Dear UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) Community! 

We continue to pray for all congregations impacted by Hurricane Helene and any of those in the path of Milton. Rev. Dr. Audette Fulbright Fulson, Lead Minister/Executive at UU Congregation of Asheville and a long time UUMFE Board member shared this message:

“The Emotional Lifecycle of a Disaster is going to be tremendously important in the days ahead. Please be aware that as much as anything else, this is a difficult emotional journey.

Folks at the church on Sunday already began to recognize some exhaustion setting in; trauma affects the brain deeply, but recovery also does. Beauty, care, repair and rest all help recovery. C.A.R.E. — Compassion (for self and others), Act (with consideration), Rest, Exchange (sorrow for joy, labor with leisure, pain with beauty because all cycles matter).”

Thank you, Rev. Audette, for your spiritual leadership.

If we can support you individually, please reach out:  kellydignan@uumfe.org or laurenlevwood@uumfe.org

Also, you can join us for the Full Moon Gathering or for a Listening Circle on October 30th (more below). Our Universalist ancestors remind us that there is a Universal Love that surrounds us and never lets us go. We hope you can feel that Love holding you.

We also turn our attention to justice at this time. UU organizations look to our partner People Versus Fossil Fuels in times like this. They center frontline Black, Indigenous and people of the global majority and poor communities and work to confront the forces of white supremacy, colonialism, and extractive industry. People Versus Fossil Fuels drew attention to conditions for those impacted by Hurricane Helene, Mutual Aid and Autonomous Disaster Relief Groups Mobilize in Wake of Hurricane Helene. CNN reports, The power of water.’ How Helene devastated western North Carolina and left communities in ruins.

They ask folks to consider:

–Donating to The Miami Foundation’s Florida Grassroots Hurricane Community Recovery Fund

–Reviewing the list: Ways to donate and help flood victims in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene

–You can also donate to the UU Disaster Relief Fund.

With much care and love,

Rev. Kelly Dignan and the team at UUMFE

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 17, 2024  7pm EDT – 8pm EDT

This full moon is the Hunter Moon, historically a time when people would begin preparing for the winter – hunting and storing food. As we prepare for the election and brace ourselves for more climate-related natural disasters, this will be a time for community care and eco-chaplaincy. Bring a writing utensil and paper.  Register here: https://forms.gle/cSa21E28uGeB299x6

Listening Circle

October 30, 2024

8-9pm ET | 7-8pm CT| 6-7pm MT| 5- pm PT

Join Rev. Kelly Dignan and Rev. Lauren Levwood for a time of sharing, song and spiritual practice as we hold our grief and offer compassion to you and all those suffering at this time. Registration and Zoom link

UU Climate Justice Revival

For all of you who held your UU Climate Justice Revival, congratulations! 

Over the next couple of months, the team will be developing and sending resources to help you and your congregation take the rich conversations and put them into clear and concrete collective action. Those commitments we all made in our Sacred Circles conversations will be a handy and essential part of the process, so make sure you have some record of what was shared by participants at your revival!

In the meantime, we want to hear from you about how your revivals went. Tell us your story using our UU Climate Justice Revival Commitments & Evaluation form found here:  https://bit.ly/UURevivalStories.  You can  submit your revival participants’ words of commitment, share your feedback, and upload the pictures you took!

We also offer an invitation to practice genuine appreciation for the national UU Climate Revival Planning Team. Many of these folks have been working on this project for the better part of two years, and we want to share with them what this has meant to you and our faith as a whole using this Kudoboard. Of course, we also welcome your gratitude at UURevival@UUA.org if the Kudoboard is an inaccessible tool for you. 

And if you have not yet done your revival, don’t worry!  We know many of you are still planning for a revival later this year or in 2025.  We’ll support you AND share some of the ideas that come from your fellow UU Climate Revivalers.

Upcoming UU Climate Revival Facilitator Trainings

Thursday, November 14, 4PT – 5MT – 6CT – 7 ET: Register now

Wednesday, January 15, 4PT – 5MT – 6CT – 7 ET: Register now

Wednesday, February 26, 4PT – 5MT – 6CT – 7 ET: Register now

From Our Partners 

UU Theological Grounding for Climate Justice

with UUA Pres. Sofía and UUSC Pres. Mary Katherine Morn

October 16 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

UUs have been at the leading edge of climate action for decades, but how does our faith call us to the work of climate justice? Join the Green Sanctuary 2030 Community for a watch party of the UU Theological Grounding for Climate Justice Fireside Chat with UUA Pres. Sofía and UUSC Pres. Mary Katherine Morn. How does your faith call you to this work? Join the conversation! Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meetings provide shared learning and mutual supports for UUs transforming our congregations through climate justice. Register: https://bit.ly/4gA5o8o 

Share the Plate With UUMFE 

If UUMFE has added value to your life in some way, we would be grateful for your donation. Thank you for your support. 

Coconut Couscous with Golden Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas

Its sweater weather! This is a bowl of comfort to wrap your hands around, perfect for Fall weather and busy weeknights.