June 21-25, New Orleans, LA

Not Going, But Interested in Participating Online?

You can watch and listen online to the public events, worship services, and general business sessions in the convention center for FREE, no registration required. You can watch additional events and workshops, and participate in online forums if you register as an off-site participant at General Assembly.

General Assembly 2017 Schedule

2017 UUA Voting

You can vote in the UUA presidential election even if you aren't attending General Assembly. You must be designated as a delegate from your congregation—every congregation that certified their membership has a minimum of two delegates. Find out how to register as a delegate so you can cast a vote for UUA President between now and June 24.

UUA Presidential Candidates, left to right: Rev. Jeanne Pupke, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, and Rev. Alison Miller

You can VOTE on other UUA business agenda items if you are a delegate and registered as an off-site participant at General Assembly.

Going to New Orleans?

Meet up with just over 650 fellow Pacific Western Region friends and colleagues from 5:30 to 6:15pm on Wednesday evening, June 21 in Room R02-R03 on the second floor of the convention center. We'll mingle, sing, bless one another and make a few announcements before you head out into the crowds.

Peruse the 2017 GA program book containing loads of information, workshop description, schedules, floor plans, business agenda and rules, candidates for election, and more.

UUA GA Mobile App

Install the GA mobile app! The app connects attendees to each other, the Program Book, and all the various happenings at General Assembly. You can create your schedule, look up venue maps, local area information, access Twitter and photo feeds, and more. The GA app is free and quick to install.

GA Prep

Spend some time with these GA prep resources compiled by our UUA staff, which highlights specific resources on the People, Place and Stories of New Orleans; Understanding Intersections: Race, Class, Economics; Enhancing Capacity to Build Relationships; Centering the Experiences of People of Color; and Examining Whiteness.

Review delegate information, including procedures and scheduled meetings.

Consider the unique opportunities for social justice, local service projects, and public witness at GA.

Save the Date for Board Development Days!

Continue to watch the newsletter for links to registration, when it opens.

A day for congregational teams (board members and clergy) to explore and learn together. Note: This day may supplement your traditional Board Retreat, serve as part of it, or provide the foundation for it.

If you can answer yes to a number of these, this day is designed with you in mind:

• Do your Board meetings often exhaust rather than inspire?
• Do you feel like you spend more time in the trenches than on the mountain top?
• Do you spend a lot of time figuring out (and re-figuring out) who is responsible for what?
• Have you navigated hurt feelings in the recent past because of something the Board did or did not do?
• Does there seem to be a lack of trust of leaders in your congregation? (Hint: If a lot of people want their opinion on everything to matter, your answer might be yes.)
• Would you like some inspiration to become a more grounded and courageous leader?
• Do you often feel like the congregation is involved a little bit in a lot of things, never really doing justice to any of them?
• Would you like information on how to become more intentional about developing leadership?
• Would you like to meet nearby congregational leaders?

Currently Scheduled:

• August 19 at Verdugo Hills (Los Angeles)
• September 16 at Tapestry (Orange Co.)
• October 14 at Live Oak (Goleta, CA)
• October 21 in Marin Co. (CA)
• October 28 in San Jose (CA)
• Tentatively on November 18 in the Denver area.

Plans are currently underway to offer these throughout the PWR. If you are interested in hosting a Board Development Day in the coming church year, let your PWR Primary Contact know.

Upcoming RE Trainings

Find the current listings of OWL trainings and Renaissance Modules being offered in the PWR. We've recently added an OWL training in Tucson, AZ in August and a Hybrid Renaissance Module in Olympia, WA

Save the Date

• PCD-LREDA Pot of Gold Conference - Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, keynote speaker
  Oakland, CA • Sept. 30
• MDD Annual Conference and Meeting
  Boulder, CO • Oct. 13-14
• Class Conversations Workshop
  Kensington, CA • Oct. 14
• PWR Regional Assembly
  Portland, OR • Apr. 27-29

PWR Congregations in the News

Issues of Faith: Calling on Albert Schweitzer and his 'stand to reason'
Disdain for science, the splitting off of reason from religion, "fake news"! For solace and hope, I turn to the life and thought of Dr. Albert Schweitzer. A scholar with groundbreaking accomplishments in three different academic disciplines — theology, philosophy and music — Schweitzer, 1875-1965, was most well-known for his humanitarian work as a physician in bringing modern medical treatment to the tropical rainforests of Gabon in Equatorial Africa and in working to bring about nuclear disarmament. (He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.) And, importantly for our times, Schweitzer insisted that thought and religion belong together, that the deepest truths of religion should "stand to reason."
Read more from Rev. Bruce Bode in the Peninsula Daily News.

Board backs fire chief's call on 'Black Lives Matter' pin
After hearing arguments and testimony in a public grievance hearing today, the Humboldt Bay Fire Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors unanimously backed Chief Bill Gillespie's decision to forbid a firefighter from wearing a "Black Lives Matter" lapel pin on his uniform. The firefighter, Matt McFarland, and his wife Tamara and two children of color attend the Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
Read more from Eureka's Times Standard News as well as Rev. Bryan Jessup's Letter to the Editor in response to the article.

Curious about Multicultural Transformation?

Almost 40 participants joined the Pacific Western Region's call on May 10 to talk about a way forward in transforming our Unitarian Universalist movement to become more multicultural and inclusive. We decided that instead of getting furious, we'd rather get curious. We are pleased to announce the launch of Curiosity Circles beginning this fall as virtual small group gatherings to help form a region-wide racial justice team modeled after the New England Region's G.R.A.C.E (Growing Racial and Cultural Equity) Team.

Here's what we're envisioning:

• Pick a religious leader from your congregation (e.g., minister, religious educator, board president, or chair of your anti-racism, anti-oppression, multiculturalism, or immigration justice team) to join a Curiosity Circle.
• Eight people form one team, committing to meet once a month for ten months beginning this fall (actual days/times vary).
• Each person presents a case study from their congregation on blessings and challenges faced by their congregation when it comes to doing this work. The others listen attentively and ask wondering questions.
• The last session will be spent coming up with a charge/mission for the PWR G.R.A.C.E Team. Get it? Grace can be powerful!

Together, we can shift our culture and dismantle systems of oppression. Sign up for a Curiosity Circle today. Questions? Contact Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kūpono Kwong or Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh.

Sixth Walking the Walk Justice Summit & Camp

The UU Justice Ministry of California is proud to present their sixth Walking the Walk Justice Summit and Camp in collaboration with UU Justice Arizona Network (UUJAZ). They will continue in the expanded, four-day format, August 12-16, allowing more time for personal reflection and recreation at Camp deBenneville in the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California.

Based on popular feedback from last year's event, the community-led networking and breakout session blocks in the afternoon return. These offer a time for participants to connect around issues, challenges and opportunities that called to them and created some of the strongest connections after the event.

Of course there will be lots of workshops geared toward building practical justice-making skills, connecting social justice work to our shared Unitarian Universalism and defining next steps on important issues such as immigrant justice, climate justice and economic justice.

Learn more

PWR Job Postings

• Director of Religious Education for Children's Ministry - UU of San Mateo, CA
  Application is open until the position is filled.
• Director of Religious Education - Portland, OR
  Application is open until the position is filled.
• Congregational Administrator - First Universalist Church of Denver, CO
  Applications open until the position is filled.
• Part-time Religious Education Coordinator - Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, CA
  Applications accepted until June 30th, but apply earlier if possible.
• Engagement Coordinator - Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, CO
  Applications open until the position is filled.
• High School Youth Program Coordinator - Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, CO
  Applications open until the position is filled.
• Campus Ministry Coordinator - Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, CO
  Applications open until the position is filled.

Ministry Positions

• Contract Minister - Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society
  Application is open until position is filled.