Featured Resource: Congregational Board Resources
You have options for support with your annual Board retreat! One option this year. Central East Region staff are offering an online program to renew your relationships and purpose as leaders, help you assess your congregation’s energies and needs, and set goals for your next year.
Choose from two options:
- a three-hour online session with CER staff: Saturday, July 26 (10AM-1PM). We will come together for CER staff facilitation, then break into Zoom rooms for each congregational board to work on their goals for the year.
- or for teams who wish to work at their own pace but start off the weekend with us, we offer a live kick-off session on Friday, August 22 (6:30-8PM), and will offer you materials and videos to use in your self-facilitated retreat later that weekend.
Your Primary Contact will reach out in coming weeks with registration information, or check the CER calendar.
Our blog on Board Resources has more suggestions for individual and group trainings that you may want to check out as well.
The Gathering by Side with Love on June 9 @ 8pm ET
The Gathering is a monthly virtual event from Side With Love, designed to offer:
- Spiritual Grounding – Strengthen your heart and spirit for the work ahead.
- Political Analysis – Understand the threats to democracy and justice.
- Collective Action – Organize with others to block anti-democratic forces and build a just and loving world.
General Assembly 2025
We invite you to join us for the 2025 UUA General Assembly in Baltimore and/or online from June 18-22—a chance to connect, reflect, and build a future that meets this moment with purpose and courage. This year’s theme, “Meet the Moment,” calls us to engage with the evolving challenges of our world, exploring fresh ways to deepen our faith and respond boldly to our mission. Across five days of powerful worship, insightful workshops, and community-building experiences, we’ll find inspiration together, reconnect with friends and colleagues, and return to our congregations renewed. Join us in person or online to be part of this transformative experience, where every voice matters and our shared vision grows stronger. GA Registration is still open for both online and in-person attendees.
You can find the program schedule, information about worship leaders and the Ware Lecture and workshop information at the GA website.
Live a Live On Fire: Summer Institute 2025
Get ready for an unforgettable week of community, music and learning! Summer Institute 2025 is returning to Oberlin College, OH.
In 2025, Summer Institute gathers July 6-12. Our theme speaker is Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford, speaking on the theme Live a Life on Fire: Change the World with Your Love. Youth theme speaker is Matt Meyers.
This year we are adding to the traditional Young Adult Weekend and opening it up to adults of any age. This offering is geared toward young adults and returning SI community members who can’t get the whole week off. Registration for this includes only community programming and full details are available on the SI website.
Learn more about SI and past activities at the website and the video (YouTube). Registration is now open. Scholarship applications close on May 15.
Shape the 2025 Proposed Actions of Immediate Witness
An Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) is a statement about a significant action, event, or development in the world that necessitates immediate engagement and action among UU member congregations and groups.
Learn more about AIWs and the social witness process at the UUA website.
Youth and Emerging Adults at GA
Check out this video (YouTube) to learn about the many ways youth (ages 14–18) and emerging adults (ages 18–24) are supported and celebrated at General Assembly. Shannon Harper from the UUA’s Lifespan Faith Engagement Office outlines dedicated gathering spaces, pastoral care, and engaging connection points both in person and online. Highlights include WAVE cohorts focused on youth and emerging adult experiences and the deep need for Whole Church religious education, Deeper Joy pop-ups with inclusive games and activities, and the Whole Church Engagement Area for all ages to rest and play in the General Session Hall. Everyone at GA is invited to help center young people in our faith and nurture a thriving multigenerational community!
Thrive Meet Up: BIPOC Youth and Emerging Adults at General Assembly
Thursday, June 5th at 8pm ET | 7pm CT | 6pm MT | 5pm PT
On Zoom for BIPOC Youth and Emerging Adults (ages 14-24)
General Assembly (GA) is just around the corner! Two BIPOC adults from DRUUMM and the UUA will give a brief overview of programs, events, and supports available to BIPOC youth and emerging adults at GA. There will be time to ask questions, make connections, and get excited for GA. Join us in BIPOC UU community to lean on each other and connect.
Click here to register and get the Zoom link! Parent/guardian permission required via the registration form for attendees under age 18.
Note that this is a closed space for UUs between ages 14-24 who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color. If you are unsure whether this is a space for you, reach out to Nico Van Ostrand (yayaofcolor@uua.org) for a chat.
Emerging Adult Ministry Team News
In January 2025 a group of UU emerging adult leaders convened and while thinking about our lives as Unitarian Universalists, realized that between Bridging (18 yrs) and getting married or dedicating one’s children, there isn’t a significant spiritual milestone in between. Yikes! Inspired, this group has decided to help to address this deficiency and they need your input.
We are looking for submissions specifically from 18-24 year-olds and / or UU Religious Professionals. If you meet this criteria, please take a few minutes to fill out the questions in this survey.
If you have any questions, please contact emergingadults@uua.org. For more information visit the UUA website.
Side with Love Events
Side with Love has a number of events coming up. Be sure to check their website for new events near you. Get all the details at the event link.
Join the UU Climate Justice Revival at General Assembly!
The UU Climate Justice Revival is coming to General Assembly! We’re hosting a mini-Revival, a Revival meditation space, and a deep dive into the ways the UUA is moving climate justice forward. Please note: all programming is for registered General Assembly participants unless otherwise noted. Check uuclimatejustice.org/ga2025 for additional programming and events!
Resources from Side with Love
- Action Center Weekly Updates
- Grounded, Resilient, and Responsible Toolkit ~ Download the guide.
Upcoming Events
- The Gathering ~ June 9 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET
- UUPLIFT Transgender/Nonbinary+ Pastoral Care Small Group ~ May 11, 5 pm PT / 8pm ET
- UPLIFT Transgender/Nonbinary+ Monthly Gathering ~ May 20, 5 pm PT / 8pm ET
Better Together Blog: We Need to Practice Staggered Breathing
by Beth Casebolt
A few days ago, I saw a post from an acquaintance on Facebook. “I am so tired of all this nonsense,” she wrote. “The protests, the constant vigilance, the never ending horrible stories, when does it all stop? I am so tired.”
I paused when I saw that post, by a white, middle-aged, cis-gendered woman who is middle class, and thought, you are lucky to be able to walk away. Because my colleagues, friends and family members who are black, indigenous, hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+, non-Christian, immigrants and disabled don’t have that choice. They don’t get to walk away. They don’t get to hide their heads in the sand, decide it’s all too much and I’m just going to ignore it all. Because this is what they have lived with in this country for decades. As my husband said, if John Lewis gave up when he was tired, he would have quit in 1969. And, yes, it’s exhausting. It’s hard to keep up with everything. It’s stressful to wonder if lawfully expressing your outrage will result in you being harassed, targeted or worse. But how do we keep this up?
Read the rest of the article and sign up for our weekly email!
You may also be interested in our CER Pastoral Message or Safety Resources Video (YouTube).
News from the UUA
Don’t forget the Community Resilience Hub!
If your congregation is struggling with how to respond in this moment, please check out the UUA’s Resilience Hub. This is a location where we are gathering resources to help congregations build strong, connected, and resilient communities.
The Spark RE and Music Leadership Professional Development Programs provide Unitarian Universalist Religious Professionals learning communities within which they can easily access applicable skills and tools for religious leadership. Courses are also open to interested lay leaders. Check out the lists of classes, these are great resources!
The UUA has a Disaster Relief Fund for those who want to make a donation to help congregations who have faced losses due to tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires and more. Please donate if you can. Learn more about the work of the Disaster Relief Fund. We are Better Together.
New publications from the UUA - Skinner House is pleased to announce 2 children’s books: Blue Boat Home by Peter Mayer and illustrated by Sue Todd is now available for order, and Wind, Stop Blowing! by Laura Alary and illustrated by Sue Teodoro is available for pre-order. Also available for pre-order is Impassioned: A Guide to Progressive Preaching by Rev. Lucas Hergert. Check out the UUA bookstore for all Beacon Press and Skinner House books.
The UUA is hiring for several positions. Find job descriptions and application information at their Job Openings webpage.
Calendar Items and News
For events, webinars and congregation news and events visit the following pages:
- CER Calendar of Events and Webinars
- Find your CER Primary Contact
- Chalice Lighter Grants — August 1 is the deadline for Intent to Apply Applications for the October 2025 grant awards.
- News Section for Congregational Stories and Articles
- Better Together Blog
- Congregational and Affiliate Group Calendar
- UUA Jobs Board for congregational job postings of all types