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Get Involved!

Become involved with a project that has caught your passion: whether it's Green Sanctuary, Gift-Based Ministry, as a worship associate, leading a covenant group, or something entirely different, your congregation needs your involvement in order to benefit from your unique talents and gifts!

Become a religious educator. Whether you are working with children, youth, young adults, or adults, this work can be deeply fulfilling and fun!

Offer to become a lay leader in your congregation. Talk to your nominating committee. If your congregation's in search for new professional leadership, think about whether you might contribute in new and exciting ways to that venture.

Witness your faith in the company of others, on behalf of your congregation. Seek out connections with other religious groups who share similar values. Help carry the message -- beyond your congregation -- that makes clear Unitarian Universalism's values and voice in this challenging world.

Become a delegate to your UUA District's meetings. You'll learn new skills, develop a sense of Unitarian Universalism that extends beyond your own congregation, and help nurture the vitality of our faith in your district.

Don't wait to be asked: contact your congregation's Nominating Committee and tell them you're willing to serve. They'll be glad to hear from you!

- from the UUA

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.

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.

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-east

I 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:

To find out more about this organization, visit this UUA SITE

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