Board/Leadership Retreats… Together!

(in-person)

Congregational Leaders: Do you find yourself asking any of these questions? 

• Our congregation’s membership is aging. How do we get younger people to join the congregation? 
• All our kids seem to have disappeared during Covid. How do we get them back? 
• We don’t have enough volunteers! How can we get younger people to volunteer?
• Our financial future is feeling shaky. How can we ensure a sustainable future? 

If so, you are not alone! We are hearing these same questions everywhere we go. As the new congregational year begins, we invite you to gather the leaders of your congregation with the leaders of your neighboring congregations. Instead of retreating separately, let’s retreat together. 

New England Region staff will lead participating leadership teams in common discussions of our common challenges, and you will also have time specifically with the leaders in your congregation for team-building. 

Save the Dates: We will be hosting 4 in-person collective retreats for congregational leaders in different locations around New England. Saturday August 26 is confirmed to be held in Norwich, VT at the UU Congregation of the Upper Valley. The other dates are September 9 and 16, and October 14. We will send more information about locations as soon as they are confirmed. 

All participating teams will also be invited to join an online learning community to extend the conversation with regional staff and with each other through the whole congregational year. 

Look for registration links later this summer. We hope to see you there!

Liberating Governance: Leadership Transitions (online)

It’s the time of year when most congregations have transitions in lay leadership: people leaving the board, people joining the board, other key leadership positions shifting. We will look at practices for celebrating and thanking leaders who are stepping down, orienting leaders who are stepping up, and keeping momentum through leadership transitions.

This next gathering will be held on Tuesday, June 13, 7:00-8:30pm ET.

Please sign up for our email list. You will automatically receive the link for registration for this gathering, as well as the invitations for future gathering.

NEW New England Region OWL Database!

Does your congregation or community center offer OWL? Want to? Are you seeking another congregation to collaborate with, or do you have members curious where they can bring their children to participate in the program? Please follow this link to NER's new OWL information form and submit your answers. We will be sharing submissions via our website soon.

We occasionally get inquiries about OWL curriculum offerings and trainings. This is an important program and our aim is to support congregations and members alike. The information collected on this form will be shared to help congregations that are offering OWL and families or RE programs seeking OWL find one another to work collaboratively. All information is self-reported by the congregation. We rely on congregations to update their information as necessary. The New England Region thanks you for your hard work!

Young Adults Conference on Star Island, NH

(in-person)

7 nights: June 18th - 25th / 4 nights: June 21st - 25th / 1 night options available

Join the Young Adults Conference 2023 and "Come as You Are". The Young Adults Conference (YAC) is an intentional community of creative and dynamic people in our first decades of adult independence, committed to learning, growing, and celebrating together. YAC's mission is to cultivate deep personal and spiritual relationships while providing an experience that is a unique combination of a summer camp, an experimental community, and a spiritual retreat. We will find meaningful connections, engage in deep discussions, live in our values, care for (and be cared for by) our community, and exist as our true and awesome selves, all while having a ridiculous fun time and wild adventures on our special island.

Registration is required for a room and board fee. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

A Farewell Message from President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray

As her time as UUA President winds down, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray shares a message of appreciation for the work we’ve done together and excitement for what’s to come. Some of her proudest moments during this time include fulfilling the Promise and Practice campaign to fund Black Lives of UU, implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Institutional Change, leading UU the Vote campaigns in 2020 and 2022, and supporting UUs to show up unequivocally and courageously for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities and for people with disabilities.

In this moment of great challenge and cultural change in our world, and Rev. Frederick-Gray reminds us that Unitarian Universalist values matter. This is an opportunity to be bold and unwavering in living and leading in love. We have done amazing things, and we will continue. With excitement for our next president, Rev. Frederick-Gray is confident in how new leadership will guide us through these continuing fraught times.

Watch on UUA YouTube.

GA On-Demand (online)

Regional Staff across the country are sharing our expertise on a variety of subjects at General Assembly! Look for these on-demand workshops:

• Creating a New Future for Struggling Congregations - created by the Southern Region
• Faithfully Finding Balance: Reaching in and Reaching Out - created by the Smaller Congregations Team
• Spiritual Leadership: Becoming Who We're Born to Be - created by the New England Region
• Conflict, Destructive Behavior, Our Bodies, and Our Brains - created by the Pacific West Region
• Making Your Congregation an Employer of Choice - created by Lisa Presley of the Mid-America region along with Jan Gartner from the Office of Church Staff Finances, and Sean Griffin from Stewardship and Development
• The Repercussions of Misconduct - created by Sunshine Wolfe of the Central East Region, Sarah Millspaugh of the Pacific West Region, and Terasa Cooley, author of Transforming Conflict 
• UU the Vote: Run for Office! (2023 Edition) - created by Carlton Smith from the Pacific West Region along with the UUA Organizing Strategy Team 

General Assembly registrants (online or in-person) will have access to these workshops during and after General Assembly through your participation portal. The workshops will be available to everyone through the UUA website in the fall. Register for GA here!

Neurodivergence Skill Up: BIPOC Panel (online)

The seventh in the Supporting Neurodivergence in Our Congregations Skill Up series, this BIPOC panel will include Rev. Marisol Caballero, Ayanna Kafi, and Mackenzie MacDade. The webinar will explore the intersectionality of being BIPOC and neurodivergent. Both of these identities require navigating systems that were not meant for them. Together, we will wonder how our UU communities can be spaces where people can engage the fullness of themselves.

There will be a live viewing at 1:00pm ET followed by a live Q&A around 2:15pm ET on Friday June 9. Registered participants can view the recorded webinar ahead of time and submit their questions before the event. All registrants will receive a recording of the Q&A.

Registration is required and available on a sliding scale. All are welcome. You do not have to be a minister or a member of the UUMA to register for the events in this series.

Safety and Security Training (rescheduled - online)

Central East Regions presents an online Security Update Training and Gathering on Saturday, June 3, 12:00-3:00pm ET.

Many congregations have experienced security threats in recent months from protests to destruction of property to disruption in events. This program offers a presentation on the core needs in safety and security: prevention, response, and after-care. There will be a brief worship, workshops, and time to speak with other congregations about the work they are doing and/or questions they are reflecting on.

All members of UU congregations and communities are welcome to attend - particularly members of staff, boards, religious education committees, and safety teams.

Registration is required and has an associated fee of $10.00 per participant. The registration deadline is June 3.

Large Congregation Board Training (online)

Are you a board member of a large “corporate” sized congregation with multiple staff focused on mission, policy, and strategy?

Your LeaderLab team is offering a training especially for you! Self-paced pre-work will include frameworks such as Hotchkiss's Governance and Ministry partnership, conflict and change dynamics, cultural competencies, fiduciary responsibilities, efficient meetings, mission-based budgeting and decision-making, self-differentiation and boundaries, and spiritual grounding. In the live session you will be able to engage with board members from other large congregations as you work on case studies and creative problem solving. You will also be given planning tools for a self-directed goal-setting session.

Pre-work available: Tuesday August 1

Interactive Live Session: Saturday August 26, 12:00-4:00pm ET

Registration is required at a cost of $200 per congregational team. The registration deadline is August 19.

The 2023 Pastoral Innovation Network Symposium (in-person)

This one-day symposium hosted by Hartford International University and the Hartford Institute for Religion Research on Monday June 12 from 9:30am-4:30pm ET brings together clergy, congregational, and judicatory leaders to explore innovative ministry responses coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The day includes dynamic breakout workshops, keynote speaker Rev. Darrell L. Goodwin, Executive Conference Ministry of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC, and not-yet-released, Spring 2023 survey results from The Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

If you are a pastor, a lay leader or volunteer at your local congregation, or a denominational leader in New England, this event is for you!

Due to generous funding from Lilly Endowment, conference attendance is free and includes a catered lunch. Registration is required. If you have questions, please contact Allison Norton.

Faith Formation REframe Retreat (in-person)

The course meets at Meadville Lombard Theological School (Chicago, IL) from 9:00am-5:00pm CT July 24-28.

This is a week-long immersion for teams (ministers, professional religious educators, committees) or individuals wanting to deepen and refresh faith formation in their religious community. This course is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to ideas and practices that give Unitarian Universalist Faith Formation its meaning and purpose for people throughout their lives. The course is designed with principles of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multicultural teaching and learning in mind, so as to model how this lens applies to religious education.

For more information please follow this link. Registration is required and available at a tiered rate depending on congregation size. The registration deadline is Friday July 7.

Ren Mod Offering: Teacher Development (online)

Mid America Region is hosting a Teacher Development Renaissance Module scheduled for five weekly sessions Tuesdays July 18 to August 15 12:00-2:00pm ET: July 18 / July 25 / August 1 / August 8 / August 15 (this final session will end at 2:30pm ET).

The Teacher Development Renaissance Module is an online learning experience comprised of four two hour plus one two and a half hour webinars with readings and other assignments between each session. The registration fee is $250.00 for all 5 sessions.

The registration deadline is Thursday July 13 or when maximum capacity is reached. An email with a unique Zoom link will be sent to registrants on each individual training day.

Please find more information here, and registration here. Registration is required and has an associated fee of $250.00 for all five sessions.

Boundaries and Covenant (blog)

Another blog from Hope for Us Conflict Engagement Team Co-Director Connie Goodbread:

"When we lean into creative conflict, doing our best to create courageous space, we must understand that it can’t be accomplished without setting boundaries. I would never suggest that anyone should put up with any kind of abuse. In loving relationships people should know one another’s needs, fears, hopes, vision, how we each like to be treated, what we long for – so that all may flourish. In loving relationships people need to set boundaries and accept the boundaries of those we love." Continue reading here.

Presidential Forums 2023 (hybrid)

There will be a series of four presidential candidate forums, starting in March, to allow delegates and members to learn more about Rev. Dr. Betancourt. Planned in concert with the Election Campaign Practices Committee with support from UUA staff, each forum will offer both on-site and virtual participation. There will also be an additional forum during General Assembly in June.

All Unitarian Universalists are welcomed and encouraged to engage with the presidential candidate forums and the process as a whole, to ensure our next UUA President may establish the foundation for their leadership with broad participation.

Recordings of previous 2023 Presidential Forums (bottom of page)

June 3, 2023 1:00pm CT / 2:00pm ET in Dallas, TX