March 20 – Program Details

Spring Equinox Worship & Opening Celebration

9-10:30am Pacific / 10-11:30am MT / 11-12:30pm CT / 12-1:30pm ET

Featured Speakers Sachie Hopkins-Hayakawa
& Lu Aya Nephew

Sachie Hopkins-Hayakawa (she/her) grew up attending the First Unitarian Church of Portland, OR, and comes from four generations rooted in the Pacific Northwest. She is a facilitator with The Wildfire Project, and has worked with social justice groups across the US and abroad, including as an organizer with the New Economy Coalition, working to build solidarity economies and community self-determination. Sachie co-founded the Reinvest in Our Power Project, Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network and the Maypop Collective for Climate and Economic Justice. Through all of her work, Sachie is committed to nurturing resilient communities, defending our rights to land-labor-livelihood, and building people power from the ground up.

Lu Aya Nephew (he/him or they/them) is a facilitator with The Wildfire Project, where he works with frontline grassroots groups to cultivate a culture of connection that honors ourselves, protects our people and builds our power. Lu is also a co-founder of The Peace Poets, a Hip Hop and Spoken Word crew from The Bronx that has made an indelible mark on the social movements of our times by supporting the re-emergence of the art of collective singing in protest and direct action. He utilizes many creative mediums for collective healing and liberation in Africa, Asia and across the Americas. He also continues to work at the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center where he has been teaching and learning poetry since 2008 with the teenagers in his neighborhood. Lu is an artist educator, poet journalist, freedom singer, cultural worker who is humbled to be able to learn from his elders, serve his community and dedicate his life to building justice.

Master of Ceremony (MC) – Aly Tharp

Aly Tharp (she/her or they/them) is the Program Director of the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (UUMFE), manages the denomination-wide Create Climate Justice initiative, and is a member of the UUA Organizing Strategy Team. Aly lives in Austin, TX, where she is a member of the Wildflower UU Church, as well as an arts and cultural organizer, food activist, and gardener.

ORDER OF SERVICE

Prelude – “Lookout” and “Homage” by Laurel Zucker, performed by Maggie Roach

Maggie Roach (she/her or they/them) is from Birmingham, Alabama but calls the Pacific Northwest home. She is a Program Manager at a non-profit in the Seattle area that supports adults with developmental disabilities find and sustain meaningful careers. Maggie is also a classically trained flutist who studied Music Business at the University of Puget Sound.

Welcoming by Aly Tharp

Land Acknowledgement / Ancestral Invocation & Spring Equinox Ritual led by Aspen Basaldua

Aspen Basaldua (she/her or they/them) is from the Rio Grand Valley and has been a UU for four years. She has worked with Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) on many projects at UUA General Assembly. She is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hidalgo County in San Juan, TX, and enjoys building community and leading rituals.

Chalice Lighting – “Prayer for Ostara” written and spoken by Mya Wade-Harper

Mya Wade-Harper (she/her/hers) is a Black, Biracial woman who has been a UU all her life. She helped her congregation of Lexington, KY, adopt the 8th Principle, has participated in her regional assembly, and is a part of the new Young Adult Revival Network (YARN). When she is not writing, she can be found reading history, spending time with others, and dreaming of a more just world.

Performance of “More Waters Rising” (Saro Lynch) by Karishma Gottfried

Karishma Gottfried (she/her) is a nationally recognized young adult leader in Unitarian Universalism who was raised in the UU Fellowship of Corvallis, OR. She currently serves as Communications Ministry Specialist at the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor. She has previously served the UUA as General Assembly Youth Dean. Karishma currently studies Religion at Wellesley College and intends to be ordained into UU ministry.

Invitation to join the Spring for Change Virtual Choir by John Olin

A Baltimore native, choir director John Olin (he/him) returned home to the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore in September 2019. He strives to present a variety of spiritual and standard choral literature to support and encourage a diverse choral program. A team player able to handle a wide variety of requests, Olin is someone with experience in building positive relationships with church leadership, choir members, and the congregation. Mr. Olin leads by example and encourages novice and veteran singers to participate in the choir to enhance worship services. All are welcome!

Earth Day Worship Resource Invitation by Aly Tharp

Homily by Karishma Gottfried

Biodiversity Sunday Invitation by Aly Tharp

Meditation with Sahar Muhsin Laufman

Sahar Muhsin Laufman (she/her, they/them or anything said with love) is a Black, queer, immigrant, and non-binary single parent. Sahar is a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry with a Masters of Divinity & Masters in Social Change graduate. Her work has a major focus in two fields: decolonization and somatics. Sahar is passionate about igniting the hearts and lights within seekers on the path for the sake of individual, ancestral, and collective healing and transformation.

Spring Equinox Ritual with Aspen Basaldua

Movement with Sahar Muhsin Laufman

Action Showcase with Doris Marlin, CP-P, Amelia Diehl, & Allison Hess

Doris Marlin (she/her) has been a Unitarian Universalist since 1985, and is based in Washington, D.C. A member of All Souls Church Unitarian, she serves on the Board of UU Ministry for Earth, Advisory Board of UUA Green Sanctuary Program, and Advocacy Corps of Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ). Doris also coordinates the Strengthen Local Climate Commitments (SLCC) Campaign and UU Drawdown Project Cohort for UUMFE, Green Sanctuary and the Create Climate Justice Initiative. Doris holds a Masters Degree in Water Resources Management, and is a Climate Change Professional. Doris also represented Unitarian Universalists at the UN Climate Talks in 2015, 2016, and 2018, and is a passionate advocate for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Amelia Diehl (she/her) is the Network Coordinator for the UU Young Adults for Climate Justice Network (UUYACJ) and UU Ministry For Earth Communications Specialist, and has been building with the UU climate movement since 2015. Based in Ann Arbor, MI and Chicago, IL, her work is largely rooted in direct action, media and storytelling, place-based resistance and queer liberation. Her other movement homes include protesting at the United Nations climate talks as a 2017 SustainUS youth delegate, pipeline resistance with Rising Tide Chicago and divestment with Stop the Money Pipeline.

Allison Hess (she/her) serves as International Engagement Associate at the Unitarian Universalist Association. In this position she connects UU congregations across the U.S. and Canada with resources and opportunities to engage with our global faith, with the work of the United Nations, and with worldwide justice programs. She also leads the planning for the annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar hosted by the UUA Office at the UN (UU@UN).

Bringing it Home with Featured Speakers Sachie Hopkins-Hayakawa & Lu Aya Nephew

Closing

30-Minute Intermission – the room will stay open for anyone who wants to stay to mingle or watch/listen to an intermission playlist.

Whole Earth, Whole Church Congregational Convergence

11am-2pm Pacific / 12-3pm MT / 1-4pm CT / 2-5pm ET

AGENDA OUTLINE

Opening & Grounding (20 min)
Green Sanctuary 2030 Plenary Session (40 min)
Breakout – Listening Circles (40 min)
Cross Pollinating (10 min)
Visualization Exercise (20 min)
Cross Pollinating (10 min)
Closing Plenary (10 min)
Breakout – Processing & Planning (30 min)

PROGRAM FACILITATORS

Rev. Karen Brammer

Rev. Karen Brammer (she/her) has served as UU minister since 1998. She served as Congregational Life Staff in the Northeast 2005-2012, and Manager of the UUA Green Sanctuary program 2012 to present. Karen initiated the Environmental Justice Practitioners Network now co-led with Aly Tharp of UUMFE. Rev Karen participates on the UU Council of the Indigenous-led Inter Nãtional Initiative for Transformational Collaboration.

Sahar Muhsin Laufman

Suzi Novak

Suzi Novak (she/her) has served as a UUA Green Sanctuary Board member since 2015 and has been very involved in the updating of the Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice Program. In the course of her 25-year membership in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester, she has held almost every leadership role, including Board President, Membership chair and lay Director of Religious Education. A retired high school teacher, Suzi runs InterGenerate, a local non-profit that has started three community gardens and partners with the area’s Latinx community center to provide them with fresh produce grown by our volunteers.

Doris Marlin

Doris Marlin (she/her) has been a Unitarian Universalist since 1985, and is based in Washington, D.C. A member of All Souls Church Unitarian, she serves on the Board of UU Ministry for Earth, Advisory Board of UUA Green Sanctuary Program, and Advocacy Corps of Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ). Doris also coordinates the Strengthen Local Climate Commitments (SLCC) Campaign and UU Drawdown Project Cohort for UUMFE, Green Sanctuary and the Create Climate Justice Initiative. Doris also represented Unitarian Universalists at the UN Climate Talks in 2015, 2016, and 2018, and is a passionate advocate for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Aly Tharp

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