sit in the sun all by myself. Sea gulls always screeched when I entered their territory. I was amused by their fuzzy gray babies crying and running around in response.
Continue reading Angry Birds on UUA.org.
Loving Louder- transcript
Welcome to this space. You deserve to be here. Take a breath. Be
present. You are exactly where you’re meant to be. You are exactly who
you’re meant to be.
Continue reading Loving Louder- A Homily by Kari Gottfried on UUA.org.
International Committee of the Red Cross
This article by Neil Davison was originally published by the International Committee of the Red Cross in April 2018 as part of their series on the topic of Autonomous Weapon Systems. Sharing was encouraged.
Continue reading Autonomous Weapon Systems: An Ethical Basis for Human Control? on UUA.org.
Our family says the same prayer every night before we eat dinner as a way of collecting ourselves after a busy day. We say it together, and we always end with “Amen.” Or rather, we used to end it that way.
Continue reading Amen-Peanut Butter-Eyeballs on UUA.org.
Do we need to change? The numbers say yes!
An examination of the UUA's congregation certification data for 2017 shows that out of 1,032 total congregations, 980 certified with the Association. Of that number, 145 congregations are now below the threshold of 30 active members, the level of membership needed to become a new congregation today.
The reflection that follows includes an explicit reference to sexual violence.
"You have beautiful hair. If you slim down, Honey, you'll have to fight off the men.” A very old woman standing behind me in the pharmacy line said that.
Continue reading The Compliment on UUA.org.
Congress is now considering billions of dollars of increased funding for immigration detention, deportation, and criminalization of immigrants and we have the power to stop it. We are halfway through the Interfaith Immigration Coalition's Faith Week of Action, and we continue to resist any funding increases for family separation, immigration detention, and ICE.
Continue reading We won't pay for family separation, detention, and ICE on UUA.org.
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Accessibility and Inclusion Issues in Congregational Life
Opening our doors to people of all abilities is the less talked about test of inclusion in our congregations. This webinar discusses “disability etiquette” and explores the many ways in which our congregations can be more accessible and more welcoming to people with a variety of disabilities.
Today, I witnessed bravery like never before. Today, I witnessed a woman stand before the world and recount the deepest darkest night of her life. She was clear. She was poised. She was believable. Before a mob of media, angry protesters, and suspicious charlatans. She revealed her pain, her humanity, and her shame.
Continue reading We Believe Survivors, We Believe Christine on UUA.org.
“There is no perfection, only beautiful versions of brokenness.”
―Shannon L. Alder
How are you addressing the changes in your life brought by something that has broken?
The Daily Compass offers words and images to inspire spiritual reflection and encourage the creation of a more loving, inclusive and just world. Produced by The Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation with no geographical boundary. Please support the publishing of The Daily Compass by making a $10 or $25 contribution (more if you can, less if you can't)! Thank you for your support!
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THE RESULTS ARE IN! Summer Institute finally has a new name, chosen by an overwhelming majority vote of members of the SI community, and that new name is… Central East Region Summer Institute! Our new name is practical and descriptive, it echoes our old name (switching OMD to CER), and, as a huge bonus, we now have an easy-to-pronounce acronym—let’s give a big welcome to our new nickname, “CERSI”! A new logo and website are coming soon…
40THANNIVERSARY OF SUMMER INSTITUTE! Next summer will mark the fortieth time that UUs from the region gather together for the magical week-long multi-generational conference that we will now call CERSI. All year the Planning Committee will be working on ways to make next summer’s gathering extra-special—if you have ideas to offer, please send them to sichair@omdsi.org.
YSAYE BARNWELL TO BE THEME SPEAKER! The 40th anniversary of SI is already ramping up the awesomeness with the announcement of Ysaye Barnwell as the 2019 Theme Speaker. A former member of the vocal group Sweet Honey in the Rock, Barnwell is an energetic and beloved workshop leader in the UU community. She has a deep knowledge of the African-American vocal tradition, and of music’s power to connect, motivate, inspire, and teach. Come and share in the experience of building beloved community through a collective voicing of our shared joys, concerns, and humanity.
CERSI WORKSHOP PROPOSALS BEING ACCEPTED NOW! One big way that you can help make CERSI 2019 awesome is to help us offer strong programming that will appeal to a range of people. Morning seminars for adults meet with the same group every day for 75 minutes, with content building from day to day. Early (inter-generational) and late (sometimes age-specific) afternoon workshops tend to be more open-ended, with folks coming and going during the 90 minutes of activity. All of them can be learning-based or activity-based, and topics might be spiritual, practical, physical, intellectual, gustatory, artsy, musical, or more! If you have an idea for an interesting morning seminar or afternoon workshop, please submit a proposal by October 30, 2018. The links can be found at http://omdsi.org/news/already-thinking-about-si-2019/
Share on FacebookThe UUA announces the appointment of Jessica York as Director of Congregational Life. Starting Nov. 1, Jessica will lead the UUA’s largest staff group which includes the staff teams of all UUA five regions.
“We are thrilled to have Jessica in this role,” says UUA President the Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray. “Her collaborative leadership, creativity and experience are exactly what we need to help move our system forward in embodying mission alignment, faithful practice and liberation.”
Continue reading Jessica York appointed Director of Congregational Life on UUA.org.
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First Unitarian Society in Minneapolis recently started an electronic giving program and share with us what they are learning. Presented by Allan Callander, Former Finance Director at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis. Host: Rev. Sharon Dittmar
Mark Bernstein, UU Association of Membership Professionals (UUAMP), MidAmerica Region of the UUA
This webinar discusses “disability etiquette” and explores the many ways in which our congregations can be more accessible and more welcoming to people with a variety of disabilities.
First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN, Sharon Dittmar, MidAmerica Region of the UUA
First Unitarian Society in Minneapolis recently started an electronic giving program and share with us what they are learning. Presented by Allan Callander, Former Finance Director at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis. Host: Rev. Sharon Dittmar
Continue reading Electronic Giving in Congregations on UUA.org.
Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church, Louisville, KY, Ian Evison, MidAmerica Region of the UUA
An opportunity for new presidents to learn the basics, share some resources, and network with those moving into the role.
Continue reading How To Be a Great Congregational President on UUA.org.
Mary Katherine Morn, Vail Weller, Amy Shaw, Darcy Roake, Eric Kaminetzky, Laura Randall, UUA Stewardship and Development Staff Group
Part of the Wi$dom and Generosity Track at the 2016 General Assembly, this workshop equips lay and ordained leadership for effective stewardship in our congregations. It is a "flash” presentation of the most innovative and successful fundraising ideas.
Continue reading Innovation and Inspiration for UU Stewardship on UUA.org.
A workshop to explore ideas and approaches for strengthening stewardship in congregations experiencing ministerial transition. The workshop will provide lay leaders and ministers with tools for addressing all elements of stewardship including annual campaigns, planned giving/endowment, fund raising, and we will even consider capital campaigns. Presented by Rev. Roberta Finkelstein, Andrea Lerner and Barry Finkelstein.
Continue reading Stewardship for Congregations in Transition on UUA.org.
Central East Region of the UUA
This workshop will explore evolving alternatives and additions to the traditional pledge drive stewardship model, designed to reduce anxiety, energize volunteers, and engage those who are not typical pledgers. Case studies will be used to spark new ideas. Facilitator: Rev. Patricia Hart, Interim Minister, UU Congregation of Charleston, WV
This workshop was recorded at the Metro NY District Assembly, May, 2015
Continue reading Stewardship Re-envisioned: Moving Beyond the Pledge Drive on UUA.org.
William Clontz, Southern Region of the UUA, Stewardship for Us
A supportive board is essential for a successful stewardship campaign. This overview helps congregational boards understand what is needed.
Continue reading Stewardship Overview for Congregational Presidents on UUA.org.
Experiential education is a learning theory that particularly fits with our theology, which knows each of us must wrestle out meaning from our lives for ourselves. It is helpful for debriefing games, activities, youth group projects, and much more. Use it when things went great and when they were an utter flop.
Continue reading Using Experiential Education in youth ministry on UUA.org.
We believe Professor Anita Hill.
We believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
We believe survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Because we believe survivors, we cannot be silent about the profound harm in confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Continue reading The UUA denounces Brett Kavanaugh’s Confirmation to the Supreme Court on UUA.org.
The communities where we live and work and go to school are constantly changing. The nation and the wider world is constantly changing. There is so much that we do not control. We face everyday challenges as we go through the various phases of our own lives and the lives of family and friends. And in these challenges there are many opportunities for us to stretch and grow.
I grew up in the UU church, All Souls in Washington, DC. It helped to shape me. In my younger years I was skeptical about organized religion. It was my belief that we don’t need to go to church to be good people, and there was no guarantee that people would be better because of church.
Somewhere along the way, my attitude changed. My appreciation for what the church had given to me deepened and I wanted to give back. The more I got involved, the relevancy of the church in people’s lives and in the wider society became more apparent. I started to see churches as critical centers of community life that tend to important individual, family and community needs. The church is where we mark certain cultural and life transitions: child dedications, graduations, marriage, anniversaries, and celebrations, caring and memorials when life comes to an end. It is where we bring our joys and sorrows and know that we are not alone.
In addition to my own lived experience, I had an interesting window that helped to shift my understanding. Most Sundays I attended services with my mother. We processed sermons together and attended meetings. She was usually the first person I called to bat around some new ideas or to make sense of confusing feelings. At the same time, my daughter was being raised as UU. I was seeing church through three generations at one time.
When my mother retired from teaching, the church community became more central to her life. There she could find people she loved, inspiring messages from the pulpit, music to soothe the soul. She could count on our church for continued intellectual engagement, and being active in a caring community contributed to a healthy emotional life.
At one point, I became evangelical in my belief that everyone needs to belong to a church. I wanted to shout from the rooftop, everyone needs to belong to a church, no matter what church it is! There are things that are essential to our lives and churches are perfectly suited to be centers that contribute to quality of life for each of us.
Recently, someone shared that they joined a UU church, after the last election. They found us on the internet and knew they had found their people on the first visit. There are many others who are in need of sanctuary, community or safe harbor in a troubled world. The program year is well underway and the next election is approaching Let’s keep building healthy ministries and be ready to welcome newcomers.
Paula Cole Jones
Interim CER Congregational Life Staff
“Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden.”
― Cormac McCarthy
What small thing sustains you?
The Daily Compass offers words and images to inspire spiritual reflection and encourage the creation of a more loving, inclusive and just world. Produced by The Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation with no geographical boundary. Please support the publishing of The Daily Compass by making a $10 or $25 contribution (more if you can, less if you can't)! Thank you for your support!
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
One glorious spring day, I was on a field trip with a group of middle school youth, venturing a short way down the Florida National Scenic Trail.
Continue reading Blessed Are the Magic-Makers on UUA.org.
[PLACE EDITOR'S NOTE HERE]
Charge to the—MinisterRev. Dawn Fortune
Look around this sanctuary.
Feel the love. It is palpable. It is real—and it is yours. Embrace the grace of being loved for all that is you. For all that is your life.
I charge you, Dawn Fortune, never to forget that are worthy of love. Break open your heart and accept what this deep, abiding love can mean.
Continue reading Embrace the Grace of Being Loved: A Charge to the Minister on UUA.org.
Thursday, October 11th is National Coming Out Day!
Thirty years ago queer people began celebrating National Coming Out Day on the one-year anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Their goal was simply to celebrate our inherit worth and dignity before the nation and the world by living their truth as the most potent form of activism.
I did a little research on the history of National Coming Out Day. It began in 1988 with the premise that coming out as a queer or trans person was the most basic form of activism one could do, because of the rationale that it is harder for people to hate queer or trans people if they know one.
Continue reading Dare to Come Out to Ourselves on National Coming Out Day! on UUA.org.
Two years ago, UU Church of Amherst, NY member Maria Ceraulo read a story online about a “Little Free Food Pantry” and thought, “Huh, we should do this,” and began floating the idea to her congregation. The congregation applied for and received a very generous grant from the Network of Religious Communities of Greater Buffalo. They also found a partner to help operate the pantry, Congregation Havurah, who shares space with the UU congregation.
On Sunday, September 30, the pantry was opened. Members of all ages came early to stock the panty and ready it for the blessing after the service. The congregations primary contact, the Rev. Renee Ruchotzke co-led the service with the congregation’s settled minister, the Rev. Michelle Buhite. After the service the congregation gathered underneath the portico where the new pantry is accessible to all. Maria and other leaders instrumental in the project participated in the grand opening, and Rev. Michelle gave the blessing. The grand opening and dedication was covered by local media, including on the local news channel. https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/new-food-pantry-opens-in-williamsville/71-599502862
Food Pantry Dedication by Rev. Michelle Buhite.
Today we begin a new thing.
Today we lift up a new way to embody our mission
to foster more compassion and justice in the world,
by committing ourselves to feed the hungry in our community.
May those who have, share from their abundance.
May those who need, find nourishment for body and soul.
And may we recognize that we are all givers and receivers –
all in need of the grace of human kindness
and a word of hope and encouragement.
May it be so.
Share on FacebookHouse Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi hosted a hearing with the Poor People's Campaign on September 26, 2018. Rev. Michael Crumpler represented the UUA at this event, and offered his testimony along with Darin Brooks, a fast food worker involved with the Poor People's Campaign. Below is a transcript of Michael's and Darin's testimony.
Michael:
When I first heard of this spiritual teaching from the Sufis, I was miffed. What sense did that make: "Die before you die"? I thought about all of the suffering in the world. A teaching that emphasized more of the loss and grief of death just didn’t make sense.
Continue reading Worthy of Love on UUA.org.
For those of us who are UN supporters, we realize there is nowhere else in the world like the headquarters of the United Nations, especially at the opening session of the General Assembly each September on the International Day of Peace. World leaders from 193 nations meet, greet, and speak before the member states, and mingle behind the scenes with whatever other leaders they have agreed to meet. This 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) was called to order on September 25th, 2018.
Continue reading An Educational Experience for President Trump at the United Nations on UUA.org.
The shift towards Family Ministry has many religious educators reclaiming the language of “parents as the primary religious educators.” What does that mean for today’s parents, many of whom did not grow up with Unitarian Universalism and have limited experience to use as guideposts? We’ll explore the role of parents in religious education and talk about practices and tools that parents can use to reinforce meaningful participation in a faith community.
Presented by Patricia Infante, CER Program Manager for Lifespan Faith Development.
Continue reading Teaching Parents: How to Make RE a Family Practice on UUA.org.
This week we’re watching some of the world’s most vulnerable and courageous people - escaping violence from both organized crime and their own government - banding together in a migrant caravan to support each other in the pursuit of safety and freedom. Yet so much of the media coverage and political rhetoric paints them as if they were the threat, not the ones at risk.
Continue reading Five ways to respond with love to the newest attacks on immigrants on UUA.org.
These days, if I'm awake after midnight it's because I'm rocking my baby back to sleep. But before my baby, it was probably because I was at a rock show.
Continue reading Out of the Spiritual Fog on UUA.org.
In 1919, the world was struggling to recover from the First World War and created the League of Nations. The idea was American, but the United States never joined. The League was flawed and political will in subsequent years faltered. In 1929, the U.S. Stock Market crashed, and its effects reverberated around the world. Everywhere, there was unemployment, inflation, poverty, and desperation. The Italians decided to trust their fate to Benito Mussolini. Later the Germans put their trust in Adolf Hitler.
Continue reading UN Day 2018: We Need the United Nations Now More Than Ever on UUA.org.
In the eighteen years I’ve served as minister of my small-town congregation, I have led 96 memorial services, most for people I have loved. I didn’t realize how much the deaths would hurt. The longer I stay, the deeper I love and the more I grieve. This seems so obvious, but I was surprised by it. Another surprise has been how our beloved dead seem to make themselves known; how they seem to linger with us for a little while.
Continue reading Love Does Not Disappear on UUA.org.
UUA Congregational Life Staff Group
The UUA has a Safe Congregations Team that spends hours developing and curating resources:
Continue reading Keeping Your Church Building and People Safe on UUA.org.
What are typical job descriptions for the officers on a congregational board? Here is summary of typical roles and responsibilities.
Continue reading Job Descriptions for Board Officers on UUA.org.
While the title “United Nations” covers the work of the international civil servants at headquarters and the wide range of specialized agencies and programs, credit is seldom given to the daily work they perform. In the field of disarmament, there are several programs working to help identify and bring the range of weaponry and destructive conflict to the fore so disarmament is possible (e.g. First Committee of the General Assembly, the Disarmament Commission, the Conference on Disarmament and other bodies).
Continue reading The Amazing Disarmament Work Behind the Scenes of the United Nations on UUA.org.
Dear Friends,
The shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA have shaken many of us. In the Region we have received questions from religious professionals and congregations and offer these resources in case you share these questions.
First, this loss is deeply and personally felt by those who identify as Jewish, and we have many UUs who do identify as Jewish. If you identify as Jewish and are looking for support consider Unitarian Universalists for Jewish Awareness. They are online and also have a Facebook Group.
The UUA has a trauma response ministry that can serve as a resource for communities struggling with trauma. The site includes resources for adults, children, and parents working through, with, and assessing trauma.
UUA President, Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray, offered these words in response to the shooting and Reverend Alison Miller wrote a prayer in honor of Tree of Life Synagogue.
Finally, the UUA offers multiple resources on building safety and security. Our colleague Pat Infante, from the Central East Region, recently shared them again.
Be well and be in touch,
Your Regional Staff
On October 26th, Matthew Shepard was entombed at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, twenty years after his murder. Many of us remember that Matthew was killed in a well-publicized anti-gay hate crime in 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, and he and his death subsequently became symbols for LGBT freedom. The decades-long pause between Matthew’s death and his burial was due to his parents’ fear that his grave may be desecrated by hate groups.
Our Friend, Our Creator and Source:
We come to you with words of grief,
but also, silent rage. We know that You
have made us and called us:
We are trans. And we are holy.
We are intersex. And we are sacred.
We are gender-diverse. And we are divine.
We know that Justice is always on the side of the Oppressed. Stay on our side now, Creator. Call your people to this place. Remind them that Love is more than saying. Love is being and doing.
Continue reading A Prayer: We Are Holy. We Are Sacred. We Are Divine. on UUA.org.
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) opposes the Trump administration’s new rules that would deny contraceptive insurance coverage for millions of people who aren’t cisgender men.
As religious educators wrestle with the shifting trend towards “family ministry,” many congregations are seeking resources and concrete examples of what’s working. We’ll look at two congregations that have committed to a version of the “Family Ministry” model and some of the specific implementation goals they are working towards. Bring your stories!
Presented by Patricia Infante, CER Program Manager for Lifespan Faith Development.
Continue reading Moving Towards Family Ministry Webinar on UUA.org.
I have just returned from the annual Fall Conference of the Liberal Religious Educators Association in Houston TX. The theme was “Changing the Narrative” and issues of white supremacy culture within our denomination and the urgency of empowering and sustaining leaders of color were central. What a remarkable conversation we had over the course of 5 days! Denominational leaders including Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Christina Rivera, Greg Boyd, Rev Dr Natalie Fenimore, Aisha Houser and many others led discussions, workshops and informal conversations that were at once humbling, riveting and inspiring. Brave learning and growing “caucus” spaces were carved out for both white participants and participants of color. As has been the case so often in our Unitarian Universalist history, religious educators, both non-ordained and ordained are leading us into new ways of thinking and being with one another.
As you may recall, it was mostly religious educators who spoke up eighteen months ago, changing the narrative of who we are as Unitarian Universalists, what we “look” like, and how we bring forward voices and leaders from the margins in ways that honor and respect their unique contributions to our wholeness as a people of faith. The actions of a few courageous religious educators would ultimately contribute to big changes in our association around hiring and other institutional practices at our UUA headquarters and deep, rich conversations in congregations about what it means to be complicit in a system that continues to harm and erase people within our beloved community.
The good news is – they are still at it! Religious educators from across the continent participated in workshops on restorative circles, creating space for families of color, the theology of love and shared ministry as faith formation, just to name a few. Innovations are underway to bring JUUbilee training to children and youth, to offer congregations more study materials to continue the conversations begun with the Teach-In on White Supremacy, as well as new engaging resources from BLUU via a monthly “BLUU Box.” These are just a few of the many ways you can be a part of changing the narrative within your own congregation
We have work to do as a religious people, things to learn, deep conversations to share, and curiosity to be satisfied – in other words, faith development work. If you are lucky enough to have a professional religious educator, please look to them for a pathway into and through this brave work. You can begin by asking them what gems they carried home from the conference and what they are really excited about! Your religious educator has access to many tools and resources, whether they attended the latest LREDA Fall Conference or not. If they weren’t able to be in Houston this year, make it a priority to send them to Baltimore in November 2019 (yes, Baltimore! Hurrah, the LREDA Fall Conference is coming back to the Central East Region!). Religious educators, ministers, lay leaders – all are invited into the bold work of writing the next chapter of Unitarian Universalism!
Patricia Hall Infante, Congregational Life Staff holding the Faith Development portfolio and Credentialed Religious Educator
Share on FacebookMy youngest child, who is autistic, has taught me so much — and yet there are times, like our morning bus routine, when her autism causes me anxiety. We have to wait for her bus for up to twenty minutes on a small strip of grass on a busy road, and I have to be very creative to keep her not only entertained but out of the street. (I wonder how many people we entertain each morning.)
Continue reading The Kindness of Others on UUA.org.
The following selections have been taken from the beginning of two articles which appeared in the current Veterans for Peace publication, Reclaim Armistice Day 1918 – 2018. For the complete articles and others please refer to that newsletter.
Continue reading Reclaim Armistice Day on UUA.org.
This article is part of our series “So You Wanna Be on GA Youth Staff”. Be sure to check out the other positions and learn more about which ones you want to apply for!
Continue reading What Does the General Assembly Youth of Color Coordinator Do? on UUA.org.
This article is part of our series “So You Wanna Be on GA Youth Staff”. Be sure to check out the other positions and learn more about which ones you want to apply for!
Continue reading What does the General Assembly Youth Worship Coordinator Do? on UUA.org.
This article is part of our series “So You Wanna Be on GA Youth Staff”. Be sure to check out the other positions and learn more about which ones you want to apply for!
Continue reading What does the General Assembly Youth Worship Coordinator Do? on UUA.org.
This article is part of our series “So You Wanna Be on GA Youth Staff”. Be sure to check out the other positions and learn more about which ones you want to apply for!
Continue reading What Does the Business Manager for GA Youth Do? on UUA.org.
Living in the beautiful hill country of central Massachusetts, in the very heart of New England, it feels like history is very close to the surface: ever present and alive.
History is very present with me now, as we approach an anniversary in our national and religious history: 2020 will mark the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower at Provincetown, and then Plymouth, here in Massachusetts.
Continue reading A Cause for Thanksgiving? on UUA.org.
Almost two months have passed since at least five Saudi agents butchered one of their own inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. Jamal Khashoggi, an outspoken Saudi journalist based in the United States, had entered the consulate to retrieve the documents he needed to marry his Turkish fiancé. She waited outside for ten hours in vain before leaving and returning the next day. Within a couple weeks, it became clear that Khashoggi had been tortured and bruta
Continue reading Honoring Khashoggi's Legacy on UUA.org.
With Thanksgiving past and the holiday season approaching, this marks the beginning of the season of thankfulness and gratitude. And so we want to take this opportunity to say Thank You.
Thank you to the congregations who pay their fair share to the Annual Program Fund and those who stretch to pay as much as they can. Your funds make our work possible and allow us to provide resources, trainings and support to all our congregations in the region.
Thank you to all our Chalice Lighters who make a commitment to help those beyond their own congregation with growth and outreach projects, or to recover from devastating situations. Your generosity has an impact on the lives of our congregations and members that you cannot imagine.
Finally, we could not do it without our volunteers. Those who volunteer in our congregations to make them representatives of our values in your communities. The committee chairs and members, those who plan events, congregational volunteers who help us with on the ground planning and logistics for events and more. We would not be able to do anything without our volunteers. To you we say Thank You over and over again.
So to all of you who make these many things possible, we say Thank You.
Your Regional Staff
Rev. Megan Foley, Cristina Sanchis, Rev. Renee Ruchotzke, Andrea Lerner, Rev. Hope Johnson, Patricia Infante, Rev. Megan Foley, Beth Casebolt, Evin Carvill-Ziemer, Paula Cole Jones, Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, Amy Kent and Shannon Harper
If you are feeling grateful and want to share your bounty with others, Giving Tuesday, November 27th, is a wonderful opportunity. Giving Tuesday kicks off the holiday season, when charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world come together in common purpose: to celebrate their cause and to give. Donations to the UUA on Giving Tuesday will be doubled. Learn more at their website. Faithify.org, our UU Crowdfunding platform has a number of worthy projects that you may also consider.
Share on FacebookYou may have noticed when clicking on some links in our site that you are sent to new pages! We're in the process of moving our website to:
We should have everything complete by the first of the year. You may want to bookmark that link for future reference.
If you encounter any difficulties finding what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us, tech@midamericauua.org.
I wonder what exactly we’re doing, we human beings, when we invite non-human animals into our homes.
When our last cat died, my spouse and I thought that maybe it was time for a break from cats. Why add to our already hectic lives, already full with the care of two small humans and the maintenance of two adults? Why deal with the hassle of having to put away dinner leftovers right away, lest they be eaten by a roaming pet? Perhaps our lives were better without extra fur.
Continue reading To Break Our Hearts Open on UUA.org.
This blog is by guest Tyler Coles.
Like many who grew up in the rolling hills of the Appalachian Mountains, I always found autumn a welcome relief following the tedious days of summer. The cool temperatures and falling leaves form a picturesque memory in my mind as my friends and I would take part in one of our favorites activities – building forts. As we would wander through the woods just beyond our neighborhood, we would assemble crude structures with whatever materials we would come across. Sometimes the work of creation would be easy. Yet, more often, our work required copious amounts of time and energy as we gathered materials that would aid in our fort’s longevity and stability.
In the dense forests of poplar, oak and elm, the options for building materials were endless. In this abundance we would be meticulous in what we would include as each piece had to connect in the most perfect of ways. Since those early years I can see the forces of both playfulness and meticulousness working themselves out as we constructed. Holding in tandem these often opposing forces I have started to ask myself, “What am I building? And how am I building it?” I have found these questions useful as they guide me to be both intentional and abundantly creative.
Since joining the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (Oakton, VA) as the Young Adult Community Leader, I have used these questions to envision and call into being what could lie ahead for us. The task of co-creating an innovative young adult (18-35+) community beyond the walls of the Church starts small and intentionally, much like selecting the perfect branch from which to form a childhood fort. Like those forts, this space invites us to live out our values in relationship to ourselves, each other and the greater world in playful and joyful ways.
So how are we going about the doing of this work? Like all things, it starts with taking the time to meet people towards getting to know them. Through conversations over coffee or during brunch I listen for the most pressing matters that they carrying at the time. In these conversations I have learned that there is a deep desire to be in relationship with others, to explore and develop spiritual practice, and to actively make justice and peace in the community. I have inquired how and in what spaces they would like to do these things. The resounding response – it must be flexible and light as schedules are already jammed packed!
Currently we are tinkering with a combination of small circles, large group gathers, and opportunities to “skill-up” around things any young person in the 21st century needs to know (like applying for Health Care or paying taxes). The frequency and location of these gatherings are being left to the discernment of those who will take part in them. Some might be bi-weekly or monthly, others could be one-offs or occur about every six weeks. There is opportunity and interest in gathering in a number of spaces like people’s living rooms, coffee shops, open fields, and community centers. Whatever the case may be, it is in my role to offer up time, support, imagination, and access to financial resources that have been gifted to our collective through a generous bequeath.
Yet it is important to note that in talking with other spirit-based community organizers, while money most certainly makes things easier. It is in the desire, creativity, and dedication to seeing a covenant-community conjured into reality that makes all of this just that, a reality. This work will be messy, even complicated at times, stirring within us moments of anxiety. Yet in forming connection, generating meaning, and doing the work of right relationship we can move through those moments in boldly compassionate ways.
It is my hope that we might craft a new way of doing the old work of church (i.e. community) in the here and now. If you are, or know, a young adult in northern Virginia who might be interested, please feel free to reach out to me! Come, let us dream and build together a fort that will hold all of us in this moment.
In Faith & Resistance,
Tyler Coles
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Commission on Institutional Change
Building up towards the General Assembly 2018, the members of the Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) decided that as a faith community, we should be centering theology and faith work as we moved into a deeper engagement with the charge received from the Board of Trustees in GA 2017. As an entry point to this task, the COIC convened a panel around the question: How do we bring to the center the task of addressing White Supremacy within our Institution and congregations, our shared religious values, traditions, and perspective?
Continue reading Centering Theology: Conversation about Faith, Race and Liberation on UUA.org.
I was holding my breath. The firefighter must have noticed.
"You can go outside, you know. You don’t have to wait for the alarm to go off.”
I exhaled. Oh, right. I had been waiting for the fire department to initiate the alarm for our fire drill at our congregation, because every time we have overnight guests we have to do a test. Youth lock-ins, social justice fastings, retreats, and impromptu requests all mean a call to the Fire Department. I had come to hate those three minutes of waiting.
Continue reading Radical Expectations on UUA.org.
Creative Darkness, closest friend, you whisper in the night;
you calm our fears as unknown paths surprise us with new sight.
We marvel at your bounty, your gifts so full and free,
unfolding as you waken us to new reality.
Excerpted lyrics to O Holy Darkness, Loving Womb, by Jann Aldredge-Clanton. Find out more on WorshipWeb.
From Rev. Megan Foley, Regional Lead
I get supremely edgy this time of year.
You can blame the upbringing in sunny and warm California and Asia if you like, or the subsequent long gray winters in New England or Ireland…but I do not like a lot of dark or cold. I work from home on many days, a home surrounded by hills, tall trees and apartment buildings, and I swear, these days I have to turn the lights on at 3 pm. Three o’clock in the afternoon. I may as well get out a paper bag to breathe into.
Our faith tradition, like many others, has a lot to say about the dark, so literally upon us this time of year, and it also has a lot to say about metaphorical dark times. There’s something scary about darkness for us diurnal humans, so reliant on sunshine and warmth for food and comfort, so reliant on our ability to see – when we can – to keep ourselves oriented and safe. Or, at least, it’s scary for me.
Poems like the ones above reorient me this time of year. Darkness is where Creation happens, and Lord knows we need some Creation in our world right now. Our known paths are heavily trod these days and don’t seem to be heading in the right direction at all.
What if we gave ourselves over, if only for a few minutes each day, for a few weeks of the year, to the idea that if we closed our eyes and unclenched our hands and jaws, a previously unseen and unknown path might open up for the people of this world? Instead of fighting the darkness, what if we considered it our closest friend, as the poem suggests? What can be done in the dim light of a wintery three o’clock afternoon that could never be done in the bright sunshine of another time of year? What can be known if we set our knowing aside and let the dark do its timeless work, just for a few months?
Bounty? Gifts, full and free? Even in winter? Forget the ads: this is what we really need for Christmas, now and always.
It’s the work of the faithful to orient ourselves so that we can receive gifts like these. It’s the work of the faithful to take the cues of the season and let a greater Creation, a greater Wholeness, restake its claim on our world.
What works of faith will you be offering this winter? What new reality will be waking in you, in your community, in all of us, come Spring?
Share on FacebookThe Unitarian Universalist Association is thrilled to share a new structure in the Association’s justice work. As of December 16, 2018, a new Organizing Strategy Team will be created to lead the UUA’s prophetic public ministry work. The team will consist of Side with Love Campaign Manager Everette Thompson, Director of Congregational Advocacy and Witness Susan Leslie, Communications Coordinator Audra Friend, and Senior Associate for Climate Justice Rev. Karen Brammer. Rev.
Continue reading UUA Announces Organizing Strategy Team on UUA.org.
At a conference in Taiwan last week, Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office Director Bruce Knotts spoke of threats to human rights. In his address at the International Forum for Freedom and Democracy in Taipei, he affirmed that human rights must never be put to a vote as had happened in Taiwan earlier that week.
Continue reading Creating and Working Towards Justice on Human Rights Day on UUA.org.
I grew up in Southern California, where December rarely gets below a crisp 45° and the outdoor malls put colored lights on the palm trees. While TV and movies would depict the holidays as a cozy time for families to snuggle up and watch the snow while decorating their homes, I usually found it hard to get in the Christmas spirit. Maybe that’s why my favorite Christmas songs are about how it feels to be out of sync with others.
Continue reading Hope Is Currency on UUA.org.
On December 10th we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt and her team of international scholars with differing legal and social backgrounds, whose work was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948 and subsequently adopted by all future UN member states.
Bringing a group of youth to GA this year and just don't know where to start? Or do you wish your annual GA trip was easier? Check out our video series starring some real experts at bringing youth groups to GA. You asked, and we've answered!
Continue reading How to Pay for Everyone Going to GA on UUA.org.
Bringing a group of youth to GA this year and just don't know where to start? Or do you wish your annual GA trip was easier? Check out our video series starring some real experts at bringing youth groups to GA. You asked, and we've answered!
Continue reading How to Pay for Everyone Going to GA on UUA.org.
Bringing a group of youth to GA this year and just don't know where to start? Or do you wish your annual GA trip was easier? Check out our video series starring some real experts at bringing youth groups to GA. You asked, and we've answered!
Continue reading Keep It Going Over the Holidays on UUA.org.
Bringing a group of youth to GA this year and just don't know where to start? Or do you wish your annual GA trip was easier? Check out our video series starring some real experts at bringing youth groups to GA. You asked, and we've answered!
Continue reading Keep It Going Over the Holidays on UUA.org.
This is a guest blog post by Gina Phillips
I’d like to take a moment to tell you a little about what it’s like to receive a campership for helping make SI happen. Actually, scratch that. I’d really just like to tell you what it’s like to be a part of the work that makes SI happen. The campership, while nice, is just a bonus.
The first time I received a campership, it was for babysitting infants and preschoolers in the afternoon. Since then, I have served on the planning council, lead an afternoon workshop, and been a touchgroup leader in the youth program.
Here is what I have learned about serving at SI: it enhances my enjoyment of SI a hundredfold. There is no better way to connect to the community than to work for and with it! I have met so many wonderful people of all ages through the work I have done and many have become dear friends. By doing a variety of jobs, I have had the chance to meet the littlest campers, youth, and adults. And I have learned that they are all completely delightful! There are so many opportunities for service both during and before SI, offering a wide variety of types of work and time commitments.
There is truly no better feeling than being at the closing ceremony at the end of a wonderful week and knowing that you helped make it happen. I had this feeling after being the chair of the Summer Institute Planning Council for a year, which may seem obvious, but I also had this feeling after playing with the babies during the week, and after hanging out with the youth for a week. I have seen firsthand how all our contributions, big and small, connect us to each other and our beloved community. If you have not yet had a chance to help make the SI magic through your service, I highly encourage you to give it a try.
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It takes many hands to create the magic of CERSI and your hands can play a part. That driver who takes you around in the golf cart? Campership. The person who teaches you a new art? Campership. The nurse who patches up your kid? Campership. Tie dye, bookstore, choir, religious education, vespers child care. All those activities are made possible by fellow CERSIers who applied for camperships.
Each of these positions comes with a financial thank you. The value of the campership is tied to the actual costs and to the amount of work involved with doing the job. While the exact amounts cannot be determined until we get this year’s costs from Oberlin, last year the values ranged from $115 (level 4) to $460 (level 1).
Applications may be submitted any time before Friday, February 1, 2019.
Questions: susanrosicgno@gmail.com
Share on FacebookIn 2019 we will be launching a new Welcoming Congregations renewal program called The Five Practices of Welcome Renewal. The goal of the program is to encourage congregations to practice Welcome every year, year-round.
As we prepare for our January 2019 launch, we are inviting religious leaders and congregants to join one (or more) of our Five Practices of Welcome Renewal - Monthly Orientation sessions:
Continue reading Five Practices of Welcome Renewal - Monthly Orientations on UUA.org.
There they were, ten preschoolers in suits and fancy dresses, each holding one letter of MERRY CHRISTMAS. I know that they must have started out the morning with at least fourteen kids, because their long-suffering choir director would not knowingly drag them onto the chancel to spell out ERRY CHIM SA in front of the whole caroling congregation.
Continue reading Too Much of Everything on UUA.org.
Be not afraid, the good and the true are stronger than anything that stands against them, and sooner or later, will prevail. It you doubt it, look backward and trace the path by which we have come; and look around you: in spite of everything, we are still on our way. The darkness is vast truly, but across it there is a path of light – a path of moving light.
Continue reading One concrete thing to get someone home now on UUA.org.
From all of us at the Central East Region, we wish you Happy Holidays and a joyous New Year and extend a deep appreciation for our congregational leaders who do so much for our faith.
Please remember that the UUA offices are closed from 2 pm on December 21st through January 1st to allow our staff time to spend with their families during the holidays. We’ll be back January 2nd.
Share on FacebookThe following blog is taken from a talk given by Guy Quinlan to the Harvard Club of New York City in September 2018 on the book by Daniel Ellsberg, The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner, and is reprinted with his kind permission. Please refer to this original document for citations of works cited.
In most of our region, frigid temperatures and snow are on the way – ok, yes, we’ve already experienced that this year. This year, plan ahead so that you are ready to respond to severe winter weather:
Winter weather can be damaging and dangerous. View the Severe Winter Weather Checklist from Church Mutual’s partner IBHS for more information, or visit their website Ask Risk Control Central to contact one of their professional risk consultants.
Also visit the Church Mutual website Risk Control Weather Preparedness section to learn more about apps you can use, find a video and presentations to share and adapt a three step action plan for dealing with any type of weather disaster, be it summer or winter, expected or unexpected.
Winter weather also brings with it cold and flu season. Church mutual provides information about how to protect your members from major outbreaks and also advice on prevention and running flu shot clinics.
Church Mutual is the insurance provider for the UUA and many of our congregations. Their preparedness videos and resources are available to anyone, regardless of status with the company. They have resources on a variety of topics from background checks to financial controls to building safety and more. Their trending topics section includes information and resources about Data Encryption, Faith and the Law, Armed Intruders, Cyber Bullying, Senior Bullying, Religion and Politics, Marriage Equality, School Bullying, Overtime Regulations and Transgender Law.
This site can be a great resource for all our congregations looking to make their spaces safer and to protect their members in every way possible.
As always please reach out to your primary contact if you have questions about safety policies or just want another set of eyes to look at what your congregation has in place.
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