What a year it has been! Like all church years, it has come with twists and turns, great successes, and a few misses. Yet this is the course of life. Neither good nor bad, right or wrong, it just is. So much of the practice of one’s faith, especially as Unitarian Universalists, is holding the space between what is and what can still be.

As the 2025-2026 church year comes to a close, I find myself sitting in that space and reflecting on all the vital ministries that we have engaged in across the Central East Region. From the moments of collective witness in Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis, MN; and Newark, New Jersey. To the more personal, one-to-one moments of tenderness in which we cared for the hearts and souls of others. Whether they gained notoriety or went by silently, know that your Regional Staff are deeply thankful for all that you have done in practicing Love.

Furthermore, I find myself growing a sense of deep pride in the ways that we are growing in faithful partnership with one another. This year alone, religious professionals and lay leaders of all kinds have taken part in many offerings that have strengthened our collective and individual ministries. From the Minister and Religious Education (RE) Calls, to participating in the Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary and Mosaic Spring conferences, to the Wave Cohorts where we learned more about the growing edges of our denomination, and the community building for Unitarian Universalists of Color in Taproot and the CER BIPoC group. And still to come, the 2026 Summer Institute in Oberlin, OH, from July 5 — 11th. Through these opportunities of connection, skill building, and resourcing, we grow in our abilities to conjure heaven on earth.

In the coming months, you will hear more about our 26-27 programmatic year and all the ways that we can continue to build and strengthen our partnerships in embodying our values. Know that supporting your efforts in fulfilling your congregation’s mission is of the utmost importance to us. So please, do not hesitate to reach out to any member of your regional staff. It has been an absolute blessing to join in worship, fellowship, and opportunities to develop as leaders. We look forward to doing the same in the years to come as we embody UU-identity, engage spiritual depth, and share in all forms of generosity with one another.

Dear Ones, as we close this church year, I offer you this blessing:

For all those things completed and left undone. May grace be with us.
For the wisdom acquired and for the things still needing to be learned. May peace be with us. 
For all of the wins and successes, misses and mishaps. May mercy be with us.
And for all the things that are still becoming, may Love be with us.

Thank you for saying “yes” to the ministry.