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News and updates from the Central East Region to keep your congregation informed.
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News and updates from the Central East Region of the UUA to keep your congregation informed.
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Opportunities for Connection
CER Update
~ May 2020
Quick Links
Featured Resource: General Assembly 2020 Goes Virtual
The UUA Board of Trustees has passed a resolution to make the 2020 General Assembly a 100% virtual event. This decision alleviates the anxiety and concern shared by many about how GA might proceed given the impact of COVID-19. It also gives the Association time to plan a more robust and rewarding virtual experience.

A virtual GA has many benefits, including a significant reduction in our carbon footprint and the possibility of higher attendance, since it is more accessible for delegates and anyone else burdened by travel costs or time.

For many years we have offered virtual attendance as an option and, this year, we will scale and enhance our technology so that we can accommodate a wider, ideally more global, audience. Across the country, UU congregations have embraced virtual meetings and Sunday services and we know that the number of screens that log in has grown each week. We are excited for what lies ahead!


  • Registration is open - if you already registered for the in-person GA, you should have received an email about this. Please check the GA Registration page.
  • Delegate credentials are issued and managed online. Learn more about this system on the GA Credentials Webpage.
  • A schedule of events is in process and will be released soon - watch the GA page for details.
Pandemic Resources for Congregations
Are you overwhelmed with how to manage your congregation with all the changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic? The UUA Safe Congregations Team is curating a growing collection of resources specific to novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). The local and national situation is changing day-by-day and hour-by-hour. Your UUA staff will continue to update these resources as needs evolve. In process now are guidelines and considerations for re-opening congregations.

Where to find information:

The UUA has created a response fund for those who want to donate funds to help in the current COVID-19 situation. Please donate if you can. Visit the UUA website for details on donations and guidelines for how the funds will be distributed.

    UU the Vote Hosts How We Thrive Webinar
    What does it mean to practice our principles during a pandemic? What are we doing to guarantee free and fair elections in states targeted by voter suppression?

    How is UU the Vote rising to the challenges of COVID-19, while creating a movement towards UU values in the 2020 elections?

    Join us LIVE for a special update from UU the Vote on Thursday, May 12 at 7 pm ET. This event will feature musicians from across the country, a message from UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, and opportunities for you to get involved and make meaningful impacts in 2020!  Register Today.

    Need help with your election work? Sign up for the UU the Vote weekly online Office Hours every Tuesday evening from 8-9 pm Eastern Time. If you need help planning fundraising for this project, check out the UU the Vote step-by-step fundraising guide.
    Better Together Blog: Are We the Long-Haul People?
    by Patricia Infante

    Early in the pandemic crisis my mind kept wandering back to a poem written by my former minister and mentor, Rev Rudy Nemser. The poem, "Long-Haul People," reminds me that congregations thrive on a million small acts of attention and commitment over weeks, months and years and it is through those acts that we grow the resilience to weather the kind of crisis we now find ourselves in.

    Read the rest of the article

    News from the UUA
    The UUA has created a response fund for those who want to donate funds to help in the current COVID-19 situation. Please donate if you can. Visit the UUA website for details on donations and guidelines for how the funds will be distributed. The Disaster Relief Fund continues to support congregations affected by tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters as well. To learn more about the work of the Disaster Relief Fund visit their webpage. We are Better Together.

    Do you know about UUAMP - The UU Association of Membership Professionals? They have resources and other help on their website and through their networks. Check the UUAMP website for details on all things membership related.

    New publications from the UUA
    - Available for pre-order is The Stonewall Generation: LGBTQ Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging by Jane Fleishman and Breaking and Blessing: Meditations by Rev. Sean Parker Dennison. Now available for purchase is Conversations with the Sacred: A Collection of Prayers by Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Rev. Jennifer Kelleher. The May Goodread's Blook club group read is Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry (Beacon Press).


    The UUA is hiring for several positions. Find job descriptions and application information at their Job Openings webpage.

    CER Events at a Glance
    The following events are upcoming in the region. For full details and a complete list visit the CER Calendar Page. Also, please note, if you are mailing a check to pay for your event to us, you must write the name and date of the event in the memo line. Otherwise we may not get it properly credited.

    Due to COVID-19 all events scheduled between now and August 31, 2020 have been either cancelled, postponed or are in the process of being re-imagined in an alternative format. Going forward, we will evaluate each of these events based on the current situation in our country. We strongly encourage congregations to do your part to flatten the curve by supporting your congregants virtually through online conferencing, phone, email or letters and forgoing in person meetings.

    • Joint Board Basics Training scheduled for June 6, 2020 will happen online. Registration is open.
    • General Assembly 2020 will be an all virtual event. Details are being worked out. Stay up to date by checking the UUA GA webpage.
    • Summer Institute and UUMAC have both decided to cancel their in person events this July and provide a virtual alternative. Stay tuned for details.
    CER Webinars at a Glance

    The following webinars will take place in the region the next two months. For full details and a complete list visit the CER Webinars Calendar.

    • Many of our staff are holding open office hours during the week when individuals can drop in to ask questions and to talk with other congregations. Please check with your primary contact if you are interested in this.
    • The Stewardship and Development Office is hosting twice weekly Salons for congregations to drop in and ask questions about budgets and pledge drives. The days and times are below. See the webpage for connection info.
      • Thursdays at 3 pm Pacific/4 pm Mountain/5 pm Central/ 6 pm Eastern
      • Mondays at 4 pm Pacific/5 pm Mountain/6 pm Central/7 pm Eastern
    Congregation, Cluster and Affiliate Groups News and Events
    Our congregations and clusters in the region have many exciting activities and announcements going on. For a complete listing of events, visit the CER Congregations and Clusters Calendar Page. For news from congregations, please visit our News Blog. For job listings from congregations check the UUA Job Board.

    • Rev. Elizabeth Mount will celebrate their ordination online with the First UU Church of Indiana, PA on May 2 at 2 pm ET.
    • Murray Grove is hopeful that their 2 summer camps will still take place. Registration is open. Camping in the Grove for 4-7th graders will be August 2-6, 2020 and Adventure Camp for 8-10th graders will be July 13-16, 2020.
    • The Long Island UU Council is hopeful their Sophia Lyons Fahs camp will take place August 23-29, 2020 in Burlingham, NY. Registration is open.
    • Murray Grove is celebrating the sestercentennial of Universalism in America. It will be the 250th anniversary of John Murray’s famous 1770 sermon in Thomas Potter’s chapel in Good Luck, New Jersey. They have created a digital toolkit, have events planned for the year and a gathering scheduled in October at Murray Grove. Details are on the Murray Grove website.
    • Several UU Congregation in CER are hiring Religious Education, youth ministry and other positions. Check the listings.
    If your congregation or cluster has news or events to share, please send it to us at bcasebolt@uua.org
     
    This work is made possible by the generosity of member congregations and individual donors. 
    Sent to: _t.e.s.t_@example.com
    Central East Region of the UUA, 100 W 10th Street Suite 1008, Wilmington, DE 19801, United States

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    Central East Region of the UUA
    100 W 10th Street Suite 1008
    Wilmington, DE 19801
    United States