Tag: Climate change

Saving our biosphere depends on understanding climate science and natural disasters and slowing the rise of sea temperatures

2023 Earth Day Worship Resources – Sign Up!

A Season of Sacred Activism: 2023 Spring for Change, Active for Earthcare

2023 Virtual Worship Resources
for Earth Day & Spring for Change

As part of Spring for Change: A Season of Sacred Activism this year, Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth is producing a robust and beautiful virtual worship service for viewing online on Earth Day, or using in full or in part by participating congregations this Spring.

Thank you to all who joined us for our Zoom Broadcast on Thursday, April 20th!

Our faith calls us into relationship with the sacred elements of Earth and to put power in the hands of the many and not the few. This Earth Day, Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth was delighted to offer in meditation, song, and stories to honor nature’s elements and become Active for Earthcare – a call to engage in the face of the climate crisis. Read our 2023 Earth Day Order of Service and contributor biographies here!

Still interested to watch or re-watch? Register below for personal or congregation use!

If you would like to enjoy the service again or share the worship service with your entire congregation, we are happy to offer in two formats:

  • Complete service: a video of the entire service, including all worship elements, will be available online to congregations to stream via the platform of their choice. 
  • Distinct worship elements: videos of elemental piece of the service will be available for congregations to choose from and integrate into their own liturgies. 

Timing

This service is being developed with “Earth Month” in mind, but can be used on whatever Sunday works best for your congregation’s worship calendar. Once your congregation is registered, the videos will be sent to you by our Program Director!

Cost

We are asking that congregations make a donation to UUMFE for this worship service resource, much like they would pay a guest worship leader and/or musician.

We recommend using the UU Ministers Association’s Scale of Professional Fees as a guide ($315 – small congregations; $350 – mid-sized congregations; $385 – large congregations; $500 – very generous congregations). If such a donation is beyond the abilities of your congregation, please pay what you can. We encourage larger congregations with bigger budgets to donate more.

Your donations are critical to the work of UU Ministry for Earth to sustain and nurture UU Young Adults for Climate Justice, UU BIPOC Caucus on Climate Justice, Strengthening Local Climate Commitments, and all the justice-seeking initiatives of UU Ministry for Earth.

We also ask that your congregation dedicate a Sunday offering to UU Ministry For Earth on the day you use these materials, if possible. We will provide the invitation to the offering, as well as instructions about how to give, in the worship video(s).

If you commit to making a contribution to UUMFE in either or both of these ways, you will receive follow-up communication from us about how to complete your donations. Your generous contributions allow UUMFE to continue our shared ministry to create a better world rooted in environmental and climate justice.  We appreciate your participation, and your generous support. 

We look forward to worshiping with you!

Sign Up Here

Please spell it out

Other Worship Readings & Resources

Selected Readings by Stephen Shick

The Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth wishes to extend deep gratitude to the Reverend Stephen Shick for his willingness to share the following pieces of writing as worship resources to support Spring for Change: a Season of Sacred Activism.

This resource contains seven new unpublished works, as well as twelve selected readings from Stephen Shick’s two Skinner House publications: Be the Change: Poems, Prayers and Meditations for Peacemakers and Justice Seekers and Consider the Lilies.

Download PDF

Other Resources:

Taking a “Share the Plate” Donation

Many Unitarian Universalist congregations have a practice of sharing their Sunday offering with community organizations and groups: some congregations give away their entire offering one Sunday each month; others “split the plate” every Sunday and give half of the offering to a deserving cause.

How to Share the Plate
Return to Spring for Change Home Page

“May You Survive and Thrive” Curriculum

Surviving and Thriving Together

In this time of reckoning, repair, and transition, we are committed to supporting congregations like yours with resources that cultivate deep, lasting connection to each other and your local communities and ecosystems. 

We believe this requires going beyond conventional environmental education and curriculum design.

UUMFE is excited to announce the development of “May You Survive and Thrive,” a new multi-generational, arts-based family ministry curriculum designed to cultivate and sustain ecological awareness within and between congregations and communities.

We are looking for congregations like yours to help pilot this draft curriculum! Join the Survive and Thrive Cohort, a cohort of committed congregations who will be among the first to use the curriculum with support from UUMFE and each other.

Find out more below, and Sign up here to join our next Cohort Support & Share call to learn more!

Building lasting connections between people, place, and our faith.

The overarching goals of Survive and Thrive are to:

  • Cultivate Biodiversity Sunday as an annual event on the UU church calendar,
  • Strengthen Unitarian Universalist cultural and spiritual practices of honoring the Web of Life in our congregations, local climate justice events, and at the UUA General Assembly,
  • Strengthen multi-generational relationships and connections between UU climate/environmental team members and the children and youth in their congregation and other congregations across bioregions, and
  • Strengthen Unitarian Universalist communities’ understanding, relationship, and ethic of accountability to Place and to the Rights of Nature.

The Curriculum

Developed by Rev. Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone, and Vassar College students Elliot Porcher, Oliver Mendel, James Grosjean, Grace Cazzaniga, “May You Survive and Thrive” is an accessible, experiential curriculum that facilitates creative, embodied connection to the natural world, each other, and local endangered species and habitats. Our goal is to make this available to congregations across the country to foster a felt, sustained awareness of our 7th principle–our interconnected Web of Life–in this time of climate crisis and transition.

The curriculum culminates with an Endangered Species Creative Art Project, which congregations can use in their own worship and programming, to participate in local eco-activism events, and/or to the annual Procession of the Species at General Assembly! UUMFE will facilitate support for creating the art and representing it at GA, as well as host a virtual maker-space and gallery for sharing with other congregations and teams.

Drawing from methodologies of nature-based education and community arts-organizing, “May You Survive and Thrive” uses collective learning and creativity as a vehicle for integrated, long term community building and social change.

This curriculum is perfect for congregations hoping to build an integrated, multi-generational, and multi-cultural ecological awareness. 

And sign up to join the Pilot Program below!

Survive and Thrive Pilot Program

Survive and Thrive Cohort member congregations will have access to:
  • The full draft curriculum and subsequent versions, including 5 full Lessons, field and research guides, additional resources, and Council of All Species community event script to be used in worship, at climate justice events, or in learning spaces.
  • A virtual makerspace and gallery to use and share additional resources and for congregations to offer mutual support and inspiration in making the art project and implementing other lessons.
  • Monthly “Support & Share” group calls with UUMFE staff to ask questions, give feedback, hear updates, and build relationships with other Cohort members.
  • Additional one-on-one support from UUMFE staff as needed for adapting curriculum to your community and facilitating cumulative creative project.
  • Opportunities to be featured in any UUMFE and other UU publications and communications that result from this Pilot Program.
Survive and Thrive Cohort member congregations will be expected to:
  • Designate a point person to be a liaison with UUMFE and stay connected.
  • Document and share experiences through writing and photos.
  • Participate in “Support & Share” group calls and virtual makerspace and gallery as you are able – can be anyone from your congregation, at least one call and virtual post.
  • Fill out form after facilitating to record and reflect on your experience and any feedback.
  • Make mistakes! Take chances! Get messy! And have fun 🙂 We hope you will embody these activities boldly and authentically, and we look forward to seeing all the creative ways this emerges in your congregation and local ecosystems.

Timeline

Join monthly “Support & Share” calls to receive updates, share experiences, offer feedback, and connect with other congregations.

May 21, 2023: Biodiversity Sunday! Use this curriculum, your creative project, and additional worship resources from UUMFE to celebrate and honor your local species and the whole beautiful biodiversity of our Web of Life.

June 21-25, 2023: Bring or share your creative projects in the annual UU Procession of Species at General Assembly.

Featured Survive and Thrive Creative Project

Unitarian Universalist Justice for Arizona’s (UUJAZ) project is a great example of using creativity to tell a story about migration, biodiversity, and climate justice for all. Under the leadership of Casey Clowes, 13 congregations across the Arizona decorated paper cut-outs of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo bird, which were then collected and strung together into a banner and display at GA.

View this video they created that weaves together the story of this endangered bird, the border wall, the land and water flow, and the native O’odham peoples.

What climate justice story is waiting to be uncovered and shared through your congregation?

What sources of insight, connection, and hope might emerge from reconciling the story of your congregation with the story of local species, as well as human communities, land, and water?  

The Indigenous Peoples Caucus at COP26

Have you read the Opening Statement of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus at COP26?  Photo by IISD/ENB Mike Muzurakis At the launch of COP26, Taily de Faria Marcos Terena of the Terena Indigenous Peoples of Brazil delivered the powerful Opening Statement of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus on behalf of representatives from the seven socio-cultural regions of […]

UUMFE

Spring for Change – A Season of Sacred Activism 2021

STAY TUNED FOR SPRING FOR CHANGE 2022 — Coming Soon!

WHEN: March 20th through May 23rd, 2021
THEME: Pathways to Healing & Regeneration

When you imagine pathways to personal, social and ecological healing and regeneration, what do you see? Who is with you on your journey? What transforms and gives way to new beginnings? Who and/or what are you accountable to along the way?

UU Ministry for Earth invites you to participate in Spring for Change – A Season of Sacred Activism, to explore these pressing questions on a  faith journey and sacred practice of  learning, reflection, practice, & action.

The Spring for Change program is designed for individuals, families, and entire faith communities to engage in together.

OUTREACH TOOLKIT

KEY DATES:

March 20 –  Spring Equinox Opening Celebration &
Congregational Climate Convergence:
DETAILS & FEEDBACK FORM

OPENING CELEBRATION RECORDING

March 20-May 7 – Write Here! Write Now! – Letter Writing US Congressional Advocacy Campaign – UU Ministry for Earth, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) and UUs for Just Economic Community (UUJEC) are partnering for a Write Here! Write Now! (WHWN) letter-writing advocacy campaign that will culminate in virtual meetings with US Capitol Hill staffers, the weeks of April 26-30. SEE DETAILS

March 21 – World Water Day Worship co-hosted by UU Young Adults for Climate Justice and Young Adult Revival Network Worship Team.

March 25, April 8 & 22, May 6 & 20 – Liberation on the Land Discussion Course – SEE DETAILS – Program is fully booked!

March 25 – Intergenerational Climate Dialogue – co-hosted by UUMFE, UUYACJ and Elders Climate Action

April – June –  UU Project Drawdown Initiative’s 2021 EcoChallenge – UUs are collectively lowering carbon footprints through a variety of advocacy and engagement that aligns with UU programs and strategies to Create Climate Justice AND Project Drawdown / Drawdown Review. It’s Game ON, not game over! SIGN UP for updates

April 9-11 – Intergenerational VIRTUAL Spring Seminar “All in for Climate Justice: Food Equity and Sustainability” hosted by the UU Office at the United Nations in partnership with UU Ministry for Earth

April 14 – Ancestral Waters Film Screening & Discussion with Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light, JUUstice Washington, MultiFaith Network for Climate Justice, and Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) – 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET Film Screening; 7pm PT / 10pm ET Discussion – REGISTER

April 15 – Write Here! Write Now! Expert Opinion and Issue Briefing at 11am PT / 2pm ET  – REGISTER

April 16-25 – PowerShift Network Youth Climate Convergence – REGISTER – Full cost is $35, Scholarships are available! Headliner sessions are free and open to the public. SIGN UP HERE to join the UU Young Adults for Climate Justice cohort at the convergence! 

April 18 or 25 – Earth Sunday – UUMFE is creating a full, pre-recorded Earth Sunday worship service that will be available for use in-whole or in-part by congregations. DETAILS & SIGN UP HERE

April 22-25 – Earth Day 2021 and Climate Week invitations and actions — add your Congregation’s event to be listed on this page!

April 22 – BIPOC Caucus on Climate Justice: Session 3 – 5 PT / 8 ET – REGISTER 

April 24 – President Biden Climate Summit– Unitarian Universalist Conversation – 1 PT / 4 ET – REGISTER 

April 25 – Livestream of Earth Sunday Worship on Facebook (no account required) at 3:30pm PT / 4:30 MT / 5:30 CT / 6:30 ET – FACEBOOK EVENT

May 14 – Time for Art! Painting Party with Side with Love & UUMFE – 3-5pm PT / 6-8 ET – SIGN UP 

May 22 – World Biodiversity Day

May 23 – Biodiversity Sunday – In connection to Endangered Species Day on May 21 and World Biodiversity Day on May 22, UUMFE is encouraging UU communities to observe a “Biodiversity Sunday”. UUMFE is curating resources, and seeking congregations to collaborate with directly for religious education projects and multi-generational worship creation and curation. SIGN UP

STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS & OFFERINGS!!!

Links to prior-year Spring for Change resources: 2015-2018; 2019 ; 2020

Justice on Earth Book Review

Justice on Earth is an incredible book that has me rethinking my methods of activism and is teaching me to look deeper into the injustices I am fighting for. This book acknowledges the intersections of race, class, and the environment and how we as Unitarian Universalists or people of faith in general have a duty […]

Elizabeth Fernandez