Sometimes, being part of a tiny UU community, we forget that we are also part of the larger UU community, comprised of a thousand congregations in the US and elsewhere. There’s no better opportunity to see what that means than by attending UUA’s General Assembly.

Normally GA is somewhere on site, but for the second year in a row it will be 100% virtual this year (in past years there was a virtual option). That means that you can attend this event from the comfort of your home – or maybe, if you’d like, our congregation members who are attending could get together at church to watch some of the sessions and discuss. I think that would be a joy! This year’s theme is “Circle Round for Justice, Healing, and Courage.”

Why should you attend? From my participation as one of our congregation delegates last year I can vouch for these things:

• Workshops! There’s a full workshop schedule on so many different faith-related topics, and because it’s virtual, you have access to all the ones you weren’t able to attend for a year.
• Feeling a part of a larger UU community. I promise it will get you FIRED UP! and build your faith.
• Worship. The GA worship services and featured speakers, such as the Ware Lecture and Fahs Lecture, are truly not to be missed.
• The music is unforgettable, too, even though it’s recorded for virtual GA.
• You can be a delegate. This means that you get to vote on the direction our organization is going in the years to come. There are some big decisions being made and our little congregation gets to be part of them.
• The cost to attend is normally $200, but if you’re interested in serving as a delegate, UUCC will pay for your attendance.

I can’t recommend it highly enough! Don’t think you’re not qualified to serve as a delegate. I will be there, and I’m happy to serve as one of our delegates but I’d love for two of our members to take advantage of this opportunity, and I will just be there to be with you and learn with you.

What would be required of you as a delegate? You don’t have to attend the full sessions every day; it’s all on Zoom and Zoom fatigue is a real phenomenon (plus, you have virtual access to most things you might miss). You are only required to attend the General Sessions, Wednesday evening, midday Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a total of 12 hours over the five days. But, you’ll want to soak up as much as you can. Your only requirement is that you be a member of our congregation, who is a member of the UUA. If you’re not yet a member, we are planning on having a membership ceremony in May, so if you’re ready to join us, you can be a delegate. The dates for GA this year are June 23-27.

You can find more information about GA and the programs this year at uua.org/ga. I hope you’ll join me!