Dear ones,
As the new year opens before us, I continue to invite Unitarian Universalists to join me in exploring some of the most pressing questions of our time as a faith tradition:
In a time of seismic change in Unitarian Universalism, how will we continue to evolve into the faith our world so desperately needs us to be? How will our UU communities faithfully navigate change and show up impactfully in our values for a world on fire? How will we hold the beating heart of our faith – those values and commitments that transcend time and place – while letting go of practices and fears that no longer serve us or our mission? It’s true that generational shifts in practices of volunteerism, rapidly evolving ministry needs in our communities, and attacks on progressive institutions are having significant impacts on Unitarian Universalism. And, as anyone who has shown up in a Side With Love shirt at an immigration detention facility or put together a rapid-response community food pantry or welcomed a trans person who never thought they could be part of a religious community knows, our UU values are life-giving, life-changing, and life-saving.
Meet the Moment
The UUA’s Meet the Moment framework is, at its core, a set of practices and tools to help Unitarian Universalists answer these pressing questions together at the congregational, regional, and national levels. We have learned a lot in our initial phase of implementing this framework, including how to develop shared understanding and analysis about what’s happening in our congregations and our world, surfacing the challenges and opportunities that exist in that context, and discerning and prioritizing how we will respond.
We know that many congregations are in their own processes of important decision-making or transitions related to a key concern or area of ministry. We’re developing Meet the Moment templates to help congregational leaders build shared analysis, surface needs and opportunities, and make values-based decisions about how to move forward. We need to cultivate our ability to identify practices and programs that have served their purpose and are ready to be retired or are simply no longer primary priorities. It is a shared spiritual practice for communities to honor work that has been done, sunset things with gratitude and clarity, and repurpose our resources and energy.
Whether it’s a new approach to fundraising, religious education, or justice organizing, we need to be willing to experiment and fail, to learn from the process, and try again. This becomes possible when we share a commitment to mission and values, when we have clearly defined goals, and when we are actively trying to be low-ego and high-impact. In a time of overwhelm and crisis, it matters that we take the time to build trust and shared analysis about how we are called to respond. This allows us to get clear about the intersection of our gifts and skills, our yearnings, and the world’s needs.
Get Involved
Join us in this process of discernment and planning for change. There are many ways to get involved.
Join (or propose!) a Wave Cohort: Wave Cohorts are small groups that meet for learning, reflection, and action. The UUA is offering Wave Cohorts on a wide variety of topics that are front-of-mind for congregational leaders, with new opportunities offered on a rolling basis. Dig Into Data: Many congregations are experiencing similar challenges and making similar decisions to navigate this moment. Watch the UUA’s webinar about the big patterns and trends we are witnessing across UUism as told through the data from our annual congregational certification process. Engage with Meet the Moment at GA 2026: There will be online and in-person opportunities to try out the framework in real time with other UUs who are navigating similar challenges and opportunities in their own contexts. Stay tuned for phase two: Focused on strategy planning, phase two of Meet the Moment will answer the question, “How are we going to get there?” This spring and summer, the UUA will release new materials to support Unitarian Universalists in developing faithful, impactful, courageous strategies that can put UU values into practice.
In faith and solidarity,
Rev. Ashley Horan UUA Vice President for Programs and Ministries |
