
Central East Regional Group (CERG)
The Central East Region helps congregations of all shapes and sizes connect with each other and with resources that help them best express their Unitarian Universalist faith in a changing and hurting world.CER Summer Institute (CERSI) started July 3! For the first time ever, we are going Multi-Platform! Please join us online via the Whova App and be part of an intentional community of Unitarian Universalists Whether you have never attended CERSI or are a long-time attendee (but not traveling to CalU this weekend) ONLINE CERSI is for you!
Attend daily morning services and evening vespers from the comfort of your own home.
The services will stream live and be on demand for up to one week following CERSI. Morning Worship starts at 8:30a and is followed by our theme speaker, Kazim Ali. He will be speaking on the topic - Questioning the Unquestionable and Answering the Unanswerable. Kazim is a poet, philosopher and writer who will help us grapple with the big questions, lead us into reveries and toward new insights, and strengthen us with the superpowers of poetry and love.
CER Events at a Glance
The following events are upcoming in the region. For full details and a complete list visit the CER Calendar Page. Also, please note, if you are mailing a check to the regional office to pay for your registration, you must write the name and date of the event in the memo line. Otherwise we may not get it properly credited.If you are looking for Renaissance Modules for Religious Educators or Our Whole Lives Trainings, check the full calendar on the UUA website.
- Planning and Running A Board Retreat Webinar, August 2, 6:30-8:30 pm ET online.
- Sowing Seeds Youth Justice Workshop - August 3-6, 2022, Pittsburgh, PA
- Helpful Board Habits Series, Session 1 - August 16, 2022, 6:30-8 pm ET online
- Jubilee 3 Anti-racism Training - August 19-21, 2022, online
- Taproot: A National BIPOC Space - September 8, 2022, 8-9:15 pm ET
- Helpful Board Habits Series, Session 2 - September 20, 2022, 6:30-8 pm ET online
- Our Whole Lives Facilitator Training, Adult Levels - Sept 30-Oct 2, Columbia, MD
- Taproot: A National BIPOC Space - October 13, 2022, 8-9:15 pm ET
- Helpful Board Habits Series, Session 2 - October 11, 2022, 6:30-8 pm ET online
Featured Resource: Primary Contacts
Do you know who your congregation's primary contact is?The Central East Regional (CER) has a primary contact staff system to ensure our congregations know who to reach out to for assistance. Every CER congregation and community has a UUA Staff Member who serves as your Primary Contact for all services of the region and the UUA. This is someone with whom you can build a close, working relationship, who will have an intimate knowledge of your congregation's blessings and challenges, and can be proactive in helping you to share those blessings and meet those challenges. Your Primary Contact can help you to navigate all the support and opportunities available to your congregation. Find your primary contact now.
CER and the Chalice Lighters Program
We are in the Central East Region of the UUA. Pat Infante is our Primary Contact. There are many interesting resources and trainings (both in person and via webinar) listed in the web pages. Explore https://www.uua.org/central-eastI found a nice dose of hope when I stumbled upon this year’s Gould Discourse which was delivered by Rev. Frances Manly, entitled "Kids These Days: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hope Again." It was given at an annual event in May of this year. You can read her text or watch a video of her presentation on the page.
The Chalice Lighter Program is now administered by the CER. It was developed within the old system of UU Districts (we were members of the Joseph Priestley District). The CER Chalice Lighters Grant Program works to encourage new and existing congregations to grow, both in terms of numbers and in their efforts to increase justice, compassion and spirituality. The grants support the growth of UU congregations of all sizes.
We at Restoration benefitted from a Chalice Lighter Grant when we wanted to update our "audio-visual" capabilities in the Sanctuary. One of the key elements for being eligible for a Chalice Lighter Grant is having 20% or more of our congregation active in the Chalice Lighter Program by pledging to donate a sum of money three times a year, typically about $20 each "call."
Below, are two reports from recent meetings:
- Building Community Meeting Breakout Session: “Welcoming”
- Building Community Meeting Breakout Session: “Volunteering”