PWR Newsletter - October 10, 2019

By Tandi Rogers

Each month a member of your regional staff team will highlight one of the “shifts” that guides our work with congregations. These seven shifts describe where we, as UUA staff in partnership with congregations in the West, are leading Unitarian Universalism. Each shift is an adaptive movement from a typical way of being into a more life-giving and spiritually mature way of being. Each time we introduce a shift, we’ll give an explanation along with spiritual practices, articles, sermons, and other resources that can guide us all into living out these aspirational visions.

Our first shift is from “I” to “We”. Another way of thinking of it is from “me” to “we”. While playing with paints I (re)discovered that if you fold a piece of paper in half and then write “WE” with a lot of paint on one half, when you refold it it will create a mirror image, “ME”. Same as in church. We honor individual worth and dignity as we organize around collective purpose. As we strive together for this mission and vision larger than ourselves, we actually find a deeper notion of ourselves mirrored in the collective. When we surrender to the larger community, we can find our authentic self.
How to do that? It’s so hard and counter-cultural! The US economy is built on—is literally counting on—the notion of radical individualism coupled with consumerism. But what if our congregations are where we come to understand that we are more than enough? What if we can have enough in community? What if we not only acknowledge the “interdependent web of all existence” but learn to feel it in our very bones, and live accordingly?

Some of our congregations seem to focus on satisfying the preferences of individual members and trying to keep as many people as possible happy. Other congregations have shifted to focusing on the well-being of the congregation of the whole.
I often wonder what would we look like as a faith tradition if when the Seven Principles were rolled out the first and the seventh were swapped? What if we led with the notion that our congregation is a big, human interdependent web of community-existence?

Check out the PWR blog for resources (including podcasts, articles, sermons, music, and more!) to help open up your imagination as to what could be possible as we shift from I to We.

Leadership Experience...There’s space for you!

Leadership Experience is a Retreat/Online learning experience for both new and experienced leaders in UU congregations. If you lead or influence folks in your congregation as a board member, a program leader, a staff member, a finance or other admin volunteer, you’ll be inspired and equipped by this experience to better serve your people and your faith. More information here!

The work starts November 7, so you’ll have the best experience if your register by November 1.

SAVE THE DATE

Pacific Western Regional Assembly
February 12-14, 2021

As Unitarian Universalists, we worship in many ways and many spaces. Our solo hikes, our meditative service, our small group discussions, our youth led circle worship, our traditional Sunday mornings; No matter how we worship, we are grateful for this life, for the interconnection we share. We rejoice in coming together yet it is not every day that we get to enjoy a youth led service or have a chance to worship with hundreds of others. Thanks again to Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout for leading off our Sunday morning worship at Regional Assembly 2018.

In 2018, Sunday morning worship welcomed almost 900 people. Consider being one of those in at Regional Assembly 2021, February 12-14, 2021 in San Diego, CA.

Regional staff, in consultation with the four district boards, have recently made changes to the Chalice Lighter programs in all four of our districts to make giving generously more convenient.

Chalice Lighters allows individual Unitarian Universalists to make small financial contributions to help other Unitarian Universalist congregations in their district with projects, often capital improvements, they otherwise might not be able to afford. There are now nearly 3,000 individual Chalice Lighters in the Pacific Western Region.

Beginning now, it is now possible to have a gift to Chalice Lighters automatically charged to your credit card or debit card as a monthly recurring payment. Will you please consider setting up a $5, $10, or $20 monthly recurring gift online today and encourage others in your congregation to do so as well? You’ll never have to worry about missing another Chalice Lighter call letter, forgetting about whether or not you donated already, or even forgetting about where you put your check book.

It is also possible to make a one-time gift online today to your district’s fall, winter, and spring Chalice Lighter calls for the 2019-2020 fiscal year and then not have to worry about making another gift for the next 12 months.

To set up a recurring monthly gift online or make a one-time gift online, please visit your district’s website at:

· pnwduua.org

· pcduua.org

· pswduua.org

· or mdduua.org

Of course, it is still possible to write a check after receiving a letter about each Chalice Lighter call if you have signed up to receive them. Call letters for fall calls for all four districts are in the process of being sent out.

If you are a board president or minister, please consider sharing the information in this article with your congregation. Chalice Lighters allow many small gifts to make a big difference in the life of another congregation.

You might also visit your district’s website to find out how your congregation might apply for a Chalice Lighters grant.

Unitarian Universalists joined the millions of others around the world who came out for the youth-led Global Climate Strikes September 20 through September 27. Following the lead of their youth groups, UUs across the country responded with urgency and commitment.

As we celebrate what we achieved, we know we have the capacity for more and we are preparing. Let’s continue to build together. Join our webinar on Wednesday, October 16 at 7pm Eastern to learn about next steps and how UUs can be part of growing this movement. We'll hear from UU youth leaders, climate justice organizers, and movement partners. Register here.

The Unitarian Sunday School Society funds innovative, relevant ideas to support and deepen Unitarian Universalist faith formation. This year we are also addressing white supremacy culture in our funding work and moving towards anti-oppressive practices in our board work, meetings, grants, and fund management. You can be a part of this! The Unitarian Sunday School Society (USSS) is looking for new board members. Be a part of funding innovative faith formation. Be part of the changing face of philanthropic justice. We are looking to add new voices from different social and geographic locations. Could it be you? Here’s a link for more information on board positions. If you’re interested, email Kathy Smith (incoming president). And please, share with anyone you think would be good at this!

Wednesday, October 23 - 5 pm PT/7 pm CT/8 PM ET

Join Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) and Love Resists for a one-hour webinar to kickoff our 2020 campaign of community teams focused on ending money bail. Bail keeps people in jail for weeks, months and even years—away from their families, friends and communities—before they even see a judge. Bail traps people in debt, can mean a loss of custody of children, stable housing, employment and more. The money bail system is based upon dangerous, unfair and false presumptions about Black folks, People of Color and poor people who have been accused of breaking laws and serves only to criminalize the poor and decimate families and communities.

BLUU and Love Resists are inviting faith and spirituality-rooted community organizations (congregations, covenant groups, social justice committees, and others) to engage with and use the End Money Bail Community Workbook to educate themselves, build power and take collective, informed action. We invite groups to participate in our new Workbook to map power, develop skills, create an action plan and support local and national efforts to #EndMoneyBail. The goal of this call is to organize our congregations and communities to participate in the 2020 Black Mama’s Bail Out across the country in April and May as well as engaging in local bail reform efforts.

This webinar will feature speakers involved with last year’s immensely successful Babies & Bailouts campaign: community partners, congregational leaders, and others. Join us to learn about one of the most powerful community-based campaigns you can participate in that helps all of us live into our Universalist value that no one is free unless all of us are free. If you want to get involved but can’t make 10/23, sign up and we’ll send you a recording of it directly.

Sierra Foothills UU (SFUU) and the UU Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF) are honored to co-ordain AJ van Tine to the Unitarian Universalist ministry at an ordination ceremony on March 28, 2020. SFUU will also be installing AJ as their called minister at this event. AJ will be joined by congregants, family, friends, UU and interfaith clergy, and by those who have played an important role in his journey to becoming a UU minister. Your support of this campaign will help make this a meaningful and memorable event to mark AJ’s entry into service as Unitarian Universalist minister. Click here to donate!

Small Numbers, Infinite Possibilities is a year of learning and connection for Smaller Congregations brought to you by your Regional UUA Congregational Life Staff. We know that small congregations are sharing the Love and Grace of Unitarian Universalism with their people and their communities every day. We also know that small churches can be faced with big challenges. Together we can help small congregations reach toward their greatest potential. This series will feature four webinars in October, November, January and February and culminate with in-person events near you on Pi Day - March 14, 2020. Details available on the Central East Region website, registration opens August 15th.

3rd Tuesdays @ 7-8:30 pm Pacific

This is a monthly learning space for Healthy Congregations Teams (HCT) in congregations. Our first meeting in October will give an overview and introductions. After that, each month will feature a different HCT sharing how they work, what they’re proud of and what they struggle with. We as participants will be able to ask clarifying questions. Each call has agreements as to how we will be together.

You can send one or more people from your team. You can gather and zoom in all together or separate. Please register your congregation here. You will be sent call-in information, which you can disseminate to your team.

Questions? Email Rev. Tandi Rogers or call her at 253-278-4646.

Last Saturday, October 5th, the Pacific Central District Board gathered in person in Sacramento. As a first step in clarifying the role of the District in the era of Regions, the PCD Board adopted a purpose statement to guide its work through the rest of the year.

We also committed to reaching out in person to each congregation and each known UU identified community in the district to learn how we understand our mission, and answer, to the best of our ability, questions about institutional relationships in the district.

We look forward to being in conversation with you through January 2020. And, if you wish to contact us, you can reach the whole board via email.

Together,

Your PCD Board
(Cat Ishida, Roger Jones, Bob Klein, Clovice Lewis, Bob Miess, Max Parrish, and Maddie Tuning)

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin will be the recipient of your Fall 2019 Pacific Central District Chalice Lighter donations. Won’t you help them with their request and ask your fellow UUs to do the same? Here is what the Rev. Marcus Hartlief said when requesting a grant:

“Something is happening on a hill in Marin! Last year, the UU Congregation of Marin embarked on a Developmental Ministry with the hope of starting a new chapter in the life of the community and growing Unitarian Universalism. This year the congregation saw a 46% growth in attendance, and now we worry we are turning away visitors who arrive to a full parking lot, and no alternative parking at the top of our beautiful hill. We need help keeping the door open to growth by funding a shuttle service that will ensure all who come seeking connection, hope and inspiration are able to make it through our doors. Thank you for supporting us, and the growth of Unitarian Universalism.”

Won’t you show your support by responding to this call? Ask friends at your congregation who aren’t already Chalice Lighters to do the same. Let us help the Marin congregation on its upward path. Please see the link to the donation page here. Donations for this call will be accepted through October 31, 2019. Thank you for your support!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Hosted by the Mt. Diablo UU Church (Walnut Creek, CA)*

55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Join UU Justice Ministry of California for this all-day event connecting Unitarian Universalists, faith leaders, and climate justice activists around California. Programming will include:

·     Faith-grounded engagement of critical climate issues in our state,
·     Presentations and workshops from local organizations,
·     Regional strategy building,
·     Opportunities for congregations/communities to share their efforts, struggles, and
successes in community, and
·     Collective action for climate justice!

Visit our website to register and receive updates on our presenters and programs as they are finalized.

Interested in bringing a workshop, panel, or conversation topic to this gathering? Reach out to info@uujmca.org and let us know what you'd like to share!

*Home hospitality and carpools will be made available. Information about how to sign up will be posted here in September. Email info@uujmca.org if you'd like to receive an update in your email about home hospitality and/or carpool options.

Unitarian Universalist Justice Arizona Network (UUJAZ) is hosting Issues + Action Day on October 26th + 27th at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Surprise, Northwest of Phoenix.

Amazing worship services, incredible music, delicious vegan lunch, workshops from justice partners from around the state, and in the evening, the first annual "Jazzy Awards" to recognize justice work in our congregations and communities!

Please save the date, and look for more info and for tickets to go on sale soon on the UUJAZ website.

Throughout the ages, adherents of religious traditions from around the world have set apart certain writings and teachings as special, calling them scriptures, sacred texts, or classics. And they have developed particular approaches to reading these texts. In this insightful new guide, Unitarian Universalist minister Jonalu Johnstone provides an introduction to reading sacred texts, discusses Unitarian Universalist views of scripture, and suggests ways to use sacred texts within our congregations. Each chapter explores an aspect of engaging with scripture and includes a reading from a sacred text—the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Bible, the I Ching, the Dhammapada, the Qur’an, and others, including more modern sources—and offers progressive commentary based on scholarly and spiritual approaches to these writings.

Visit InSpirit to learn more or pre-order Scripture Unbound.