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Pacific Western Region
 
April 2025 
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Content
Emergent Strategy as Emergency Preparedness 
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh 

News: Pacific Western Region
PWR Board - Save the Dates! Budget Town Hall & Business Meeting 
Responding to Now: A Pacific Western Region Series 
Chalice Lighters - Spring 2025! 

News: Unitarian Universalist Association 
UUA General Assembly 2025 
Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation 
Green Sanctuary 35th Anniversary Call for Renewal with President Sofia Betancourt 
Learning with Love at the Center - Minns Lectures 
UUA Faith Development Co-Lab's Spring RE Meet-Ups 
OWL in Congregations 
Congregational Study/Action Issues Feedback Sessions 
Side With Love 
Now What: The Gathering 
UPLIFT Transgender/Nonbinary+ Monthly Gathering 
UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary+ Pastoral Care Small Group 
What's next after the Revival? Revival Community of Practice 
Transforming Hearts Collective - Two New Resources 

Scholarships and Awards 
Thomas Scholarship for Those in Seminary 
Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social Action 
Skinner Sermon Award 

Important Resources 
Congregational Incident Form 
Community Resilience Hub 
Disaster Relief Fund 
UU Mental Health Network
UUA Communications Office 

Publications 
March Publications 
Pacific Western Region Board
President, Keith Strohmaier 
Treasurer, Mary Nordhagen  
Secretary, Libby Fitzgerald 
At-Large, Bob Miess, Rev. Roger Jones, David Sheh, Rev. Sunshine Wolfe 

Learn more about the PWR Board
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 
Blogpost 
Emergent Strategy as Emergency Preparedness 
“This is a FIVE-ALARM FIRE!” We’ve seen those words written into articles, said on the news, and shared on social media too many times to count since January 20th. The urgency, and emergency, of this moment is very real. But unfortunately, there is no single way to put out the metaphorical fire that is threatening our safety and our lives, our dearly held values, our health, our economy, our environment, our educational institutions, our US Constitution, and our very human rights. (Not to mention the safety and survival of our entire world.) 

What has prepared us for this national-global emergency? What can help us get more prepared for where we are at now, and what might be ahead? An answer lies not in exactly what we do, but in how we do it. Last month my colleagues Rev. Sunshine Wolfe and Rev. Tania Márquez led a “Responding to Now” webinar about adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy as a way to move through these times.

Brown explains emergence this way: “‘Emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions’ … There are examples of emergence everywhere.” Look at a flock of starlings (YouTube), and how they come together like a cloud. Ant colonies, human cities, and hurricanes are just a few examples of the emergence principle at work. Emergence makes us flexible, resilient, creative, responsive. We cannot plan for every possible emergency. But when we strategize for emergence, we are stronger.

So how do we prepare for emergence, strategically, right now in our religious communities? Emergence arises from simple organizing principles. Interpreting brown’s principles freshly today, with some of Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny mixed in, here’s what I’ve come up with for a UU emergent emergency response:

  1. Relationship, relationship, relationship. The power of autocrats is rooted in our disconnection and disaffection from our fellow humans. In our congregations we are called not just to double down on loving our neighbors as ourselves, but also to get to know them, so that we can support them and they can support us. Brown talks about how oak trees are safer from storms because their roots reach for each other underground, and get intertwined. Let’s “get proximate” and root in with our vulnerable neighbors and help us all find our strength.
  2. Location, location, location. The five-alarm fire is national, but many of the impacts, and the opportunities for resistance, are local. Connecting with local efforts, especially those that are accountable to the communities most impacted, is key. What gifts does your location give you that you can amplify and share? What opportunities does your location give you that you can seize?
  3. Be a learning community. Sometimes, when so much is at stake, we can become so fearful about failure that we fail to try new things and learn. Brown reminds us “change is constant” and that what we try is “never a failure, always a lesson.” There is so much we are learning about how to live with integrity in a social-political environment like this one, and so much we are learning about how to claim our own power for collective liberation.
  4. Nurture what is life-giving while battling what is death-dealing. This means making space for joy and beauty and celebration even as we march and witness and rage and rise up. I’ve heard many people in targeted groups say “we will not let them steal our joy.” We won’t. In our small congregations series last month, Jennica Davis-Hockett shared a model of Deeper Joy we can all resist with.
  5. Practice trauma-informed community care. In an environment where authoritarians manipulate us with fear and shock, the caring component of our religious communities becomes just as important as the prophetic component. We have so many ways to tend one another's hearts, spirits, and souls in community. Being trauma-informed makes us stronger.
  6. Show courage and integrity in your work and faith life. Tim Snyder reminds us to never obey in advance (YouTube) and to remember professional ethics (YouTube). This is a time when Unitarian Universalists are called to live out into the commitments of our faith like never before. Whether it’s our newly-articulated shared values, our classic seven principles, or your congregation’s eighth principle, these are anchors for our courage and integrity.

Side With Love is holding space and offering resources to support us in doing all of these things. Check out the monthly event The Gathering as well as their Weekly Action Updates to get engaged. We wish you, and all of our congregations and all of our people, more love, more justice, more safety, and more love-fueled power as we navigate these times, together.

- Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh 
News: Pacific Western Region 
PWR Board - Save the Dates! 
Budget Town Hall & Business Meeting 
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Greetings Pacific Western Region, 
 
Please save the date for our 1st Budget Town Hall

We are meeting via Zoom on Thursday, April 10th from 7-8 pm PDT/MDT (10pm EDT/ 9pm CDT/ 5pm HDT). We will introduce our 2025-26 annual budget and take questions about it. Registration details will be coming soon. The budget will be shared for the first time at the meeting, so there’s nothing you need to prepare. We look forward to seeing you then!
 
We will post the recording of the meeting if you aren’t able to attend. 
 
Blessings, 
 
PWR Board 

Other Important Date to Note from March: 

1st Annual Business Meeting
  • Zoom on Thursday, May 29th from 7-8 pm PDT, (8pm MDT/ 10pm EDT/ 9pm CDT/ 5pm HDT)
Responding to Now: A Pacific Western Region Series 
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DATES & TIME
 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! 
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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
WUULF Life Festival
WUULF Life Festival with multiple pictures with festival date on the top left from June 16-22, 2025 with the website www.wuulf.org.
About WUULF 
     WUULF is an annual week-long, multi-generational camp for Unitarian-Universalists at the Ghost Ranch near Abiqueu, New Mexico. We are a loving community from a diverse set of age groups, backgrounds, and cultures who gather in New Mexico each year to express our appreciation for each other and our world. 

What is a day at WUULF like?
    We begin each day with breakfast in the Ranch's dining hall, followed by an outdoor Ingathering service, led by our community minister, to set our intention for the day ahead.
   
On "program days", we are divided into Adults and Kids for different activities: workshops, art projects, lectures, book discussions, and music. The community rejoins for lunch, and perhaps some swimming, before afternoon activities begin.
    On "non-program days" Adults and Kids are together for activities. This can include off-site adventures like river rafting and touring the Georgia O'Keeffe house, or on-site activities like tie-dying and hiking. 
    Each evening, following dinner, we gather for a night of games or music or other merriment. In between scheduled activities there is ample time for conversation, musings, reading, and recentering yourself. 

Questions? Please contact info@wuulf.org 
News: Unitarian Universalist Association 
UUA General Assembly 2025 
GA is in purple sparkly letter with diverse group of people holding hands in front of the letters. To the right is.an orange title, "UUA General Assembly, Baltimore, June 18-22, 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.
Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation 
Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation with three people as clip art packing water bottle items in a paper bag with April 2 at 4pm PT/5 MT/ 6 CT/ 7 ET for the event date on the bottom of the clip art.
April 2 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET 
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. Register here. 
Green Sanctuary 35th Anniversary Call for Renewal with President Sofia Betancourt 
Green background with red, orange, and green flowers on each corner with tittle Green Sanctuary 33th Anniversary and Call for Renewal poster with Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt picture on the right with dates and different time zones on the left Wednesday, April 16 4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, and 7pm ET.
Celebrate 35 years of Green Sanctuary and renew your congregation's commitment! Join President Sofía and friends to celebrate this impactful and transformative program that has organized UUs to take action on climate for 35 years, and learn about the new Green Sanctuary process that will carry our faith through the coming years. All are welcome! Renew your commitment to faith based actions that advance climate justice in our communities. Register here. 
Learning with Love at the Center - Minns Lectures 
You are invited to join the Annual Minns Lectures This year the Minns Lecture will be presented as a three part series both in person and online on the theme of Deconstructing Mythologies of Unitarian Anti-Racism. Each presentation will be followed by a response. Learn more and register here. 
  • April 30, Rev. Dr. Wayne Arnason will present Rehearsal for Reconstruction at 7 pm CT at Unity Church-Unitarian, St. Paul, MN
  • May 8, Rev. Lisa Friedman will present To Uplift the Race at 7 pm ET at First Unitarian Church of Rochester, NY.
  • May 14, Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed will present Founders or Followers at 7 pm ET at First Church, Boston, MA. 
UUA Faith Development Co-Lab's Spring RE Meet-Ups 
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What We Have Laid in Store 
Sunday, April 13, 4-5:30pm PT or Tuesday, April 15, 9-10:30am PT
 
As authoritarianism rises and so much we hold dear is under siege, our Spring Religious Education Meet-Ups will focus on how we can bring to bear the skills and knowledge we have gathered through decades of Unitarian Universalist faith development scholarship and practice. We will remind one another of the practices, stories, patterns and rituals we’ve created and inherited that can help families make sense of chaos, focus on what matters most, and use their power in service of our UU values. Register here. 
OWL in Congregations 
HB233 has passed in Utah and awaits signature by the Governor, banning Planned Parenthood educators or their materials from Utah schools. This is part of a growing pattern of limiting sexuality education to abstinence-until-marriage content. Congregations can help offset the lack of comprehensive sexuality education in schools by opening Our Whole Lives programs to children, youth and teens in the larger community.  

To support this much-needed ministry, UUA and UCC OWL leaders and the UUA Organizing Strategy Team will present a General Assembly workshop (in-person and live streamed) titled "OWL Sexuality Education as a Community Care Innovation." It will explain how congregations can build relationships that pave the way for collaborative OWL programming with faith and other organizations.  

For the day, time, and location (in-person and online) for the workshop, please refer to the GA Program Book. Congregations not attending GA can request resources afterward from owl@uua.org.
Congregational Study/Action Issues Feedback Sessions  
Join the UUA's Commission on Social Witness to offer your feedback on the proposed Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs). All proposed CSAIs received the required “yes” votes in the Congregational Poll to be admitted to the agenda for UUA General Assembly 2025, where one will be selected for three years of study, reflection, and action. Register for any of the upcoming CSAI Feedback Sessions:
Side With Love 
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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.
The Gathering, April 14 at 5pm PT / 8pm 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. Register here. 
Now What: The Gathering 
Event banner with white and yellow handwritten and typed text on black background. Text reads, “Now What; The Gathering for Congregational Staff and Leaders.” The word “Gathering” is underlined in yellow, with yellow hand-drawn rays above it. The Side With Love and UUA logos are at the top.
Now What happens on the Wednesday after each month’s Gathering at 1:00-2:15pm ET | 12:00-1:15pm CT | 11:00am-12:15pm MT | 10:00-11:15am PT

On April 16th, we are excited to launch Now What: The Gathering for Congregational Leaders, an alternative version of The Gathering specifically and only for staff and board members of UU congregations who are shaping the future of our faith communities. We know many of you are off on Mondays, don't need another evening commitment, and can use a dedicated space relevant to your role. If you lead, serve, or support your congregation’s mission, this space is for you.

Now What: The Gathering for Congregational Leaders provides daytime, condensed access to the content from The Gathering, with additional breakout sessions for congregational leaders to reflect, strategize, and share with peers. Now What is a place to bring your challenges, your insights, and your vision for what’s ahead. RSVP for Now What! 

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How is Now What Different from The Gathering?

The Gathering, hosted by Side With Love, is a monthly, open-to-all virtual event designed to provide inspiration, political analysis, and action-oriented training for those committed to justice and democracy. It is recorded, publicly available, and has no breakout groups.

Now What is co-hosted by Side with Love and your Regional Life Staff and offers a tailored experience for congregational leaders. If you wish you could go to The Gathering but find it difficult to add another nighttime commitment, or if you hunger for a focused space to talk through how to apply these ideas in your congregation, this is your space. It is designed specifically for congregational ministers, staff, and board members who need a dedicated environment for congregational application. It is not recorded or publicly available and does have breakout groups.

Not Congregational Staff or Board? Join The Gathering Instead!

UPLIFT Transgender/Nonbinary+ Monthly Gathering
April 22 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET 
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. All you need to bring is yourself (and other trans/nonbinary friends, if you’d like)! Expansive definitions of trans, nonbinary, and UU all apply. If you are interested in this space, and you aren’t cisgender, it’s a space for you. NOTE: This space is intentionally multi-generational. It is open to and welcoming of trans/nonbinary elders as well as children, youth, and young adults. Standard UUA online safety measures apply to ensure all people under 18 are able to attend. We're glad to have you here! Register here
UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary+ Pastoral Care Small Group
A rainbow borders a box with a black background. Inside this box is a chalice with trans flag colors, and text that reads in rainbow: "UPLIFT." Below, the text reads, "Monthly Trans/Non-Binary Gathering Space, 4th Tuesdays @8pm ET / 5pm PT." Underneath, text reads "Pastoral Care Groups--2nd Fridays @8pm ET/5pm PT." Behind all of this are the nonbinary, transgender, genderqueer, and genderfluid flags.
April 11 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET
What is pastoral care, exactly? Pastoral care is support with navigating life—big and small things, joys and hardships and all those mixed together. It’s not therapy, but a way for us to be in community together, supporting each other. This is a space to share the hard stuff and to hold the hard stuff that others are navigating in their lives. During our time together, our lead chaplain/facilitators will share opening and closing words, and in between, there is time for everyone to share what's on their hearts, and receive what others are sharing about their own lives. It's a supportive, judgment-free place to connect with other trans/nonbinary+ people. This year, the pastoral space is for adults only. If you’re a child or a youth and you’d like to have a space to talk about the hard stuff, let us know by registering for the pastoral space and putting a note in the comments. When we have enough children and youth registered, we’ll plan for opening additional spaces for different ages. And stay tuned for additional opportunities for children and youth to connect—we’re working on this! Register here. 
What's next after the Revival? 
Revival Community of Practice
White poster with yellow, red, purple, orange, and green leaves with the title "What's Next after Revival? Community of Practice for Revivaling Congregations" with date and times on the left Wednesday, April 9th 4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, and 7pm ET and on the right, circle with Climate Justice Revival and multiple small circle to the right with words like rest, celebrate, reflect, synthesize, and organize to the right.
April 9 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! Make Connections! Move Climate Justice forward together. This informal gathering will provide ample time for conversation and brainstorming next steps together. Register here. 
Transforming Hearts Collective - Two New Resources 
The transgender community flag as a background with hearts and birds to the bottom, with a title on top "Responding to Anti-Trans Movement, A Course for UUs."
The transgender community flag with title on the poster, "Defend Trans Lives, A Webinar for People of Faith" with two different dates and time at the bottom of the title which are: Tuesday, March 25 3:30pm and Tuesday, April 8 8:30pm.
Responding to the Anti-Trans Movement: A Course for UUs

This concise on-demand course consists of three sessions: Trans 101, what you need to know about the anti-trans movement, and how to ensure your congregation is truly trans welcoming. Each session includes a 25- to 35-minute video and accompanying resources.

It’s perfect for UUs who are looking to level up their understanding of the current political assault on trans people, how to respond to anti-trans information, and how to create more safety and belonging for trans people and our families in their congregations. Learn more.

Note: This course is not meant to replace our existing 6-session program Trans Inclusion in Congregations. It does make a great add-on to that more in-depth program, either as an entry point or as a continuation. It's priced for individual purchase but anyone who'd like to use it in a group setting is encouraged to email us to discuss a nominal/equitable fee.
Defend Trans Lives: A Webinar for People of Faith

This webinar, offered twice (on March 25 and April 8), is geared toward pro-LGBTQ Christians (but is open to all people of faith), presented in partnership with Enfleshed and Soulforce. Prior to the webinar registrants will receive essential background info from trans faith leaders and national trans advocates from the Transgender Law Center, the National LGBTQ Task Force, the Human Rights Campaign, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and more. On the webinar, speakers will discuss the moral and spiritual imperative to defend trans lives and how attendees can take action in the public square and in their own churches and faith communities. Learn more. 
Scholarships and Awards
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.
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.
Skinner Sermon Award
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.
Important Resources
Congregational Incident Form 
The simple Congregational Incident Form provides a way for congregations to inform the UUA of a threat or disruptive incident that comes from outside the congregation itself, helping us track trends and create resources.

All forms come to Safe Congregation Program email, safecongregations@uua.org. Please let us know if you have any questions. 
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.
Disaster Relief Fund
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 FundWe are Better Together.
UU Mental Health Network 
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 
The UUA has been getting requests asking how congregations can support
the lawsuit on being immigration sanctuary locations. The UUA Communications Office has written up Guidance and Background for Local Op-Eds in support of the Lawsuit (PDF). Please feel free to share this document but do not post it to social media or any searchable website.
Publications 
Click here to view the March Publications
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Pacific Western Region of the UUA Newsletter 
This email was sent to congregational leaders, committee chairs and staff.
Pacific Western Region - UUA 
P.O Box 567 
Brighton, CO 80601 
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