UUA Top Stories

The 2013-2014 UUA Common Read selection is Behind the Kitchen Door by Saru Jayaraman. The book reveals how restaurant workers live on some of the lowest wages in America and how poor working conditions-discriminatory labor practices, exploitation, and…

The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Rev. Bill Schulz, president and CEO of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, issued a joint statement in support of legislation to raise minimum wages in the United States. It begins, ‘We’ve been told we’re in the middle of an economic recovery. But the truth is that while the stock market is closing at unprecedented highs, workers who make minimum wage are not recovering—they’re barely putting food on the table.’

UUA President Rev. Peter Morales issued a statement on the George Zimmerman trial verdict. It begins, ‘A Florida jury has acquitted George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager. It is hard to imagine that if a…

In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. Yet, as legal star Michelle Alexander reveals in her book The New Jim Crow , today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against convicted criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. Once you’re labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination—employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service—are suddenly legal.

After recent devastating floods in Northern India, those looking to recover and rebuild need your support. The recovery after this calamity will take years and require rebuilding homes, hospitals, schools, roads, and other critical infrastructure. One …

UU World needs your help to chart the magazine’s future course in print and online. By responding to this brief survey, you can help UU World to understand what the magazine means to you. Your answers will also give the Unitarian Universalist Associa…

UUA President Rev. Peter Morales issued a statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decisions on marriage equality. It begins: “Today, the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court of our country, stood on the side of love with its decision in United States v. Windsor declaring that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment. This is a proud and momentous day for all who have suffered under this law and felt discrimination based on their sexual orientation. It is a victory for the principle that civil rights belong to all.”

In the pages of Muhammad: The Story of a Prophet and Reformer , young readers will encounter a man very different from the figure often presented in Western popular culture. Drawing from biographies, the Quran, and hadith, Sarah Conover, co-author of A…

Jim Key, newly elected Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) moderator and the Rev. Peter Morales, UUA president gratefully acknowledge the years of dedication and hard work that our former UUA Moderator Gini Courter and former board members contrib…

At this year’s annual General Assembly, Jim Key of Beaufort, SC was elected as the new Unitarian Universalist Association Moderator for a six-year term.“It is a profound honor to have been chosen to be the new Moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association. I pledge to do all I can to be worthy of this sacred trust. I look forward to working with our Board of Trustees and with the Administration of the UUA as we confront the challenges and embrace the opportunities the future holds for us,” said Key after winning the election.

From June 19-23, more than 3,500 Unitarian Universalists from around the world will gather in Louisville, KY for the 2013 General Assembly for worship, educational workshops, and participation in the democratic process that guides the work of this libe…

Delegates to this year’s General Assembly in Louisville, KY will be electing a new Moderator to serve a six-year term as the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Chief Governance Officer. The two candidates for this position are Jim Key and Tamara Payn…

UU World reports on Unitarian Universalist Association Executive Vice President Kay Montgomery’s 28 years of dedicated service. As the longest serving executive vice president through four different UUA presidents, she came to be know as the ‘heart an…

The Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Gini Courter, UUA Moderator, and Tom Loughrey, Secretary of the UUA, issued a joint statement. It begins, ‘The UUA Board of Trustees and Administration have agreed to se…

The Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, issued a statement reacting to the Boy Scouts of America’s historic decision. It begins, “Yesterday, the Boy Scouts of America made a historic decision in the right step towards equality, but the decision falls short of affirming the worth and dignity of all who would like to participate in scouting.”

The New York Times reports that the Unitarian Universalist Association has joined with 123 other religious groups and investors to urge retail giants like Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, and Gap to sign on to the factory safety plan for Bangladesh apparel fac…

Unitarian Universalists send care and prayers to those affected by Monday’s devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. Eager to lend a hand to those whose lives have been so disrupted, the Southern Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) ha…

The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, issued a statement applauding the legalization of same-sex marriage in Minnesota. It begins, “Last November, Minnesotans defeated an anti-marriage ballot amendment. And yesterday, the governor of Minnesota signed the marriage equality bill that made Minnesota the 12th state to ensure equal rights for its citizens. I applaud the great efforts of all who helped change minds in such a short amount of time in order to secure this victory.’

The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, issued a statement applauding the legalization of same-sex marriage in Delaware. It begins, “Yesterday, the governor of Delaware signed the marriage equality bill that made Delaware the 11th state to ensure equal rights for its citizens. I applaud the great efforts of all who helped secure this victory.’

The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, issued a statement applauding the legalization of same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. It begins, “Today, we celebrate marriage equality in Rhode Island. I want to thank and applaud all who worked tirelessly to secure this victory. Rhode Island now joins nine states and the District of Columbia where same-sex marriage is the legal right for all committed couples.”

CBS News profiles Unitarian Universalism in a new documentary called Religion & Spirituality in a Changing Society to explore the dramatic changes in Americans’ religious behavior. They interview UUA President the Rev. Peter Morales and profile Fi…

The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees held their quarterly meeting in Boston, MA, from April 18 to 21. UUA Secretary Tom Loughrey has prepared a letter sharing important news from that meeting. The letter reads, in part, ‘Our Associa…

In 2011, Nancy Shaffer was diagnosed with what would be a fatal brain tumor. With clarity and honesty, she committed herself to writing about her search for meaning over the last year of her life so that others at end of life would not feel alone and p…

The Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), issued a statement addressing the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) proposed membership standards resolution. It begins, “The Boy Scouts of America has announced a proposal for revising its discriminatory membership policies. The proposed resolution would remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone, but would continue to perpetuate the discriminatory membership policy for all adult scout leaders.”

Sadly, we are once again witnesses to senseless violence. New images of suffering, panic, and heroism burn themselves into our memory. Shock mixes with grief, disbelief, compassion and anger. Monday’s bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon o…

UU World reports on Two Who Dared: The Sharps’ War , a documentary film depicting the heroic work of Martha Sharp, a social worker, and her husband the Rev. Waitstill Sharp, a Unitarian minister. At the request of the American Unitarian Association, t…

In The Interim: Strategies for Interim Ministers and Congregations , edited by Barbara Child and Keith Kron, is available now at the UUA Bookstore. In this practical and insightful volume, interim ministers and other congregational leaders provide a ro…

In a message from the Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), he shares that the UUA’s Board of Trustees authorized the purchase of a new headquarters for the UUA at 24 Farnsworth Street in Boston’s Innovation Dis…

Your Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees made the decision to move our Association headquarters from its long-time home on Beacon Hill to a new home in Boston’s Innovation District. We did not make this decision lightly. We did so know…

UU World reports on the Rev. Chris Antal, a Unitarian Universalist military chaplain, who has established the first and only Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Kandahar, Afghanistan which offers weekly worship services on the 25,000-person military …

The Huffington Post published a blog post by Tim Brennan, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Unitarian Universalist Association, about the issue of divestment from companies in the fossil fuel industry and its effects.

UU World profiles the Unitarian Church of Sharon, MA which the Unitarian Universalist Association named as a Breakthrough Congregation this year. The congregation has more than doubled its membership over the last twenty years. It made room for full-t…

Falling Into the Sky , edited by Abhi Janamanchi and Abhimanyu Janamanchi, is the 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association Meditation Manual. Comprised of forty remarkable writings from Unitarian Universalist ministers, leaders, and lay people, these me…

At the 2013 General Assembly in Louisville, KY, the UUA will be holding elections for many positions including Moderator. Our elections of people to serve the members and congregations of the Association are at the heart of our fifth principle of our f…

The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees held their quarterly meeting in Philadelphia, PA, from January 17 to 20. UUA Secretary Tom Loughrey has prepared a letter to congregations sharing news from that meeting.

UU World reports on First Unitarian Church of Dallas, TX and how they raised more than $23,000 to have a well dug in Ayiet in South Sudan which is the home village of Bol Deng Malual, one of the ‘Lost Boys of Sudan.’

Sign up to attend for free the 2013 Minns Lectures Series titled, “Young for Liberty: The UU Movement in the 21st Century”. The series will take place March 8 and 9 in Boston, MA. The Minns Lectures for 2013 will be structured around three lively interactive presentations on how our faith tradition speaks to young people, and how social media can invigorate that outreach today. For more details and to register for these free lectures, please visit the Minns Lectures website.

The Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Rev. Marti Keller, President/Chief Executive Officer of the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation, issue a joint statement commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.

The Huffington Post published a blog post by Unitarian Universalist Association President Peter Morales calling upon the Administration and Congress to work together to rise to five great challenges of our time with justice and compassion.  

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) made the Center for American Progress’s (CAP) list at #4 of 12 Reproductive Justice and Faith Victories of 2012! CAP highlights the UUA’s decision, made at General Assembly in June, to make reproductive justice a denominational priority. Read the full article.

In UU World , the Rev. James Ishmael Ford reflects on some essential questions for us all as Unitarian Universalists: ‘What is our healing message? To what are we pointing, to what are we being beckoned, within our gatherings?’  He finds answers in our ‘electric, dancing middle way between the two poles of our precious individuality and our intimate connection.’ Read the full article.

UU World profiles First Parish in Bedford, MA which the UUA named as a “Breakthrough Congregation” this year for its sustained growth. Membership has doubled since the Rev. John Gibbons started there twenty-three years ago and is projected to break 400 this year. Read how they made real growth happen in their congregation.

UU World reports on the historic Boston meeting with leaders of the United Church of Christ (UCC). They spent two days exploring ways to collaborate with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and its congregations. The denominations plan closer…

The Huffington Post published a blog post by Unitarian Universalist Association President Peter Morales about the “fiscal cliff” and the federal budget debate.  In it, the Rev. Morales calls upon elected political leaders to stand up for those most marginalized in our society.

The holiday season is a time to remember with gratitude the people who have made a difference in your life. Show them how much you care by sending them a holiday eCard and making a donation of $10 or more to the UUA. Your gifts will help Unitarian Univ…

UU World reports on UUs celebrating the popular votes in Maine, Maryland, and Washington that approved same-sex marriage and rejected a marriage ban in Minnesota. 

To aid our Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations and members who have been affected by this tragedy, the Central East Regional Group (CERG) leadership has set up the CERG UU Disaster Relief Fund to collect donations to assist fellow Unitarian Universalists with storm damage clean up and members’ immediate needs and in the rebuilding efforts.  We will work with the congregations affected to channel the money raised where it can make an impact in people’s lives.

In Maine, Maryland, and Washington, there are measures on the ballot that would authorize same-sex marriage. In Minnesota, marriage equality advocates are working to get out a “No” vote next month on a legislative measure that was passed to prevent same-sex marriage. In all four states Unitarian Universalists are deeply engaged, hoping for outcomes that favor marriage equality. Learn more about their important work in this article from UU World.

In the world of Unitarian Universalism, Jack Mendelsohn, who died October 11, 2012, at the age of 94, singularly exemplified the possibility and power of human agency to make a difference. In this article from UU World , the Rev. John Gibbons remembers…

Unitarian Universalist activism in response to Arizona’s S. B. 1070, culminating in Justice General Assembly in Phoenix, produced some of our greatest work as Unitarian Universalists. This year, Skinner House Books has captured some of the most popular and thought-provoking events from our time in Phoenix in two new eBooks. Assembled 2012: Select Sermons and Lectures from the General Assembly of the UUA collects some of the marquee events from this year’s gathering. Resistance: A Memoir of Civil Disobedience in Maricopa County by Annette Marquis is a heartfelt reflection on her time witnessing against SB 1070. This remarkable personal tale is included as free bonus material when you purchase Assembled: 2012, or it can be purchased on its own.

Congratulations to All Souls New London, Connecticut for being named the newest Breakthrough Congregation! Each year the Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA) Office of Growth Strategies recognizes a handful of congregations that have ‘broken thro…

UU World profiles a nonprofit group providing immigrant advocacy and education with a Unitarian Universalist voice. Founded in 2007 by Unitarian Universalist and retired immigration law attorney Daniel Stracka, UURISE is modeled after the faith-based groups certified by the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees. Stracka hopes his organization will one day represent Unitarian Universalists at that table. 

The tragic Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, WI evokes for many Unitarian Universalists memories of July 2008, when the Tennessee Valley UU Church in Knoxville, TN, was attacked by a lone gunman with hate in his heart, killing two. The Standing on the Side of Love Campaign—borne out of that terrible event—is now collecting words of prayer and compassion to send as an outpouring of love to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.

Discussion of using traditional religious language in the Unitarian Universalist community began in 2002, following a sermon by the Rev. William G. Sinkford, then president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, in which he called for a “language of reverence.” In her forthcoming Skinner House Book, Fluent in Faith: A Unitarian Universalist Embrace of Religious Language , Jeanne Harrison Nieuwejaar argues that Unitarian Universalists should embrace religious language in all its diversity.

A Minnesota youth group took a winding spiritual journey to Phoenix to prepare for the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Justice General Assembly (GA) in June. After traveling through national parks in the Western United States, the youth attended GA youth events, workshops, worship, and were among the 2,500 UUs who took part in a candlelight vigil at the Maricopa County sheriff’s “Tent City” jail.

Skinner House Books has published Reclaiming Prophetic Witness: Liberal Religion in the Public Square by Paul Rasor. In this new book, Rasor argues that religious liberals are more numerous than many realize, but tend to ground their activism in secula…

The newly-created UU College of Social Justice will offer international service trips and social justice education. A joint initiative of the Unitarian Universalist Association and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), the college is based at the UUSC in Cambridge, MA and is led by the Rev. Kathleen McTigue, who previously served the The Unitarian Society of New Haven in Hamden, CT. 

In an editorial in The Guardian, UUA President the Rev. Peter Morales writes about how, with his racial-profiling policing, Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his thugs in badges recall the civil rights violators of the 1960s. ‘No one should be t…

On July 25, at 8pm EST, Standing on the Side of Love will host an online training titled, “Breaking the Isolation of Immigration Detention: Starting a Visitation Program.” This webinar will be led by Bob Libal of Grassroots Leadership, an organization that works with communities across the country to abolish for-profit prisons, jails, and detention centers and strives to reduce criminalization and incarceration.

UUA President the Rev. Peter Morales reflects upon his arrival in Phoenix, AZ, for Justice General Assembly 2012: ‘At the very core of our faith, though it be a creedless faith, is the conviction that religion should focus on this life. Our religion is…

Skinner House Books has announced the publication of Sources of Our Faith: Inspirational Readings, edited by Kathleen Rolenz. This collection of readings draws from a number of cultures and times, and includes thoughtful introductory essays from the ed…

The roots of social justice work run deep at People’s Church, Kalamazoo, Mich., the winner of the 2012 Bennett Award. The Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social Action is an annual honor given by the Unitarian Universalist Association to a congregation that has done exemplary work in social justice.

The Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, has posted his reflections regarding the UUA’s recent Justice GA on his blog, Beyond Belief: ‘GA is over and I am exhausted! But what a wondrous, satisfying, joyful fatigue this is. I have rarely felt such gratitude—gratitude for colleagues, for our partners, for our guest speakers…’

On Saturday, June 23, while a few thousand Unitarian Universalists engage in a day of witness and service in Phoenix during General Assembly, UUs at home also will have an opportunity to participate. All congregations and all UUs who are not able to be…

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury, Conn., was one of the first congregations in the UUA to take up immigration justice as a ministry. Many others have followed suit, and UUA leaders have made immigration justice one of the association’s top public witness priorities.

A recent visitor to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford, Ill., explained that he discovered Unitarian Universalism on the radio. Signing the guest book after his first visit, the newcomer wrote that he had been listening to the Food for the Soul radio show for three months. Food for the Soul is a weekly, Chicago-area radio show that airs Sunday evenings at 6 on WCPT, Chicago’s progressive talk radio station. Now in its second year of broadcasting, the show attracts between 3,000 and 11,000 listeners each week.

Congratulations to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden, Utah, for being the newest Breakthrough Congregation! Each year the UUA’s Office of Growth Strategies recognizes a handful of congregations that have “broken through” barriers to achieve exemplary goals. UUCO’s embrace of multigenerational worship and religious education for all ages has drawn attention from across the UUA. UUCO has also become a sanctuary for LGBT youth and a community hub for social justice work.

The Rev. Peter Morales, President of The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and a delegation of Unitarian Universalists have just returned from visiting the Every Child is Our Child program partners of the UU-UNO in Ghana. In his post on the Fai…

In preparation for Justice GA in Phoenix, June 20-24, 2012, the UUA and  Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) have jointly organized three Service Learning trips to the U.S.-Mexico border with our partner organization, BorderLinks. In this post Rev. Eric Cherry, Director of the UUA’s International Office, describes what is planned for the third trip which began May 25. The BorderLinks service learning trips are made possible through the generous contributions of UUA and UUSC donors.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) partnered with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28–May 5, 2012. In the post below, trip participant Barbara Nelson reflects on the various ways to build foundations — with rocks and with voices. The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

For Lent this year, friends and members of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas turned soda, coffee, and wine into water: They gave up those drinks and used the money they saved to create a $20,000 fund — almost three times their goal — that will be used to drill two wells in villages in South Sudan And it’s all because of Bol Deng Malual, 25, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan.’ Bol is one of more than 30,000 young boys who were displaced or orphaned during a civil war in Sudan between 1983 and 2005. Thousands of the boys were brought to the U.S. after years of hiding out and living in refugee camps.

The Rev. Peter Morales, President of The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), is currently with a delegation of Unitarian Universalists visiting the Every Child is Our Child program partners of the UU-UNO in Ghana. Lorella Hess is a member of the …

The Rev. Peter Morales, President of The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), is currently with a delegation of Unitarian Universalists in Ghana. Their visit includes time with international human rights partner the Manya Krobo Queen Mother’s Association (QMA). The Queen Mothers are traditional leaders in Eastern Ghana who organized an effective response to the traumatic effects that the HIV/AIDS pandemic was having on children in their community. This latest post discusses the delegation’s first day.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28–May 5, 2012. In the latest post about this journey, trip staffer Charles Huschle ruminates on the many qualities and skills that the trip participants are bringing to their work in Haiti — and what they are leaving behind. The UUA-UUSC Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

A delegation of Unitarian Universalists, including UUA President Rev. Peter Morales, arrive in Accra, Ghana, on May 6 to begin a notable visit with  international human rights partner, the Manya Krobo Queen Mother’s Association (QMA). The Queen Mothers are traditional leaders in Eastern Ghana who organized an effective response to the traumatic effects that the HIV/AIDS pandemic was having on children in their community. By visiting children, their teachers, the Queen Mothers, and other local officials, the UUA delegation will learn how this community came together and responded to a serious crisis.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28–May 5, 2012. In the newest post about the trip – along with a video diary entry – participant Orelia Busch reflects on tiny movements and cataclysmic earthquakes. The UUSC-UUA Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) on a joint volunteer trip to Haiti, April 28–May 5, 2012. In the introductory post about this journey, trip communications specialist Nicole McConvery of the UUA writes in anticipation of a week filled with learning and growth. The UUA-UUSC Haiti Volunteer Program is made possible through the contributions of UUA and UUSC donors and a generous grant from the Veatch Program of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, in Manhasset, N.Y.

It can be difficult to create space for our spiritual lives in a world crowded with distractions. The Pen and the Bell, from Skinner House Books, addresses the topic of achieving mindfulness and creative fulfillment in spite of long to-do lists. It’s about gaining access to our deeper selves in the workaday world, and bringing forth this authentic self in our writing. With both meditative and writing exercises in each chapter, it will help you awaken your creative soul and find a more rewarding life.  

Two years have passed since the implementation of SB1070, and for the first time since my conviction for peaceful civil disobedience while protesting this law in Phoenix, I will join with thousands of Unitarian Universalists from around the country, ot…

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) is a 40-year-old network of faith-based investors exercising their power as active shareowners to transform companies. Together, ICCR members promote sustainable practices through engagement with…

The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees has nominated two candidates to run for moderator of the association. Jim Key and Tamara Payne-Alex will stand for election at the 2013 General Assembly to replace Gini Courter, who has served as…

When our Association’s Arizona Immigration Ministry met with our social justice partners there, we received one clear request for an agenda item at GA 2012. Our partners said that the single most important piece of business we could do at GA 2012 was to study and repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and support the full implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Further, they asked us to have our congregations study this issue and how it is related to the ongoing oppression of indigenous peoples whose lands straddle the US-Mexico border.

Early adolescence is often a time when a child’s appreciation of the magic that younger children see everywhere in the world becomes squelched or outright ignored. Wide-eyed wonder about life and the universe isn’t “cool” and gaining the respect of their peers often becomes tantamount. By the time they have become teenagers, most children have already developed that ever-present internal critic that haunts adults. This can keep youth from being fully present in any moment, let alone experiencing the sacredness of life or a connection to the divine.

Many people didn’t learn about the Doctrine of Discovery in school. But those who attend Justice General Assembly in June will learn about it there. In brief, the Doctrine of Discovery is the premise that European Christian explorers who “discovered” other lands had the authority to claim those lands and subdue, even enslave, peoples of those lands simply because they were not Christian.

The 2012 edition of The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide is now available at the UUA Bookstore. This edition is the most extensive revision of the Pocket Guide in over a decade and features a foreword from MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry. Other cont…

Unitarian Universalists mobilize in response to laws that tear families apart and abuse immigrants. Immigration justice has become a flash point for Unitarian Universalists, especially as we approach the UUA’s “Justice General Assembly” in Phoenix, Arizona—where one of the most aggressive state laws on local immigration enforcement has been enacted.

Whom does your Unitarian Universalist congregation serve? Is it focused only on those who become members? Or does your congregation also serve other people who might have less obvious connections to the congregation? These questions and others are being asked in conversations among UU leaders this winter and spring about how to broaden Unitarian Universalism’s reach.

Bicycling ministers turn long-distance rides into opportunities to raise funds and awareness for charitable causes. They describe their rides – one as long as 3,300 miles – as powerful experiences, both physically and spiritually, beyond their ability …

For each of the last five years, the UUA has filed shareholder resolutions with Verizon Communications to urge the corporation to add “gender identity or expression” to its non-discrimination policy. In mid-February, Verizon notified the UUA that it has agreed to adopt the policy, which provides protection to transgender people and those in transition.

At the January meeting of the UUA Board of Trustees, the Trustees voted to place a responsive resolution to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery on the business agenda for the 2012 Justice General Assembly. What is the Doctrine of Discovery? Why have ou…

The UUA’s immigrant rights partners in Arizona help communities in peril. This network of activists is working with Unitarian Universalists to promote immigrant rights in Arizona as the Unitarian Universalist Association’s 2012 Justice General Assembly in Phoenix approaches.

Zach Wahls’s testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee about his two-mom family become an internet sensation. From Zach: ‘As I approached the microphone to testify, I saw for the first time just how many people were in this massive room. I would have whistled if my mouth had had any moisture in it. ‘My name is Zach Wahls,’ I began. ‘I’m a sixth-generation Iowan, an engineering student at the University of Iowa, and I was raised by two women.”

In Congregations and Beyond, the Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), offers a vision of the opportunities and challenges that face Unitarian Universalism as an international movement. He presents a strategic d…

Gathered Here, a denomination-wide listening campaign initiated by the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Board of Trustees and administration, invites congregations and individual UUs across the country to share hopes for the faith through “Community Conversations” and one-on-one interviews during the next eight months. The board and administration will use that information to help determine the UUA’s future.

The Minns Lectureship Committee continues its 2011-2012 lecture series with “Practicing Compassion and Connection More Fully,” to be held at First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco on Jan. 20, led by former UUA President the Rev. John Buehrens. The Rev. Bill Sinkford and the Rev. Meg Riley will be panelists at the event. The series will continue the conversation begun at the April 2011 Minns conference, “Composing Our Unitarian Universalist Future.” For details and registration information, visit MinnsLectures.org.

The dwindling of the sun’s light in autumn is a reminder that even as the old year dies, so must all living things. The shaman helps the tribe to accept this universal dying, to understand it is necessary for new life. When the daylight hours are shortest, we long for assurance that spring will return, that once again the warm sun will nurture growing things and make the earth green. In this time when foliage has all but disappeared, we look to the trees whose evergreen boughs offer us hope.

The Rev. Donald E. Robinson had already had a long career helping disadvantaged children in Washington, D.C., when he took on one more gargantuan task. In 1991, after more than 30 years of working with Washington youth in juvenile halls and community p…

Maria Hinojosa, award-winning broadcast journalist and author, has been selected as the Ware Lecturer for the 2012 Justice GA. She is the anchor and managing editor of NPR’s Latino USA . In April 2010, Hinojosa launched The Futuro Media Group with the mission to produce multi-platform, community-based journalism that respects and celebrates the cultural richness of the American experience.

Phoenix-area Unitarian Universalists joined protests last week objecting to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) influence in Arizona. The Council is a conservative think tank that brings together lawmakers and corporations from around the country to craft model legislation. In Scottsdale, Ariz., last week, ALEC held its annual States & Nation Policy Summit.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has partnered with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) on a joint JustWorks volunteer service trip to Haiti this December. Read the latest blog post as participants share their thoughts on the journey to help rebuild the community and lives of earthquake survivors in Haiti.