It has been a very long church year especially with juggling all the uncertainty of the pandemic and trying to create worship while learning new technologies. And yet, we know our folks have done well with that task. Bravo!

I attended my first General Assembly in 1998. I had only been a member of my congregation for 2 years, and had just completed my first year as the Director of Religious Education (DRE).

I keep hearing the word “resilient” and keep wondering what people mean by it. From a trauma-informed lens, resilience doesn’t mean we aren’t impacted. People who go through trauma are changed. Just as all of us have been impacted over the last year.

I entered the Commissioned Lay Ministry program in 2014 when I became an empty-nester. I needed something to do with my time once my daughters and infant granddaughter moved out on their own.

While some smaller camps are returning to in-person, our two largest gatherings in the region are remaining virtual this year. With the uncertainty of the vaccine distribution and no vaccinations yet for those under 16, this was felt to be the wisest decision.

In December 2020, I became a CLM (Commissioned Lay Minister) with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos, UUFP, a small congregation in Stroudsburg

Last fall I wrote a blog post about bringing my plants inside and setting them up to survive the dark, cold, dry months of winter. I debated whether it was worth the effort to buy lamps and humidifiers or if I should “let the leaves fall” as it were. Here's what I learned.

Intentional communities come together by careful planning and a bit of magic. At CERSI (Central East Region Summer Institute), we call that SI Magic. SI Magic can happen when you least expect it and when you need it the most.

Change is afoot in our congregations! Ready or not, we are all learning new skills and adapting old ways to meet emerging needs, especially your professional staff.

We welcome you to join us this year for what marks our 2nd virtual conference (VUUMAC) and 40th UUMAC!