The Pacific Western Region (PWR) and Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) staff are pleased to announce a “new” resource for UUs in the west—the consolidated, improved and “UUA-nested” PWR website! The UUA is working to fully enfold all the regional websites, and now you’ll find the PWR pages at UUA.org/Pacific-Western. (Don’t worry, the earlier web address will direct you to the new PWR site automatically.)
Integrated Website
“The integrated site allows us to offer a seamless experience for Unitarian Universalists and seekers browsing the UUA website, connecting the regions as a truly integrated part of the UUA,” noted Janine Larsen, a member of the UUA Congregational Life Staff in the Pacific Western Region. “Our congregational leaders and communities can count on the new PWR site to offer a single place for information on regional news and resources. All events, webinars, staff and consulting around the region are shared in common among our four western districts now, rather than restricted within the borders of any one district. So, having a shared web presence makes a lot of sense and will be very user-friendly as we live into our celebration of Big Faith with No Borders through this simple expression of regional collaboration.”
While content will continue to migrate from the district websites to the unified PWR site over the next several weeks and into the New Year, the site already presents a useful home to UUs in the Pacific West. Currently, the regional front page features quick links to the PWR News Blog, Webinars (on-line learning), and a video clip briefly introducing the Pacific Western Region and our shared ministry of Beloved Community formation. The handy menu on the left side-bar of any PWR page will take you to all these resources and more, including Youth Ministries, Calendars & Events, and a page providing background on Regional Collaboration in the West. Scroll down on the front page to check out a convenient feed reflecting recent posts on the PWR Facebook page and Tweets from the PWR Twitter feed.
Subscribe
Leaders and all UUs can easily subscribe to the PWR News Blog, a rolling bulletin that will send you an email alert when a new item is posted. It’s a great way to find out what’s going on near you and around the region, without having to wait for a scheduled newsletter. Every PWR district will post its news here! Just find the link right below the PWR map on the front page, or through the menu on any page. The news page archives are both browse-able and searchable, so you’ll be able to find that article you’re thinking about or posts on popular topics. In an effort to reach more leaders in our congregations, we have subscribed congregational offices, board presidents, and ministers serving congregations to our Pacific Western Region (PWR) News postings. We encourage you and others in your congregation to follow these periodic notices and to share them widely within your congregation so that your church community stays well informed.
In the staff video linked from the PWR front page, the Rev. Deborah Holder speaks of Beloved Community and the unique gift that our faith offers to the world. Additional video introductions of staff will follow in the new year, so keep an eye out here. You can also find staff photos and biographies if you click the Staff menu item. You’ll be taken to a list of all program and key administrative staff supporting the Pacific Western Region, and if you click on any program staff name, you’ll see their photo and biography.
Find a Congregation
Looking for a PWR congregation? Check the UUA directory, by clicking on the link at the very top or bottom of any page. District directories of congregations are still being maintained on the individual district websites, too, which you can also find linked in the PWR topic menu on each page (see the menu for Districts in the PWR). While program and resource information is gradually moving over from individual district websites to the new PRW website within UUA.org, each of the four Pacific Western Districts will still maintain a web presence with information on district governance and member congregations. Pacific Southwest District and Pacific Central District will continue to publish their scheduled e-newsletters for the time being, too, though their content will also be posted on the PWR News blog.
Calendar
The PWR calendar will be helpful to you, too, as you browse for training opportunities, youth events, milestone congregational events (minister installations and ordinations, building dedications, etc.) – remember, all programs are now open to everyone throughout the region! This uses a Google calendar interface, and you can copy entries to your own Google calendar if you use this program too. Scroll down a bit on the calendar page to find the options for “Fullscreen” or to view the list of upcoming events. In “Fullscreen” mode, you have the choice to show or print a list, a calendar page, scroll by month or week, or use the down-arrow on the upper right corner to select whether you want to see district events, PWR events, webinars or any combination of these options. All six event options are shown as the default. Search options other than scrolling are limited at present – we’re working on it!
Give us Feedback
Let us know how you like the convenience of PWR resources all in one place within the UUA website! If you have a suggestion to improve navigation or if you need help finding the resource you’re looking for, contact pwr@uua.org—and guess what? You can find that address at the bottom of any PWR web page. Come visit us soon at our new home!