What is a covenant? For most of my time as a leader in Unitarian Universalism, I have understood covenant to be the words we use to describe the agreements we make to each other.



What I have learned over time is that the words are more like a map. They help us understand the covenant. They help us talk to each other about it. But the covenant itself is like the terrain described by the map, with all its dimensionality, ranging from muddy swamps to majestic peaks. It can never be completely captured in words.

We create a covenant when we come together as people who care about each other, who are also committed to something together. Caring about each other in congregations means, in part, that we hope to bring our best selves into the community. It means that we want to treat other members and our staff well - with fairness, dignity, and compassion. Part of our covenant is a commitment to choosing words, actions, and behaviors that express our care for others—to the very best of our ability. In UU congregations, we are collectively committed to the UU Principles and to our congregation’s own mission. Commitment to each other, to our values, and to our understanding of our purpose creates the covenant. When we put words on paper, we are pointing to that covenant, not capturing it in its entirety.

Thinking about covenant this way can help us think about when and how to write, revise, and refer to the words that describe the covenant. Our collective commitments are the landscape. Sometimes we might get a bit lost together. That is when we need the map to help us find our way. Sometimes someone new comes along by joining the congregation, or by being elected to the board, for example. That might be a good time to pull out the map to help orient that person to the paths we’ve mapped so far.

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A Second Slice of Pi: An Online Conference for Smaller Congregations

Remember Pi Day, March 14, 2020 (3.14) when we were going to have synchronized conferences across the country for smaller congregations? There was going to be a theme of pie for everyone and lots of connecting? And...the pandemic happened instead?

Join us online at the UU Leadership Institute (UULI) on Saturday, March 12th, 2022 from 3 to 5 pm ET for A Second Slice - an updated, pandemic safe conference for smaller congregations! What will we be doing? Easy on demand resources for small congregations, opportunities to connect with leaders of other small congregations, and a chance to share your story. Registration is open!

Reactivity to Resilience: Doing Our Inner Work in Congregations

From Reactivity to Resilience: Doing Our Inner Work in Congregations

• Part I - March 5, 2022 - 2:00 to 4:00 PM (ET)
• Part II - March 26, 2022 - 2:00 to 4:00 PM (ET)

This online webinar series focuses on the Spiritual Leadership practice of “doing our inner work.” It is rooted in an awareness of the human tendency to fight, freeze, or flee when we are activated. It rests in a belief that congregations are called to create a container in which everyone can learn, hone and use tools that bring us through activation into resilience. Fee per person is $25 or pay-what-can using our coupon codes.

Learn more and register here.

Meet & Eat Series for Religious Educators

Bring your lunch and come meet & eat with colleagues! The New England Region invites New England and Central East religious educators to a quarterly series of targeted conversations via Zoom. All sessions will be held from 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. eastern time. Each session will have some content provided and the opportunity to delve into questions and conversations with colleagues in small breakout groups.

The first in the series on February 22, 2022 will focus on Strong and Healthy Professional Boundaries. Registration is free, and required. Please use this link to register and find out more.

News 

We've launched! 



At the first gatherings of this community of practice held in January, participants got (re)oriented to the practices of Spiritual Leadership and how these practices can help us both shape culture and respond to culture change around us. 

At our March gatherings, using the experience of a congregational racial justice team as a starting off point, we will explore how the practices of Spiritual Leadership themselves can interrupt and disrupt systemic racism. 

This community is open to all — religious professionals and laity. You are welcome to join at any time. Those who join will receive invitations to each future gathering. For more information, follow these links:



• General Description of this community of practice
• Community Expectations and Covenant Practice
• Sign up form to join the community
• January 2022 gathering — Pre-work assignment
• List of past and upcoming Scheduled Gatherings

Sacred Places

In this particular stage of pandemic, we as your New England Regional Staff know some of you are looking a new at your buildings. Whether the cause is dwindling memberships; shrinking endowments; intensifying severe weather events; or escalating costs to heat, cool, ventilate and maintain buildings; more and more church leaders are wondering what to do with or about their space. 

Transitioning Older and Sacred Places is a resource newly released by Partners for Sacred Places, an organization that companions congregations needing to make hard and considered choices about how to transition physical structures to modern needs and realities. 

We strongly encourage you to take a look at this new 72-page guide - and please let us know what you learn! There’s a self-assessment tool for considering viability, a framework for decision-making, and inspiring case studies.

We leave you with Wendell Berry’s words from How to be a Poet: “There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.”

30 Days of Love 2022

Monday, January 17 - Monday, February 14

30 Days of Love is our annual celebration that runs approximately from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January through Valentine’s Day in February. It is an opportunity to collectively nurture our spirits, deepen our understanding, and take action on our values for collective liberation.



In 2022, 30 Days of Love will focus on Side With Love’s four intersectional justice priorities, with opportunities each week for communities and people of all ages to ground, grow, and act together for justice. Want to be notified when materials on online and available? Sign up to receive our text alerts!

See calendar for details.

Clergy Grants available to attend Star Island Conferences in 2022

Grants are available from the Isles of Shoals Association, Unitarian Universalist (ISAUU) for UU ministers and their families to spend a week on Star Island at a conference of their choice. The intent is to introduce UU clergy to Star Island conferences, to support personal and professional relaxation and rejuvenation, and to promote Star Island with UU clergy and their congregations.

Grants are offered to Parish Ministers, Ministers of Religious Education, and Community Ministers. The minister must be a member of the UUMA, serving/and or affiliated with a UU congregation, and a first time attendee at a Star Island conference. Grants cover room and board expenses only. Additional costs include conference registration fees and parking.

Star Island is a Unitarian Universalist and United Church of Christ Conference Center located off the coast of New Hampshire. Star Island offers a wide range of conferences for adults and families and themes include arts and music, history, yoga, and personal growth. Attendance is open to all. For information about conferences at Star Island please visit Starisland.org. 

More information and the application can be found on the ISAUU website.

The application deadline is March 10, 2022. Applications received after March 10 will be considered as long as grant money remains available.

For more information please contact: Miriam Coe

Shift in COVID-19 Prevention Strategies from the UUA

The UUA recognizes that, even after the Omicron surge subsides, dealing with the COVID-19 virus will be an ongoing challenge for congregations. We are making some shifts in our COVID-19 guidance for congregations away from specific guidance based on metrics and instead offering strategies for risk reduction. Many congregations have set metrics about when it is safe to gather in person, or online-only, based on infection rate in the community. This Omicron surge, the availability of at-home tests, and the advent of vaccinations for ages five and up have made such metrics less relevant than before. The best decision-making regarding in-person gathering will need to be made by each congregation’s leaders in their local contexts.  While the UUA will continue to suggest data you might track locally, our strategies are geared towards general best “risk reduction” practices as we move toward an endemic situation. For more details about the reasons for the UUA’s change in approach, visit our January update to COVID guidance.

Article II Study Survey

The Article II Study Commission is connecting with Unitarian Universalists throughout the Association to hear from you about what—if any—changes to Article II might lead us boldly into the future. What’s Article II? It’s the section of the UUA bylaws that serves as the home of our Principles and Sources, the UUA’s Purposes, our Inclusion clause, and Freedom of Belief Statement. 

As a living faith, we must regularly revisit the documents that guide us to be sure they match our values and commitments. You are invited to utilize new resources developed by the Study Commission to engage your community in this study and share back your reflections through the Article II Individual Survey (Google Form). Check out the new resources and scheduled opportunities to engage with the Article Study Commission in the latest communication from the Commissioners.

As you complete your congregation’s certification this month, please be reminded to also update your congregational leader information in MyUUA.org. The certification deadline is end of day, February 4th.

Thank you!

Explore the Full UUA Events Calendar for more!

Leadership Resource Library

If your congregation is discussing how to come back together in person, the Leadership Resource Library may help in that process!

List COVID-19 Resources

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We offer learning opportunities throughout the New England Region for congregational members, lay leaders, and religious professionals.

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Contact us!

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