CUC eNews: March 22, 2023 – Issue 148

In This Issue:

Letter from Vyda Ng

We are living in interesting and challenging times. For the past few years, Unitarian Universalists (UUs) across Canada have been pivoting in response to changing circumstances. In 2020, congregations and organizations like the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) moved programs and services online in response to Covid-19; now we are shifting to in-person or hybrid events. Congregations are looking for innovative ways to address changing demographics, and many are in the midst of ministerial transitions. Many are dealing with grief and loss. At the same time, UUs are exploring how to dismantle racism and systems of oppression in their institutions and themselves. 

It is exhausting. 

It can also be unsettling. At the CUC, we realize that a period of adjustment is required whenever there is turnover among staff and board members. As I write this letter, I am mindful of the transition that will take place now that Joan Carolyn has retired from their position as the Congregational Life Lead for BC and the Western regions–and again in May 2023 when the new Congregational Life Lead joins our team. I am also preparing to say good-bye to some valued members of the CUC Board of Trustees–and to welcome new trustees. 

We need to be gentle with ourselves and with each other as we navigate these changes. 

This month, I would like to leave you with these words from Sharon Wylie. They are taken from her poem “You are Never Alone,” which can be found on Worship Web. 

It is okay to be tired of change.
It is okay to be tired of everything different.
Okay to feel weary of resiliency and wholeness and learning and growth.
And okay to yearn simply for rest.
It’s okay to be grouchy and unsatisfied,
And all the ordinary human ways of being that we are.
Let our time together soothe what is restless in you.
May you be comforted in knowing that whatever you are feeling today and other days
You are not alone. You are never alone.

Be well,

Vyda Ng

Register Today

2023 National Symposium: Living Into the 8th Principle – Registration now open!
May 19 to 21, 2023

Canadian UUs are committed to dismantling racism and systems of oppression. But change isn’t easy. It can be unsettling to address our own privilege–and you will probably face some resistance. The Canadian Unitarian Council’s 2023 National Symposium is the place to share your experiences and find out how other UU congregations, communities, and individuals are living into the 8th Principle. Join us in person in Ottawa, Ontario or online. Together, we can be the change we want to see in the world. 

Register today to find out how you can live into the 8th Principle

Leaders’ Roundtable: Annual General Meeting (AGM) Plenary Discussion – Saturday, April 29
9:00 a.m. PT | 10:00 a.m. MT | 11 :00 a.m. CT | 12:00 p.m. ET | 1:00 p.m. AT | 1:30pm NT (1.5 hours)

In advance of the Annual General Meeting on May 19th, 2023, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) Board and Executive Director invite you, especially leaders and delegates, to a conversation about the proposed motions.

At this point, there won’t be any substantive changes made to the motions, and this conversation aims to inform and engage participants at the AGM, both delegates and observers alike.

Register for the roundtable today.

CUC Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2023 – Friday, May 19: In Person and Online via Zoom
10:00 am PT | 11:00 am MT | 12:00 CT | 1:00 pm ET | 2:00 pm AT | 2:30 pm NT  (3.5hrs)

The Canadian Unitarian Council’s  Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place on Friday, May 19, 2023. It’s a time to attend to the business of the Council and a chance for congregations and their delegates and members to be involved in making decisions that affect our national faith community. 

The AGM is open to all and free of charge, and observers may attend in-person or online. The AGM will be held on the campus of Algonquin College in Ottawa; Zoom will be used for virtual participants.

Congregations should select their delegates early (here are some points to consider), and since this is a multi-platform AGM, your congregation may select both virtual and in-person delegates. 

All delegates must be registered by May 1, 2023 in order for your congregation to vote.

Our Whole Lives (OWL) Facilitator Training
May 21 – 23, 2023

We know it is important to have open, honest conversations about sexuality, but sometimes we need a little support. Our Whole Lives (OWL) trains educators to support parents and deliver progressive, comprehensive sexual education programs to children, youth, and adults. Want to help people make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behaviour? 

Sign up for OWL Facilitator Training in Ottawa, ON from May 21 to 23, 2023. 

Youth and Young Adults to Gather in Ottawa
By Casey Stainsby, Youth and Young Adult Program Manager 

Youth ages 14-19 from all across the country are invited to gather together in person May 19-22 for the beloved national youth conference, CanUUdle. We are grateful to the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa for hosting this event in their big, beautiful building, which is so well suited to cons! 

The volunteer youth-adult staff team is already hard at work, and have chosen the theme “Bee UUrself.” They are inspired by hard-working and team-focussed bees, the hopefulness of spring, and the promise of the 8th principle which calls us to fully include all people as our full selves. There will be invitations to play around with different modes of exploring and expressing ourselves, possibly including role playing games and a fashion show! 

Young adults ages 18-35 can be full participants in the Symposium, while also having some optional gathering times that are specifically for this age group. These special events include half-day “Mini Cons” on Friday afternoon and Monday morning, bookending the Symposium, a social gathering Friday evening, and an informal hymn-sing Sunday evening (bring your favourite UU song requests!). The CanUUdle and Chorus communities will get together Saturday evening for Bridging events to mark the important transitions in our lives. 

Volunteers are needed for both events! To help with CanUUdle, contact Carter at canuudle@cuc.ca. To support Chorus, young adults can fill out the volunteer survey, and get in touch with Andrew at chorus@cuc.ca with any questions. 

Financial support is available through the Dawning Future Subsidy Fund for youth, advisors and young adults attending these events. Applications must be submitted by March 30, 2023. 

Hello RE Enthusiasts!
By Sarah Mae Baxter

I’d like to extend a special invite to anyone who might be interested in working with the kids who sign up for Young Fun in Ottawa on May 20-21!

I am in need of a team of adults to lead the children’s program while their grownups are otherwise busy at the symposium. The content will be loosely thematically related to the eighth principle symposium (see description below).

So if you like kids and games, crafts and stories, and are excited to come and join the National Gathering this year, but aren’t particularly invested in the Symposium workshops, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Contact Sarah Baxter if you’d like to volunteer, or if you want more information!

Young Fun!

The 2023 CUC symposium children’s program for 0-13 year olds will celebrate how what makes us different makes us special! Through stories, songs, games, and times for sharing, Young Fun will explore the beauty in our uniqueness and how to lift up the specialness, beauty, and uniqueness we see in those around us. Informed by the ages of our participants, we will thread the themes of the 8th principle symposium into our activities, celebrating the importance of diversity and speaking up for positive change in the world, in ways that resonate with young minds and perspectives.

Schedule:
Saturday: 8am-6pm
Sunday a.m.: RE time during the worship service
Sunday p.m.: Escorting kids to / participating in multi-gen workshops

(note: we will have some flexibility, so that Young Adults can leave early on Saturday to attend the bridging dinner with CanUUdle, and not all adult leaders need to leave the Sunday Worship early)

Meet a Lay Chaplain: Yvette Roberts
By Kenzie Love

Yvette Roberts has served as a lay chaplain since 2013. She’s affiliated with Toronto’s Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation. However, she has spent the past five years officiating at ceremonies in Tobermory, Ontario.

Yvette discovered Unitarian Universalism about 20 years ago after visiting Neighbourhood. She soon realized it was her spiritual home. After some of the other congregants encouraged her to consider lay chaplaincy, she joined Neighbourhood’s lay chaplaincy committee. And served on it for several years until an opportunity arose to become a lay chaplain herself.

Serving as a lay chaplain draws upon Yvette’s desire to help people in times of vulnerability or uncertainty. This desire also drew Yvette to her past career as a social worker. She appreciates the opportunity lay chaplaincy offers to create services that are meaningful and personal for her clients.

“What I particularly admire and respect and love about being a Unitarian lay chaplain is that we allow people to create services and rituals that are so personal and meaningful to them,” she says. “We don’t tell them what they’re gonna do. They tell us what we’re gonna do. So I like the empowerment that comes with the services we provide to people in the community.”

Yvette acknowledges that getting a given ceremony right can also be challenging. She likens her role to that of a director, who helps clients put together a script for the ceremony she’s going to perform.

“The challenge is sometimes helping couples, and in the case of funerals or memorials, helping many people within a family come to agreement on what they want this service or ritual to look like. And then the challenging part is to make sure it all falls in place and runs smoothly. Because it’s something they’re going to remember for a long, long time. And I want to make sure that that memory is a good one.”

Yvette currently serves as chair of the National Lay Chaplaincy Committee’s Training and Development Committee. She believes that offering training in public speaking and other areas is an important function the committee serves. This makes sure lay chaplains offer clients the best possible experience.

“They usually come to us with their own unique ideas,” she says. “And it’s important that we know how to offer those types of ceremonies to them.”

Yvette knows lay chaplaincy may not be for everyone. But she believes it offers a great opportunity for spiritual growth for those who decide to participate in it. She encourages all lay chaplains and those seeking to learn more about lay chaplaincy to check the CUC web page for upcoming Lay Chaplains Chats in June and October and other useful information.

Grand River Unitarian Congregation Celebrates 15 years with Rev. Jessica Purple Rodela
By Kristen Wilson, Office Manager Grand River Unitarian

April 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of Grand River Unitarian (GRU) Congregation calling Rev. Jessica Purple Rodela to serve as minister. Since Rev. Jess is taking an overdue and much deserved sabbatical this spring, we celebrated at our Annual General Meeting on February 26.  After a slideshow of photos of Rev. Jess at GRU over the years and a heartfelt speech by member and organizer Judith Koeller, the crowd hopped up to perform a version of “The Time Warp” incorporating Rev. Jess’s iconic Hokey Pokey Theology:

So put your right hand in – and take your right hand ow-wow-owwww-out
Put your left hand in – and shake it all abowwww-out
Oh it’s the Hokey Pokey – that really drives her insay-yay-yayyy-ane
Let’s celebrate Jess again!

In her time at Grand River Unitarian Congregation, Rev. Jess has served on the Canadian Unitarian Council Board of Trustees, been president of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada, served on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Hysterical Society, been a member of Interfaith Grand River, and mentored ministerial and chaplaincy students, among many other roles.
Our membership has significantly increased in the last fifteen years, and the congregation has taken on  projects such as refugee sponsorships and accessibility improvements to our building. 

We wish Rev. Jess a restful, rejuvenating sabbatical and look forward to many more years of her patient, wise, and humorous leadership.

Decision Making Exploration Team: Update and Next Steps
By Rev. Danielle Webber

Last month we shared an update from the Decision Making Exploration Team (DMET), which included the results of our survey from last spring, and save-the-dates for our learning journey. Today you will learn more about the learning journey, and our plans for exploring decision making as a national community of communities.

Our Journey will begin on April 15, 2023 with a webinar called How We Make Decisions Together.

During this two- hour event we will discuss  what we want from our governance system, and explore how we can make relationships across the country, to be able to live into the values we embrace and the principles we promote. The DMET wants to explore in more detail the questions from our survey about what principles in a decision-making process are most important: timeliness; majority support; actionability; equity, diversity and inclusion; and consensus/consent. We also want to discuss with participants how we build relationships with communities across the country, because building relationships is the very foundation of our practice. It reflects how we want to show up in the world. Registration for How We Make Decisions Together is open!

The next phase of our journey  includes three opportunities to learn and practice different decision-making systems. Each of these systems is currently used within different Unitarian Universalist (UU) communities across the country. The first opportunity is the Canadian Unitarian Council’s (CUC’s)  Annual General Meeting – on Friday May 19, 2023. This meeting will be using Robert’s Rules of Order, a majoritarian decision-making process that the CUC has historically used for its meetings. Please show up paying extra attention to the process that happens while we make decisions. The DMET will supply resources on Robert’s Rules of Order, and another system called Democratic Rules of Order, before the meeting.

The second opportunity will be to discuss and practice Sociocracy on June 15, 2023. Sociocracy is a decision-making system that focuses on consent, rather than majority-rule. It’s a system that is being used by many CUC member congregations. Again we will have resources to share, and spend time together looking at the method. We also will hold a practice session in which we address a contentious issue. Registration for the session on Sociocracy is open.

We will be organizing a third opportunity in the fall where we will explore the use of the Formal Consensus system for decision making. We are still organizing the date and time for this event, but will likely follow the established Saturday timeline.

As we finish the learning and practicing phase of our journey together, the DMET will organize a process for the next phase:  Develop. We want community participation as we re-imagine how we make decisions. And the team wants to collaboratively make a proposal for how to best live our values through our decision-making process. It is very important to us that people who participate in re-imagining and developing our processes have participated in the education and practice opportunities. This is why we are asking people to attend three of these five events. 

We look forward to continuing these discussions and learning together about how to better align our decision-making practices and our values of inclusivity and collaboration.

If you have any questions about the process please get in touch with us at  decision-making@cuc.ca 

The members of the team are Robbie Brydon (Lead), Juensung Kim, Rev. Danielle Webber, and Eric James.

Rising Together Now Open to All Adults of Colour
By Camellia Jahanshahi, Rising Together Coordinator, and Casey Stainsby, Youth and Young Adult Program Manager 

Rising Together, a monthly worship and community building space for Unitarian Universalists (UUs) of colour, is starting fresh with a new time and a new approach. Rising Together events will now be held on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 7:30-9:00 pm ET. The program was previously only open to youth and emerging adults of colour (ages 14-24). This original group will continue meeting every other month (April and June), with alternating months being open to those who are young adults and beyond (ages 18+, March and May). This is a pilot project that will be reviewed while meetings are on hold over the summer. 

The first Rising Together session for all adult UUs of colour will be held on March 22, 2023. Camellia Jahanshahi, who runs the program, is very excited about the opportunity to facilitate more intergenerational connections as the original participants grow into early adulthood. The theme for March will be around what it is to welcome and connect, with a little bit of springtime magic thrown in to honour the equinox. 

Camellia describes the program like this: “Rising Together is an online worship space and an amazing opportunity for community building as we connect with each other virtually across the country. Over time, we seek to build bridges with each other to help understand our present realities and also connect to our past and discover the rich histories of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Colour in Unitarian Universalist history. We aim to create a space of support and solidarity as well as of comfort and reflection through varied worship, themed discussions, and thoughtful interactions.” 

Youth and Emerging Adults still need to register (each year) for the program, using the form on the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) calendar of events. The March and May adult sessions are drop-in. Participants just need to register through Zoom. Rising Together is for BIPOC UUs only, but anyone can sign up for the monthly newsletter! Just email Camellia at risingtogether@cuc.ca.

Apply for the Sharing our Faith and Theological Education Funds
By Kenzie Love

The application deadline for two of the Canadian Unitarian Council’s subsidy funds is approaching. Applications are due March 31 for the Sharing Our Faith fund, and Theological Education Funds.

The Sharing Our Faith program provides funds for congregational initiatives. These can be to support ministry, aid congregational projects and outreach, and enhance the Unitarian Universalist movement in Canada. The fund consists of monies donated to the Sharing Our Faith fund, which are supplemented by a Foundation Fund administered by the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. The CUC distributes the funds as grants to congregations for growth projects and initiatives.

The Theological Education Fund bursaries support Unitarian and Universalist (UU) theological education in Canada by supporting:

    • UUs in Canada with expenses incurred annually by studying for the Ministry;
    • Canadian UU ministers with continuing education expenses; and
    • Canadian UU congregations who wish to support an intern minister.

Bursaries are awarded based on financial need. An individual may receive a bursary up to three times in each category (three times for a student and three times for a minister).

2023 Intergenerational Spring Seminar
By Kenzie Love

The 2023 Intergenerational Spring Seminar,  Demilitarization & Abolition: Resist Policing and Empire, will be hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Association Office at the United Nations (UU@UN) in close partnership with the Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice (UUCSJ), the UU Service Committee and Side with Love. All in-person and youth registration closed March 21, but  adult online registration is open until March 30.

The seminar will be in-person at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis with online participation options. The event aims to instill in Unitarian Universalist youth and adults a commitment to global engagement and the skills to take action locally to address global issues.

The keynote speaker is Andrea Ritchie, a Black lesbian immigrant survivor who has been documenting, organizing, advocating, litigating, and agitating around policing and criminalization of Black women, girls, trans, and gender nonconforming people for the past three decades. She is the author and co-author of several books, including Say Her Name: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women.

The intergenerational seminar is an opportunity to collaborate with others while learning how to be a global activist. Through workshops, peer and expert-led panel discussions, community building activities, and worship services, you will undergo a transformative process of learning, reflection, and growth while exploring some of the most challenging issues facing humanity today.

Updating Unicamp’s Charitable Purposes: Report on Community Feedback
By Dianne Heise, Unicamp of Ontario

Many thanks to everyone who provided feedback last summer and fall on the proposed updated charitable purposes for Unicamp. The reports on the community feedback are now available in the Charter Review Committee Report.

The community feedback was extensive and the proposed purposes were supported by a large majority of the 160 survey and focus group participants. There will be an on-line town hall meeting on Saturday, April 1st, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. for a brief presentation of the results and time for questions and discussion. Contact unicamprep@grandriverunitarian.ca  for the zoom link and if you have any questions about the reports  or about the work of the Unicamp Charter Review Committee. Hope to see you at Unicamp! 

 

Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities at Canadian UU Organizations

The Canadian Unitarian Women’s Association invites you to join our council for the 2023-2025 term. Nominations will be confirmed at our AGM (right after our Pink Tea), May 21, 2023. Submissions of names or inquiries into roles gratefully accepted until May 5 at this email address: cuuwanominations@gmail.com.

The Kingston Unitarian Fellowship (KUF) is searching for an innovative, creative Lifespan Religious Exploration Coordinator to assist with the development and community implementation of Religious Exploration (RE) programs for toddlers and elementary age children. Please send your letter of interest, resume and three references to office@kuf.ca

More information is available here. 

What’s Making Us Smile

Voted the “world’s ugliest dog”, Mr. Happy Face is in fact a testament to the inherent lovability of all dogs.

Calendar of Events (March 22 – July 16, 2023)

Share what’s going on in your congregation. Contact communications@cuc.ca

Rising Together: UU Youth and Emerging Adults of Colour
March 22: 4:30 pm PT | 5:30 pm MT | 6:30 pm CT | 7:30 pm  ET | 8:30 pm AT | 9:30 pm NT (1.5 hours)

Inclusivity Action Groups: Moving Through Hurt
April 5: 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 7:00 pm ET | 8:00 pm AT   | 8:30 pm NT (2 hours)

Gathered Here: A Monthly Check-in for UU Young Adults (18-35)
April 13: 11:00 am PT | 12:00 pm MT | 1:00 pm CT |  2:00 pm ET | 3:00 pm AT | 3:30 pm NT (1.5 hours)

Decision Making Exploration Team: How We Make Decisions Together
April 15: 10:00 am PT | 11:00 am MT | 12:00 CT | 1:00 pm ET | 2:00 pm AT  | 2:30 pm AT (2hrs)

UUConnecting
April 16: 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 7:00 pm ET | 8:00  pm AT  | 8:30  pm NT (1.5 hours)

Rising Together: UU Youth and Emerging Adults of Colour
April 26: 4:30 pm PT | 5:30 pm MT | 6:30 pm CT | 7:30 pm  ET | 8:30 pm AT | 9:30 pm NT (1.5 hours)

AGM Plenary on Motions: Leaders’ Roundtable
April 29: 9:00 a.m. PT | 10:00 a.m. MT | 11:00 a.m. CT | 12:00 p.m. ET | 1:00 p.m. AT | 1:30pm NT (1.5 hours)

CUC Annual General Meeting
May 19: 10:00 am PT | 11:00 am MT | 12:00 CT | 1:00 pm ET | 2:00 pm AT  | 2:30 pm AT (3.5hrs)

CUC National Symposium 2023: Living into the 8th Principle
May 19-21

Chorus: Young Adults at the National Symposium
May 19-22

CanUUdle XXIII: Bee UUrself
May 19-22

National Worship Service
May 21: 7:30 am PT | 8:30 am MT | 9:30 am CT | 10:30 am ET | 11:30 am AT (1.5 hours)

UUConnecting
May 21: 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 7:00 pm ET | 8:00  pm AT | 8:30  pm NT (1.5 hours)

OWL Facilitator Training
May 21-23

Rising Together: UU Youth and Emerging Adults of Colour
May 24: 4:30 pm PT | 5:30 pm MT | 6:30 pm CT | 7:30 pm  ET | 8:30 pm AT | 9:30 pm NT (1.5 hours)

Lay Chaplains Chat (online)
June 5:  4:30 pm PT | 5:30 pm MT | 6:30 pm CT | 7:30 pm  ET | 8:30 pm AT | 9:30 pm NT (90 minutes)

Inclusivity Action Groups: Managing Resistance
June 7: 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 7:00 pm ET | 8:00  pm AT  | 8:30  pm NT (2 hours)

Decision Making Exploration Team: Practicing Together: Sociocracy Decision Making
June 10: 10:00 am PT | 11:00 am MT | 12:00 pm CT | 1:00pm ET | 2:00pm AT | 2:30pm NT (2 hours)

Gathered Here: A Monthly Check-in for UU Young Adults (18-35)
June 12: 5:00 pm PT | 6:00 pm MT | 7:00 pm CT | 8:00 pm ET | 9:00 pm AT | 9:30 pm NT 

UUConnecting
June 18: 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 7:00 pm ET | 8:00  pm AT  | 8:30  pm NT (1.5 hours)

Rising Together: UU Youth and Emerging Adults of Colour
June 28: 4:30 pm PT | 5:30 pm MT | 6:30 pm CT | 7:30 pm  ET | 8:30 pm AT | 9:30 pm NT (1.5 hours)

UUConnecting
July 16: 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 7:00 pm ET | 8:00  pm AT  | 8:30  pm NT (2 hours)

 

Enews Prepared and Formatted by Brigitte Twomey, Website Specialist