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CER News Update
February 2026 |
by Rev. Byron Tyler Coles, CER Regional Lead
Ministry teams change and evolve, taking time to honor those transitions is important. It not only recognizes the ministry of the one who has departed, but it also welcomes the new partner into the work as their full selves. Between the inhale and exhale, we intentionally slow down to take stock of what it is that we are called to do and how we do it. In our context as your Regional Staff, we do the same as we are charged with fortifying your ministries as you lead with bold UU-idenity, spiritual depth, and generosity.
As we brought 2025 to a close, a hiring committee composed of Natalie Briscoe (Director of Congregational Life), Jessica York (former Director of Congregational Life), Pastor Kirk Freeman (Minister of Davies Unitarian Universalist Congregation), and myself conducted interviews for the next member of your Regional Staff. It is with great joy that I share that we have welcomed the Rev. Lyn Cox to the team. With their addition, your primary contact team is now complete, and we look forward to building and bolstering our partnerships with you across the region. Know that you are always welcome to contact any member of your Central East Region staff by email or by submitting a Partnership Activation Request Form. |
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From Rev. Lyn Cox
Dear ones,
I am so pleased and honored to be joining the Congregational Life field staff as a member of the Central East Region team! I know from my colleagues and from personal experience what vital, life-saving ministries are happening in UU congregations and covenanting communities in our region, and I’m looking forward to supporting you through Connection, Coaching, Challenge, and Companionship. We may be just meeting, or we may have encountered one another before in the course of all of our exploring. I am reminded of T.S. Eliot as I treasure both the newness and the legacy of this moment, returning to a staff role and yet knowing this place for the first time. May we discover the gifts of this new moment together as we thrive in the shared mission that Love is calling us to live out.
About Rev. Lyn Cox
Rev. Lyn Cox (they/them) is a Unitarian Universalist minister with experience in transitional ministry, religious education, counseling, public relations, and congregations of various sizes. They have served congregations in California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. Joining the Congregational Life Field Staff is, in some ways, coming full circle for Rev. Lyn, as they served in similar roles for the former Joseph Priestley District twenty years ago.
Rev. Lyn is a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry and of the College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. They also have a Master of Science in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Maryland. As a student, their research interests included Universalist history and the intersection of family systems theory with behavioral health interventions.
Recently, Rev. Lyn has been a chapter leader for the Transition Ministers Chapter of the UUMA. Over the past three years, this group of Interim, Developmental, and Contract Ministers has made cultural shifts to welcome the involvement of more ministers doing transitional work. Rev. Lyn helped plan the annual Transitional Ministry Seminar as a multi-platform experience with meaningful connection and intensive professional development for both in-person and online participants.
In their spare time, Rev. Lyn enjoys gardening, walking, playing guitar, learning about dinosaurs, crafting, and reading. They live in Baltimore with their multi-generational, multi-faith family. Their “y” in their first name can be pronounced either as a short “e” sound (Len) or with a short “i” sound (Lin). Rev. Lyn is looking forward to helping congregations in the region to thrive in their Unitarian Universalist faith and mission. |
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The following events sponsored by CER and the UUA are upcoming. For full details and a complete list visit the CER Calendar Page. Also, please note, if you are mailing a check to pay for your registration, you must write the name and date of the event in the memo line. Otherwise we may not get it properly credited.
If you are looking for Sparks Modules for Religious Educators or Our Whole Lives Trainings, check the full calendar on the UUA website.
- CER Ministers' Gathering ~ February 4, 2026, 2:30 pm ET, online
- CER DeepRE Dive Gathering ~ February 10, 2026, 11 am ET, online
- Non-Fellowshipped Ministers Gathering ~ February 10, 2026, 3 pm ET, online
- CER RE Essentials Gathering ~ February 11, 2026, 7 pm ET, online
- Winter Institute ~ February 13-16, 2026, Salt Fork State Park, Cambridge, OH
- Southern Region Primer Leadership Experience ~ February 18, 2026, 7 pm ET, online
- Congregational Leaders Conversation ~ February 24, 2026, 7:30 pm ET, online
- CER Ministers' Gathering ~ March 4, 2026, 2:30 pm ET, online
- CER DeepRE Dive Gathering ~ March 10, 2026, 11 am ET, online
- Non-Fellowshipped Ministers Gathering ~ March 10, 2026, 3 pm ET, online
- CER RE Essentials Gathering ~ March 11, 2026, 7 pm ET, online
- CER BIPOC Monthly Gathering ~ March 18, 2026, 6:30 pm, online
- Congregational Leaders Conversation ~ March 24, 2026, 7:30 pm ET, online
If your congregation or cluster has an exciting project that could use funding from our Chalice Lighter Program, our next Intent to Apply deadline is March 1 for grants to be awarded in May 2026.
Congregation Events
Paint Branch UU Church in Maryland is hosting We Rise on February 28, a day of creativity, community and spiritual expression through the arts. Learn more at their website. |
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UUA Congregational Certification |
Let's Stay Connected!
It’s that time of year again. Certification this year runs from January 5, 2026 through February 2, 2026.
You have likely received an email from the UUA IT team asking your congregation to certify for this year with a direct link to your congregation’s account. If you have not, it may be because your congregational leadership information is not up to date with the UUA, or that you have not provided them with an email address. Please make sure your congregation takes care of this. You can find details on the process in the emails from our IT team and on the UUA webpage about Certification. Learn more from our blog post on this topic.
Do note, this is the same location you can update your congregational leadership and if you haven’t done that yet for this church year, please do so! Questions? Please reach out to data services at data_services@uua.org and they will help you. |
CER Minister and RE Gatherings |
Monthly Minister Gatherings
If you are a minister serving or affiliated with a congregation in the Central East Region, you are invited to join CER Staff for monthly gatherings, February through May on the first Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 pm ET. Register Today. |
Gatherings for RE Leaders
Starting this February, the Central East Region will be hosting monthly gatherings on topics related to religious education, with a choice of evening and daytime options: RE Essentials calls (2nd Wednesday evenings, one hour) or DeepRE Dive calls (2nd Tuesday mornings, 90 minutes). February’s topic is “Building community through RE—wherever you’re at!”
RE Essentials is ideal for very part-time or newer RE staff, congregations without paid RE staff, RE Committees learning together, and for folks re-starting programs. DeepRE Dive is for religious professionals with experience leading RE/faith development, including directors, ministers, and shared ministry leaders.
- DeepRE Dive is on Tuesday 02/10, 11AM–12:30PM EST
- RE Essentials is on Wednesday 02/11, 7–8PM EST
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Save the date for April 18, 2026! Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary
An upcoming online event including a keynote presentation given by a transgender/gender nonconforming person, workshops from and for the trans community only, as well as additional workshops for cisgender people who are ready to learn more about how to be an ally. This event creates a space and time where transgender people, allies, advocates, and accomplices can bravely (and with more safety than usual) explore, learn and grow, bear witness, and be witnessed. Attendee registration details coming soon.
Introducing the Keynote Speaker - Logan Grendal. Bio coming soon! Follow Logan on Instagram @focusoninfinity
Interested in being a host site for this event? Sign up on the interest form for more information. Signing up on this form is neither a commitment to host nor approval to host, but an expression of interest in hosting. We will forward your information to your regional staff, and they will reach out to you with next steps. |
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Congregational Life Events |
March is Small Congregation Month
The UUA’s Congregational Life Small Congregations Team is hosting a month of learning for small congregations. This year’s theme is Small Congregations: We’re Doing the Work. Four webinars over 4 weeks on these topics:
- Creativity in Small Congregation RE, March 3rd
- Mobilizing for Climate Justice, March 12th
- Container for Justice, March 18th
- Holding the Sacred, with the Congregational Leaders Conversation, March 24th
Webinar dates are March 3rd, 12th, 18th at 8 pm and the 24th at 7:30 pm ET and will last 75-90 minutes. The webinars will be recorded and available to everyone who registers. Registration is on a sliding scale with a maximum cost of $20. Registration will open in early February.
Congregational Leaders Conversation
Tuesday, February 24, 7:30-9pm ET
Restorative Justice Practices in UU Congregations
Our guest, Aisha Hauser, will outline the basic tenets of restorative and transformative justice and invite us into conversation about the ways we already affirm many of these practices in our spaces. Together, we will explore how these principles might guide us, as congregational leaders, in practicing accountability, repairing harm, and deepening safety within our communities. What might justice look like within communities like ours, that seek to be places that nurture the spirit and honor the inherent worth and dignity of each person?
Aisha Hauser (she/her) is one half the Lead Ministry Team of the Church of the Larger Fellowship and an accomplished religious educator, facilitator, author, curriculum developer, and anti-racism advocate. Register today. |
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Southern Region Primer Leadership Experience |
The Primer section is a self-paced experience with recorded lectures, supplemental materials, and one live processing session. The topics covered in the Primer LE are UU Theology, Covenant, and UU History. This section is for newer members who would like a grounding in our shared faith AND for long-time members who would like to deepen their relationship with our shared faith as well as gain a fuller understanding of what it means to be an every-day Unitarian Universalist. Learn more! |
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The Media Scares Me!
February 5 at 11 am ET.
Part 2 of the UUA Communications Foundational Webinar Series
Does the idea of talking to reporters fill you with dread? What’s the difference between Instagram and TikTok, anyway? In the midst of social instability and other challenges, are you wondering how you and your congregation’s public presentation matters? The UUA’s Communications Staff Group is presenting a Communications Foundational Webinar Series to help your congregation build your communications skills and capacity, share your stories, and manage crises. This series is designed to help Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations and communities promote UU values, highlight your mission and work to audiences inside and outside of Unitarian Universalism, and cultivate relationships with local media. Register today.
Benefits Tune-Up Workbook
The Benefits Tune-up Workbook, updated annually by UUA Church Staff Finances, helps congregational leaders understand UU benefit plan rules – necessary documents, eligibility criteria, enrollment windows, and more. We’ve just published our 9th edition! Ensure plan compliance by having good protocol in place for benefits administration.
Link to Benefits Tune-up Workbook page.
Sustainable Staffing Strategizers Wave Cohort
Are you eager to pursue creative, values-based approaches to aligning your missional priorities and staffing with your financial resources? We’ll discuss staffing trends, models, and challenges; explore leadership frameworks and emerging approaches; envision small-bet experiments; and more. Light assignments between sessions will help you apply your learnings and share your imaginings. By the end of our time together, you should have greater clarity about possible directions – and thought partners from within and beyond your congregation. Multiple leaders from a single congregation are welcome to apply!
Join Jan Gartner and others for six weekly 75-minute sessions: Tuesdays, March 3 through April 7, starting at 3p ET. Learn more and apply to participate.
The Spark RE and Music Leadership Professional Development Programs provide for 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!
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. |
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Upcoming Gatherings
30 Days of Love 2026
Love At The Center: Reimagining the World As It Could Be.
At a time when fear, violence, and extraction dominate our politics and our planet, we practice another way. We believe love is not fragile; it is fierce. It grounds our organizing, fuels our imagination, and sustains our communities. Over five weeks, we will move through a journey from imagination to action, rooting our freedom dreams in faith and bringing them to life in our world. Each week, we will have a written reflection from Side With Love staff; a conversation with a UU theologian; a multigenerational family activity; reflection questions for journaling; a meditative body practice; and a coloring sheet connected to the weekly theme. Sign up to receive an email and/or text when each week’s content is live. |
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Winter Institute 2026 Last Call for Registration
In these difficult times, we are reminded how sacred it is to be in community, raising our voices in song, sharing meals together, and enjoying togetherness. The WI Planning committee is delighted to invite you to join us in-person for Winter Institute at Salt Fork! But this is our last call for registration! The deadline of Feb 6th is fast approaching, and we have not yet achieved our “break even” point of participation! If you plan to join us for a fabulous week of cozy community at Winter Institute at Salt Fork State Park Lodge, register NOW! You may still benefit from the group rate for your room, as they are available, though the guaranteed availability date has passed. First make your hotel reservations at Salt Fork at 740-435-9000. Please tell them you would like to book a room under the UU Winter Institute 2026 block. After making your reservation, register for WI STAT!
Summer Institute 2026
The Summer Institute Planning Committee is pleased to announce that the 2026 Theme speaker will be Rev. Susan Ritchie, speaking on Co-Creating Hope: The Art and Beauty of Resilience. Join us at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH, July 5-11, 2026. Job applications are now open and morning seminars have been posted. Registration will open in March.
Visit the website of the camps in our region to learn more about their programs:
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Seeing Me in the World
Seeing Me in the World is a teen-led and adult-supported learning experience at UU Urban Ministry that invites youth to step into Roxbury, MA with curiosity and care. Co-guided by trained teen facilitators and UUUM staff, the program uses a youth-led walking tour as a core component of a broader experience focused on place, history, identity, power, and belonging. Through guided reflection, dialogue, observation, and shared learning, participants are encouraged to see themselves as connected, capable, and active in shaping a more just world. Seeing Me in the World typically runs March through October. Learn more and explore scheduling options at their website. |
Central East Region
PO Box 425, St. Clairsville, OH 43950
Unitarian Universalist Association
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210-1409 |
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