Friend, you are receiving this email in gratitude for your support of the Unitarian Universalist Association through a recent contribution or as a member of our Legacy Society. You can update your preferences or unsubscribe at the bottom of this email.

Dear Friend, 

Great swathes of my dear home state are under water. After years of drought, there is deluge—along with flooded streets, businesses and homes, downed trees and power outages.  
 
As a Californian, the shapes of disasters in the west are familiar. I have lived through fires and floods, mudslides and earthquakes. I recall vividly the canoes folks paddled through my low-lying middle school in the early 80’s when it wouldn’t stop raining, but I had no experience growing up of blizzards or hurricanes and I didn’t understand how damaging they could be. Now that I live in the east, I am often surprised that folks here are so removed from events that impact me viscerally.

At times like these, I’m especially grateful for the UUA Disaster Relief Fund, which is available to congregations impacted by disaster. Congregations can apply for funds to make repairs, help impacted members, or their local community. As the climate changes and extreme weather events become more frequent, we are here to support one another. We are here to help even when our sibling communities are facing disasters we don’t fully understand. 

We will share more information about UU congregations affected by these storms as we have it. If your congregation has been impacted by the rains in California, consider reaching out for support. And if you would like to help, please consider making a disaster fund gift today.

In the most trying times, we are here for one another. When the world turns upside down, your congregation and community are not alone. Such a blessing.

May your 2023 be safe and warm.

Recent news from the UUA and President Susan Frederick-Gray

• Braver/Wiser: Meeting the New Year, by Tim Atkins (Blog post, January 4)
• Southern Region: What If I'm Not Ready, from Natalie Briscoe (Blog post, January 5)
• UUA Supports Strengthening Legal Foundation for LGBTQIA+ Marriages While Calling for Greater Protections (Press release, December 13)
• Presidential Search Committee Nominates Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt for Unitarian Universalist Association President (Press release, December 8)

30 Days of Love 2023 begins January 16

Side With Love is thrilled to announce 30 Days of Love 2023. Our annual month of spiritual nourishment, political grounding, and shared practices of faith and justice, 30 Days of Love will go from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 16) through Valentine’s Day (February 14). 

This year’s 30 Days of Love is a gift to our whole community: a love letter, a warm hug, a spiritual balm for all of the individuals, families, religious professionals, partners and communities that embody our values and work for justice and liberation year round. Each week will feature a spiritual theme overlapping with one of Side With Love’s intersectional justice priorities, and we'll share an array of offerings to help nourish your spirit and give gratitude and affirmation.

2023 Themes and Intersectional Justice Priorities

Week 1 (January 16-22): Interdependence :: Democracy & Electoral Justice

Week 2 (January 23-29): Embodiment :: LGBTQIA+, Gender & Reproductive Justice

Week 3 (January 30 - February 5): Healing :: Decriminalization

Week 4 (February 6-12): Resilience :: Climate Justice

Bonus Days (February 13-14): Blessings :: Liberatory Intersections 

Every Monday you can expect to receive several different kinds of offerings, each from a different voice within Unitarian Universalism. The offerings include a weekly Side with Love message, a Time for All Ages for your congregation's use, a Body Practice video, a thematic Prayer in video and text form, a thematic Blessing in video and text form, and a Grounding Practice to use in the beginning of meetings or gatherings, in video and text form. We offer these resources knowing various people will use them in a range of ways. 

Remember to Register for General Assembly 2023

In-person registration is $400 for adults, and $300 for high school youth, emerging adults (18-24), and retired and candidate ministers. Full virtual registration is $250. You can register now and use the payment plan to pay over time. Financial support is also available including a special discount for first-time attendees. In-person registration rates will increase on March 1 and again on May 1.

Already planning to attend? Help us promote GA 2023

If you've been to GA before (or even if you haven't), consider sharing information about GA with your congregation and friends. In order to help Unitarian Universalist congregations and partner organizations learn more about General Assembly, we have assembled promotional resources. Feel free to use these materials to share GA with your networks. Find logos, newsletter text, website banner images, flyers, and more here. 

EqUUal Access Carolyn Cartland Sermon Contest

Eligibility:

• The sermon must be an original work on a disability theme or topic
• The sermon must be preached between May 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023.
• Entries (sermon text and entry cover information) must be submitted before midnight on May 1st, 2023.
• This sermon contest is open to all lay or religious professional Unitarian Universalists.

For more information, please visit Information for Submitting a Sermon on the EqUUal Access website. EqUUal Access is Unitarian Universalists living with disabilities, our families, friends, and allies coming together for a common purpose: to enable the full engagement of people with disabilities in Unitarian Universalist communities and the broader society.

New Skinner House Book on Addiction

Coming up: Legacy Giving Webinar for Congregations

The UUA’s Legacy Gifts Office offers a number of services, including an online workshop to assist congregations in creating legacy giving programs. The webinar on Saturday, February 11, 2023, from 1 pm to 3 pm ET / 10 am to 12 pm PT, will cover the basics of legacy giving and how to set up a legacy giving program in your congregation. We aim to equip congregations with the knowledge they need to start a legacy program.

To register for the webinar, email us at legacy@uua.org or call (888) 792-5885 (select option 3).

Upcoming Events in January

Taproot: A National BIPOC Gathering

Thursday, January 12 | 8 pm - 9:15 pm ET / 5 pm - 6:15 pm PT

The work of spiritual community is complicated in the 21st century. From busy schedules to the ever pressing tension brought on by systemic injustice, the need for faithful leadership that is grounded and resilient is imperative. This is all the more true for leaders within our communities and congregations who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC). All too aware of this need, Congregational Life is excited to explore and co-create a network with congregational leaders that support them in this time in emergent ways through Taproot: A National BIPOC Space. BIPOC Leaders rooted in the Unitarian Universalist congregations are invited to take part in this virtual gathering on the second Thursday of the month. Learn more and register here.

UUA Board of Trustees January Meeting

Thursday, January 19 - Saturday, January 21

Agenda TBA. Register here to attend on Friday or Saturday (meeting will begin at 11 am ET). The UUA Board of Trustees holds monthly videoconference calls (using Zoom) and four major meetings per year. Agendas, meeting packets, minutes and reports are available online. The Board also hosts monthly Open Houses. All are invited to attend and participate. Bring your comments, questions, and suggestions, and chat about the Board’s work and the Unitarian Universalist (UU) issues that matter most to you.

Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration

Wednesday, January 18 | 7 pm - 8:30 pm ET / 4 pm - 5:30 pm PT

The Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration will spotlight the amazing work UUs are doing through the GS2030 program. Active Green Sanctuary congregations will share their successes, challenges, and ideas. Come to learn, leave inspired! All are welcome! *note: this month's meeting will be 90 minutes instead of the usual 60 minutes. Register to attend here. 

UPLIFT Trans and Non-Binary Monthly Gathering

Tuesday, January 24 | 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT

Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings for trans, nonbinary, and other not-entirely-or-at-all-cis UUs. Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary+ UUs and co-create support and community across our faith. All you need to bring is yourself (and other trans/nonbinary friends, if you’d like)! These gatherings focus on getting to know each other and on sharing our collective dreams, ideas, and talents for this space. Expansive definitions of trans, nonbinary, and UU all apply. Non-UUs are welcome if they are OK with being in a UU-focused community. If you are interested in this space, and you aren’t (entirely or at all) cisgender, it’s a space for you. To attend the next gathering, register today.

Seasons of Giving is the monthly e-newsletter from the UUA's Stewardship and Development Office. Questions can be directed to Suzanne Murray at development@uua.org or (617) 948-4392.

Check UUA.org and UUWorld.org, as well as UUA regional websites, for the latest updates.