Pacific Western Region
March 2025 |
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Content
Responding to Now: Connecting Communities
Rev. Sunshine Wolfe
News: Pacific Western Region
Pacific Western Region (PWR) Board - Update
Responding to Now: A Pacific Western Region Series
Chalice Lighters - Spring 2025!
U/U Global Partnerships with First UU Society of San Francisco
News: Unitarian Universalist Association
UUA General Assembly 2025
March 2025 - Small Congregation Month
Spiritual Deepening Through Workshops and Small Group
System Theory - Sparks Module, March 2025
Spark RE and Music Leadership
UU Buddhist Fellowship - UUBF Convo 2025
Side With Love
UPLIFT Transgender/Nonbinary+Monthly Gathering
UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary+Gatherings & Pastoral Care Space
Pink Haven Coalition
What's next after the Revival? Revival Community of Practice
Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation
Scholarships and Awards
Thomas Scholarship for Those in Seminary
MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education
Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social Action
Skinner Sermon Award
Important Resources
Community Resilience Hub
Disaster Relief Fund
UU Mental Health Network
UUA Communications Office |
Pacific Western Region Staff
PWR Lead
Rev. Sunshine Wolfe
PWR Program Staff
Rev. Summer Albayati
Dr. Melissa James
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh
Rev. Tania Y Márquez
Sam K. Pearl
PWR Administrator and Bookkeeper
Hara Madera
Melanie Buck |
Pacific Western Region Links
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Blogpost
Responding to Now: Connecting Communities |
We have been receiving questions about how to respond to the ongoing threats to our values of democracy, equity, justice, pluralism, and love. Particularly, fears over backlash from an executive branch that is targeting communities and ideologies have been lifted-up by UU leaders across our region, country, and the world. Whether it is a question of supporting immigrants in our sanctuaries or lifting transgender voices or simply having liberal religious values counter to our political leaders, the concerns are real. Over the coming months and years, we will certainly address these questions time and time again. This month I want to highlight how we respond to threats and build the strength to respond going forward. Put simply, it is this: connection and collaboration.
If you read and follow activism work to respond to authoritarian, fascist, political violence, and other extreme efforts to control our democracy locally or globally, you will hear that it requires communities to respond. As Ejeris Dixon from the podcast, The Fascism Barometer say, “it requires massive quantities of people power.” It is through our joining, even with unlikely partners, that we develop the counter narratives, initiatives, and efforts to respond. For our congregations and communities, we recommend that you develop deeply your relationships with congregations and organizations in your towns and states. Lean heavily into our notions of interdependence among communities. As Paula Cole Jones puts it, “be the community of communities.”
One useful tool for reflecting on and determining who your communities are to help respond to violence locally or beyond, is pod mapping. Born out of the work of transformative justice, pod mapping is a useful safety tool to respond to the challenges of our current time. It requires that we focus in on our interdependence and to get clear about the relationships we need to maintain to manage potential threats of political violence.
In an online resource on pod mapping by Mia Mingus titled Pods: The Building Blocks of Transformative Justice and Collective Care, it is pointed out that “we must create what we need.” We exist, as Dr. King put it, in “networks of mutuality.” For those networks to be meaningful and supportive, we must first choose to engage with them. We need to prioritize relationships and building trust. It may mean getting out of the comfort of our own communities or asking for deeper opportunities to connect with folks we have pre-existing relationships with. We literally need one another to survive.
If you find your community or congregation is being targeted by political violence in any form, please contact your primary contact or myself for support. You are not in this alone. Please reach out to us and to one another.
Below are some resources on responding to the challenges of our time. Pacific Western Region is hosting a monthly series called “Responding to Now” that focuses on some of the tools and skills needed to respond to current times. We are thinking about how to continue that work in the coming year. General Assembly’s theme this year is “Meet the Moment” which will of course address these challenging times.
May you keep strong in your good work. May you build the capacity to respond. May you know you are not alone. May you be the blessing this world needs.
Resources:
- Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, PWR Lead |
News: Pacific Western Region |
Pacific Western Region (PWR) Board - Update |
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The Pacific Western Region (PWR) Board has been meeting for the last several months. This is a new board that grew out of the dissolution of the 4 western districts during the Pandemic. As we are new, our specific tasks, responsibilities and traditions have not been established.
There are some events coming up to take note of. First, we will be holding our 1st PWR Business Meeting on Thursday, May 29th from 7:00pm to 8:00pm Pacific Time (PT). Elections will be held, and there will be lots of information. If you would like to attend please let us know! The meeting will be held via Zoom, so there will be no expenses and limited time commitment. Also, note there will be a PWR budget town hall in April, stay tuned for more.
Regional Assembly will be held next year, please stay tuned for details to come. Think of Regional Assembly (RA) as General Assembly (GA) in miniature, except it is closer and cheaper, so consider this as an opportunity to learn, enjoy and meet people.
NOTE: We are looking for volunteers (surprise!) to serve on the PWR Board or work on circles (read dynamic governance version of committees) to help accomplish our purpose, details on that below. Please understand that as this is a new organization, much of the work will be establishing what we do and how we do it. Typically, this will involve 2 meetings per month 90 minutes long (plus preparation time for each meeting). For board members add business meeting planning plus one weekend retreat per year. If being on the ground floor sounds exciting, please let us know at pwrboard@uua.org.
The primary purpose of the PWR is to model inclusivity, accountability, and living the values of Unitarian Universalism, while nurturing the Member Communities in our part of the UUA, which includes almost everything west of the Mississippi:
- To encourage leadership development and facilitate planning and organizing regional events.
- To help local, regional, and national resources available to UU member communities.
- To encourage and facilitate UUA Member Communities to participate in formulating the ideals, policies, and governance of the UUA, to more fully live UUA values.
- To engage in intentional Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression philosophies and behaviors;
- To promote awareness of the current climate emergency and practicing stewardship of the planet;
- To establish, promote, and provide accountability processes, including but not limited to Restorative and Transformative Justice and other Restorative Practices.
- To aid in the establishment, growth, and support of liberal religion.
For some more details, take a look here: PWR Board
- Pacific Western Region (PWR), Board Members |
Responding to Now: A Pacific Western Region Series |
DATES & TIME
March 6th | April 3rd
7:00pm to 8:30 pm PST via Zoom
In this political climate, we need one another more than ever. This series of three workshops offer leaders of UU congregations and covenanting communities the opportunity to receive, and give, moral and practical support for facing the challenges of religious leadership in 2025. Topics will include leading strategically in anxious times, dealing with conflict and difficult behavior, and creating meaningful connections for people of all ages, all in the context of a spiritual community that is called to uphold human rights and dignity.
For more information, the Responding to Now: A PWR Series page is here. |
Chalice Lighters - Coming this Spring 2025! |
Greetings Pacific Western Region,
We are excited to announce that Chalice Lighters program will be back this Spring. We will provide more information such as dates, website, email, and more in the next coming months. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email pwr@uua.org. |
U/U Global Partnerships with First UU Society of San Francisco |
If you would like to join, interested, or have any questions please contact Rev. Kevin Alan Mann at revkev@uuoakland.org.
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News: Unitarian Universalist Association |
UUA 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. General Assembly registration is now open and rates go up on March 31st. |
March 2025 - Small Congregation Month |
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March is Small Congregation Month! The UUA's Congregational Life Smallers Team is hosting a month of learning for small congregations. We will be offering a webinar each week in the month of March on a variety of topics for small congregations: Deeper Joy (community building activities); Deep Listening (a foundational element of good communication;) and Social Action for small congregations. The final week of Small Congregation Month will be dedicated to convening cohorts of small congregation leaders: ministers, religious educators, board members, etc.
The dates for the webinars are Wednesday, March 5, Tuesday, March 11, and Thursday, March 20. Monday, March 24, through Thursday, March 27, will be the dates for the convenings. All webinars and convening will begin at 8pm ET and last for one hour. The webinars will be recorded and available to everyone who registers. Registration is on a sliding scale with a maximum cost of $20. Learn more at the UUA website. |
Spiritual Deepening Through Workshop and Small Groups |
Four Saturday Sessions, Saturday May 3 through May 24, 11:30am to 1pm ET
The Center for Congregational Spirituality and the Congregational Life Staff group are excited to offer another session of their popular online course that inspires congregational leaders to create worship- and small group-centered opportunities designed to deepen both communal and individual spirituality.
The course will include both on-demand videos and in-person virtual sessions. The registration fee is $575 for 4 people, $475 for 3 people, $350 for 2 people, and $200 for one person. Individuals and congregations will receive a 25% off early bird discount if they register by March 1. Use the Discount Code "EARLYBIRD" when registering.
For more information, visit their website or email Phillip Lund at plund@uua.org. |
System Theory - Sparks Module, March 2025 |
Why System Theory?
This module provides a time to engage with the essential lens of understanding how your congregation functions as a whole System. Participants will examine human beings as emotional, intellectual, and physical beings, explore and clarify what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist, and discuss the human qualities that help and hinder the growth of the beloved community. Sessions are four Fridays, March 7-28, from 12n-2p ET. Details at the UUA website. |
Spark RE and Music Leadership |
Professional Development Programs provide Unitarian Universalist Religious Professionals learning communities where 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!
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UU Buddhist Fellowship
UUBF Convo 2025 |
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Did you know that the Unitarian Universalist BuddhistFellowship hosts two hundred practice groups whose members lead religious lives that are rooted in or deeply influenced by Buddhist practice? Consider deepening your personal connection to your larger sangha when the UU Buddhist Fellowship has our biennial gathering on April 11-13, 2025. UU's from diverse Buddhist practice traditions and locations across North America meet for a weekend of shared experience in the dharma.
Our resident teacher for this 2025 Convocation, Lama Rod Owens, shatters conventional expectations about what a Buddhist is supposed to be. Lama Rod is the author of The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors and Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation. Lama Rod is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and an authorized teacher in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Join us online or in person at Bon Secours Retreat Center in Marriotsville, MD. Register at Registration_Convo_2025. Additional details at uubf.org. |
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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.
Resources from Side with Love
- Action Center Weekly Updates - We are in a critical moment. Power is being consolidated in the hands of the few, while attacks on democracy, bodily autonomy, and human dignity escalate. But nothing is inevitable. Justice movements are powered by people like you—people who organize, resist, and build a loving and liberated world. That’s why we’re launching the Action Center Weekly Update—a resource to keep you informed, equip you with immediate actions, and help you strengthen your organizing skills. Each Tuesday, find our newest updates at our Action Center as well as the archive of past updates.
- Grounded, Resilient, and Responsible Toolkit - In an era of rising nationalism, racism, transphobia, and patriarchy, faith leaders are called to be unwavering voices for justice. This guide offers practical tools, safety considerations, and strategic insights to help you navigate activism responsibly, stay grounded amidst chaos, respond to urgent threats while sustaining long-term justice work. This living document evolves with the times, equipping us to meet today’s challenges with wisdom and resilience. Download the guide here.
NEW - The Gathering, March 10 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET
The Gathering is a new 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.
Our launch will be led by Side with Love Staff Nicole Pressley and Rev. Cathy Rion Starr with Katia Hansen sharing about the immigration context, and Rev. Lane-Mairead Campbell sharing lessons on showing up for and with trans folks in Western New York. bēheld will ground us with live singing. Register here to join us. |
UPLIFT Transgender/Nonbinary+ Monthly Gathering |
March 25, 5pm PT
Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings focused on trans, nonbinary, and other not (completely or at all) cis UUs. Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary UUs and co-create support and community across our faith. This is a multi-generational space. Register today. |
UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary+ Gatherings & Pastoral Care Space |
March 7, 5pm PT / 8pm ET
If you'd like to chat directly about this event, please contact Adrian Ballou at aballou@uua.org. Register here. |
We are a collective of organizations and individuals who are committed to trans liberation and joy and to growing community defense, mutual-aid, and alternative systems of care for gender diverse people.
To learn more about the Pink Haven Coalition, please visit their website here. |
What's next after the Revival?
Revival Community of Practice |
March 12 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET
So you held a Climate Justice Revival… now what? Come together with other UUs who are also moving through the Rest, Celebrate, Reflect, Synthesize, Organize process following the Revival. Learn together! Register to join us. |
Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation |
March 5, 4pm PT / 7pm ET
Hosted by Rachel Myslivy
Get to know the new Green Sanctuary! Green Sanctuary orientations provide an overview of the process and allow for plenty of time to get all of your questions answered. Come learn how to transform your congregation through climate justice, link here. |
Thomas Scholarship for Those in Seminary |
Are you or someone you know a lay leader in Unitarian Universalism who will be entering the first year of seminary in 2025, or is undertaking undergraduate work to prepare for seminary? The Rev. Chuck and Nancy Thomas Scholarship honors Rev. Chuck Thomas’s career and his family’s commitment to lay leadership in Unitarian Universalism by awarding this scholarship to one such student each year. Thomas Scholars qualify for this award by demonstrating their outstanding commitment to Unitarian Universalism as lay leaders. Learn more at the website. Applications must be submitted no later than April 15, 2025. |
MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education |
Who is the religious educator you know who’s made impactful contributions to UU faith development? Nominations are open through March 2025 for the annual Angus H. MacLean award for excellence in religious education. The award was established in 1972 by the St. Lawrence University Theological School Alumni Association and the Religious Education Department of the UUA. This year, the UUA is providing funds to increase the monetary award to $1,000. A committee chaired by Nao Bethea, the UUA's Lifespan Faith Engagement Co-Director, will select a recipient. Anyone may nominate a recipient. Please visit the UUA website to find the award criteria and how to make a nomination. |
Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social Action |
The Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social Action honors a Unitarian Universalist congregation that has done exemplary work in social justice and is accompanied by a $1,000 cash award. Submissions must be received by April 25, 2025. Submissions consist of a short description form, and if applicable, a testimonial from a partner organization or community group, and any relevant media about the congregation's justice ministry, including news articles or photos. Submit a nomination. |
The Skinner Sermon Award honors Clarence Skinner, the late dean of the Tufts College School of Religion in Medford, MA and is presented annually to the preacher of the sermon best expressing Unitarian Universalism's social principles. It comes with a $500 honorarium. We particularly encourage and invite sermons that speak to one of our four intersectional justice priorities (bodily autonomy inclusive of reproductive justice and trans liberation; decriminalization; democracy and electoral justice; and climate justice). Submissions must be received by April 25, 2025. Submissions may be offered as a document of the sermon text and/or as a video recording of it being offered. Please be sure to include the author's name, address, church affiliation, phone number, email address, and indication of when and where the sermon was delivered in your email submission. Submit your nomination. |
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 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. |
Invites you to join them for their online worship service May 18, 2025 at 3pm PT featuring Rev. Phoenix Bell Shelton Biggs titled Sacred Wholeness: Reimagining Mental Health as Liberation. Details at their website. |
UUA Communications Office |
Pacific Western Region of the UUA Newsletter |
This email was sent to congregational leaders, committee chairs and staff.
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Pacific Western Region - UUA
P.O Box 567
Brighton, CO 80601
United States |
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