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“Love Right Through-The Journey Continues”, PWR & UUA News, and more!
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Pacific Western Region
Newsletter • February 25, 2021
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Love Right Through – The Journey Continues
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By Rev. Carlton E. Smith
Lead – UUA Pacific Western Region
For those who might not have been able to make it to Regional Assembly, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the highlights on our blog. There you can read an excerpt from the land acknowledgement given by Pacific Southwest District board member Kia Bordner, plus highlights of the messages from UUA president Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, Commission on Institutional Change chair Rev. Leslie Takahashi, UUA Director of Congregational Life Jessica York, and UUA co-moderator Charles Du Mond.
The District Boards of the Pacific Western Region chose The Mountain Top – A UU BIPoC Community as the recipient of the first Widening the Circle of Concern Award, for “taking significant congregational action based on the recommendations of the Widening the Circle of Concern Report and in recognition of their efforts to foster diversity, equity and inclusion.” To learn more about The Mountain Top and the Honorable Mentions for the Widening the Circle of Concern Award, please click here.
As I said in my remarks toward the end of the day, Love Right Through is the continuing theme over the next several months in the life of the Pacific Western Region as we discern together what the next phase of being a region will look like.
With that in mind, we hope as many of you as possible will make yourselves available for the upcoming Love Right Through Forums on the first and third Mondays, 6:30pm – 8:00pm PT, March 1 through May 17. March 1, we will be joined by Rev. Leslie Takahashi as we discuss how the next phase of regional life could support the recommendations of the Widening the Circle of Concern report. You can register for that and other upcoming forums here. Hope to see many of you there! Thank you again for making our first all-virtual Pacific Western Regional Assembly as successful as it was.
In faith,
Carlton
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Love Right Through Forum: Widening the Circle of Concern
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Love Right Through Forum: “Widening the Circle of Concern”
With Revs. Carlton E. Smith and Leslie Takahashi
Monday, March 1, 2021 6:30pm – 8:00pm PT
Join with fellow Pacific Western Region Unitarian Universalists to envision the next phase of becoming a region, in a series of six forums. This evening, we will focus on the “Widening the Circle of Concern” report from the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) with a talk from Rev. Leslie Takahashi, who was the COIC Chair, 2017-2020. Among the COIC recommendations we discuss are that the UUA should “work to make regional gatherings and structures possible and to regularize them so that there is some consistency and they can be used to provide a common framework for anti-oppression work and other needed changes,” and “fully implement the regional system, making space for clusters of congregations interested in equity to form.” Register here.
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Pastoral Care Training for and with Youth
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Pastoral care is an essential part of religious community and an essential part of caring for each other as human beings. We each can be present to each other as we go through both the hard and joyful parts of life. Compassion, witness, listening, and empathy are gifts we can all give each other. To help with this, Pastoral Care Training for and with Youth series are being offered for Youth Advisors, Religious Educators and for middle school youth (grades 7-9). Each training is a three or four part series.
Peer to Peer Pastoral Care for Middle School Youth Series, March 6, 13 and 27, 2021, 10a-1p MT/9a-12n PT
Pastoral Care to and with Youth for Youth Advisors Series, March 3, 17 and 31, 2021, 4-7p MT/3-6p PT
Pastoral Care to and with Youth for Religious Educators Series, March 10 & 24, April 7 & 14, 2021, 2-5p CT/1-4 MT/12-3p PT
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Small Congregation Webinar Series on Sharing
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Are you in a small congregation of 120 or fewer members? Your Congregational Life Staff are offering a series of Small Congregation Webinars on ways congregations can share programming and services. Each session runs 1.5 hours and they are free! Please join us for one or all.
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Spring for Change: A Season of Sacred Activism
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Build Connections with UU Climate Activists!
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- Get Inspired
- Gain Tools
- Grow the Movement
Opening Celebration and Convergence: Saturday, March 20th, 2021
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Witness, Connect, Act! A Social Witness Convening
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Wednesday, March 24, 7-9 pm ET/4-6 pm PT
While many of us celebrate the promise of a new administration in the White House, things we care about — advocating for racial justice, countering white supremacy, protecting our democratic freedoms — are still at risk. By the thousands, Unitarian Universalists made their voices heard through the UU the Vote campaign. UU the Vote showed us all how vital and powerful we are acting together. Inspired to grow more connections for collective social witness action for a wide range of values at risk, the Commission on Social Witness invites all UUs to Witness, Connect, Act! A Social Witness Convening to share and connect UUs doing similar work for inspiration and ideas.
The spring Convening will bring together those focused on the most recent collective social witness statements. Commissioners will also review how to make new statements at GA 2021, and provide an opportunity to connect and plan in advance of GA. If you are doing work related to any of these statements, or seeking inspiration and ideas for such work, this meeting is for you. We will share ideas, build relationships across the country, and envision new ways to bring our values to life in the world. Register here. For questions, email socialwitness@uua.org.
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News from the UUA Office at the United Nations
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Climate & Food Justice – get grounded, connected, & equipped for action!
This year’s Spring Seminar hosted by the UUA Office at the United Nations is open to all ages (14+) and will take place all virtually April 9-11, 2021! The UU@UN has an incredible lineup of presenters and activities to connect participants to one another and to the issues at stake in the joint struggles to heal people and planet. This Seminar, on the theme “All In for Climate Justice: Food Equity and Sustainability” is part of the UU Ministry for Earth’s Spring for Change Season of Sacred Activism which focuses on the path to healing and regeneration. Come learn alongside change-makers across the generations about how to take spiritually-grounded action to advance climate justice through equitable and sustainable food systems (and have fun as well)! Registration is open through March 18 and offers a flexible fee scale for equity and accessibility. Learn more and register.
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Will You Achieve the Sixth Principle Congregation Award? Qualify by March 31
The UUA Office at the United Nations announces a new annual award to recognize congregations that show their support of the UU@UN and their commitment to our Sixth Principle’s “goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all” through their actions and financial giving. These “Sixth Principle Congregations” must have completed certain activities between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 and submitted a brief report. Through this award, the UU@UN hopes to form closer ties with congregations throughout the U.S. and Canada who value international engagement and local action on global issues relating to human rights, peace, and climate justice. Detailed information about the Sixth Principle Award and how to qualify is here; contact unitednations@uua.org with any questions about how your congregation can get more deeply involved.
Learn the R.A.C.E. Method of Dialogue for Dismantling Racism
Join the Canadian Unitarian Council on two Saturdays in March (March 6 & 13, 2pm-4pm EST) for a dynamic 2-part workshop with Dr. David Wiley Campt that will prepare you to engage in transformative conversations around issues of systemic racism. Be ready for a hands-on and practical training that will help you feel confident moving forward. No prior skills or expertise required. All are welcome. Get tickets here.
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Breaking Covenant – Repair Restore Renew
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Saturday, April 10, 2021, 09:00 am – 12 pm Pacific
Every congregation has experienced destructive behavior that has caused upset, tumult, and conflict, from microaggressions to outright aggression, and other forms of inappropriate behavior. In the process, covenant is broken, even when the covenant might not be explicitly stated. The impact of the behavior can baffle leaders, and congregations often don’t know how to repair, restore or renew their community. It is therefore important that every congregation recognize that the holy space between each of us is everyone’s responsibility to grow and maintain and when it’s broken between any people it’s broken between us all. We need to have policies and procedures in place to deal with destructive behavior. Congregational Life is offering a workshop on April 10 on Breaking Covenant. Learn more here.
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Virtual General Assembly 2021: Register Now!
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Circle ‘Round for Justice ● Healing ● Courage is the theme for General Assembly 2021. General Assembly is a time to circle ‘round in community. We circle ‘round in care and healing; for liberation and justice; and for love and courage. We share stories of the work happening at our Association and in our congregations. We study ways to implement and live into our mission. UUA GA 2021 will incorporate recommendations from the Commission on Institution Change report, “Widening the Circle of Concern” and dialogue with the Article II Commission about our Principles and Purposes.
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Job openings in PWR congregations are now included on the UUA Jobs Board. Don’t worry — even though the URL says “ministrysearch”, you’ll find all positions posted here. If your congregation has an opening you’d like listed, please complete the online submission form and we’ll get it posted for you.
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