Staff Blog

Stay Up-to-Date on Southern Region News and Events

  • A group of people wearing backpacks stand in a circle, extending their arms toward the center, stacking their hands together in a gesture of unity and teamwork. The individuals display diverse skin tones and wear a mix of casual and outdoor clothing, including plaid shirts, t-shirts, and gloves. The background is blurred, suggesting an outdoor setting.

    “Whatever you are, be a good one” - William Makepeace ThackerayEvery month, a great number of congregations reach out to Regional Staff to ask questions about growth. If you have experienced a decline in membership and/or attendance in the past three to five years, you are certainly not...

    March 6, 2025 | From Southern Region
  • Photo of Natalie Briscoe

    I’d like to do an experiment with you. I’m going to ask you a question, and I’d like you to say the answer out loud. Even a whisper counts if you happen to be in a place where you are unable to make a joyful noise. Okay, ready? What color is your shirt? Now I’m going to ask you a question,...

    By Natalie Briscoe | January 5, 2025 | From Southern Region
  • Two hands gently cradle a glowing light bulb in the darkness, symbolizing resilience, hope, and the power of community in uncertain times."

    These are difficult days.Where just moments ago there was hope, now there is grief. Where there was clarity, now there is confusion. Where there were small comforts, now there is hurt. In many ways, the results of this year's election feel like a shocking betrayal. In other ways, they feel...

    Feature | November 6, 2024 | From Southern Region
  • A digital graphic with a dark blue background; a white outlined hand holding a red heart is positioned to the right. Below, a red UUA chalice logo appears next to a bold call-to-action: 'Donate to the UUA Disaster Relief Fund.' The website link 'www.uua.org/giving/disaster-relief' is displayed at the bottom.

    On the evening of Thursday, September 26, 2024 Hurrican Helene arrived at Florida’s Gulf Coast and carved a path of destruction throughout the Southern Region. In total, seven states and millions of people were impacted by this devastating weather event which reminds us of a number of other...

    Feature | October 10, 2024 | From Southern Region
    Tagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), Activism

  • Friends, I was delighted recently to preach at the Georgia Mountains Unitarian Universalist Church (GMUUC) in Dahlonega, Georgia, on ways to, faithfully and healthfully, engage in conflict. Rev....

    By Nancy Combs-Morgan | September 3, 2024 | From Southern Region

  • The first few lines of Mary Oliver’s poem “The Journey” read: “Who made the world?Who made the swan, and the black bear?Who made the grasshopper?”Before I took some time away for my sabbatical this past April, I felt the weight of the world in my heart. I burdened myself with the...

    By Natalie Briscoe | August 2, 2024 | From Southern Region

  • It seems to me that we are currently living in a time when so much feels binary. If we do not feel “this way” then we must feel “that way”. It is so easy to be triggered by words which make us internally say “hell no” or the opposite. Our bodies are made to react to threats. Have you...

    By Kathy McGowan | July 3, 2024 | From Southern Region
  • Photo of Southern Region staff - from left, Natalie Briscoe, Cameron Young, Kathy McGowan, and Lillian Drab-Braddick (at UUA headquarters in Boston, MA).

    Dear Congregations,This May marked a very important milestone for me. After 6 arduous years of 81 credit hours, I completed my Master of Divinity, the degree that is generally required for those pursuing ordained ministry. I began my studies as a religious educator in a local congregation and was...

    By Cameron Young | June 3, 2024 | From Southern Region
  • screenshot of a video featuring Rev. Byron Tyler Coles

    Hi everyone! This month, we invite you to view a reflection from Rev. Byron Tyler Coles - Love and Hope. Transcript: UUA Southern Region May 2024 Vlog Love and Hope (Microsoft Word) | Transcript: UUA Southern Region May 2024 Vlog Love and Hope (PDF)...

    By Tyler Coles | May 6, 2024 | From Southern Region
  • screenshot of a youtube video; left side of screen has a photo of people exploring a garden and the right side of the screen is a photo of lillian drab-braddick

    Transcript: UUA Southern Region April 2024 Vlog on

    By Lillian Drab-Braddick | March 30, 2024 | From Southern Region
    Tagged as: Competencies for Leadership, Path to Leadership