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Pacific Western Region
 
August 2026 
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Content 
Blogpost
"Farewell, Pacific Western Region: It Has Been a Pleasure"
Rev. Tania Y. Márquez 

News: Pacific Western Region
PWR Is Hiring 
PWR Staffing for the Next 6 Months 
Elementary OWL Facilitator Training 
Treasurers Orientation 

News: Unitarian Universalist Association 
UUA Property and Casualty Town Hall
Woven Faith Curricular Series 
RE Kickoff: New Ways of Being Together 
Pledge Drive 101 Series 
DRUUMM Beloved Gathering 2026 
Moonrise 2026 

News: Children, Youth, and Young Adults
 Deep Dive Child and Youth Safety Training 

Important Resources
PWR Chalice Lighters  
Congregationally Affirmed Minister's Gathering 
UUA Job Board / UUA Job and Careers 
Congregational Incident Form 
Community Resilience Hub 
Disaster Relief Fund 
UU Mental Health Network 

Publications 
July Publications 
Pacific Western Region Board
Co-Presidents, Bob Miess and Libby Fitzgerald
Secretary, David Sheh 
At-Large, Russ Menk

Learn more about the PWR Board. 
Pacific Western Region Staff
PWR Lead 
Rev. Sunshine J. Wolfe 

PWR Program Staff 
Rev. Summer Albayati 
Mx. Sam K. Pearl 

PWR Administrator 
Hara Madera 

PWR Bookkeeper
Melanie Buck 

Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Staff 
Mylo Way
Blogpost 
"Farewell, Pacific Western Region: It 
Has Been a Pleasure" 
Last month our Newsletter blog was the Rev. Sarah Millspaugh’s goodbye letter, this time it is mine. By the time you read this blogpost, I will have left the UUA. After a serious time of discernment, I have decided to return to chaplaincy full time and I have been offered a rare and wonderful opportunity to lead the spiritual care department at a local hospital.

Reflecting back, I remember the first time I visited Las Cruces, something felt familiar about that area. I felt connected to my ancestors and to the land of my grandparents, that is my land, too. I have loved visiting the Southwest part of the country. I have also been captivated by the beauty of Albuquerque, Colorado, and the Arizona desert. The Pacific Northwest with so much vegetation. And my beloved San Diego. When I first joined the Pacific Western Region I asked for all the border churches. I wanted to work in the complex region of the borderlands and I am so glad I got to meet so many of you. I am so grateful that our paths crossed.

During my short, but profound, time at the UUA, I got to witness the many expressions of Unitarian Universalism in our region; in mountains, deserts, and valleys. I met dozens of committed individuals who graciously and lovingly offer their gifts to their congregations. I got to be with some of you through some painful moments and also had the opportunity to witness your resiliency and creativity.

I have so much respect for the work you do, for your willingness to step into difficult situations to figure things out. I am in awe of your elected leaders who seek and strive to lead your congregations relevantly and meaningfully. Thank you for your service to your communities and to this faith that has been so life saving to so many. You taught me so much during these past two years.

My deepest gratitude for the trust you placed in me every time you reached out for support, for inviting me into your communities and trusting me with your hopes, hesitations, doubts, and the visions you hold for your congregations. While my resignation comes with short notice to you, I want to let you know that I am in conversation with the team to make sure those congregations that were under my care continue to receive the support you need.

You still have a wonderful team to look after you, do not hesitate to reach out when you need some additional support.

May your ministries continue to bless the communities you serve. May your congregations thrive, and may you continue to give life to the values of Unitarian Universalism in our region.

With great respect and admiration,

- Rev. Tania Y Márquez, PWR Congregational Life Field Staff 
News: Pacific Western Region 
PWR Is Hiring 
With Rev. Tania’s departure, we are hiring for one Field Staff position.  If you are interested in working for the UUA in this role, please go to the job announcement to apply.  We are a diverse team supporting over 200 congregations and covenanting communities in 15 states, 5 time zones, and two continents (waves at Hawai’i).  We hope you will consider joining our team.  You can apply HERE.
PWR Staffing for the Next 6 Months
We are currently short staffed, and it will take a time to train and hire staff.  Summer, Sam, and Sunshine will be sharing the workload during this time as we slowly add the newest member of our team, Isaac Castro, into the mix.  He will start on August 17th.  Look for an introduction to Isaac in our September newsletter.  In the meantime, please be aware that you may receive support from us or from Field Staff in other regions as we get back to an effective staffing level.  If you have questions or need support, please fill out our Partnership Activation Request form and we will get back to you.  We thank you for your support and patience.
Elementary OWL Facilitator Training 
Pacific Central LREDA is pleased to sponsor this important in-person training for facilitators of Our Whole Lives at the K-1st, 4th to 6th grade levels. Join us at the UU Society of Sacramento, October 9th to 11th with facilitators, Emmalinda MacLean and Rev. Lauren Jewett (UCC)! 

Register before September 20th, click here. 
Treasurers Orientation 
Thursday August 20, 2026 1:00 - 2:00pm PT | 12pm AKDT | 11am HDT 

Facilitated by: Sam K Pearl (they/them) Pacific West Region Congregational Life Staff and Halcyon Westall (she/her) Congregational Stewardship Director (new). Treasurers Roundtables are now open to any UU Treasurer (all regions, Canada, everywhere).
News: Unitarian Universalist Association 
UUA Property and Casualty Town Hall 
You're invited to our upcoming Property & Casualty Town Halls on August 4 at 12pm Eastern and August 5 at 3:30pm Eastern. This is a great opportunity to meet the team supporting the UUA Property & Casualty Insurance Program, including Hugh Dennis, Director of Benefit Plans and Services; Kenessa O'Dell, Account Manager; Greg Hunter, Managing Director; and Abby Greeno, Program Sales Operations Leader.
 
During the session, we'll discuss current property and casualty underwriting trends, what they mean for congregations, and answer your questions. Whether you're new to the program or looking to stay informed, we encourage you to join us for this informative conversation.
 
  • August 4 at 12pm Eastern, 9am Pacific, 8am Alaska, 7am Hawaii  
  • August 5 at 3:30pm Eastern, 12:30pm Pacific, 11:30am Alaska, 10:30am  Hawaii 

To register, click here. 
Woven Faith Curricular Series 
At the UUA, we’ve witnessed the steady, growing call for an updated UU faith development curricular series—and we’ve responded to the call! We created Woven Faith to both honor our past and incorporate our present and future expressions of faith. Woven Faith also integrates our most current associational learning around anti-oppression practices, supporting the cultivation of both internal and interpersonal social-emotional skills essential for sustainable justice work.

Woven Faith Orientations
Join us for any one of these August orientations to the new Woven Faith pilot materials (each session is the same). We’ll start by grounding in an approach of whole church faith development, cover tips for preparing your congregation, and provide an overview of each component, feedback mechanisms, and have time for Q&A.

  • Thursday, 8/6 - 1-2:30pm ET / 10-11:30am PT / 9am AKDT / 8am HDT 
  • Tuesday, 8/11 - 9-10:30pm ET / 6-7:30pm PT / 5pm AKDT / 4pm HDT 
  • Saturday, 8/22 - 1-2:30pm ET / 10-11:30am PT / 9am AKDT / 8am HDT
  • Tuesday, 8/25 - 6:30-8pm ET / 3:30-5pm PT / 2:30pm AKDT / 1:30 HDT

Interested in piloting Woven Faith? 
  • To register for pilot year for the 2026-27 congregational year and receive access as soon as materials become available, click here. 
RE Kickoff: New Ways of Being Together 
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As we launch a new congregational year, make some space to pause and notice the new beginning at the RE Kickoff: New Ways of Being Together gathering. In these live sessions, UUA staff will share our latest resources for Religious Education, from curricula to policies and practices to training opportunities. You’ll find tools for taking stock, setting intentions, and moving toward your goals. So, gather your team – including any professional Religious Education staff, key RE lay leaders, ministers and Board presidents – and join us as we kick off the year together.

Three identical sessions will be offered at a variety of times to accommodate many time zones and individual needs. Choose one on the registration form.
  • Tuesday, August 4, 1:30-3pm ET / 12:30-2pm CT / 11:30am-1pm MT / 10:30am-12pm PT / 9:30am-10:30am AKDT /8:30am-9:30am HDT 
  • Tuesday, September 22, 7:30-9pm ET / 6:30-8pm CT / 5:30-7pm MT / 4:30-6pm PT / 3:30pm-5pm AKDT / 2:30pm-4pm HDT
  • Tuesday, September 29, 9:30-11pm ET / 8:30-10pm CT / 7:30-9pm MT / 6:30-8pm PT / 5:30pm-7pm AKDT / 4:30pm-6pm HDT 

To learn more and register, click here. 
Pledge Drive 101 Series 
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Do you have questions about what makes a pledge drive effective today? Join us for a three-session webinar designed for stewardship teams engaged in a spring pledge drive. We will explore current congregational giving trends, pledge drive practices that are working, and examples of real UU congregations who have experienced pledge drive successes. Congregations must register as teams, with 3 - 4 people per congregational team. 

When: Thursdays 7:00pm-9:00pm ET, 4:00pm-6pm PT/ 3:00pm-5:00pm AKDT / 2:00pm-4:00pm HDT from October 22nd to November 5th (10/22,10/29, and 11/05).

To learn more and register, click here. 
DRUUMM 
Beloved Gathering 2026 
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September 17-20, 2026 | Thursday to Sunday 
Unity Village -- Kansas City, Missouri 

In September 2026, we will gather at Unity Village, just outside Kansas City, for 4 days of worship, conversation, learning, and celebration among Unitarian Universalists of color and our communities of care.
  • Renew relationships across generations within the DRUUMM community 
  • Deepen spiritual grounding 
  • Celebrate our cultures, music, and traditions 
  • Share skills and wisdom across ministry, organizing and justice work, and community leadership 
  • Build DRUUMM's future together 

For more information, click here.
Moonrise 2026
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Registration is open for Moonrise 2026! 

Join transgender, nonbinary, intersex, Two-Spirit, gender-expansive, and other gender-diverse UU religious professionals for rest, joy, spiritual grounding, and community in Provincetown, Massachusetts, October 12–16. 

Registration closes September 12.
News: Children, Youth, and Young Adults 
Deep Dive Child and Youth Safety Training 
A sea turtle swimming in a clear blue green water.
  1. Tuesday, October 20, 2-3:30pm ET, 11am to 12:30pm PT, 10am-11:30am AKDT, 9am-10:30am HDT   
  2. Tuesday, November 3, 2-3:30pm ET, 11am to 12:30pm PT, 10am-11:30am AKDT, 9am-10:30am HDT   
  3. Tuesday, November 17, 2-3:30pm ET, 11am to 12:30pm PT, 10am-11:30am AKDT, 9am-10:30am HDT  

This three-part series will cover child and youth safety standards and protocols, using real-life scenarios to deepen our exploration of how to best equip our congregations to create spaces where our young people can thrive.

There will be approximately 90 minutes of required pre-work (including a 50-minute video and online resources to explore), then each session will dive deep into a different topic.
  1. Session 1: Ways of grounding and resourcing ourselves and our teams so we are responsive rather than reactive. 
  2. Session 2: Responding to circumstances that require us to expand confidentiality and manage mandated reporting. 
  3. Session 3: Practices for shifting the norms and culture of multigenerational spaces to co-create safety. 

Sessions will be facilitated by members of the Congregational Life and Lifespan Faith Engagement teams at the UUA. The target audience for this series is religious professionals and lay leaders with extensive child and youth interaction.
Congregational Announcement
There are no congregational announcements this month. 
Important Note: If your congregation would like to share an event in the PWR Newsletter, please email pwr@uua.org with the following: event poster (if available), brief summary of the event, and any relevant links. Please note that events listed in this section are sponsored by local congregations and have not been reviewed or endorsed by the UUA or the Pacific Western Region (PWR).
Important Resources
PWR Chalice Lighters 
Chalice Lighters is a program to help fund the growth of the member congregations and communities of the Region.The program provides grants to communities to help them cross a major threshold towards growth. For more information, click here to visit the website. To contact them directly, please email pwrchalicelighters@uua.org. 
Congregationally Affirmed Minister's Gathering
Ministers who are not fellowshipped with the UUA and are serving UU congregations are invited to gather monthly with the MidAmerica's Regional Lead. We will share information, experiences, and resources with one another and explore questions concerning the UUA and Unitarian Universalism. Register now. Meets are second Tuesday of the month beginning September 9th. Details at the UUA website.
UU Job Board / UUA  Job and Careers 
Congregations are hiring, check out the UU Job Board to see what is available. 

The UUA is hiring for several positions. Find job descriptions and application information at their Job Openings webpage.
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 Fund. We are Better Together.
UU Mental Health Network 
The UU Mental Health Network, is driven by a single goal; to empower the Beloved Community in honoring each individual 's unique mental health journey towards wellness.. 

We envision a world where the Beloved Community: is a place where all members feel welcomed, understood, and held in love; engage in respectful curiosity to understand emotional distress; welcome open, authentic, and fearless sharing about mental health; and passionately commits to mental health justice. For more information, click here.
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 
United States