Ministry Days 2026 Program
Click here for a full time-zone schedule.
Wednesday, June 17
Opening Worship: Milestones
During this annual worship service, we are delighted to celebrate many different milestones including formally welcoming new members, joyfully celebrating the dedication of children in our collegial community, and honoring our members who are retiring and moving into elderhood.
Music Director at Ministry Days: Before taking his current position at Director of Music and Arts at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bethesda, MD, Michael Holmes served as Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring (MD) for 20 years, where he helped to develop a highly diversified, multicultural, and integrated music program. He also promoted enriching and lasting collaborations among musicians in the church and in that community. Now at CLUUC, he has expanded to his ministry toward a much wider dimension, through all of the arts, in an effort to connect the Cedar Lane congregation to its wider community. Read more about Michael here.
Collegial Breakouts
We will have two structured opportunities for collegial connection in our Virtual Ministry Days. If you have an idea of a conversation you’d like to have (about a skill or a practice of ministry in these times, for example) or a group you’d like to connect with (such as chaplains, spiritual directors, Assistant and Associate ministers, etc.) please reach out to Michelle Favreault.
Conversation with UUA President, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt and Executive Officers of the UUA
Please join us for our annual conversation with the UUA President, the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt and Executive Officers of the UUA: Carey McDonald, Executive Vice President; Rev. Ashley Horan, VP for Programs and Ministries; David Valentine, VP for Finance and Investments; and Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, VP for Communications and Development.
Thursday, June 18
A Celebration of 25 and 50 Years in Ministry
Please join us for a special gathering to honor our colleagues who are marking 25 and 50 year ordination anniversaries this year. We look forward to celebrating our colleagues and sharing some of their wisdom and inspiration with you.
Celebration of Ministry Service
Our annual Celebration of Ministry service is a time to celebrate this vocation we share and to celebrate you, our members, who keep saying yes to this calling. Our service will be led by Rev. Shana Lynngood with Michael Holmes, Music Director.
Reverend Shana Lynngood (she/her) grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and is a lifelong UU. Powerful youth group experiences and summer time spent on Star Island led her to ministry. She has served congregations in Madison, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., and since 2010 the Unitarian Universalist Community of Victoria, BC, Canada. Shana and her wife, Melora, share a co-ministry and life with their two children—20 and 13. When not working or soaking up the amazing natural beauty of Victoria, Shana enjoys poetry, music, art, travel and deep connections with family and friends.
Friday, June 19
Caucus Spaces
We will have Caucus Spaces available both for our virtual attendees and for those who join the UUMA at GA day at the GA Studio Site in Louisville. For our virtual participants, we are going to experiment with open space technology to allow colleagues with more than one marginalized identity to participate in more specific conversations. Please be sure to note in your registration if you have one or more marginalized identities (Fat, BIPOC, Disabled, Trans/Non-binary) and we will follow up with more information. Folks in Louisville, we will also coordinate with you directly depending on how many folks register for the in-person event, please stay tuned. Questions? Reach out to Julica Hermann de la Fuente.
Conference at Berry Street: Ministry in the Hot Holy Mess
This year’s Berry Street Essay will be delivered by Rev. Sara LaWall. The Berry Street Essay is at the end of Ministry Days and is open to the public.
Program subject to change.