Last year, at their request, I met with Follen Responds to Racism (FRR), an anti-racism team at the Follen Community Church in Lexington, MA. We had an animated conversation. They told me about their work and the many ways they are addressing racism within and beyond their congregation. I was impressed by their strong sense of call and their dedication to their justice ministry.

When they asked how they might take the work deeper, I suggested they look at “Claiming our Spiritual Leadership,” a training the New England Region team had turned into an online learning experience through UU Institute. The course is an introduction to Spiritual Leadership and five Spiritual Leadership practices our team has identified for Unitarian Universalist congregations.

Why I suggested a course about Spiritual Leadership to an anti-racism group wasn't immediately apparent to them. Unitarian Universalist anti-racism work is more typically focused on the socio-economic impacts of systemic racism and what we can do politically to mitigate those. I wanted them to also consider practices that help liberate us from the white supremacy culture our congregations are often steeped in. The practices of Spiritual Leadership are a way to do that.

NER Congregational Board Member/Trustees Gathering

Join with your peers to share ideas, strategies, questions, concerns, and support. Our quarterly zoom gatherings is open to Current board members and people who will be on the board within the next several months. Tuesday May 3rd, 7:00-8:30pm

Registration Deadline: Friday, April 22 

Meet & Eat Series

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.

Register for the next gathering: May 10th, 2022 12pm-2pm (ET)

Admin Zoom Gathering

This is a zoom gathering for New England Region administrators, Thursday May 19, 2022, 12:00-1:30. Join your peers to share ideas, strategies, questions, concerns, and support.

Registration Deadline: Friday, May 13 or until max capacity is reached.

Sustaining Practice!

Our community of practice will reconvene In May to explore how the practice of Inner Work informs and grounds our responses to and shaping of culture change. 

Daytime offering: May 24, 1:00 PM (ET)

Evening offering: May 26, 7:00 PM (ET)

These gatherings allow congregations to learn from each other; share concerns, stories and questions; and explore opportunities for collaboration. 

If you have not already joined the community of practice, you can do so using this form. The community is open to all — religious professionals and laity. Once you join, you will automatically receive registration details and the pre-work assignment before each gathering.

To learn more, follow these links: 

• General description of this community of practice and a listing of scheduled gatherings
• Community Expectations and Covenant Practice
• the Spiritual Leadership for Culture Change Resources list, which includes links to pre-work assignments and follow up notes, if any, for each session:
• January 2022 Gathering – (Re)orientation to Practices of Spiritual Leadership in support of our response to and shaping of culture change

March 2022 Gathering – Responding to Racism through the Practices of Spiritual Leadership