Dear WUU Community,
Have you heard about the Tidewater Cluster Gathering coming up on March 11? If you’ve never been, let me tell you about what’s happening: Unitarian Universalists from 7 congregations, Fredericksburg to Richmond all the way down to the tip of the peninsula, are converging on the gorgeous campus of our Virginia Beach UU neighbors, the Coastal Virginia UUs, for a full day of fun, learning, worship, and community.
If that sounds good to you, please note that this Friday, March 3 is your last day to sign up!
Your registration of $30 for adults and $10 for youth (with financial support available—just ask me and I’ll get that set up for you) covers everything: childcare if you need it; breakfast, lunch, and snacks; a keynote from the inspiring Rev. Tyler Coles; and a whole range of workshops on topics ranging from social justice to spiritual practices. WUUs Leslie Fabian, Katrina Landon, Dave Wilcox, and I are all leading workshops, along with leaders from our neighbor congregations.
I guarantee that you’ll have a chance to meet and chat with lots of UU neighbors. People show up ready to connect and enjoy each other’s company. There are also dedicated spaces for BIPOC folks who would like that.
And, if you’re on the fence about whether this is for you, consider the why.
Why gather, why connect with people from congregations we’ve maybe never been to?
So many reasons:
- If you’re new to Unitarian Universalism, you’ll get a fuller sense of what this faith is all about. There’s something magic that happens when people from multiple congregations come together—the energy is high, we discover similarities and differences in how each congregation does things, and we come away with a richer sense of what it means to be a UU.
- If you’re a congregational leader, you’ll discover you are not alone! Leaders from other congregations are wrestling with similar challenges, opportunities, and uncertainties, and they’re ready and willing to help you figure it all out. Just ask Katrina Landon and Les Solomon, who have participated in the monthly cluster congregational presidents’ calls for years now.
- If you’re a history buff, remember that you’ll be re-enacting a living tradition of congregations gathering together for mutual support that goes all the way back to the 1648 Cambridge Platform that laid out how the churches of our religious ancestors would work together:
“1. By way of mutual care, in taking thought for one another’s welfare. 2. By way of consultation one with another, when we have occasion to require the judgment and counsel of other churches…” (Cambridge Platform, chapter 15).
- If you’re wondering about what’s going on with the revisions to our Seven Principles—another time-honored tradition among us—there’s a whole workshop devoted to that.
- If you haven’t yet been to the CVUU campus and want to get excited about what a contemporary congregational building can look like, this is your chance to take a look. It’s pretty stunning (as is our own campus of course!).
Just let me know if you have any questions. And remember, sign up by this Friday, March 3! Hope to see you there.
In faith,
Rev. Laura