Dear Ones,

Happy New Year! It has been a gift to come to know and work alongside many of you since I assumed the role of Transitional Lead with the Central East Region last August. Over the course of these last few months, I have connected with a number of leaders as they discerned how to faithfully engage in making their respective missions come alive. It is not easy, but such work, such ministry, is important. What I have also learned is that many of our congregations across the region are earnestly working towards being thriving, vibrant communities in their own unique ways. This is important for us to honor and recognize when the narrative concerning organized religion is far too often bleak, and misses the very powerful ways that religious communities are indeed engaging in the long-haul work of creating the Beloved Community. Let us keep the faith and hold tight to hope, Beloveds.

As I mentioned in my first blog, the role of Regional Staff is two-fold: ecclesiastical and administrative. Ecclesiastical in the sense that we work closely with religious professionals and lay leaders alike, as you engage in the day-to-day ministry of your communities. Administrative in the ways that we craft resources, offer coaching, and provide meaningful partnerships in support of those ministries. Both of these are interwoven threads that bolster your shared ministry.

In the effort to bolster and fortify your work, your Regional Staff will be convening a series of gatherings whereby you might connect, reflect, share, and grow in connection as practicing Unitarian Universalists engaged in direct ministry. These meeting spaces include the Ministers’ Gathering, DeepRE Dive and RE Essentials, and partnering with the Southern Region for the Primer — Leadership Experience. As we strive to affirm your respective ministries, our aim with these various gatherings is that they might equip you for the work of Love in these days as we stitch one another into the tapestry of life. You will also see other resources and opportunities to gather, virtually and in-person, in the months to come. We truly hope you will join us, and one another, in our shared work as Unitarian Universalists.

Dear Ones, as we enter this new calendar year, I offer you this blessing:

Holy Weaver of Life,
You who are the new light upon the horizon and the sound of morning birds.
May we greet you with both excitement and steadiness for all that comes next.
Neither anxious nor weary, pessimistic or hesitant, but tenderly, curiously,
for all that you have to offer us and we to one another.
With deep breaths and open arms, we greet you.
Welcome. And so be it.