September 18, 2026

Something for the Moment

Fall Learning Opportunities: This is the last week to sign up for classes that start next week; a few options begin in October. Here is the link to see the list of Lifelong Learning opportunities at the UUMA this fall. Join us!

Sabbatical Coming Up?: Are you taking a sabbatical sometime soon? Please fill out this short form and tell us about it, so we can support you.

Opportunities for Connecting with the Board of Trustees: Our Board and Executive Team are happy to invite New England colleagues (or those who find themselves in the area) to join them for lunch on September 29. Please RSVP here. Not in the area? Join the Board and your colleagues on October 1st for a Dialogue Session — because we need one another. 

Something for the Journey: Equality, Equity and Transparency

Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Lifelong Learning Manager

As the person responsible for all things continuing education, I have colleagues reach out to me to share when they are offering something that others might want to learn. These requests ebb and flow, and at the UUMA we worry that not everyone is aware of this option, so in this message I want to clarify the parameters we use to decide whether we are willing/able/comfortable to share your offerings with other colleagues.

If your offering is part of an organization with whom the UUMA has an affiliation or collaborative relationship, we will most often fast-track boosting it. (Examples include the UUA, UUSC, LeaderWise, Meadville, Starr King, other UU Professional Orgs, and other UU organizations with whom we often partner.)

For those of you requesting that we boost an offering you make as an individual, here are the questions we use to decide:

• Is your membership in the UUMA active?
• Are you in good standing (with the MFC and the UUA)?
• Is your offering culturally humble/sensitive and liberatory? Here is the rubric we use to support UUMA instructors as they design courses for us.
• Does what you offer fit in the four categories we are using to describe lifelong learning? (These four categories are addressing misconduct, learning new skills, keeping our call alive, and working toward liberation and transformation for all. Here’s a pretty graphic that our colleague Jami Yandle made.) and/or:
• Does your offering support the formation process of upcoming ministers?

In the bad old days, the old boys’ network made it so that it was all about who you knew and whether you were “in the insiders’ club” or knew someone who could connect you. A minimizing approach to cultural difference would have us just make sure that everyone has the same opportunities, because we are all the same. If we focus on liberation and transformation, though, we make certain that those who have had less access historically have more access now. The work of liberation is ongoing and iterative. I’m honored to work at an institution that is trying hard to live up to its commitment to justice.

If you’d like to share your ministry and offerings with other colleagues, please email me and we will discuss further. Thank you in advance for your understanding that I am not able to always do a quick turnaround on promoting your offerings. The more time you give me and other UUMA staff, the better we can boost your great work.

Onward in the work of lifelong learning!

Something for Chapters

Chapters, Chapters, Chapters

Autumn seems to be a season of chapter retreats and (re)connecting with colleagues. Please consider this a friendly reminder to stay alert for announcements from your chapter so you don’t miss wonderful opportunities for retreat, reflection, and reconnection and double check your profile for your chapter membership.

As part of his focus for the year, Barb is hoping to connect with all chapter leadership this fall. In early 2027 he will invite every chapter to engage in conversation around 3 questions: (1) what is working well in your chapter, (2) what are your chapter’s struggles, and (3) what would you like from your chapter that you’re not currently able to do?

If your chapter has new leadership (including new Good Officers) this year, please make sure to update your chapter information.

On the topic of new leadership, the UUMA Nominations Committee is always open to suggestions for members to be nominated to the UUMA board, at this time they are particularly focused on finding a Treasurer to complete the last 2 years of the current term (’27-’29), Secretary (’27-’30), and President-Designate (’27-’28). Email us or visit our website for more info.

We want to extend a special invitation to the Celebration of Life for Rev. Dr. Paul S. Johnson, who served as president of the UUMA. The Celebration of Life for Rev. Dr. Paul S. Johnson will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in the Worship Room at 48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030. A livestream of the Celebration may be accessed through the Shelter Rock Calendar. For more obituaries and death notices make sure to check out the Living Tradition Blog. 

Copyright 2026 Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA), All rights reserved. 

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