January 30, 2025

Something For the Moment 

Message for 25/50 Celebrants: We will be holding a couple of drop-in times for members ordained in 1975 or 2000 who might like to connect to ask questions, chat, or simply to meet one another and learn who else we will be honoring this year. Click the dates below to register.

• Monday, February 3 at 4:30pm ET/ 3:30 pm CT/ 2:30 MT/ 1:30 pm PT
• Friday, February 14 at 12pm ET/ 11am CT/ 10am MT/ 9am PT

Something for the Journey

Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, Trustee-At-Large: Widening the Circle

As we gather ourselves for the winding path ahead, I want to lift up a letter—a collective prayer, really—written by our DRUUMM ministers and leaders. It speaks not only to the struggles of this moment but to the unspoken truths that dwell in the shadow of our shared work.

We are called now, as we have been before, to confront a world that challenges the very soul of our faith. This letter was born from a deep reflection on the state of things—after the election, after the noise—and asks what it means to stand for justice and love when white supremacy bares its teeth, yet again, in the halls of power and in our pews.

We, as ministers, carry a profound and evolving responsibility. And yet, we are not untouched by the culture around us. The air we breathe is heavy with the fumes of American exceptionalism—insidious and corrupting—tainting even our best intentions. These poisons creep into our relationships, planting seeds of tokenism, emotional labor, and marginalization. The DRUUMM letter invites us to pull those roots and tend the soil of mutual accountability, to ask not only what harm has been done but how we can rebuild, brick by brick, a foundation of trust and care.

Reflect for a moment, and ask yourself:

• How often do I reach out to my BIPOC colleagues, not for their labor, but to connect, to truly listen?
• Are the spaces I hold truly safe and welcoming for BIPOC individuals, or do they mask deeper harm?
• When harm arises—and it will—am I ready to show up in tangible, visible, and meaningful ways?

These are not rhetorical questions. They are doorways into the work of solidarity. They are invitations to side with love—not as a passive gesture but as an active, deliberate practice.

I would love to hear the questions and reflections that emerge for you. On the UUMA Board, we are once again evolving our anti-oppression work, on the shoulders of so many who came before us. Your wisdom, your stories, your challenges—they would be deeply appreciated. Please share them with us.

This is the work we are called to do. It is not easy, and it is not without risk. But courage, after all, is not the absence of fear—it is the strength to act anyway, anchored in our values and our shared faith.

I encourage you to read DRUUMM’s full letter in UUMA News. Let it sit with you, and let its charge move you. Let us meet this moment together—with the humility to listen, the resolve to act, and the faith to know that transformation is possible.

In faith and solidarity

Something for Learning

Mentor Training: A new year reminder that the 2024 Mentor Training program is now available on the UU Institute Platform! This program is free to all UUMA members. We are sharing this with you so you can review the program, or review the sessions and resources. To access the training, go to uuinstitute.org and log-in or create a free user account. Click on “For Professionals” and scroll down to see programs in this category and click on UUA/UUMA Mentor Training 410. 

Use the coupon code UUMA-Mentor when prompted. If it’s helpful, here’s a short video clip with instructions for registering.

From the Renewal Guidelines for Ministers in Preliminary Fellowship – All active ministers in Preliminary Fellowship are required to have mentors, whom they may choose themselves from among UU ministers in full fellowship trained by the UUA and UUMA. Mentoring relationships in place as of September 1, 2023, shall be considered approved.  

• MFC Rules and Policies: here
• Information on the renewal process can be found here. 
• Renewal Guidelines for Ministers in Preliminary Fellowship: here

Something Extra

• Legal Considerations for Good Offices People Wednesday, February 12, 12-1pm ET/ 11am-12pm CT/ 10-11am MT/ 9-10am PT Our UUMA attorney, James E. Grumbach will present at this session on legal considerations for Good Offices People.  Jim will address things Good Offices people ought keep in mind followed by Q&A 
• Supporting Ministers in Need of Extended Medical Leave Friday, March 28, 2025 12-1pm ET/ 11am-12pm CT/ 10-11am MT/ 9-10am PT This collaborative training will be hosted by the UUMA and the UUA Church Staff Finances Group to help Good Offices people understand basic information about extended medical leave and long term disability.