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Happy December! As we move closer to our Winter Solstice Celebration our Co-Directors, Rev. Kelly Dignan and Rev. Daniel Lawlor have a brief video message to share. Click the video above to watch!
You're Invited! Winter Solstice Celebration
Let’s celebrate sacred light! UU Ministry for Earth is excited to invite you and your communities to our third annual Solstice celebration.
Wednesday, December 20 at 4 pm PT/ 5 pm MT/ 6 pm CT/ 7 pm ET
The Winter Solstice occurs when Earth's axis tilts away from the sun, making it the shortest day and longest night of the year for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. Join UU Ministry for Earth the evening BEFORE the Winter Solstice for music, reflection, meditation, and spiritual grounding.
On this longest night, we will be featuring the work of the Energy Democracy Project and sharing a portion of our offering with them. Let’s work for light for all on the longest night of the year. Our service is part of the larger arc of Clean Energy as a Human Right being led by Side with Love.
Our time together will include interaction, so please bring:
Scissors
Yellow paper OR white paper with yellow marker
Glitter if you’d like
Scotch tape
A candle
Monthly Musings Each month, you will receive a collection of materials filled with ways to help your congregation deepen your relationship with Earth and work for environmental justice. We hope you use these resources for worship, contemplative practice, and religious exploration in your congregation. You can find past issues here.
UU Young Adults for Climate Justice - Community Space for Organizers
December 14, 20238:30 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
UU Young Adults for Climate Justice has a new offering. On the second Thursday of each month at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET, we’ll be holding a community space for organizers.
As relationships are vital to build networks of care and a world of liberation, we will be creating and deepening connections with other UU young adult organizers. The space will include time for socializing, sharing our experiences in organizing, learning from our comrades, and imagining what a UU political analysis looks like.
We use the label “organizer” loosely. Anyone who is doing justice work (environmental or otherwise) is welcome here. Anyone who is seeking to do justice work is welcome here. Please register ahead of time at: bit.ly/YACJCommunity
Our Partners at Side with Love offer Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation
Wednesday, January 3 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET Get to know the new Green Sanctuary! Join the monthly orientation session to get a better understanding of the program and learn how your congregation can engage in ongoing climate action. Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice can transform your congregation through climate justice! Orientation meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 4PT - 5MT - 6CT - 7ET. Register to join us at https://secure.everyaction.com/ceet-fGMhEindBiAAIDfkw2.
Our Partners at Side with Love offer Green Sanctuary Celebration
Wednesday, January 17 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET
Let's celebrate the good work our congregations are doing to create Green Sanctuary in our communities! Green Sanctuary teams will share how they're transforming their communities through congregational transformation, climate justice, mitigation, and community resilience. Join the fun! Register to join us at https://secure.everyaction.com/HFa8OgjF606o3sMLVT3uNg2.
Our Partners at Side with Love offer a Webinar Series on Clean Energy as a Human Right
Join the Energy Democracy Project, Cleveland Owns (OH), People Power Solar (CA), and POWER Interfaith (PA) for Reimagining with Energy Democracy on January 25 at 4PT - 5MT - 6CT - 7ET. RSVP today! For the last in our webinar series on Clean Energy as a Human Right, we invite you to explore the power of Energy Democracy and the ways our congregations can reimagine energy for our communities. By reimagining how we organize our lives toward new systems that support the health and wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems, Energy Democracy advances empowerment and liberation for frontline communities.
Energy Democracy helps frontline communities build power and liberation by reimagining how we organize our lives toward new systems that support the health and wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems. In our Clean Energy as a Human Right political education series, we’ve explored the ways congregations can amplify federal clean energy funding to embrace a visionary approaches to clean energy and create hubs of climate resilience for our communities. We’re also pausing to reflect during the UU Ministry for Earth Winter Solstice Celebration featuring the Energy Democracy Project. Then RSVP to join us for the final webinar in the series, Reimagine with Energy Democracy features the Energy Democracy Project and frontline organizers advancing energy democracy in their communities.
Our Partners at Side with Love offer 2024 Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meetings
Third Wednesdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET Beginning with the Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration and ending with the Climate Justice Brainstorm, these meetings will celebrate success, build capacity for teams, elevate how the local context of oppression shapes our climate action, and the ways the Green Sanctuary 2030 process supports our work on climate justice, community resilience, congregational transformation, and mitigation - all balanced the faith-filled call to impactful action on climate.
Save the Dates for UU Ministry for Earth Spring for Change!
Our annual Spring for Change begins with World Water Day and the Spring Equinox. Save the date for an online workshop on Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 CT, 5:00 MT, 4:00 PT
Earth Day is April 22, 2024. We will provide an expanded Monthly Musings with worship resources for April so congregations can celebrate all month long. It will include an Earth Day ritual, video clips of certain segments, and small group ministry discussion questions - all available February 1, 2024. What do you need? We’d love to hear your input for Earth Day worship materials. Complete this form. We hope you’ll share your plate with UUMFE for the month of April, 2024. The form allows you to indicate your willingness.
International Biodiversity Day is May 22, 2024. Save that date for an online event celebrating the more-than-human world. 7:00 pm ET, 6:00 CT, 5:00 MT, 4:00 PT. Your congregation can sponsor the concert. Email daniellawlor@uumfe.org.
An expanded worship packet will UU Young Adults for Climate Justice will offer Movement Training Saturdays in April. UUYACJ is hosting its third annual movement training workshop series! This workshop series seeks to support, resource, and empower young adults to act with courageous love. They offer organizing skills, collective knowledge, and sustainable care practices. It is open to all young adults (ages 18-35). These workshops will be happening every Saturday in April on Zoom. Each session will last for 90 minutes. Justice work asks so much of organizers and UUYACJ is grateful that we get to offer these free workshops as a gift in return. You can attend just one, or all of them!
More details to follow.
Our Partner - The UU College of Social Justice - offers their newest program: “Practice the Practice: Experiential Education for Religious Professionals.”
Join UU College of Social Justice in early 2024 as they run the first cohort of Practice the Practice! Do you want to have a deeper understanding of how to lead justice-centered experiential education programming? Do you want to create relationships with a cohort of like-minded religious professionals and have your own experiential education opportunity? The program will involve four online gatherings over the span of four months, with small group check-ins in between. It will culminate in an optional 4-5 day immersion learning program where we can practice and analyze what we’ve learned!
Come socialize with us in a different way. Our social channels are a good way to get in-real time updates, and see links/photos/videos of what we've been up to. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo. See you there!
FB: https://www.facebook.com/uuministryforearth Insta: @uumfe Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user178821501 OR search UU Ministry for Earth
The UU Ministry for Earth is seeking new leaders for our Board! Will one of our new Board members be YOU?
If you have a deep and embodied commitment to uplifting the need to face and adapt to the climate crisis, counter environmental injustice, and support the flourishing of all life. If you feel drawn to support and contribute to the many offerings of the UU Ministry for Earth (www.uumfe.org), please reach out to the UUMFE Nominations Committee to share your strengths and desire to be part of our team. We are looking to develop a dynamic, multicultural, multigenerational anti-oppressive Board, inclusive of people of color, trans and gender-nonconforming people, young people, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, and/or frontline communities; people who self-identify with such identity are especially welcome to apply. Please contact SearchTeam@UUMFE.org to submit your resume and letter of interest.
The UUMFE Board is also looking for someone experienced in Human Resources to jump on the monthly "HR Committee" zoom to advise us during the meeting on best practices in managing staff. No admin work, no commitment outside the meeting, just someone to listen and opine and give us direction! We currently meet once a month on Tuesday at 11 am, but could shift the day/time to accommodate an interested person. Email betsytomic505@gmail.com
RECIPE TO SHARE
Mushroom Lentil Loaf with Dried Cranberries
Our Office Administrator, Sabrina, might be making this for their holiday meal this year. It looks beautiful with cranberries but any dried fruit would work!