Pacific Western Region
October 2026 |
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Content
Blogpost
"Summer Reads and Recommendations"
Mx. Sam K. Pearl, Congregational Life Field Staff
News: Pacific Western Region
PWR Board: Your Voice Belongs in Regional Leadership
DRUUMM California Fall Retreat 2026
DRUUMM California 1st Monday In-Gathering
Treasurers Roundtables
Presidents Meeting
PWR Staffing for the Next 4 Months
News: Unitarian Universalist Association
UU Mental Health Network Board Seeking Potential Board Members
The Woodlands: Gender Expansive Spiritual Care
Join the UUCEF Quarterly Calls
2026-27 UUA Common Read: Love at the Center
Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary
Moonrise
New REP Pathway
(Sm)All Things Search: Preparing for Ministerial Search as a Smaller Congregation
Congregationally Affirmed Minister's Gathering
Faithify Corner
Pledge Drive 101 Series
Congregational Toolkit for Transformative Joy: Leaders Edition
Side with Love
Congregational Leaders Conversation
News: Children, Youth, and Young Adults
Campus Ministry Initiative
Deep Dive Child and Youth Safety Training
News: Congregational Announcement
Remembering Our Elders: A Ministry of Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo, CA
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
September Publications |
Pacific Western Region Board
Co-Presidents, Bob Miess and Libby Fitzgerald
At-Large, Russ Menk
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Pacific Western Region Staff
PWR Lead
Rev. Sunshine J. Wolfe
PWR Program Staff
Rev. Summer Albayati
Mx. Sam K. Pearl
Isaac Castro
PWR Administrator
Hara Madera
PWR Bookkeeper
Melanie Buck |
Pacific Western Region Links
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Blogpost
"Summer Reads and Recommendations" |
We have past the Equinox, our new moon is in Libra, and summertime is officially over. Its lessons learned are not – my season of integrating my summer gleanings has only just begun. Like many UUA staff, I use my summer to read all the books I wanted to read during the liturgical year but could not given time and capacity limitations. This year my list was long and I basked in expansive, abundant, joy-filled time engaging with new ideas, deeper knowledge, and suggestions of new ways of being and doing. Below I’ve synthesized a few recommendations based on role in congregations so that you too can add to your reading list when the time is right.
For lay leaders: Governance and Ministry (3rd Edition) by Dan Hotchkiss
It is a classic for a reason. A solid explainer for common dynamics within congregations, from the frustrating to the lifegiving. Full of charts and great questions, Hotchkiss walks you through understanding key differences and similarities between governance and ministry, why and how collaboration between those two are key, and the congregation’s role in at all. Genuinely a must read for Board members. Also highly recommend as a community read if you’re in an interim or developmental ministry, creating a strategic plan, or otherwise tackling your structures head-on.
For ministers: Transforming Conflict: The Blessings of Congregation Turmoil by Rev. Terasa Cooley
This practical guide invites us into the practice of conflict navigation as spiritually nourishing. In her brilliance the author shares theory and ways of approach alongside tested activities. At its core, her message is how to use the natural conflicts that inevitably arise in congregational systems as opportunities for discernment, change, and yes, transformation.
For everyone: Seeds of a New Way: Nurturing Authentic and Diverse Religious Leadership edited by Rev. Nancy Macdonald-Ladd and Rev. Manish Mishra Marzetti
Provocative first-person essays illuminate the current experiences of Unitarian Universalist ministers in congregations. It is a work that places marginalized voices to the center of dialogue on contemporary UU ministry. It is both eye-opening and affirmational across many spectrums of identity. Everyone has things to hear and feel heard within its pages. Stories are shared with gorgeous and descriptive prose, making it an easy and enjoyable read. Our colleague on the Pacific West Region team, Rev. Summer Albayati has a fantastic piece!
If you’ve read this far my full list of summer reads, all of which I recommend, are:
Activist Theology by Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, Radical Reparations by Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, Story, Song, and Spirit by Erika Hewitt, Care for the World: Reflections on Community Ministry by Erin J Walter, Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism by Nancy Palmer Jones and Karin Lin, and Holding Change by adrienne marie brown
Enjoy, page-turners!
- Mx. Sam K Pearl (they/them), PWR Congregational Life Field Staff |
News: Pacific Western Region |
PWR Board
Your Voice Belongs in Regional Leadership |
The Pacific Western Region Board is recruiting — and we’re looking for you.
Across 13 states and more than 180 congregations, the PWR Board is the connective tissue of our regional UU community. We handle governance, fiscal stewardship, congregational support, and the events that bring us together — like Regional Assembly. But what makes this board distinctive isn’t just what we do. It’s how we do it.
We govern using sociocracy — a model of shared governance where authority is distributed, decisions are made by consent, and every member’s perspective shapes the work. No hierarchy. No one person in charge. Real equivalence, in practice.
This isn’t governance that asks you to sit in the back and defer. It’s governance that asks you to show up as yourself.
We are especially seeking board members who bring:
- BIPOC and LGBTQUIA+ identities and lived experiences.
- Geographic diversity -- particularly from underrepresented parts of our 13-state region
- Experience with smaller or historically underserved congregations
- A willingness to learn sociocratic governance (experience welcome but not required)
- Skills in financial oversight, conflict resolution, or inclusive leadership
Ready to Serve?
Applications are open. We welcome nominations, self-nominations, and questions.
For any questions, email pwrboard@uua.org. |
DRUUMM California Fall Retreat 2026 |
Real coalition among BIPOC UUs across California is vital in this time of urgent
needs. As we continue building the DRUUMM CA community, we will examine our
relationships with our faith spaces, social justice collectives, and each other.
Join us for the Fall Retreat 2026: Finding Our Path Toward Collective Liberation.
Keynote address and panel discussion led by Jewell Famaaligi will unpack why our movements stall, why our congregations sometimes struggle to do hard things, and ways we can consider our individual and collective roles in creating the Beloved Community Dr. King envisioned.
Saturday, October 10, 9am to 4pm. Online and in person at First Unitarian Church of San Jose & First UU Church of San Diego. Palestine Solidarity Action will
follow at 5pm.
For more information: revkev@druumm.org. |
DRUUMM California 1st Monday In-Gathering |
DRUUMM CA has a 1st Monday In-Gathering every 1st Monday of the month at 6pm-7:30pm PT.
For any questions, please email revkev@druumm.org. |
Join the Treasurer Roundtables meetings, now open to any UU Treasurer (all regions, Canada, everywhere)! Every third Thursday of the month from 4pm-5pm Eastern Time folks will gather to discuss ( or learn...maybe?) finance and budget related topics. Facilitated by: Sam K Pearl (they/them) Pacific West Region Congregational Life Staff. September’s roundtable theme is Congregational Budget Processes, co-facilitated by Lisa Lake (she/her) Congregational Life Budget Manager.
Next Roundtable: Thursday October 15 , 2026, 1:00 - 2:00pm PT | 12pm AKDT | 11am HDT
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Calling all Presidents, Chairs, and Moderators within the PWR! Connect with fellow leaders, learn new skills, and share your wisdom with others. Our monthly Presidents’ Meeting launching this month of September for the new congregational year is back. Please be sure your MYUUA account has up-to-date leadership information so we have the correct email address on file.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday, October 20th at 6pm PT/7pm MT/ 5pm AKDT/4pm HDT.
We look forward to seeing you all!
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PWR Staffing for the Next 4 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. |
News: Unitarian Universalist Association |
UU Mental Health Network Board Seeking Potential Board Members |
The Woodlands
Gender Expansive Spiritual Care |
A monthly online spiritual community for trans, nonbinary, intersex and Two-spirit people - and their families. A place to be held, celebrated and nourished. With community groups for different ages and stages.
Learn more and register here. |
Join the UUCEF Quarterly Calls |
If your congregation has investments in the UU Common Endowment Fund and you have questions or want to know more about what is happening, you can join their quarterly calls on September 8 and December 1 from 2-3 pm ET. Registration is open. Learn more about their work at UUCEF's website. |
2026-27 UUA Common Read: Love at the Center |
Each year, the UU Common Read invites congregations into shared reflection, learning, and action through a common book and accompanying resources. The resource collection is now live for this year’s Common Read, Love at the Center: Unitarian Universalist Theologies, edited by UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt!
In past years, we have offered “book club” style discussion guides, but this year, thanks to our Common Read resource developers, Rev. Michelle Collins and Jenn Blosser, we are providing MUCH more:
- a full lifespan curriculum series (ages 7+)
- committee-specific discussion guides
- essay-specific discussion guides paired with recommended committee usage
- a collection of quotes for use in worship
- a printable interactive mystery game, “The Mystery of the Slightly Sentient Chalice” for intergenerational play!
Register to access the Common Read Resource Collection, click here.
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Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary |
Curious about hosting the Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary conference (BBCBB) in person? We encourage you to attend the info session on hosting this conference locally.
Dates:
- Tuesday Nov. 17 from 6pm-7pm CT/ 7pm-8pm ET
- Thursday, Nov. 19 from 6pm-7pm PT/ 7pm-8pm MT.
In this info session, congregations will learn the how, when, where, and all the details of being a satellite congregation for the BBCBB. Both sessions will cover the same content, so please attend the session that works best for your time zone.
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A retreat for trans, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, intersex, and gender-diverse UU religious professionals, October 12-16, 2026, Provincetown, MA.
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Are you a new Religious Education Professional searching for an onboarding pathway? You’ve come to the right place! The UUA’s Lifespan Faith Engagement office and your professional organization, LREDA offer a map to guide you through the 2026-2027 congregational year.
Learn more about the New REP Pathway, by clicking here. |
(Sm)All Things Search: Preparing for Ministerial Search as a Smaller Congregation |
Are you a member of a smaller congregation and curious about how to search for and hire a minister? Are you looking for a part-time minister? If you’re wondering where to start, please join us for (Sm)All Things Search: Preparing for Ministerial Search as a Smaller Congregation. This panel, featuring Congregational Transitions Director Christine Purcell and Congregational Staffing Practices Director Jan Gartner, will include information about the Ministry Search System, timelines for different types of search, logistics of hiring ministers as employees, and time for questions. This panel is hosted by the Smaller Congregations cross-regional team and will be recorded.
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Congregationally Affirmed Minister's Gathering |
Join the Congregationally Affirmed Minister's Gathering where ministers who are not fellowshipped with the Unitarian Universalist Association and are serving UU congregations are invited to gather monthly with MidAmerica’s Regional Lead. We will share information, experiences, and resources with one other and explore questions concerning the UUA and Unitarian Universalism. Non-fellowshipped ministers from across the country are welcome to join!
First gathering will on Tuesday, October 6th from 2pm-3pm CT/3pm-4pm ET/12pm-1pm PT.
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Is your congregation/State Action Network running a crowdfunding campaign this year?
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As our UUA-run crowdfunding platform closed earlier this year, many have expressed that they will miss publicity for UU projects that are fundraising online. We listened!
As part of the UU Generosity Network, crowdfunding campaigns from UU congregations and State Action Networks/Legislative Ministries are now able to list fundraisers on the Unitarian Universalist Association website "Faithify Corner" to reach beyond your local audience. Additionally, campaigns will be listed in our monthly email newsletter that is read by thousands of UU's who are eager to support your ministry.
Simply submit the details about your crowdfunding campaign to our online form on uua.org. Staff will confirm the campaign with you and include it on the website and in our UU Generosity Network newsletter. Rest assured, all campaigns will still be vetted for legitimate UU Connection to our congregations and State Action Networks/Legislative Ministries.
Questions? Contact UUA Congregational Stewardship Director, Halcyon Westall or faithfy@uua.org. |
Thursdays 4-6 pm PT on October 22, 29 and November 5.
Last chance to register for the Pledge Drive 101 Series! 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.
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Congregational Toolkit for Transformative Joy: Leaders Edition |
The Congregational Toolkit for Transformative Joy: Leaders Edition is here to help you tend those relationships while getting things done. Bookmark it and keep it in your back pocket for simple ideas and practices that can bring more connection, joy, reflection, and breathing room into your shared work. You’ll find resources for holding one another in deep regard, hearing every voice, discerning priorities, assessing capacity, navigating uncertainty, and making space to pause. Dip in whenever your team could use a little support reconnecting to one another and to what matters most.
Link will be live by the end of the month. |
Tending SOIL: Leadership Program for Congregational Justice Teams Info Session, November 15, 6-7 pm ET.
Tending SOIL is Side with Love's leadership program for Unitarian Universalists doing justice and organizing work in their congregations who want to work with others to more faithfully and strategically engage in the transformation of the world through liberating Love. Details about the program on the Side with Love website. Applications are due November 20th, 2026. The program runs January - August 2027. Register for the Info Session.
Find other trainings, gatherings and opportunities on a variety of topics including Get Out The Vote, phone banks and solidarity meetings, and Green Sanctuary on the Side with Love calendar. |
Congregational Leaders Conversation |
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Tuesday, October 20, 2026
7:30-9pm ET / 6:30-8pm CT / 5:30-7pm MT / 4:30-6pm PT
Congregational Leaders Conversations continue this fall with a session on growth — real, on-the-ground growth. We're bringing together leaders from five congregations that are among the 10 fastest-growing UU communities since 2019: large and midsize, urban and suburban, each finding vitality in a different context. Panelists include:
- Keola Whittiker, former Board President, First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles
- Rev. Abbey Tennis, Lead Minister, First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
- Rev. Beth Dana, Minister of Faith Development, First Unitarian Church of Dallas
- Rev. Clark Gregg, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick, Maryland
- Rev. Heather Rion Starr, Settled Minister, Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware
This isn't a "the minister did it" story — it's a "we did this together" story. Come hear how lay and professional leadership work as partners to build vital, growing congregations. Register today to join the conversation.
Each month, leaders from across the country gather to hear esteemed guests speak on an emergent issue, hopeful development, or pressing concern in Unitarian Universalism. The presentation is followed by time for Q&A and small group discussion.
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News: Children, Youth, and Young Adults |
Campus Ministry Initiative |
College students are navigating loneliness, questions about purpose, and what kind of future they are preparing for. UU campus ministries can offer something increasingly rare: a spiritual homebase.
Join our initiative, the Home Base UU Campus Ministry Network, a two-year pilot exploring how congregations, campus ministries, and the UUA can covenant with one another to create spiritually nourishing communities where students can stay connected to their Unitarian Universalist faith through life’s transitions.
Want to belong to the network? Share your information and availability to join the next Campus Ministry Conversation.
To sign up for the Home Base UU Campus Ministry Network, click here.
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Deep Dive Child and Youth Safety Training |
Tuesdays, October 20, November 3 and 17
2-3:30pm ET / 1-2:30pm CT / 12-1:30pm MT / 11am-12:30pm PT
This 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 young people can thrive. We’ll talk about:
- Grounding and resourcing ourselves and our teams to be responsive, not reactive
- Responding to circumstances that require us to expand confidentiality and manage mandated reporting
- Shifting the norms and culture of multigenerational spaces to co-create safety
Facilitated by Lauren Wyeth, Interim Co-Director, Lifespan Faith Engagement and Evin Carvill-Ziemer, New England Regional Lead, Congregational Life.
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Congregational Announcement |
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). |
Remembering Our Elders
A Ministry of Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo, California |
“You remembered me!”
These words were spoken when we first approached a member of our congregation to ask about her life. She had been quite active for decades, but at 80+ years of age, had slowed down. She thought people had mostly forgotten her contributions over the years.
And this is the purpose of what we call the Elder Celebration. We want to recognize each person’s lifelong activities – in church and in private life – and honor that collective energy, wisdom and contribution with a celebration event.
We UUs celebrate many rites-of-passage – births, coming-of-age, marriages, memorial services – but we don’t always do a good job of publicly recognizing the active lives and valuable contributions of our elders, some who have become less active and less visible in their later years.
Celebrating our Elders recognizes the arc of our lives. Too often, Elders are replaced by a younger generation and somewhat dismissed as “people who are no longer important in the scheme of things.” The Elder Celebration ensures that their contributions to UUism and life are not forgotten.
If you're interested in bringing this to your congregation, or would like more information, feel free to contact Larry iaquinta, larryq22@yahoo.com |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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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