The UUA has created a disaster relief fund for those who want to make a donation to help congregations who have faced losses due to tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires and more. Please donate if you can. To learn more about the work of the Disaster Relief Fund visit their webpage. If your congregation needs assistance, you can apply for a grant on that webpage. We are Better Together.

It's that time of the year again. Your congregation has held its annual meeting and elected new officers, or it's on your schedule. You have new committee chairs appointed to lead your work for next year. But have you told anyone outside the congregation about these changes?

To help the UUA and the Central East Region stay in touch with the leaders of your congregation we need YOU to update your leadership information on myuua.org. This is the same place you update your UU World lists. Need help? Let us know or check out the webpage with the details. Please note that you can make these updates at any time. Many congregations hold elections in the spring or late fall, but appoint new committee chairs in summer or early fall. Each event should prompt a review of what is listed in myuua.org to ensure it is up to date. Staffing changes should also be listed in this location.

Need more details? Check our blog post on this topic from June 8th.

by Rev. Renee Ruchotzke

When I first visited Ilze and Oskars on their permaculture farm in Latvia as a WWOOFER, Ilze sent me out to pick “salads” for dinner. When I asked where the lettuce garden was, she told me to pick wild greens. I asked her how I could tell the right ones. She gave me a wry smile and put her pinched fingers to her mouth and said, “just taste!”

The Office of Church Staff Finances reminds us this is a time when we have a lot of staff changes is our congregations. Please check out their LeaderLab page on Compensation Standards and Resources which includes their Benefits Workbook to help you make sure you don't miss any deadlines. You'll also want to check out their From Starting to Parting document that provides advice on welcoming new staff, providing ongoing support and ensuring healthy departures.

Looking for speakers for your virtual services? The reality is that you can choose anyone regardless of geography. Many community-based religious professionals have developed a list to make it easier to find speakers. You can find it here. Also, don't forget to check out the CER Guest in Your Pulpit program, which includes both lay and professional worship leaders.

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

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 the regional office to pay for your registration, 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 we are expecting all events in 2020-2021 to be virtual. 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.

• CER Networking Calls - one per week, 1-2 each week. Choose what works best for you.
• First Wednesday of the month - Sept 2, Oct 7, Nov 4, Dec 2 at 5 pm with Rev. Sunshine Wolfe and Rev. Renee Ruchotzke.
• Second Tuesday of the Month - Sept 8, Oct 13, Nov 10, Dec 8 at 6:30 pm with Patricia Infante and Sana Saeed.
• Second Friday of the month - Sept 11, Oct 9, Nov 13, Dec 11 at 1 pm with Rev.  Evin Carvill-Ziemer and Rev. Renee Ruchotzke.
• Third Monday of the month - Sept 21, Oct 19, Nov 16, Dec 21 at 4 pm with Rev. Megan Foley.
• Third Wednesday of the Month - Sept 16, Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec 16 at 6 pm with Patricia Infante, Sana Saeed, Rev. Evin Carvill-Ziemer, and Rev. Hope Johnson.
• Join by going to https://uua.zoom.us/j/98736004337, password is 202006.
  
• Online RE Safety Guideline Workshop  ~ online webinar. 1-3 pm, Saturday, September 19, 2020.
• Pittsburgh Cluster Annual Assembly ~ November 7, 2020