Perspectives for August 2026

This issue of Perspectives features UUCB’s Lifespan Religious Exploration program for 2026-27. In it, you will find descriptions of this year’s offerings, calendars that you can print and hang on your fridge, links to register, and other information that will enable you to engage more deeply in our community. I hope that you will take a few minutes to read it all, even the parts that you don’t think pertain to you, so that you know what is happening and can share the information with people who need it.
- Dr. Stephanie Kimball, Director of Lifespan Religious Education (kimball@uubloomington.org)

We live in a time of rapid change. The speed with which artificial intelligence (AI), largely unregulated in this country, is changing our experiences online, at work, and our environmental landscapes is astounding. Similarly, the pace of theft, corruption and authoritarian takeover happening in our nation is staggering.

The familiar adage, “change is the only constant” doesn’t quite do justice to the swift pace of change happening in so many areas of our lives and work. But change isn’t just something that happens to us. People - communities - countries also have the power to create change. It begins with enough people coalescing around a vision of what could be and organizing for change that is needed. Right now, there is a lot of anger at what is and what isn’t happening in our country. Change is needed.

This year, in our Sunday services, in Religious Exploration, and in Chalice Circles, our overarching theme is Be Seeds of Change. Through this theme, and our monthly themes, we’ll explore the changes we need in our community, our country, and in our world - and the ways that we too are invited to grow as change agents in our own lives, habits and practices.

We begin this exploration with our August theme of Embracing Change. For in order to make change, we need to believe it is possible. And absolutely, change is possible - it is happening all the time. The question is how can we nurture change that elevates the human condition, that invites more compassion, more connection, more justice in our lives and world. Be Seeds of Change reminds us that the work of change is not just about imagining change, it is also about embodying it in ourselves.

Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray

Lead Minister

revsfg@uubloomington.org

On July 1st, we started a new fiscal year at UUCB and I stepped into the role of board president. I am grateful for the work that Jane Mcleod, the outgoing president, did to make this a smooth transition and am excited to work with the new board. We have a good mix of experienced board members with deep institutional knowledge and new members who bring fresh energy and new perspectives.

Over the past month, the board has focused on orienting new board members and creating the Board Calendar and Monitoring Schedule for the coming year. We are also preparing to take a deeper dive into goal setting and board policies in our board retreat in September. This was made significantly easier by Jane Mcleod's careful organization of the board’s documents and the template that she created.

Looking forward to the coming year, I am excited about our new ministerial intern, the search for a second minister and the expansion of our Religious Exploration program to meet the needs of our growing congregation. I am also looking forward to learning more about both the UUCB community, the multifaceted activities of this congregation, and the systems that keep things running smoothly.

As you look forward to the coming year at UUCB, I hope you also have things that you are excited about and that you consider finding new ways to connect, grow, and contribute to both UUCB and the world. The upcoming involvement fairs are a great way to discover ways to do that. This is also a good moment to add the Mid-Year Congregational Meeting on Sunday, December 13th and the Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, June 6th to your calendar. I hope to see you there and at other events throughout the year.

This year in Lifespan Religious Exploration we will focus on what it means to be seeds of change. Children and Youth will explore each month’s theme in their Sunday classes, sharing stories and activities that focus on the various aspects of change needed in the world now. For adults, there are many opportunities to “go deep” in this metaphor to find new perspectives on moving closer to the beloved community we dream of.

You’ve probably heard the quote “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” often attributed to Ghandi but actually originating with Arleen Lorrance, in her book about the Love Project. It makes sense that if I want the world to be a more loving place, I start by being a more loving person, and theoretically at least, the ripples of my lovingness affect others. But in these times of turmoil and rapid unwanted change that Rev. Susan describes above, individual efforts to simply live our own values, while necessary, seem inadequate and far too individualistic.

This shifts when we frame the task in front of us as being seeds of change. Most seeds are small, but under the right conditions, they grow and transform. And as they do it becomes clear how interdependent they are with everything else. Seeds don’t control their environment, but they seek out the resources they need, and in some cases that results in changes that enhance the growth of other seeds. Today scientists are discovering what many ancient peoples have always known, that plants “talk” to each other through their roots, with scents, via chemicals picked up by networks of mycelia, and more. They share resources. A tall oak tree will share nutrients with its smaller offspring that aren’t yet tall enough to gather sunlight.

As we consider how to be seeds for the kinds of change our values call us to, we might ask ourselves: What structures, networks, support systems can we put in place to help love, peace, equity, and justice grow? How can we cross pollinate? What is the water and sunshine we can provide for each other to help our values thrive? How can we better accept the water and sunshine we need? Can we expand our roots deep enough to find the nutrients we need? Can we reach up toward the sun despite the weeds encroaching around us?

As seeds of change, we do not control the conditions around us. We just do our best to keep growing and producing flowers or fruit that contain new seeds and spread. Like plants, we can share resources with those lacking access to what they need. We remember that we are part of an ecosystem, an interconnected web that we are both reliant on and responsible to.

This year’s Religious Exploration offerings for adults can help us on our quest for change. Engaging with this year’s Common Read, Love at the Center, we will explore our shared Unitarian Universalist values that can ground and guide us as we discern the change we want to see and bring about in the world. Whether you read the book or not, you can join in the discussions, and/or participate in a game called The Mystery of the Slightly Sentient Chalice – a fun way to engage with the same ideas.

We also learn and practice new ways to nurture and care for ourselves and each other – important co-requisites for growth and change – in Spiritual Centering: A meditative practice of collaging and writing. In (Re)claiming Your Spiritual Journey, we look at what wounds in our religious past might be holding us back, and work to heal them so we can move forward as our most powerful and peaceful selves. Adult Improv invites us to have fun together, building our muscles for being present with ourselves and each other. In addition, How to Stay Safe in a Digital Age will help participants protect themselves from cyber predators, feel secure despite the rapid technological changes around us, and free up our bandwidth for the real work we wish to do in the world.

Some of our programs, like Class 101 and our Indigenous Studies Forum, provide information that can help us mobilize for change. This year’s community book read is Getting to Reparations: How Building a Different America Requires a Reckoning with our Past. This, along with Transforming Hearts and our Indigenous Studies Book Club, all support our work for justice, equity, and transformation.

Three of our programs offer valuable ways to look at the world and tools for understanding: Exploring Daoist Philosophy: Ziran and Reverence for the Natural, What did Jesus Really Say?, and Applying Philosophy to Problems in Life, Ethics and Society.

I hope that you will read through the descriptions of each of these offerings below, and come to the Religious Exploration Fair and the Parent Religious Education Orientation to learn more.

Current volunteer needs are described below; you can sign up for all roles here.

Teacher breakfast signup: RE Food Volunteers

Meal and snack providers

We currently need volunteers to provide breakfast items for monthly teacher breakfasts, and occasionally need snacks or meal components for other events. Please sign up here if you would like to contribute food for any of these events.

Childcare volunteers

Occasionally, we do not have enough childcare staff members available to cover requested childcare shifts. When that happens, we contact people on our volunteer list to see if anyone is available to help. If you would like to be on that list, please sign up here.

Field trips, overnights, and activities

Occasionally, we need extra adults to chaperone field trips with older children or youth. We also occasionally need adults to supervise overnights at the church or away at other congregations. In addition, there are events at various points throughout the year where we provide semi-structured activities (social justice actions, arts and crafts, games, etc.) outside of regular religious education settings. If you would like to be on the list to be contacted when we need these kinds of volunteers, please sign up here. You will be able to specify which types of activities you are interested in helping with.

OWL Facilitators

OWL is Our Whole Lives, a lifespan sexuality education program developed jointly by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. There are courses for children (K-1, 4-5), youth (grades 7-9, and 10-12) and adults (young adults, adults, and older adults). Facilitators must complete an intensive OWL training (offered online OR in person), which the church will pay for in return for a promise to facilitate classes for at least two years. If you are interested in becoming an OWL facilitator at any level, please contact Stephanie Kimball or sign up here. Those interested are also invited to attend an OWL Ingathering on August 30, 5:30 - 7:30pm.

Astronomy Enthusiasts

We would like to incorporate a star-gazing adventure into our Explorers (gr. 4-6) experience, and we need people with knowledge of the night sky to help plan and run this excursion. If this is you, please sign up here.

Donations

If you have items you wish to donate, please DO NOT stash them in closets, cupboards, or classrooms! Instead please talk with Stephanie Kimball to find out if it’s something we can use (if not, we can probably help you find another home for it). We gratefully accept a wide variety of things, but when items are left without talking to us, they often don’t get used because we don’t know who they belong to - or that they are there at all.

Childcare is available on Sunday mornings, generally from 8:30am - 1:00pm on days when we have two services. When there is one service, childcare is available from 9:30 or 10:00 (depending on whether the choir is in session) until 12:00. If you have any questions about our childcare services, please contact Beth Kaylor (bkaylor@uubloomington.org), our Childcare Coordinator.

We are working to make childcare available to people attending church activities on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, as well as Sunday afternoons, as needed. If you plan on attending choir rehearsals, classes, meetings, or other church events on Tuesday/Thursday evenings or Sunday afternoons and need childcare, please sign up here. You will then be added to a group, and each week you’ll receive an email with a request to RSVP letting us know whether or not you will need childcare that week. This way, we can save our church resources by only paying childcare staff to be here when they are actually needed! And we’ll know who to contact if we have to cancel due to lack of staff availability. If we have not heard from anyone that they WILL need childcare by three days before a given event, that shift will be cancelled so our staff can make alternate plans.

If you are planning or attending a church event at another time, you are welcome to request childcare using this form. We cannot guarantee that staff will be available, but we will do our best to accommodate needs. We recommend requesting childcare at least two weeks in advance.

July 31: Spirit Play Teacher Training 10am - 12pm

August 1: All-Teacher Retreat (aka Teacher Training) 10am - 3pm

August 9: All-ages Water Communion Service with Backpack Blessing

Children/Youth Registration Deadline

August 14: Parent Religious Exploration Orientation 5:30 - 7:30 (please register)

August 15: Coming of Age Mentor Orientation & Parent Meeting 10am - 1pm

August 16: Fall Children/Youth Religious Exploration Classes begin

Coming of Age Mentor/Mentee Kick-off 1:00 - 2:30pm

Teacher Breakfast - between services

August 23: Adult Religious Education Fair - after each service

August 30: OWL Facilitators Ingathering

September 13: Coming of Age workshop 1

Teacher Breakfast

September 22: Fall Equinox Service 6:00pm

September 27: All-Ages Service: Hope

October 11: Coming of Age workshop

October 18: Age of Reason Ceremony and Celebration (1st graders and their parents)

October 23: Parents’ Night Out, 5:30 - 8:30pm

October 25: Teacher Breakfast

November 1: All-Ages Dia de los Muertos Service

Coming of Age workshop #2

November 6-8: Prophetstown Harvest Festival

November 15: Teacher Breakfast

November 22: All-Ages Bread Service (Thanksgiving)

November 29: Begin 1-service schedule 10:30am (through December)

December 6: All-Ages Winter Holiday Service (10:30)

December 12: Parents’ Day Out, 1-5pm

December 13: Congregational Meeting 12:00 (Childcare provided)

Coming of Age workshop #4

December 20: Winter Solstice Service 6:00pm

December 24: Christmas Eve Services (4pm No Rehearsal Pageant; 7pm Carols & Stories)

December 27: All-Ages Holiday Sing service (10:30)

January 3: All-Ages Service; 2-service schedule resumes

January 17-18: Coming of Age overnight

January 18-22: Labyrinth Walk (selected hours) Jan 19 - 23 (incl Wed. evening, Thurs

January 10: Teacher Breakfast

OWL 7th/8th Parent Meeting 1:00

January 24: OWL 7-8 begins continues through May 16, 2027

February 21: Teacher Breakfast

Coming of Age workshop #6

March 22: Spring Equinox service

March 13-21: Spring Break

March 14: All-Ages Service (tentative)

March 21: Teacher Breakfast (tentative)

March 28: Coming of Age workshop #7

April 9: Parents’ Night Out, 5:30 - 8:30pm

April 11: Teacher Breakfast

April 17: Clothing Swap 10:00am - 12:00pm

April 18: All-Ages Earth Day Service

Coming of Age workshop #8

April 25: Celebration Sunday - ONE SERVICE (10:30)

May 1: Deadline for Adult Religious Exploration proposals

May 2: Coming of Age Service & Celebration

May 9: Teacher Breakfast

May 16: Last 2-service Sunday

May 23: All-Ages Flower Communion Service; begin 1-service schedule

June 6: Congregational Meeting (childcare provided)

June 13: Teacher Breakfast

Church Picnic/Pool Party (tentative)

June 23-27: UUA General Assembly (San Jose, and online)

July 4-10: MUUSA! (Midwest UU Summer Assembly)

July 11: Teacher Breakfast

All children and youth, ages 0 - 18, must be registered each year if they will be participating in childcare, Sunday morning religious exploration, youth group, OWL, or other UUCB programming. Registration is free, secure, and only takes a few minutes. Click here to register.

Note: a glitch in our anti-spam software was preventing some submissions from going through. This bug has been fixed, so if you had trouble with the form please try again now!

You may have noticed that we now refer to our programs for children and youth, as well as adults, as religious exploration rather than religious education. As I explained in my report to the congregation in June, the way the word is often used, “education” implies an emphasis on the answers instead of the search. Perhaps this is because so many of us come from faith traditions that claim to have answers, and religious education of our childhood was all about transmitting those answers to the next generation. In this sense, “religious exploration” better describes what we do in our programs: we explore what it means to be in religious community together.

And our volunteers function more like guides than teachers, to the extent that teachers are seen as people who transmit knowledge and information. Guides walk alongside, pointing out things that might otherwise be easily missed, providing the comfort of companionship and sharing the delight of seeing the path and surroundings with fresh eyes.

Religious Education classes for elementary and middle school children and youth are offered during both services on most Sundays (exceptions are listed in the Calendar). All classes explore our monthly congregational themes while learning about UU identity, building healthy relationships with peers and adults, and engaging in social justice and service projects.

• Spirit Play (ages 4-6) - Room 105
• Kids’ Club (grades 2-3) - Room 103
• Explorers (grades 4-6) - Room 208
• Middle School RE (grades 6-8) - Room 210 (2nd service only)
• High School Youth Group (grades 9-12) - Room 210, after service (12-1:30 when there’s one service, 1-2:30 when there are two services)

Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education - This year, OWL is offered for grades 7-8 beginning on January 24, 2027. A parent/caregiver meeting will take place on January 10, 1pm; attendance is mandatory in order for youth to participate in OWL classes. Information will be mailed to parents of registered 7-8th grade youth in December.

Parent Orientation

Parents, please mark your calendars and attend a special event on Friday, August 14, 5:30 -7:30pm. We’ll provide pizza, salad, and cookies at 5:30, and at 6pm there will be activities for children 0-12 while adults gather to learn about changes to our religious exploration program, visit their children’s classrooms, and hear important information about how to support children and youth engagement in our UU community. Please come – whether you are brand new, or have participated for years! This is a chance to meet other parents, have some fun, and enjoy free dinner with your family. Please register so we can provide the right quantities and types of food!

September 1, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

September 13 & 20: Exploring Membership Class

September 16, 6:30 - 8pm: Book Read: Getting to Reparations (continues Sept 30, Oct. 14)

September 22, 5:00 - 6:30pm: Class 101

September 26, 1-4pm: Spiritual Centering: A meditative practice of collaging and writing

October 6, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

October 7, 7-9pm: (Re)claiming Your Spiritual Journey (continues Oct. 14 & 21)

October 7, 7-9pm: Exploring Daoist Philosophy (continues on Wednesdays through Nov. 4)

November 1, 1-3pm: What Did Jesus Really Say?

November 10 & 17: Exploring Membership Class

December 1, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

January 5, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

January 6, 6:45 - 8:30pm: Adult Improv (continues 8 weeks)

January 13, 4-5:30pm: Applying Philosophy to Problems in Life, Ethics, and Society (continues through Feb. 18)

February 2, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

February 14, 1-2pm: How to Stay Safe in the Digital Age (continues Feb 28 and March 14)

February 16, 7-9pm: Transforming Hearts (continues on Feb 23 and Mar 2)

March 2, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

April 6, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

May 4, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

June 1, 7-9pm: Indigenous Studies Forum

June 23-27: UUA General Assembly (San Jose, and online)

July 4-10: MUUSA! (Midwest UU Summer Assembly)

Come to Fellowship Hall after each service on Sunday, August 23 to learn more about this year’s Adult Religious Exploration offerings! Brief descriptions of courses are listed in this publication, but the Fair is a chance for you to meet the facilitators, review materials, ask questions, and sign up if you’re ready.

The Indigenous Studies planning committee is helping the Shawnee Seed Sanctuary meet its fundraising goal of $25,000 for the Prophetstown Planting Project. $5,000 covers expenses left from the planting event in June, and $20,000 is budgeted for harvest festival expenses in November.

Equipment, supplies, and field needs for seed harvest and storage are part of the fall expenses. However, the greater expense comes from providing travel and lodging stipends to bring members of the 15 tribes forming the Prophetstown Alliance back to Indiana for the first time in over 200 years.

Tribal descendants of the Prophetstown Alliance will return to harvest seed at Prophetstown State Park. The Shawnee Seed Sanctuary hopes the corn harvest celebrations will rekindle the fire of old relationships and restore the Prophetstown Alliance as a large seed-saving and seed trading network. Restoring the bonds of mutual aid among Native American tribes is more important now than ever as all nations see their Elders and seed keepers dying out, their youth ignorant of cultural ceremonies, and their languages and cultures being lost.

Fundraising events at UUCB’s Fellowship Hall are as follows:

August 16: Tabling for donations in Fellowship Hall

September 4: Dinner of traditional native foods followed by videos about native seed keeping and foodways with Ryan Conway providing commentary

September 6: Cornbread Palooza! UUCB members and friends will have the opportunity to taste a variety of cornbreads and vote with their dollars to select the winner

November 1 & 8: Tabling for donations in Fellowship Hall

Donations can be made through the Giving page on Church Center, or by cash or check at any of the events above. Checks should be made out to UUCB with “Shawnee Seed Sanctuary” written in the memo line.

Indigenous Studies Forum

The Indigenous Studies planning committee is offering a monthly forum on Indiana’s Native Americans. The series begins September 1 with a presentation titled Prophetstown: Past and Present. Through some readings and discussion, participants will learn or review Prophetstown’s short history and the philosophy behind its founding by Shawnee brothers Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh. Participants are not required to attend all sessions, but are encouraged to register in case of schedule or room changes. For future dates and topics and to register, click here.

Exploring Membership

Upcoming Exploring Membership Classes:

Sundays, September 13 and 20
Tuesdays, November 10 and 17

(you only need to register for one set of classes to join membership!)

Register HERE for September classes or register HERE for November

In these small group gatherings you will dive into the UU values, role of the UU minister, the history of Unitarian Universalism and this church, how to get involved, what it means to be a member, and much more. Those who complete both dates of an Exploring Membership session have the opportunity to sign the membership book. Those who missed a date or missed the book signing component of a prior class are welcome to attend. Snacks provided! If you need childcare, please submit a request as soon as possible.

Questions? Email Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator, at connect@uubloomington.org.

Book Read: Getting to Reparations: How Building a Different America Requires a Reckoning with our Past

Join with others to read and discuss Getting to Reparations: How Building a Different America Requires a Reckoning with our Past by Dorothy A. Brown, professor of law at Georgetown University and nationally recognized scholar in the areas of race, class, and tax policy. This is part of a community book read sponsored by the Bloomington Multi-Faith Alliance Faith for Racial Equity group. What can we learn and do together? Meets on Wednesdays, September 16, 30, October 14, 6:30 - 8:00pm. Facilitated by: Ruth Aydt, Chair of the Racial Justice Task Force. Register here.

Class 101

The "working class" has become synonymous with MAGA, and yet they are also a coveted voting demographic. Who makes up the "working class?" We may think we know who they are based on their employment in blue collar professions, lack of college education, and their socioeconomic status, but is this an accurate picture of the working class? Knowing the basics of social class can help us meet the current moment and mobilize for change. Tuesday, September 22, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. Facilitated by Kristin Schumacher and Dr. Quentin Wheeler-Bell. Register here.

Spiritual Centering: A meditative practice of collaging and writing

We will create sacred space with our circle of participants--all genders welcome--with a poem, guided-meditation, and colorful introductions. We'll listen, write, and collage together; and share (or not) our writing. Notebooks (journals) to collage, and collage materials, scissors, and glue will be provided. And a snack! Facilitated by Glenda Breeden. Saturday, Sept. 26, 1-4pm. Minimum 6, Maximum 12 Register here.

(Re)claiming your Spiritual Journey

Many people come to Unitarian Universalism from other faith traditions that didn’t serve them well and may have done them harm. But if we do not confront our religious past, heal from any trauma it caused, and distinguish the helpful from harmful aspects of it, we’re likely to remain stuck and deny ourselves the richness of an integrated faith. This class offers a chance to explore your story, intentionally processing the good and the bad so that you can harvest what’s helpful and be free of the rest. If you feel anger or contempt, fear or confusion, sadness or pain when you think about any aspect of your religious past, this class is for you! Facilitated by Stephanie Kimball. Meets Oct 7, 14, 21 7-9pm. Minimum 6 participants Register here.

Exploring Daoist Philosophy: Ziran and Reverence for the Natural

A five-part course on Daoist philosophy for nature-lovers, tree-huggers, and authority-questioners. This ancient, egalitarian Chinese tradition has inspired hermits, anarchists, sci-fi writers, rebellions, and environmentalists for millennia. After covering the basics, we'll dive deep into ziran ("natural spontaneity"), a deep idea that the purest things act freely, of themselves, without outside imposition. Expect poetry, ancient but approachable texts, laid-back presentations, and open discussion facilitated by Zach Ammerman. All faith backgrounds (and none) welcome to explore this non-theistic philosophy. Appropriate both for newcomers and for those who took the previous Daoism course last spring. Facilitated by Zach Ammerman. Meets Wednesdays, 7-9pm, starting on October 7 - November 4 (5 sessions). Register here

What Did Jesus Really Say?

In the original Aramaic, the words attributed to Jesus are far more beautiful than modern English translations. When translated from Aramaic to Roman and then to Old English, words have been misunderstood and others have been inserted. For example, Jesus never used the words Sin, Heaven, or Hell and what became known as the Lord's Prayer began with Creator not Our Father. Come explore the beauty of the words in Jesus' language. Even if you doubt this man existed, the words passed on in his language contain important lessons. Facilitated by Sura Tala. Meets on November 1, 1-3pm. Register here.

Adult Improv

This is a wintertime chance to play around with other adults in a lightly structured, warmly supportive environment. This is not a theater class, but rather an exploration of communication, and expanding where our thoughts go. It is not about being funny, or clever or quick witted. It's not even about acting. It is about being together, differently.

Come and play with us! Facilitated by Judy Owens. Meets on 8 Wednesdays, 6:45 - 8:30pm, starting January 6. Register here.

Applying Philosophy to Problems in Life, Ethics and Society

We will discuss contemporary philosophers who grapple with ethical and social issues that arise in everyday life. Topics will include emotion, love and friendship, irrationality, living in a multicultural society, mortality and personal transformation. Meets on zoom on Thursdays, 4:00 to 5:30 pm, January 13 to February 18. Facilitated by Brian O’Donnell. Min. 3, Max. 14. Register here.

How to Stay Safe in the Digital Age

In these days of hacking, phishing, bots, and scams, it’s hard to know how to keep ourselves and each other safe. The tools and techniques used by bad actors are constantly changing, even as we are increasingly dependent upon electronic communications. Come learn up-to-date tips for keeping your identity safe. Each session will include a presentation and plenty of time for Q&A. Facilitated by Hans Kelson, Technology Coordinator. Meets Sundays February 14 & 28, and March 14, 1-2pm. Please register. Minimum 15.

Love at the Center: Exploring the 2026 UUA Common Read

This 7-session series uses quotes from UUA Common Read Love at the Center to offer five lenses for noticing how Love moves in our lives: the Love within me of inner spiritual life, the Love between us of close relationships, the Love among us of congregational life, the Love beyond us of our public presence and justice work, and the Love holding all that is ground of our being. All five are happening at once, and experience travels inward and outward like a spiral, so that what happens in one sphere continually shapes and is shaped by the others. Facilitated by Rev. Dennis McCarty and Stephanie Kimball. Min. 6 participants. Dates and times TBA.

The Mystery of the Slightly Sentient Chalice

This game is designed as a companion resource to the 2026 UUA Common Read, Love at the Center, edited by Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt. The game and the book illuminate each other from different directions. Love at the Center gathers twenty-nine essays by UU ministers, theologians, and leaders reflecting on what it means to belong to a faith that places love at its center — in our inner lives, our relationships, our congregations, and our public witness in the world. The game invites players to discover that same theology through play, investigating a fictional congregation where love’s presence and absence show up in the most ordinary places: a planning email, a volunteer roster, a comment card, a handwritten note. Facilitated by Rev. Dennis McCarty and Stephanie Kimball. Min. 15 participants Date and time TBA.

Transforming Hearts: Responding to the Anti-trans Movement

An upbeat introduction to trans issues for people aspiring to create an informed, welcoming community. This 3-session course is designed to offer you an introduction to gender diversity and trans identity, help you understand the current political attack on trans people and the misinformation that is part of that attack, and together create an atmosphere of safety and belonging for trans people in UU congregations in this moment. Course materials from the Transforming Hearts Collective. Facilitated by Carol McCord and Judy Owens. Meets on 3 Tuesdays: Feb. 16, 23, and Mar 2 Min. 6 participants. Register here

Current Member Number: 495

Attendance for the month of June

6/07/2026: 245

6/14/2026: 250

6/21/2026: 223

6/28/2026: 216

Quarter 4 Tandem Offertory Total: $2,578.45
2026-27 Total for Tandem: $10,281.56