Opportunities for Connection-CERUUA Update January 2023

Did you know that General Assembly 2023 is in Pittsburgh, PA? That's in our region! Please join us!

General Assembly 2023 will be a multiplatform event, with registration options for in-person and/or virtual participation. In-person registration includes access to events scheduled to take place in Pittsburgh, as well as everything available to virtual registrants. Full virtual registration includes access to the GA app, as well as all on-demand programming, live webinars, and live-streamed events. In addition there is a business-only virtual option for those only wishing to participate in business matters.

Registration is now open for everyone!

Now is the time to start planning for this event.

Add the dates - June 21-15, 2023 - to your church calendar.
Tell your congregants about GA, the What is GA video can help.
Start recruiting delegates to attend in person or virtually.
Program proposals are due January 13
Poster presentation proposals are due March 15.
Learn what financial aid is available.
Learn about volunteer positions.
Learn about our host city - Pittsburgh, PA.
Stay tuned for announcements about Choir registration
Stay tuned for announcements about PRE-GA mini-assemblies and gatherings on a variety of topics for delegates.

Congregations throughout the Central East Region have started work on adopting the 8th Principle, covenanting to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. Some congregations have discussed it with no action, some have voted to adopt it, and some are using it to actively work on dismantling racism in their systems and communities. Every UU congregation is ready to take the next step in their process of furthering antiracism, whether they use the 8th Principle as a vehicle or not.

Join this year's New Day Rising event to learn from neighboring congregations about what path they've taken with their 8th Principle and other antiracism work, and how your congregation might move itself forward. This Central East Region event will include worship, testimony from congregations engaged in the work, plus caucusing and other community building opportunities. We'll meet on Saturday, February 25, 12-6 pm ET. Registration is now open!

Winter Institute (WI) is a long-held tradition of gathering over President’s Day week-end for a mid-winter retreat at Salt Fork State Park in Cambridge, Ohio. This retreat was the brainchild of a group of Summer Institute (SI) attendees who wisely determined that a year between SI gatherings is just TOO LONG to wait to gather with extended Beloved UU Community! This relaxing weekend has been an intimate gathering for UUs of all ages. There are frosty outdoor activities like sledding, hiking and cross-country skiing. For those who choose to stay in their slippers all weekend, there is a beautiful lodge with its many cozy corners and fireplaces. The pool and hot tub are truly a wintertime treat. There are fellow UUs always ready to play board games or to join in the community jigsaw puzzle. We have wonderful community worship services in the morning and evenings.

This year Winter Institute will be held on February 17-20, 2023 at Salt Fork State Park in Cambridge, OH. Registration is open and all are welcome!

Since 2016, EqUUal Access has sponsored an annual contest for sermons related to disability. It is named after Carolyn Cartland, an early president of EqUUal Access. This annual contest highlights disability-related themes and topics. Entry deadline: May 1. One cash prize of $500. When feasible, the winner may be invited to present their sermon at an EqUUal Access event during UUA General Assembly. Travel costs to GA cannot be supported.

ELIGIBILITY:

The sermon must be an original work on a disability theme or topic
The sermon must be preached between May 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023.
Entries (sermon text and entry cover information) must be submitted before midnight on May 1st, 2023.
This sermon contest is open to all lay or religious professional Unitarian Universalists.

For more information, go to the EqUUal Access website.

Led by: Rev. Sunshine Wolf and Annie Scott, CRE

Many parents and teens turn first to their Religious Educators for pastoral care, so being prepared to receive those conversations is the focus of this series. The class will be based on the Spiritual Leadership program on UU Institute created by the New England regional staff. There will be pre-work prior to the first class and each session, and you must get an *endorsement from the minister you serve with or your Board to sign up for the course.

Schedule: Every 2 weeks on Wednesdays January 18 - April 26.

Starting at: 7:00pm ET / 6:00 pm CT / 5:00pm MT / 4:00pm PT / 3:00 pm Alaska / 2:00 pm Hawaii

*Find out more and register here. Registration deadline January 11th

The UUA Congregational Life and Stewardship for Us announce a 3-part national webinar series in early 2023: Cornerstones of Effective Stewardship for Our Congregations.

TUESDAYS, 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET, 6:00-7:30 CT, 5:00-6:30 MT, 4:00-5:30 PT

Part 1: January 24th: The Multiplatform Context
Part 2: January 31st: The Multicultural/Multiracial World
Part 3: February 7th: The Changing Multigenerational Demographics

Registration fee is $30 per webinar or register for all three at the discounted rate of $75. Find out more and register by January 19th.

Jubilee Three Anti-Racism Training
Do you wish to deepen your understanding of how race and ethnicity play out in our institutions and our daily lives? Are you ready to take a leading role to nurture a multicultural future in the face of opposing cultural currents? Come join us for this life-changing weekend!
The training includes presentations, discussions, videos, exercises, and small group work. This 2 ½ day workshop is open to anyone who wants to journey toward making a stand against racism. Church members and church leaders of any faith, as well as non-church members are all welcome! January 13-15, 2023 online. Registration and details at the CER website.

UUA/UUMA Neurodiversity Skill-Up
Save the date: January 24 1-3pm ET/10am-12pm PT with the Rev. Leela Sinha. We’re excited to welcome Leela because zir’s framework of supporting individuals and teams in embracing their strengths and working together even with different brains does not depend on medical diagnosis. Find out if you’re an intensive or expansive! While you wait, you can download past presentations from the UUMA’s website or access the first in the series with Rev. Heather Petit.

Our Whole Lives Secondary (7-9/10-12) Training
If you need training as a facilitator for the Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education program for grades 7-9 and 10-12, the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY is offering this training on January 20-22, 2023. Registration is now open, but will close by January 6.

UUA Legacy Giving Webinar for Congregations

Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 1 pm - 3 pm ET / 10 am - 12 pm PT

The UUA’s Legacy Gifts Office offers a number of services, including an online workshop to assist congregations in creating legacy giving programs. The webinar on Saturday, February 11, 2023 covers the basics of legacy giving and how to set up a legacy giving program in your congregation. We aim to equip congregations with the knowledge they need to start a legacy program. To register for the webinar, email us at legacy@uua.org or call (617) 948-6509.

Creating beloved community requires intention and practice. Our covenants articulate our intention, but how do we live into the practice? Right Relations Teams (RRT) are lay leaders entrusted to help the congregation practice faithful communication and creative conflict based on values of mutuality and consent.

This training is for congregational teams who will be helping their congregations live into their covenants.

In this facilitated version, you will learn with other congregations during the 6 live practice sessions. The cost of $400/team covers the facilitators and includes a code to access to training materials. Register here.

Note: The training can also be taken on your own ($30/person). There are instructions for you to facilitate your own practice sessions.

The Central East Region is pleased to announce that Lenore Bajare-Dukes will be our new congregational life staff person to replace Patricia Infante when she retires. Lenore will begin March 6 and work part-time with Patricia for the month of March before joining the team full-time in April. We’re both sad to say goodbye to Patricia in April and excited to have Lenore join our team. See why we’re excited below!

Lenore Bajare-Dukes (she/her) is a facilitator, storyteller, and passionate lifelong Unitarian Universalist. She has spent the past five years serving as a lifespan religious educator in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and learned to value vibrant UU congregational life from an early age, growing up in the UU congregation in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Read more about Lenore

by Rev. Megan Foley

There are a number of ways you can inspire your community or congregation to commit to the work of dismantling racism and oppression. One way is to follow the Richmond Pledge to End Racism formula. Find out more on their website.

Did you know the city of Birmingham, Alabama has taken a pledge to end racism in all its forms? It’s a striking action from a city that has been home to so much pain and racist abuse.

Read the rest of the article

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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.

If you are looking for Renaissance Modules for Religious Educators or Our Whole Lives Trainings, check the full calendar on the UUA website.

CER BIPOC Gathering, January 9, 6:30 pm ET.
UUA Board Open House ~ Tuesday, January 10, 2023, 7 pm ET, online. Register for the meeting.
Taproot: A National BIPOC Space - January 12, 2022, 8-9:15 pm ET
Jubilee 3 Anti-Racism Training, January 13-15, 2023, online.
Pastoral Care for Religious Educators, online training, begins January 18, 2023, 7 pm ET.
Networking Session, January 19, 12:30-2 pm ET. Meeting Link.
Networking Session, January 19, 6-7:30 pm ET. Meeting Link.
UUA Board Meeting, January 19-21, online, Time TBA. Register for the meeting.
Jr/Sr High Our Whole Lives Training for Facilitators, January 20-22, 2023, Manhasset, NY.
Cornerstones of Effective Stewardship for Congregations: The Multiplatform Context, January 24, 2023, 7 pm ET.
Cornerstones of Effective Stewardship for Congregations: The Multicultural/Multiracial World, January 31, 2023, 7 pm ET.
CER BIPOC Gathering, February 6, 6:30 pm ET.
Cornerstones of Effective Stewardship for Congregations: The Changing Multigenerational Demographics, February 7, 2023, 7 pm ET.
UUA Legacy Giving Webinar for Congregations, February 11, 2023, 1-3 pm ET. Email legacy@uua.org to register.
UUA Board Meeting, February 13, 2023 online, 7 pm ET. Register for the meeting.
UUA Board Open House ~ Tuesday, February 14, 2023, 7 pm ET, online. Register for the meeting.
Winter Institute ~ February 17-20, 2022, Salt Fork State Park, Cambridge, OH
So You're Working on the 8th Principle Conference, February 25, 12-6 pm ET, online.
Right Relationship Congregational Team Training begins, March 1, 2023, 7 pm ET, online.

Do note that the UUA is closed for the holidays from 2 pm on Monday, December 19, and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3.

If your congregation or cluster has an exciting project that could use funding from our Chalice Lighter Program, our next Intent to Apply deadline is January 2 for grants to be awarded in April, 2023. The next deadline is June 1 for grants to be awarded in September, 2023.

The Presidential Forums are coming in early 2023! You’ll be able to attend in person or online to meet the next presidential nominee(s). Want to know when/where they’ll be held? Subscribe to your regional newsletter for updates.

Save the Date! 2023 Intergenerational Spring Seminar
The UU Office at the United Nations is excited to announce that the 2023 Intergenerational Spring Seminar will take place April 1-3, 2023, with the theme "Demilitarization & Abolition: Resist Policing and Empire." The event, planned in close partnership with the UU Service Committee & the UU College of Social Justice, will be a multiplatform event, held in-person in Minneapolis, MN and online. More details to follow, registration opens in January, put it on your calendars now!

Clergy Grants available to attend Star Island Conferences in 2023
The Isles of Shoals Association Unitarian Universalist (ISAUU) in partnership with the Star Island Beloved Community Project is pleased to present the Clergy Grants Program for the 2023 season of conferences on Star Island. Grants are available from the ISAUU to partially subsidize Unitarian Universalist ministers and their families to spend a week on Star Island at a conference of their choice. The intent is to introduce UU clergy to Star Island conferences, to support personal and professional relaxation and rejuvenation, and to promote Star Island with UU clergy and their congregations. More information and the application can be found on the ISAUU website: http://www.shoals.org. The application deadline is January 31, 2023. Award amounts can vary based on number of applications received in a given year. Applications received after January 31, 2023 will be considered as long as grant money remains available. For more information please contact: Miriam Coe mecoe@comcast.net

The Article II Study Commission wishes to thank all who participated in the online feedback sessions on its latest draft of Article II (PDF, 3 Pages). The commission will be working through that feedback and will produce another draft soon. You can sign up to receive email updates on the latest drafts and feedback opportunities.

Call for Nominations for the 2023 Distinguished Service Award. The Award for Distinguished Service to the Cause of Unitarian Universalism (often informally referred to as the Distinguished Service Award) is one of the most prestigious awards given by the UUA. Recipients of this award have strengthened the institutions of our UU denomination, clarified our message in extraordinary ways, and exemplified what Unitarian Universalism stands for. The Award Committee seeks nominations from throughout our Association so it may select from a broad range of the most exemplary leaders in our movement. The deadline for receipt of nominations is January 1, 2023. Submit your nomination.

The UUA has 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.

Virtual Guest in Your Pulpit! The UUMA has a list of virtual speakers, check it out to see who is available! Visit the UUMA website to read the list. Also, don't forget to check out the CER Guest in Your Pulpit program, which includes both lay and professional worship leaders.

New publications from the UUA - Announcing the 2022-23 Common Read: Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism by Nancy Palmer Jones and Karin Lin. Available now for purchase is Care for the World: Reflections on Community Ministry edited by Rev. Erin J. Walter.

The UUA is hiring for several positions, including several in Congregational Life. Find job descriptions and application information at their Job Openings webpage.

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.

Faithify Projects - CER congregations have projects ongoing including No Child Goes Hungry.
The UU Church of Akron has re-created the 100 Unitarians and Universalists Who Made a Difference poster. Read about their process and find out how to order.
Several UU Congregations in CER are hiring. Check the listings.
Check out Faithify.org for projects from the region and around the country.

If your congregation or cluster has news or events to share, please send it to us at bcasebolt@uua.org.

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