Better Together

  • White background with an orange flame in the middle with a white hand in front of it. Reads: Live a Life on Fire: Change the World with your Love. CERSI 2025

    We are getting closer to Summer Institute 2025 at Oberlin College. Registration is set to open in Mid-April, which is later than usual, but we know the wait will be worth it. Between July 6-12, 2025, SI will be gathering at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. For many, this will be their first time…

    Conference | By Central East Region Summer Institute | March 3, 2025 | From Better Together
    Tagged as: Building Community
  • Logo of three people figures in a circle, reads: Small Congregations Month. March is Small Congregations Month. Over the course of the month participants are invited to take part in a webinar series that supports the depths of small and lay-led congregations. March 5th, 11th, and 20th. 8 pm ET/5pm PT. UUA logo in the corner.

    Is your congregation small? No more than 125 members? This series of webinars is for you!

    Feature | February 24, 2025 | From Better Together
  • Cassandra Montenegro

    The Central East Region is very pleased to introduce our congregations to Cassandra Montenegro, our newest CER Congregational Life staff member.

    Feature | By Cassandra Montenegro | February 10, 2025 | From Better Together
    Tagged as: UUA Districts & Regions, UUA Staff
  • An illustration of different people building a puzzle together in the foreground. Over a background image of a heart shaped puzzle piece with a diverse group of people over the puzzle pieces.

    We are living in extraordinary times. How will Unitarian Universalists respond? To help us all respond, the CER staff is offering the CER Learning, Transformation and Community Networking Days: Leading with Love at the Center.

    Feature | By Central East Region of the UUA | February 3, 2025 | From Better Together
  • CER Staff in Phoenix, AZ. R-L, standing - Lenore Bajare-Dukes, Rev. Alia Shinbrough, Rev. Dr. Megan Foley, Rev. Cassandra Montenegro, Rev. Sana Saeed. Sitting: Rev. Renee Ruchotzke, our meerkat mascot, Beth Casebolt.

    Your Congregational Life staff has recently returned with new skills, connections, and conversations from a gathering known as CLEAR: Congregational Life Education And Renewal.

    Feature | By Central East Region of the UUA | January 27, 2025 | From Better Together
    Tagged as: UUA Districts & Regions
  • a female appearing human washing dishes in a church kitchen.

    The New Year can a be time to take stock of our lives and make adjustments to old habits, or set new goals in the form of New Year’s Resolutions. It’s hard enough to do this as individuals – it’s even harder to do as congregations.

    Feature | By Renee Ruchotzke | January 13, 2025 | From Better Together
    Tagged as: Building Community, Communication, Congregational Polity, Shared Ministry Teams
  • CER Staff Team at Hocking Hills. Includes Megan Foley, Beth Casebolt, Sana, Saeed, Renee Ruchoztke, Alia Shinbrough and Lenore Bajare-Dukes in front of a metal and stone tree sculpture.

    Happy Holidays from the Central East Region! Your team at the UUA wish you a season of joy, peace, love and connection.

    Feature | By Central East Region of the UUA | December 16, 2024 | From Better Together
    Tagged as: UUA Districts & Regions, UUA Staff
  • a stuffed meerkat wearing a purple tshirt that reads CER in white, with a heart necklace and a multicolored scarf. the mascot of the CER Staff.

    If you have seen this lovely meerkat pop up in some of our staff photos and wondered why it was there, the CER Staff has a mascot. But our mascot is more than just a symbol.

    Feature | By Beth Casebolt | December 9, 2024 | From Better Together
    Tagged as: Building Community
  • image of a lasagna in a red ceramic pan.

    The UUA has released the full data from the 2024 UUA Certification Report, and there is a lot to learn—and to celebrate! And we have good news to report this year: across our denomination, participation in religious education programs has grown by 16%.

    Feature | By Lenore Bajare-Dukes | December 2, 2024 | From Better Together
  • Several arms and hands with different skin tones are intertwined and connected.

    Over the past several weeks, the UUA has been sending emails with resources to congregations in response to the election results. We have compiled some of those resources here for you. This is by no means an exhaustive list but we hope it helps you find what you are looking for.Resources for…

    Feature | By Central East Region of the UUA | November 25, 2024 | From Better Together
    Tagged as: Building Community, Membership Growth & Outreach, Safe Congregations