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.
To Everything There is a Season... More CER Staff Changes
The days are getting shorter and after a hot summer, the nights are blessedly cooler. Here in New Jersey the smell of autumn is in the air and with it the anticipation and excitement of a new congregational year. This fall marks my 14th season as Congregational Life staff at the UUA. If you include my two years as staff for the Joseph Priestley District and nine years as a religious educator in a congregation, I’ve reached the quarter century mark of serving my Unitarian Universalist faith.
As the seasons of the year move inexorably to the next, so it is for me as I prepare to move into the season of retirement later this year or early in 2023. My transition is a happy one – part of a life plan that includes more time for beloved family, days spent camping and visiting as many beautiful places as I can and, yes, a return to my own congregation as more than an occasional pew-sitter.
Read more about Patricia's upcoming change and learn about hiring for her replacement (PDF).
| January 13-15, 2023 — |
Anti-Racism and Our Whole Lives Trainings Offered Jubilee Three Anti-Racism Training
Do you wish to deepen your understanding of how race and ethnicity play out in our institutions and our daily lives? Are you ready to take a leading role to nurture a multicultural future in the face of opposing cultural currents? Come Join Us for this Life-Changing Weekend!Weekend Activities: The training includes presentations, discussions, videos, exercises, and small group work. This 2 ½ day workshop is open to anyone who wants to journey toward making a stand against racism. Church members and church leaders of any faith, as well as non-church members are all welcome! January 13-15, 2023 online. Registration and details at the CER website.
| Tuesdays, beginning January 24, 2023 — |
Cornerstones of Effective Stewardship in Our Multiplatform,
Multicultural-multiracial and Multigenerational World
The UUA Congregational Life and Stewardship for Us announce a 3-part national webinar series in early 2023: Cornerstones of Effective Stewardship for our Congregations.
TUESDAYS, 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET, 6:00-7:30 CT, 5:00-6:30 MT, 4:00-5:30 PT
- Part 1: January 24: The Multiplatform Context
- Part 2: January 31: The Multicultural/Multiracial World
- Part 3: February 7: The Changing Multigenerational Demographics
| Saturday, February 25, 2023 — |
New Day Rising: Adopting the 8th Principle
Have you been waiting for a new New Day Rising event to help your congregation learn from others about antiracism work? Save the date for an afternoon regional New Day Rising conference on Saturday, February 25 from noon – 5pm Eastern time. Learn from neighboring congregations about what path they've taken with their 8th Principle and other antiracism work, and how your congregation might move itself forward. This Central East Region event will include worship, testimony from congregations engaged in the work, plus caucusing and other community building opportunities. See below for more information – registration will open in November HERE!
Congregations throughout the Central East Region have started work on adopting the 8th Principle, covenanting to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. Some congregations have discussed it with no action, some have voted to adopt it, and some are using it to actively work on dismantling racism in their systems and communities Every UU congregation is ready to take the next step in their process of furthering antiracism, whether they use the 8th Principle as a vehicle or not.
Join this year's New Day Rising event to learn from neighboring congregations about what path they've taken with their 8th Principle and other antiracism work, and how your congregation might move itself forward. This Central East Region event will include worship, testimony from congregations engaged in the work, plus caucusing and other community building opportunities.
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.
If your congregation or cluster has an exciting project that could use funding from our Chalice Lighter Program, our next Intent to Apply deadline is October 1 for grants to be awarded in January, 2023.
This year the Central East Region is offering a series of
Networking Calls for congregational staff and leaders.
Instead of dividing up by geography this time, we're offering two times on each date for you to choose from. Come to one or to all. CER staff will be on each call to answer questions, but our main focus will be what you can learn from and share with each other.
Who can attend? Any congregational staff member, board member, committee chair or member, or other leader in the congregation. Come if you have questions to ask your peers, or if you have successes to share.
The 2022-23 call schedule:
- Thursday, January 19 - 12:30-2 pm and 6-7:30 pm
- Thursday, April 20 - 12:30-2 pm and 6-7:30 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Featured Resource: YUUP - Young UU Project
Have you heard of YUUP yet? The Young UU Project began in 2020 as a way for young UUs to keep in touch with each other and their faith during the pandemic, and is held by Lifespan Faith Engagement. The purpose of YUUP is to be a national community care network and multi-directional communication channel that centers BIPOC, trans/non-binary and neurodivergent youth and offers a transition zone for young people moving into emerging adulthood.
Anyone (youth, caregivers, religious professionals, lay leaders, everyone!) can tap into the social ministry of YUUP by following them on Instagram @yuup.uua and signing up for the YUUP newsletter. YUUP also has a community sphere just for youth, those who bridged in 2022 and support adults. These "Third Monday Meetups" are where youth swap ideas they can take home to their local communities. In August they swapped Favorite Check In Questions. In September they swapped favorite youth group games, which will soon be released on Instagram and in the newsletter.
Adult readers - We need your help connecting youth to this community! Please point them to UUA.ORG/YUUP to connect at whatever their capacity is.