September is County Fair season in much of New England. In our UU congregations, September is also Ingathering time; water communion time; returning-to-church-time after far-flung summers laden with small jars of water from our travels and foot-long zucchinis from overflowing gardens.

But this year, like last year, will likely look much different from the water communions of years gone by.

We are getting used to this. We are getting tired of this.



Among professionals who work with intentional planning for change, there is something called the Roller Coaster of Change.

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From the UUA President: Updated COVID Guidance for the Delta Variant



The exponential spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant has caused many of us to rethink fall regathering plans. We share your feelings of grief and frustration about considering a change to how we imagined this fall would unfold. We have developed new recommendations to help you plan how you may want to participate in multi-platform gatherings in our congregations and communities in the coming months. If you have questions about these recommendations, your UUA regional staff are available for support. In the midst of uncertainty, we, as religious communities, can still nurture joy in our connectedness in creative ways and tend to the spiritual well-being of our families and communities.

• Updated Gathering Guidance (Delta Variant) Leaderlab resource
• Message to leaders and colleges from UUA President Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray.

Help us keep our database up to date!



Our NER database is updated after July 1 to reflect changes in your lay leaders, paid staff and/or ministers at the start of each new church year. We track presidents, treasurers, ministers, administrators, religious educators and music directors. We would appreciate you completing this form if people in those roles change during the year. If you have more than 3 updates, please start a new form. 

Thank you for your help in keeping our records as current as possible through the year!

Reparations PRAXIS Group Interest Form Now Open



Is your congregation taking on reparations work? Are you interested in participating in an action - reflection group with other congregations? The New England Region is assembling a PRAXIS Group of congregations engaging reparations. Please fill out this form to express your interest.

We will communicate with all respondents about next steps by Friday, September 17.

Stay in touch with NER by subscribing to any our contact lists

1. New England Region Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression/Multicultural (AR/AO/MC) list. More and more congregations in New England are actively examining and addressing systemic racism in an ever expanding variety of ways. To support these efforts, we are creating a contact list of individuals in congregations who are actively engaged and interested in this work.
2. Tending to Spiritual Leadership Blog. We believe the purpose of congregational life is to equip everyone in the congregation to live into their Spiritual Leadership. Here we share reflections to inspire and support Unitarian Universalists tending to Spiritual Leadership in themselves and their community. Receive our monthly blog posts directly to your email!
3. Or subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get updates from the region and the UUA.

Young Adult Revival Network

You might be used to YARN having a 3rd Sunday of the month worship service. If so, great news, we will be continuing to host this service, and the even better news is that this year we have added a first Thursday of the Month Vespers service as well. Come to one or both as we join our beloved community and nurture our spirits together twice a month. More information is below: and as always, if you would like to join our Worship teams, we are always recruiting new leaders.

See you in Worship and Vespers! Learn more about YARN and register here.

Explore the Full UUA Events Calendar for more!

Leadership Resource Library

If your congregation is discussing how to come back together in person, the Leadership Resource Library may help in that process!

List COVID-19 Resources

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.

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Contact us!

(617) 948-6415

newengland@uua.org

Website: uua.org/new-england

Staff Contacts