The New England Region of the UUA welcomes our newest part-time Congregational Life Staff member, Heather Janules!

The Rev. Heather Janules (she/her/hers) has served UU congregations for the past 19 years as both an Associate and Solo Minister, first as the Associate Minister for Pastoral Care with Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland and then as the Parish Minister of the Winchester Unitarian Society in Winchester, MA.

The call to Winchester was part of a return to her native New England, having been raised in a nominally-Catholic family in southern New Hampshire. Heather discovered Unitarian Universalism at Arlington Street Church in 1994, a connection that was a catalyst to much personal growth and healing. In time, a call to the ministry emerged as a wish to give back to the tradition that had given - and continues to give - so much. She received a Master of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School and was ordained by ASC in 2005.

Heather is about to begin a second master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, a deepening of her experience with pastoral care. Whether it is through congregational governance, engaging colleagues as a clergy coach or companioning colleagues as a Good Officer, Heather's leadership has been defined by careful listening and respectful witness in service to collectively discovering healthy paths forward.

Heather shares her home with two spoiled pets. She finds solace in walking outside by water, whether it is Horn Pond in suburban Boston, her family's log cabin on a lake in the Deep North Woods of northern New Hampshire or by the Ashuelot River near her soon-to-be home in Hinsdale, NH. She also has deep appreciation for the absurd in life which, thankfully, is always available in abundance.

Please help us extend a warm welcome to Heather Janules. If you have any questions or wish to connect with her, feel free to reach out directly, hjanules@uua.org, or, as always, contact any member of our staff team.

Summer’s coming! Kick off those flip-flops and slather on the SPF! We’ve got five surefire tips to get more out of your congregational life this summer!

1. Keep Pride Alive! Summer really kicks off with Pride Month in June. After attending your local Pride Celebration, start planning what’s next, maybe host a pride-filled brunch to celebrate your congregation’s steadfast support of the LGBTQ+ community all year long. We know at least one of our congregations whose members’ eyes will well up when they remember the Sunday that a member of the youth group took the microphone at Joys & Concerns and announced that they were Trans! They invited the whole congregation to know them by their new name. They told the gathered church that they felt safe going to high school as a Trans youth because, “I know my family loves me. And my church family loves me.” It was the most Grace-filled moment of the church year when one by one they were greeted during coffee hour by their chosen name.

Keep that spirit of Pride alive by making sure everyone in your congregation signs this form to urge the New Hampshire governor to veto those anti-trans bills heading for his desk, then check in with one of our NH congregations to see how your congregation can support their ministry to LGBTQIA+ families in their communities.

2. Polity, Polity, Polity! Our annual General Assembly of our Association closes out the month of June for us. “Love Unites. Stories Ignite” is the theme of this year’s all-virtual GA. Send your congregation’s delegates to cast their votes on a wide variety of policies, Actions of Immediate Witness, and the proposed Article II revisions to our by-laws, among other things! Remember, the Sunday morning worship will be available for all to watch - come worship with the largest UU congregation in the world! After four days of worship, workshops, and principled debate, you might just find your appreciation for our model of governance growing.

3. Day Trips! New England’s geography means we could travel to destinations in any of our six states in a single day. Unplanned summer days off are great times for church friends to pull out a map, choose a destination and hit the road. While you enjoy the summer playlist, ask your maps app to find the nearest UU church to your destination. Stop off and take a #UUSelfie in front of their church sign and send it to our office with the subject line “#UUSelfie” - maybe you’ll see it on our facebook feed this summer! Whoever sends us the most selfies by Labor Day will get free registration to a New England Region workshop in the ‘24-’25 church year!

4. Collaborate → Celebrate!  Massachusetts mates, have you heard the news? Five UU congregations have created a Summer Services Consortium! Waltham, Concord, Lexington, Bedford, and Lincoln congregations are teaming up to create the worship experience of Summer ‘24! If you’re within driving distance on any summer Sunday, head on over and check them out! If you’re not - well, it’s not too late for your congregation to collaborate with neighbors in your corner of New England!

5. Beach Bound?? If you’re traveling to the New England Coastline this summer (or to one of the beautiful mountains in our land-locked state!) see how many UU-themed bumper stickers you count on your travels - much more satisfying than spotting license plates! And if your vacation happens to include a Sunday - don’t forget to attend worship at one of our nearby UU churches-by-the-sea. Not all of our doors close up the church year after General Assembly. There are good and faithful folk just waiting for you to come worship together with them year round - and they know a few things about hospitality!

6. BONUS ROUND!! Extra special appreciation goes out to anyone who manages to visit all THREE of our ISLAND-based UU congregations this summer!! (Well, FOUR if we count Star Island Camp and Conference Center.)

Wherever your adventures take you this summer, we hope that Love will be centered, and that you will carry the flame of our faith in your hearts everywhere you go. And if your congregation has a cool happening, is taking a faithful risk, or is stretching out in new ways that you think other UU’s would want to know about, we want to know too! Tell us your story, and you may see it reflected in our newsletters this fall.