UU Expressions

Welcome to UU Expressions: Love in Real Life, a 10 episode docu-series that discovers, celebrates, and challenges how Unitarian Universalism (UUism) is practiced across Canada in 2024. 

Hello! We are Erin Horvath (PhD) and Amber Bellemare, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC)’s Justice and Equity team. In planning for the future, the CUC staff team wondered if there is a sustainable way for a diversity of people to shape diverse expressions of UUism beyond congregations, and if so, what does this mean for our national identity? So we (Erin and Amber) interviewed 27 Unitarian Universalists (UUs) in 17 different UU expressions to learn about ways UUism is flourishing (or not!), and what the CUC can do to support a larger vision of the movement. 

With these podcast episodes, we uncover the realities of where UUs are as a faith community and the roadblocks we face moving forward. We are presenting the results of these interviews to show where there is already a diversity of expressions and to explore what else could be created if UU values are released into the world and encouraged to become many different expressions. Join us as we imagine a UUism for everyone.

While each episode can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, it is recommended and encouraged to engage with the material in order from all 10 episodes from start to finish. This series was intended for listening but is available in video and transcript format as well.  Find expanded research notes, links, and questions for further dialogue in the episode show notes. You can also access this series through our blog Call and Response, and any of our social media channels. 

Podcasts

Episode 1: Wallflowers

In this episode we introduce the theme of the series by uncovering the contrast between a UU congregation, an online meme community, and a daily singing group that lands somewhere in between. 

Our guests include

  • Peter Scales, First Unitarian Church of Victoria 
  • Liz James from Mirth and Dignity
  • Reverend Wendy Luella Perkins, founder of Soulful Singing

Listen Here

 

Accessibility Video

Please note that the video and transcript versions below are meant for accessibility purposes only and are not recommended.

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Accessibility Transcript

Transcript coming soon
 

Questions for further discussion

  1. What feelings arise when you hear about the decline in those attending the congregational expression of UUism? What beliefs are behind those feelings?
  2. What feelings arise in you when you hear that there are "wildflower" expressions of UUism happening within Canada? What beliefs are behind those feelings?
  3. What beliefs, customs, routines, and fears get in the way of you imagining other ways of doing and being a Unitarian Universalist?
  4. What "wildflower" expressions of UUism are blooming (or trying to bloom) in your community? How are you currently engaging with them? 

Notes and Research Links

Note 1:  In each congregation, there are a fair number of people who are not official members - for a variety of reasons. For instance, some don't believe in joining, some congregations discourage membership if people don't make a certain level of financial pledges, and other reasons. The Congregational Life team estimates the difference between members and census-identified people has been about 1 registered member to every 3 non-registered attendees.

Episode 2: The Gap

In this episode, we'll look more closely at two defining expressions, congregational culture and young adult culture, how they interact and what it means for the future of UUism. There's a lot of information, so heads up - we will be taking the next 2 episodes to cover everything - starting with youth and young adult culture as it contrasts with "classical" or older adult culture, where these cultures are situated in the broader social context, and what might address some of the disparity.

Our guests for Episode 2 include:

  • Peter Scales, First Unitarian Church of Victoria 
  • Jim Sannes and Ellen Papenburg, Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice (CUSJ)
  • Casey Stainsby and Reverend Danie Webber, CUC Youth and Young Adult programming staff 
  • Camellia Jahanshahi, Rising Together host 
  • Z Brimacombe with Ilara Stafaniuk-Gaudet, Loving Justice group 
  • Brenagh Rappaport and Maya Ferguson Klinowski, hosts of Gathered Here
  • Reverends Anne Barker and Linda Thompson, CUC's Congregational Life Team

Listen Here

Accessibility Video

Please note that the video and transcript versions below are meant for accessibility purposes only and are not recommended.

video
play-sharp-fill

Accessibility Transcript

Transcript coming soon
 

Questions for further discussion

  1. How can we fully embrace the culture that is emerging from Young Adult (YA) spaces so people can experience it throughout their lives (instead of ending at 35 years)?
  2. Consider the analogy of Young Adult co-creative culture being like contemporary theatre while congregational culture is like classical theatre: How does playing a role feel different than filling a role? Why is this significant? 
  3. In what ways could elements of co-creative UUism be intertwined with elements of classical UUism in a way that could be compelling for all ages? 
  4. In what ways can we lean into our shared belief of interdependence so that we become communities that feel like unified teams where life challenges and spiritual growth are faced collectively rather than individually?
  5. What is one thing you could immediately do differently within your UU community so there is an emphasis on deep relationships between people of all ages?

Notes and Research Links

Note 1: The CUC's Youth and Young Adult Team have pointed out that Young Adult culture is the same as Youth culture.  

"I want to add, which is to complicate the narrative that the CUC at some point just decided to invest in YA programming and now we have this community/problem. I don’t want us to forget that everything that’s going on now has decades (centuries) of history behind it. The continental youth and young adult movements have long histories. The YAs who were part of sparking the current national YA situation were very much involved in and inspired by continental UU young adult organizing (OPUS, CUUYAN). And many of them, in turn, were raised in continental UU youth events. This would be a whole other podcast episode or series to really investigate but I suspect that a lot of the brilliance and a lot of the roots of the current challenges have their origins in these broader, longer movements. One thing to watch that will give more context to this is the movie "Why Are You You?" .  That is currently in production- it’s a documentary about the continental YRUU movement."  Casey Stainsby 

Note 2: "The naming of "young adult" was inherited from the UUA. When we became more autonomous in 2001, Young Adult support was still funded, to some degree, by the UUA - and so their age definitions became ours. We've never shifted from this." Rev. Linda Thompson

Note 3: "Adults at the Annual Conference and Meeting *also* plunge into a kind of UU utopia that lasts for only 72 hours.  Adults and YA's both yearn for keeping that conference flame alive in their hearts when they get home." Peter Scales

Episode 3: The Bridge

Intergenerational UU communities aren't just beautiful aspirations, they are one key to a long lasting faith organization. And we know that it's posssible to celebrate the differences between how each age expresses their UUism while at the same time bridging the cultural gap between them. We know this because there are wise folks in our midst who care deeply about this issue and have done a lot of thinking and experimenting around it. In this episode, we will learn about the realities that prevent engagement between older and younger adults, what's been working, what could help, and what still needs our attention. We'll look look at the trends happening within larger society and how these are impacting UUism.

Our guests for Episode 3 include:

  • Peter Scales, First Unitarian Church of Victoria 
  • Jim Sannes and Ellen Papenburg, Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice (CUSJ)
  • Casey Stainsby and Reverend Danie Webber, CUC Youth and Young Adult programming staff 
  • Camellia Jahanshahi, Rising Together host 
  • Z Brimacombe with Ilara Stafaniuk-Gaudet, Loving Justice group 
  • Brenagh Rappaport and Maya Ferguson Klinowski, hosts of Gathered Here
  • Reverends Anne Barker and Linda Thompson, CUC's Congregational Life Team
  • Robyn Newton and catharine strickland, UUs of the Salish Sea

Listen Here

Accessibility Video

Please note that the video and transcript versions below are meant for accessibility purposes only and are not recommended.

video
play-sharp-fill

Accessibility Transcript

Transcript coming soon

Questions for further discussion

  1. Younger UUs speak about life feeling precarious, including insecure housing and employment. The value of paying young adults for time spent on UU's work was lifted up. What questions and ideas arise when you consider paying younger leaders for their roles in their UU community?
  2. Ilara Stefaniuk-Gaudet said, "Because we have focused so much on the individual, there is not so much a strong sense of a collective".
    • What, if anything, has an individual vs collective focus manifested in your local and national UU community?
    • How could UUs create more balance between individual and collective while still emphasizing each person's right to their own search for truth and meaning?
  3. Reverend Danie Webber shared that younger UUs often value authenticity over politeness, and older UUs often value politeness over authenticity and that this difference may play a role in the silos that seems to be happening in some places. Can you think of examples or real-life scenarios of this?
  4. What responsibility, if any, do younger UU's have to carry forward the traditions, values, and legacy of the UUs that came before them?
  5. What responsibility, if any, do older UU's have to fertilize the work of younger UU leaders, even if what they are co-creating is not a UU expression that older UU's prefer?
  6. If UUs were to create a program that taught and celebrated the role of UUs in all stages of life, what components would be key for each stage of life, including infancy, childhood, teenagerhood, young adult, mid-adult, recently retired, and very elderly?
  7. How can we use the old structures of UUism to support something new coming forward rather than allowing them to be a barrier to something new coming forward?

Note 1: The "well in the middle of the village" is an idiom for a watering hole, or a place where people socialize - the well is the life source that brings people together, and a symbol of the depth of relating between them.  Amber Bellemare

Note 2: Emergent Strategy [book], adrienne maree brown, 2017, AK Press.  Amber makes reference to this author and emergent strategy.

Note 3: Discord is a type of social media that some people are using to stay in touch. It is quite popular with Young Adult UU's.

 

Vyda Ng, CUC Executive Director

Vyda Ng, CUC Executive Director

"This series is thought-provoking, provocative and necessary. I was drawn in, listening deeply and challenging many of my assumptions and practices. Some of the content and questions will be uncomfortable. That's okay; we can work through that discomfort together. Engage with this series as you go about your day. Listen (or watch) with open hearts and minds. The people interviewed shared their truths, perceptions, and vulnerabilities, and I thank them for their willingness and wisdom. Ask yourself, "What if..?" "How can I/we...?" "If we did that instead...?" as you imagine a thriving future for Unitarian Universalism and your part in co-creating it."
Rev Anne Barker, Congregational Life Western Region

Rev Anne Barker, Congregational Life Western Region

"I want spaces where we can be together and I don't think we can take these things and make them one thing, but I think we can plant things in the centre that will draw in both."

Brenagh Rappoport, Co-host of Gathered Here 

Brenagh Rappoport, Co-host of Gathered Here 

"UU youth and young adult culture...is a much more open and collaborative process to existing in community with people with whom you have shared values that tends to thrive in more unstructured ways, that allow people to focus on connecting to each other in ways that are often not as formalized as, for example, a Sunday service or a more congregational approach to UU."

Yvette Salinas, Executive Director, UniCamp (Ontario)

Yvette Salinas, Executive Director, UniCamp (Ontario)

"A lot of our most enthusiastic first time visitors came because they heard from somebody else who had an awesome experience. When they get those awesome stories, they're like, "I want that for myself," or "I want that for my kids."

Liz James, Mirth and Dignity (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

Liz James, Mirth and Dignity (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

"It feels like someone is looking at a field of wildflowers and saying, "How come nothing will grow here?"

Well, nothing that you're thinking about as a flower is growing here. You're thinking these are weeds. These are not weeds, these are flowers."

 

Background

In 2024, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) did a research project called UU Expressions to learn how people/groups express their UU values. After engaging in the Inclusivity Forums and Inclusivity Action Groups designed to shift UU culture to be more aware and inclusive, it became clear that some people would like the movement to embrace diverse expressions of UUism, not just become more welcoming of diverse people within a rigid structure of UUism. We reached out to those expressing their UU values in different ways to understand more about what they are doing and if there are ways the CUC can be supportive of those expressions so they have what they need to thrive. 

Motivation for this research

  1. To better understand the barriers to full inclusion that exist.
  2. To learn what support structures could nurture diverse expressions of UUism (not only congregations), and if/how emerging expressions of UUism can engage in a mutually beneficial relationship with the CUC.
  3. To use findings to encourage a broader identity rebrand of UUism as a values and principles-focused faith community with various adaptable expressions of how UUism is lived out. 

Rationale

  1. UU expressions are currently happening outside of existing congregations; this points to a potential challenge around inclusivity.
  2. Some (many of whom are young adults) choose not to merge into congregations and are co-creating alternatives. 
  3. Some congregations are branching into ventures extending past church-related activities.
  4. UUism in Canada is considering sustainability- these findings and recommendations could shed light on what is working and bring the movement new life.

Research Methodology

 This research was primarily narrative- meaning we spoke with people to hear their stories. To find these people, we:

  • put out a call in the CUC’s e-news and on social media channels
  • created a feedback form to gather feedback about the different types of UU Expressions that exist across Canada so people could reach out to us or tell us about a UU Expression they are aware of.
  • spoke to CUC staff who have contacts throughout Canada including within the youth and young adult communities.
  • spoke to those within UUism that are well-connected
  • spoke to people we interviewed to ask them if they are aware of others who are innovating within UUism

We conducted Zoom interviews that were recorded to ensure accuracy and so we could share excerpts. Each interview lasted an average of 75-90 minutes and began with a list of set questions followed by a free-flowing conversation between the interviewer and interviewees. 

Analysis

Once the interviews were finished, we began identifying trends that emerged and the related quotes. Next we interviewed four staff members from the CUC who have detailed knowledge about certain demographics and expressions. We shared the trends that we saw emerging and asked them for their feedback. Once again we followed a pre-determined list of questions while leaving plenty of room for free-flowing conversation. In doing so, we shared the “meaning-making” responsibilities. 

Once we found our themes and meanings we did our best to supplement the findings with statistics from within and outside UUism to help round out our understanding of what is happening and why. 

Our last phase of the research will be to share these findings with the national body and integrate any additional feedback.

Why a podcast?

Let’s face it- reading research reports is not most people’s idea of a good time! We wanted to make the findings as accessible and enjoyable as possible. The podcast approach allows listeners to hear the voices of people speaking, which we hope helps build a sense of understanding, community, and cohesion that words on paper would not be able to achieve. For those who prefer, we also have a video version and transcript.

Meet some UU Expressionists

These expressions came to us either voluntarily or thru recommendations by staff or folks who saw our call–out online. 

  • Congregational – Social justice activists from the 60’s and beyond wonder where their place is now. Peter Scales and Janet Pivnik
  • Mirth & Dignity – Popular “dose of laughter” online community (UU Hysterical Society) and big supporter of “church” done differently. Liz James, Saskatoon
  • Soulful Singing – Rev. Wendy Luella Perkins talks about her daily online singing group as a needs-based spiritual offering with a membership of 50 people!
  • Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice (CUSJ) – Promoting Unitarian values through social action. Ellen    Papenburg and Jim Sannes
  • Loving Justice –  Young adult led prison abolitionist group. Z Brimacombe with Ilara Stafaniuk-Gaudet
  • CUC Youth and Young Adult Staff – Casey Stainsby and Rev. Danie Webber reveal the realities of the young people they serve nationwide
  • Rising Together – UU multigen IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) online community facilitated by Camellia Jahanshahi
  • Gathered Here Young Adults – An online community for UU young adults Brenagh Rapoport and Maya Ferguson Klinowski
  • UU’s of the Salish Sea – This newly emerging UU community gets to reimagine their culture so it is friendly to young adults and youth. catherine strickland and Robyn Newton
  • QUUeer Connecting – Young Adult-led, multigenerational online affinity group that allows LGBTQIA+ to relax with one another. Anonymous by request
  • Le Rassemblement unitarien universaliste d’Ottawa – A small group ministry for French-speaking UUs. Claire Heistek
  • Lay Chaplains – UU national outreach community shares our unique gift of pluralism beyond church walls through trained lay chaplains providing rites of passage. Karen Dunk-Green
  • Unicamp – Yvette Salinas and Joanna Barrington share their challenges and hopes for the UU-based camping and retreat site in Ontario
  • Nomadic UUism – How not having a building in northern Ontario is shaping Huronia into a group of UU explorers. Luci Dilkus
  • Ajashki Project – Seeking relationship between the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa and neighbouring First Nation communities through the creation of Ajashki Food Security and Climate Change Learning Centre on Ottawa First’s campus. Kayoki Whiteduck, Lynn Kofmel-Preston
  • Nanaimo Unitarian Shelter – Kathryn-Jane Hazel tells us about the evolution of their community needs-based initiative
  • Congregational Life Leads – Rev. Anne Barker and Rev. Linda Thomson reflect back what they are hearing from the congregations they serve

Insider Language alert!

Hearing things you might not understand? We do that sometimes. Check out the list below for explanations.

  • CUC – Canadian Unitarian Council
  • UUs – Unitarians and Universalists
  • UUism – Unitarian Universalism
  • YaYA – Youth and Young Adult
  • YA – Young Adult
  • CUSJ – Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
  • Multigen – Multi generational: multiple generations are present. You must be multi-generational to be intergenerational, but you can be multi-generational without being intergenerational.
  • Intergen – Inter generational differs from that of multi-generational in that while multiple generations might be present, the generations must interact with those from other generations.
  • UUMOC – Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association of Canada is the Canadian professional association of UU ministers. UUMOC is a chapter within the larger Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA).
  • RE – Religious Exploration Religious exploration (RE) is the umbrella term we use to describe our exploration of Unitarian Universalist Principles and Sources and the formation and development of our personal faith. 
  • DRE  – Director of Religious Exploration
  • Faith Formation – “Unitarian Universalist faith formation is becoming able to articulate what our faith teaches and what it doesn’t teach.”
  • 8th Principle Process – Forums dedicated to help the national UU community navigate their feelings toward adding the 8th Principle to the previous seven: Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions.

The Church of Our Imagination

In May 2013, a group of young adults came together during the CUC’s Annual Conference and Meeting. They wondered what it would be like to have a church – a community – without physical walls, and created the following manifesto, “May our collective imaginations be inspired.”

We love our congregations
and we are called out of them.  

We imagine church within and beyond buildings.
We imagine church through social enterprise – a café, bike shop, community centre.
We imagine church in houses – meeting as small groups as part of a larger body.
We imagine church online – maintaining connectedness over distance when we can’t be together in person.
We imagine church on the street – building relationships, hearing stories, becoming friends.
We imagine church embedded in neighbourhoods – with deep roots and porous walls.

And we imagine our present churches, vibrant and sustainable, embedded in a dynamic web of symbiotic relationship, within and beyond.

We are called to start building this web.

Curtis Murphy, Sean Neil-Barron, Carly Gaylor, Rodrigo Emilio Solano-Quesnel, and Liz James 

Meet your hosts

Erin Horvath
CUC Justice and Equity Lead

Erin has over 25 years of experience promoting right relations between peoples and Nations through community building, social entrepreneurship, politics, environmental planning, art, and collaborative initiatives within the not-for-profit, private, educational, health, political, policy development, and community sectors, in particular with rural and First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario. 

In her non-CUC work, she is the Co-founder of New Vision Unlimited where she is working on initiatives related to sexual violence culture shifts, poverty reduction, and social entrepreneurship. Erin’s experience in storytelling and performing arts make her a creative and dynamic facilitator, educator and speaker.

Amber Bellemare
CUC Justice and Equity Programme Coordinator

Amber Dawn Bellemare is a multimedia performance artist, a coordinator, a connector, and a fiercely spirited person. Her Communications and First Peoples studies prompted her to produce and direct documentaries with Indigenous communities, most notably the Inuit population in Nunavik, Canada. 

An individual who helps foster valuable and meaningful connections between others, she founded a nonprofit women’s art collective, The WolfLab, where members connect on a deeper level via networking, resource sharing, and collaborating. Her range of artistic and professional pursuits prove that as individuals, we need not be classified and stuck in one category.