April 17, 2026

Something For the Moment 

Calling All Chapter Leaders – May Call Dates: All Chapter Leaders are invited to gather for conversation, connection, and mutual support. These calls are a space to learn what is happening, share what you’re holding, learn from one another, and remain rooted in the relationships that sustain our work. Please join at the time that best fits your schedule:

• Wednesday, May 20 at 1:00–2:00 PM ET | 12:00–1:00 PM CT | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM MT | 10:00–11:00 AM PT
• Thursday, May 21 at 4:00–5:00 PM ET | 3:00–4:00 PM CT | 2:00–3:00 PM MT | 1:00–2:00 PM PT
• Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00–9:00 PM ET | 7:00–8:00 PM CT | 6:00–7:00 PM MT | 5:00–6:00 PM PT

We hope you’ll join us for whichever gathering you can. Click on the date above to register and receive the Zoom information.

’Tis the Season!  Spring is a season of gathering and celebration—chapter retreats, ordinations, installations, and more. Take a moment to explore what’s unfolding on the calendar and find your way into the mix. See something missing? Add it using our Calendar Request Form. Of course, we hope our Annual Meeting on June 2 and 4 is already on your calendar. Click here to register and receive zoom information. 

Coaching Training: Over 20 of you have committed to joining Lifelong Learning Manager, Julica Hermann de la Fuente for the 2026 Coach Training. Sessions start on April 21 and go through June 2. Learn more and register here. Only registrants will have access to the recordings. Once you have completed this training you will be eligible to apply to be a coach with the UUMA in our new coaching programs. More information about new coaching possibilities will be released soon!

Something for the Journey

Denise Cawley, Membership Administrator

As a Community Minister, I sometimes want to speak to others like me, who know what it is like to either work in a medical setting, a non-profit, an institution, or be forging our own way in entrepreneurial ministries. Often, Community Ministers have little or no professional expenses and our jobs are such that we have less vacation and retreat time. The Community Ministers Retreat (CMR) was created with all that in mind. It takes place wherever you like. The UUA and UUMA team wanted to create an event that helps Community Ministers create greater bonds among one another. 

Did you know that this retreat is not only free of cost to UUMA Community Ministers, as a benefit of membership, but you can also request funding support to help you pay for child or elder care, or meals, go to a retreat center or Pod with other community minister colleagues? It’s true! 

The first pre-session is THIS SUNDAY, the second will be on May 17. The actual retreat is the weekend of August, post-retreat session in November. You are welcome even if you cannot attend one of the Sunday evening, pre-retreat sessions. You can watch the recordings, just register so you have the links for all the sessions.

We encourage you to create the retreat you crave to give you Community Ministers some respite time. Use the Meet Up app to form pods and connect with other colleagues. You will need wifi for participating in the Zoom sessions, but beyond that the creativity for what feels like a retreat is up to you.

Having a hard time imagining it all? Watch our NurtureNook video where it is all explained. 

This retreat is for part and full-time Community Ministers in preliminary and full fellowship. If you have a dual ministry, you are welcome. Full-time parish ministers as well as aspirants and candidates have other events just for them. 

All the information is here on our webpage – and don’t forget to register!

Something for Justice

The UU Solidarity Initiative Action Alert through April 24th:

The Trump administration is trying to make it impossible for asylum-seekers to live and work in the United States. We invite you to join the national Work Permit Comment Campaign by organizing unique, public comments to stop this cruel and unjust rule from going into effect. Use our Comment Guide, Coffee & Comment Toolkit to use in your congregation, graphics, and weekly action hours to take action today. 

The UU Solidarity Initiative is a nationally coordinated effort of UU and UU-adjacent organizations to provide resources and opportunities to build strong communities of solidarity with immigrant communities who are under attack. Our core members currently are BorderLinks, Unitarian Universalist Association, UUA Side With Love, UUMA, UURISE, UUSC, UUSJ, and the UU State Action Networks. We invite you to join us!

Something Extra

DRUUMM Public Worship: 

You’re invited to a powerful, national online worship service hosted by DRUUMM (Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries) on Thursday, May 14 at 8:00 PM Eastern.

This year’s theme, “We Ride at Dawn: Showing Up, No Matter What,” calls us into courage, community, and collective presence in a time that asks much of us. Preaching by Rev. Summer Albayati of California and music by Rev. Verdis L. Robinson of Connecticut, along with members of the SWANA-Arab Caucus.

Grounded in the spiritual leadership of people of color, this service will offer music, preaching, and reflection to nourish resilience, deepen connection, and inspire action.

Free and open to all. RSVP at druumm.org/events
 

Zoom Accounts: The UUMA has a limited number of  Zoom Workplace accounts available for folks buy. Accounts are a benefit of UUMA membership. These offer many features that include document storage, calendar integration, the ability to  record and save clips (which is great for saving something you want to share with others or even showing someone else how to do something on a website or computer). Our accounts also let you transcribe  your meeting to assist with recording minutes or capturing brainstorming ideas. To purchase one visit here – we have a very limited number left. Act soon. Be sure you are signed into your UUMA member account when you visit the store.