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October 2020 Newsletter

At-A-Glance Tending to Spiritual Leadership News UU the Vote UUntitled Network Disaster Relief Fund CLF Faithify Provincetown Faithify Upcoming Events Alternatives to Policing Holiday Planning Webinar Zoom Skill-Up Retooling for New Realities Resources 2020 GA On Demand List for COVID-19 UUA Publications About NER "The great social justice changes in our country have happened when people came together, organized, and took direct action. It is this right that sustains and nurtures our democracy today. The civil rights movement, the labor movement, the women's movement, and the equality movement for our LGBT [siblings] are all manifestations of these rights." -Dolores Huerta, labor organizer & activist United Farmworkers & Chican@ Civil Rights Feliz #LatinxHeritageMonth a ti!

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Practicing Covenant by Rev. Erica Baron from our Tending to Spiritual Leadership blog As a white middle-class New Englander, I grew up absolutely steeped in individualism. As a Unitarian Universalist, I was taught values that I tried to internalize such as the value of world community and respect for the interdependent web of all existence. Despite a genuine commitment to these values, individualism remains and often undermines my best efforts to live my values fully. Of course, this is not just my story. Lots of other people have observed that individualism is a strong cultural paradigm within Unitarian Universalism. Individualism does not always help us make our Principles real and active in our lives, our communities, and our world.  At General Assembly in June, Rev. Joan Javier-Duval said in her Sunday sermon that our individualism has a “rugged and reckless streak.” The recent report from the Commission on Institutional Change makes the same observation.   I want to pause and notice that we bring this entrenched reckless individualism to the way we enter into covenant — the heart of our faith — a practice that could, at its best, help us move toward true interdependence. It is not bad to need things from others in order to be in community or to do work together. It is not bad to ask others to address those needs. But if we start, and to a certain extent end, by asking people already steeped in individualism what we personally want and need, we run the risk of reinforcing individualism rather than countering it, and we miss some of the depth, rigor, and transformation that the practice of covenant makes possible. Continued...

Special Thanks to Honor Congregations!

The following congregations contributed the full APF ask for FY19-20!

UU Society of New Britain First Church in Roxbury UU Meeting House Pittsfield Federated Church of Orleans Nauset Fellowship Inc. Unitarian Fellowship of Northwest Leicester Unitarian Church Religious Society of Bell St Chapel First Univ. Society in New Haven UU Congregation of Castine First Parish in Kingston First Parish in Needham Durham UU Fellowship Univ. Society of West Burke UU Congregation of St. Johnsbury Hopedale Unitarian Parish Newfields Community Church First Parish Unit. Church Hubbardston Federated Church of Sturbridge UU Church of Norwich UU Society in Brooklyn, Inc. First Parish UU of Arlington First Congregational Society of Jamaica Plain UU

Murray UU Church UU Community Church First Church in Barre Univ 1796 First Parish in Bedford First Parish Church of Berlin First Parish Church UU UU Church of Brunswick First Parish in Cambridge UU First Congregational Society Unit First Parish in Concord Midcoast UU Fellowship The First Church of Deerfield First Parish Church in Dorchester UU Fellowship of Falmouth UU Society of Fairhaven UU Congregation of Franklin UU Society of Grafton & Upton Third Congregational Society of Greenfield First Universalist Society of Hartland UU Meeting of South Berkshire Mount Mansfield UU Fellowship First Parish in Malden Univ UU Society: East Manchester Unit. Society of Northampton & Florence

Federated Church of Marlborough Champlain Valley UU Society First Parish in Milton UU Unitarian Church of Montpelier First UU Society in Newton North Parish of North Andover First Parish Church UU First Universalist Society First Parish of Norwell UU Congregation of the Upper Valley First Parish in Plymouth Starr King UU Fellowship First Unitarian Church of Providence UU Meeting House of Provincetown United First Parish Church Unitarian Church of Sharon First Parish Sherborn Universalist Society of Strafford First Church in Sterling, Inc. Unitarian Fellowship of Storrs UU Church of Waterville First Parish in Wayland UU Society of Wellesley Hills Winchester Unitarian Society

Because of these congregations and others, the UUA and New England Region were able to share crucial resources during this difficult period in American history. You can learn more about the APF and how your congregation can live out our UUA inter-congregational covenant this year.

News

We have been engaged in an unprecedented collaboration and mobilization for the 2020 elections through our UU the Vote campaign. Now, as we head into the Fall push, it is time to bring the full capacity of our faith! Pledge to join the Harvest the Power Week of Action!

A group of UU Youth from around the US have come together to create a platform to let youth and emerging adults of our faith connect nationally. Working in conjunction with the Lifespan Faith Engagement Office at the UUA, they have brainstormed and planned over the past few months about how we can form a national youth community building and support network.

UUA Disaster Relief Fund  The most vulnerable populations recover last in a disaster. Disaster relief grants to UU congregations and organizations not only help Unitarian Universalists, they can also support on-the-ground relief efforts through partnerships that meet the needs of under-served communities.   The UUA is ready to aid congregations and help communities recover in the aftermath of disasters, but your support is needed to ensure this important ministry is robust and ready. Please consider making a contribution today.   Learn more and donate to the UUA Disaster Relief Fund.

CLF Worthy Now Faithify The CLF serves over 1,200 Unitarian Universalists who are incarcerated in the United States. They need your help to get vital reading materials and other spiritual resources. Can you sponsor an incarcerated UU?

Provincetown Restoration & Accessibility Faithify A few days left to have your donation matched! Help UUMH of PTown sensitively restore and increase accessibility to their beautiful sanctuary using historically appropriate conservation methods.

Stay home and travel the UU world! Explore the full UUA events calendar.

Alternatives to Policing Oct 6th 2020, 7:00PM ET We have seen too many examples of policing that ends up destroying life or bodies. India Harris and Rev. Jason Lydon will discuss alternatives to calling the police and over-policing communities.

Holiday Planning Webinar Oct 7th 2020, 4:00pm ET Wondering how to handle your congregation's celebration of upcoming holidays this fall and winter? Join this national webinar to share your ideas and plans and see what others are doing to connect their congregants to annual traditions in these challenging times.

Zoom Skill-Up for Congregational Volunteers Oct 22nd, 7-8:30pm EST If you are among those in your congregation with questions about how best to handle these new responsibilities, consider joining this webinar. We will be sharing some of the great resources that already exist, giving you time to share ideas, and answering some of your particular questions.

Retooling for New Realities is an opportunity for your congregation to become thought partners with other UU congregations in cohorts organized (as much as possible) by size, regional culture and challenges.  From experience (General Assembly, Regional Gatherings, Leadership Schools, etc.) we know that when congregations meet with other congregations, they generate a creative interchange of ideas.  Apply by October 25th!

Welcoming Worships Online While this era has many challenges, it also brings opportunities for us to realize just how interconnected we really are. UUs from all over the country are now live-streaming worship! If you are among them, you can add your congregation to this list. Consider dropping in on congregations you might never have a chance to visit otherwise!

Resources

We are pleased to announce that the 2020 GA On Demand Library is now available to the public on Vimeo. In addition to the major GA worship services, business sessions and reports, the library includes the Ware Lecture, featured speaker presentations, learning stage presentations and huge number of workshops all previously available to GA registrants only. Enjoy and share widely!

List of Resources for COVID-19

UUA Pandemic homepage How to prepare for Pastoral Care CDC Faith-based resources LeaderLab resource homepage Congregations as Employers Stewardship & the Health Crisis UUA Press Releases UU World emails and RSS feed Disaster response fund UU the Vote emails UU the Vote Sustenance Circles Virtual Voting for Meetings

UUA publications update!

About the New England Region

Congregational Materials  Visit our Website Like our Facebook Page  New England Advisory Council Peer Facilitator Request Form  Submit a Job Online UUA Job Board

We thank all congregations whose generous contributions to the Region and to our UUA Annual Program Fund make all of our work possible. We offer learning opportunities throughout the New England Region for congregational members, lay leaders, and religious professionals. Regional staff services and support are available to UU congregations year-round. Know someone at church who would like to subscribe?  Send them this link: http://tinyurl.com/NERemail View this email as a webpage.

Contact us! (617) 948-6415 newengland@uua.org Website: uua.org/new-england Staff Contacts

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