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< Back < Latest eBlast eBlast Article < Previous Article Next Article > Calling All UUSE Moms! Calling All UUSE Moms! Calling all UUSE moms for help in developing a celebratory tribute to the diversity of moms! Do the prompts below move you? If so, please email your responses (or thoughts on being a mom) to Sam Taylor at uuseoffice@uuse.org by May 1st to contribute to our Mother's Day service on May 10th . What does being a mom mean to you? How has your identify shifted since becoming a mom? What is your favorite memory of your mom? What values do you hope to instill in your children? How do you approach motherhood? What advice would you give a mom? What do your children call you? Thank you for your responses! #eBlast -04-29

< Back < Latest eBlast eBlast Article < Previous Article Next Article > Welcoming Congregation Committee Welcoming Congregation Committee Reaffirming Our Commitment Almost 30 years ago, in order to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, genderqueer, and non-binary people felt fully welcomed, centered and embraced in our congregation, UUSE sought and received Welcoming Congregation certification from the UUA. This required a significant amount of intentional work and education. The UUA has now offered the opportunity for UUSE to reaffirm our commitment. How will we do this? We'll engage in measurable achievements including offering Welcoming Worship Services, celebrating Welcoming Days of Observance, offering Welcoming Religious Education and supporting a Welcoming Project. Watch for upcoming events. For more information, contact Desiree Holian-Borgnis at uuseoffice@uuse.org . #eBlast -04-29

< Back < Latest eBlast eBlast Article < Previous Article Next Article > Strategic Planning Task Force Strategic Planning Task Force Vision & Mission Statement Community Post-It Wall For those who have not yet had an opportunity to share their opinions on the current vision and mission statements or for those who would like to add additional comments, we look forward to your opinions. We hope to get feedback from everyone to best represent the whole congregation with the upcoming work. There are two ways to participate. 1) In person in the Sanctuary lobby and on the Garden Level, after or before services from April 26th until the end of May, you can suggest revision ideas on a Post-It or place a green dot to show satisfaction with the current wording. 2) Online at any time in the next four weeks, you can go to the following link (or the QR Code above) to post revision ideas or simply a smiling emoji 😀 to show satisfaction with the current wording. Your input is greatly appreciated! Many thanks for your thoughts, The Strategic Planning Task Force #eBlast -04-29

Social Justice is a central point of any liberal religion. Social Justice UUSE is committed to social justice in all its forms. Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance (GHIAA) UUSE fully supports GHIAA is all its endeavors. To find out more check the GHIAA website Conversation on CT’s Fiscal Roadblocks w/ Speaker Ritter April 8 A Conversation on CT's Fiscal Roadblocks with House Speaker Matt Ritter, joined by members of the Hartford Legislative Delegation A GHIAA and CT For All event to compel policy change on CT's path to passing a budget that invests in community needs. Tuesday, April 8, 6:00-7:30 pm Immanuel Congregational Church, 10 Woodland St., Hartford ASL & Spanish interpretation provided Please register here We are grateful for the collaboration between Immanuel Congregational Church, Asylum Hill Congregational Church, GHIAA, and CT for All in organizing this event

< Back < Latest eBlast eBlast Article < Previous Article Next Article > Acoustic Jam Circle Acoustic Jam Circle Tuesday, May 5th, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Napiers' Come play, sing, or listen. Acoustic jam circle at the Napiers' home in Tolland. All levels welcome for a group play-and-sing along. John Prine, John Denver, Johnny Cash, Rise Up Singing, or whatever you'd like to bring. Contact Rob Napier at uuseoffice@uuse.org for details. #eBlast -04-29

The monthly C&YM column holds a trove of interesting ideas for your kids. Director's Corner Emmy's Update For Sunday February 22nd Greetings CYM Families & Friends! I have a few things to share! First, please note a change to the CYM program schedule: Sunday, March 1st will be an All Ages Sunday service, instead of a classroom day . Classroom teachers: I will be updating the curriculum schedule to account for this. The nursery will be open as usual on this day, but all other classrooms will be closed and families are invited to attend Sunday service in its entirety together. Next, I wanted to give more information about the upcoming Nightlight Mission than many are excited about, myself included! This is an event I have previously communicated about with a “mark your calendars” date of Saturday, March 28th from 2pm-9pm. (But you do not have to stay the whole time to participate.) This event is being planned and sponsored by our sister congregation, the Unitarian Society of Hartford. It is modeled after NYC’s successful program“Midnight Run”, and USH has done their own local Nightlight Mission before. I am so grateful to be invited to engage with this activity! Beginning this coming Sunday, you will see collection bins in the Lobby for donations to the Nightlight Mission. Needed items include warm socks, gloves, boots, small fleece blankets, hand warmers, snack packs, sweaters and other good quality clothing. The three area UU congregations are collecting items over the coming weeks, and we will bring what we’ve gathered over to USH on March 28th at 2pm. At USH, all of the donation items will be sorted and organized by the group of volunteers gathered there. During this timeframe folks will also be working in the kitchen, cooking up soup, sandwiches, and coffee. Once all the work is done, we will load up into USH vans and family vehicles and caravan to an area inhabited by unhoused people in Hartford. A Hartford police officer who specializes in working with the unhoused will accompany us there. With his assistance we will distribute the goods directly to the unhoused people there. They are familiar with this process, and it is always appreciated. And that is the plan! Families can choose to participate in whatever parts they would like, and its open to all ages. If any older children or youth would like to attend but need an adult chaperone, I would be happy to bring them with me in my car. Just let me know! And now, here’s some news from the CYM Committee : General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), where participants gather to worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy decisions for the Association through a democratic process. UUSE is looking for people to attend virtually or at a satellite location. The 2026 GA will be held virtually June 14th-21st. Check out https://www.uua.org/ga for some info. Are you interested in representing UUSE at this year's General Assembly? Would you be interested in supporting a group of children of youth to attend virtually together from UUSE? Questions? Email Desiree at desiree.holian@gmail.com Stewardship : The CYM steward, Desirée Holian-Borgnis, will be holding "office hours" on Sunday March 15th and 22th from 12-12:30 in the Garden Level Lobby to collect pledges, answer questions and help in any other way. If you have questions or need to meet at a different time please reach out to Desirée at desiree.holian@gmail.com or text 203-206-3605 And now onto this coming Sunday: Here's What's Happening in CYM this Sunday, February 22nd: Children’s Chapel will *NOT* be held this Sunday Nursery : Childcare will be available in our nursery at 11 AM for children age 3 and under. Sunday Service : “The Generous Spirit” - Rev Josh explores the many ways we manifest generosity and why it matters that we continually cultivate generous spirits. Kate Kimmerle purchased this service at the 2025 Goods and Services Auction. Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek Time For All Ages : Children and youth in grades 2-12 will attend the beginning of the Sunday service in the Sanctuary on the Main Level. The first two rows on the right are reserved for children and youth to sit together, and families are welcome to join them. After the “Time For All Ages” segment of Sunday service, children and youth will be dismissed to the Garden Level to attend further programming. Spirit Play : “Jetpig Comes to Spirit Play” - Spirit Play children will go directly to their classroom at 11 AM for the day’s lesson, a story about new UU character “Jetpig”. You may have seen a crocheted pig hanging around the Garden Level, wearing a rainbow jetpack! Jetpig introduces children to the new UU values language, and a handy tool to remember them! (JETPIG stands for: J=justice, E=equity, T=transformation, P=pluralism, I=interdependence, G=generosity) Young UUs: "Signs of Welcome: Part 2" - Welcoming others is a sign of our Unitarian Universalist faith. In this session, the children hear a story based on a Hawaiian tale in which Pele, the goddess of fire, visits two families in disguise to teach a lesson of welcoming. They will also start some of their own art pieces featuring signs of welcome! Jr Youth Group : “Hoot" - O ur Junior Youth will watch a film in two parts, based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel “Hoot” - a tale about a group of middle school children trying to save a burrowing owl habitat from destruction by a developer. Junior youth are invited to wear their comfiest clothes and hunker down with popcorn and friends in the junior youth classroom this Sunday for part one of the film screening. High School Youth Group: Meets this Sunday, February 22 in the couch room after attending TFAA in the Sanctuary. Bring your imaginations and creativity for a group vision board activity! Next Affirmation Meeting: Sunday, March 8th will be a full group class in the couch room from 12:30-2. Bring a lunch! Tentative group outing scheduled for March 21st at 10am. Next OWL Teacher Team Meeting: Sunday, March 8th at 12:45 in classroom #7 ! See you Sunday! Seasonal Happenings : FEBRUARY Sun, Feb 22: Annual PFLAG "Love is Love" Roller-skate at Ron-A-Roll located at 85 S Frontage Rd, in Vernon, CT. For all ages! "Get ready for our annual LOVE IS LOVE roller skating event! This year’s theme is K-POP DEMON HUNTERS! We will be hosting an auction for everything from themed banners, standees and more! Get your tickets today at the QR Code and message us with any questions." PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) is a longstanding civil rights organization and this family and kid-friendly event is always a fun and fabulous time. See the graphic at the top of this email for the QR code for more info and to buy tickets for the event. MARCH Sun, March 8, 2026: Interfaith Film Series: Soul Co-presented with the Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding. Location: Wadsworth Antheneum Museum of Art at 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher, finally gets his big break playing jazz in New York City, only to find himself unexpectedly separated from his body and transported to the realm where souls develop before birth. There, he teams up with a reluctant soul named 22 to rediscover what it means to live a full and purposeful life. Soul offers a moving reflection on creativity, destiny, and what truly makes life worth living. Free. Museum admission not included. Registration encouraged. 1 hour, 40 minutes. Rated PG. Sat, Mar 28: Nightlight Mission in partnership with USH (Unitarian Society of Hartford): Families with children/youth meet @ 2PM to sort clothes & prepare soup, coffee and sandwiches; @8PM distribute clothing and food to the unhoused. Be on the lookout for an announcement of an upcoming zoom call with CYM for initial talks about logistics for this event. Director of Children and Youth Ministry's Monthly Column for ${month}

2a3ed795-3c3a-4180-9e04-966686a5d026 < Back to Newsletter undefined Newsletter Article < Previous Article Next Article > Sunday Services Worship Page Sunday Services Schedule May Ministry Theme: Awakening Curiosity Join us at 9 or 11 AM. The 11 AM Zoom service login and call-in information is shared through the congregational eblasts on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Summer hours starting May 24th. One service at 10 AM. Subscribe to the eblast by sending a message to uuseoffice@uuse.org or call the UUSE office at 860-646-5151. Sunday, April 26th: The Possibilities in Us. In this service, we'll explore how there is hardly ever a single answer to a question, a single solution to a problem, or a single path to take. The unknown can certainly be daunting. However, the act of embracing possibility can afford us inspiration, growth, excitement, hope, and liberation. Coordinators: Stacey Musulin and Ellen Williams Sunday Service: "This Land" UUSE's meetinghouse sits on four acres at the top of Elm Hill, on the Manchester-Vernon line, above the Hockanum River Valley. What is our collective obligation to these four acres? What is our role on this land? Note: This service will be followed by a land stewarding project. Wear work clothes if you wish to participate. Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek. Services at 9:00 and 11:00 A.M. Sunday, May 3 - Updated #eBlast -04-29 Sunday, May 10th: How to Spot A Mom. This Mother’s Day, experience a tribute to the joys and challenges of motherhood, inspired by the tongue-in-cheek children’s book “How to Spot a Mom,” and supplemented with the wisdom and whimsy of our very own UUSE moms. Coordinators: Kate Kimmerle and Sam Taylor. Sunday, May 17th: Flower Communion. All Congregational Worship. Through wonderful music and our annual flower communion, we celebrate our beloved, multigenerational community. Please bring a flower to share! And that’s not all: this morning we are also conducting a child dedication ceremony. And that’s still not all: Our 2026 Annual Meeting will begin shortly after the 11:00 service. Coordinators: Rev. Josh Pawelek. Return to one service at 10 AM Sunday, May 24th: Rooted in Solidarity. This worship service tells eight stories from our Unitarian, Universalist, and UU histories: stories about how ordinary people showed up, in very different ways and in particular contexts, to side with love and show up for justice. Coordinators: Sandy Karosi and Martha Larson. Sunday, May 31st: On Pride, Labyrinths and Cultural Humility. This morning we welcome Kamora Herrington, founder of Kamora’s Cultural Corner and the Sterling Street Sanctuary and Nature Reserve in Hartford. A one-time staff-member with True Colors, Ms. Herrington is an insightful historian, activist, consultant, mother, music lover and community-builder. She has the green light to speak about whatever is on her heart from UUSE’s free pulpit. Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek. Sunday, June 7th: Affirmation . Affirmation is our long-standing ‘coming-of-age’ program for youth. This morning we honor and celebrate five UUSE youth who have participated in the Affirmation class over the past congregational year. They will share their credo statements and we will hear from their mentors. Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek. Contact Information modified in accordance with UUSE Privacy Policies.

< Back < Latest eBlast eBlast Article < Previous Article Next Article > Sing Out Love Listening Sessions Sing Out Love Listening Sessions Last session: Wednesday evening, April 29th Are you interested in hearing (and maybe even singing) music from the UUA's new online hymnal, Sing Out Love ? Join our Music Director, Mary Bopp and Rev. Josh Pawelek for an exploration of the music in this wonderful new resource. Wednesday, April 29, 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. at the meeting house. All are welcome. #eBlast -04-29

Think green. That's what the sustainability committee does. This is their page. Sustainable Living & Climate Action UUSE is committed to ongoing efforts to save our planet through green action. We are a certified Green Sanctuary. Green Sanctuary News Green Sanctuary News By the time you see this newsletter, the 2026 legislative year in Hartford will be just about over. Yet there may still be time to ask your state representative and or senator to vote for some important environmental legislation. Find out if the SOLAR Bill HB 5340 has been passed and if the governor has signed it. If not, there may still be time, but if not, we will try again in 2027. What does the solar bill do? First, it offers clean, affordable energy that cuts pollution. It provides strong residential solar programs. It allows plug-in solar options for those who can’t put solar on their roof. It will start a program to create agrivoltaics, ways to combine solar and agriculture, benefitting both. It provides real ways to lower energy bills. These are other important state bills we hope get passed, and if not, we will continue to support next year: Environmental Rights Amendment (SJ 37) Superfund Bill (HB5156), The State’s Waste Management Bill (HB 5524) The CT League of Conservation Voters has an amazing information sheet about these and many other bills that you can read about and support: https://www.ctlcv.org/watchlist.html #MayNewsletter Go Solar! The Sustainable Living Committee is thrilled to report that UUSE has contracted with Connecticut solar provider, Savkat, to resume our popular solar program! Savkat has agreed to donate $25 to UUSE for every appointment and $1,000 for every signed solar contract. The program begins immediately, and is available to all UUSE members, family, and friends. Just tell them you were referred by UUSE! We will be hosting several informational sessions with our Savkat representative on Sunday mornings during coffee hour to answer any questions congregants may have. If you're interested in learning more about getting solar installed, you can make an appointment at this time. Already know you want to reduce your carbon footprint by installing solar? You can contact our Savkat representative, Jordan Bernstein, right away! His contact info is below. Thank you for caring about our planet! Jordan Bernstein Lead Manager 203.441.7961 Jordan@savkat.com www.savkat.com Schedule a Meeting Green Actions You Can Take Join our ecological landscaping team Help with recycling and composting Help sell "Fair Trade" coffee, tea, and chocolate after Sunday services Help with the annual organic veggie garden About the Green Sanctuary program UUSE has been a certified Green Sanctuary congregation since the spring of 2006. The Green Sanctuary program was developed and begun by the UU Ministry for Earth for UU congregations. The program at UUSE was led by the Sustainable Living Committee with approval and involvement of the policy board, staff, various committees and the full congregation. Goals and projects were developed in four different areas: worship, religious education, sustainable living and social/environmental justice. Our Action Plan for 2005 included 15 different projects, heavily focused on our response to global warming. It included implementing recommendations from an energy audit, starting our children’s organic vegetable garden program, starting recycling and composting programs, working with other state and local organizations on common goals, and much more. The congregation-wide support and success of the program led us to seek out the greenest way we could afford to implement our planned building and expansion project. Between 2007 and the spring of 2010 we were deep into the planning, fundraising for and implementation of our building project. The Growth of the Green Sanctuary Program allowed it to become a project of the UUA. And by 2011 we were encouraged to apply for Re- accreditation. Our application for Re-accreditation included various projects in the areas of worship and celebration, religious education, sustainable living, and active environmental justice efforts, such as helping to pass CT’s first environmental justice law, working with local groups to start school and other community gardens and to help low-income residents benefit from CT’s Home Energy Solutions program. We documented all the work done in the UUSE building project including energy conservation work, the geo-thermal system and eventual solar panel system, and Energy Star certification with a 98% score in 2013, as well as various ecological landscaping projects. On February 17, 2013 we received the notice we were awarded Green Sanctuary Recertification. We were encouraged to continue our efforts to become a net zero facility and continue with our outreach and advocacy work.

< Back < Latest eBlast eBlast Article < Previous Article Next Article > Take Action With UUs From Around the State Take Action With UUs From Around the State Join the Connecticut UU Justice Ministry for our final weekly Action Hour of this legislative session. Action Hours take place on Zoom and include: music and joy, time to break down the week's news, a chance to connect with partners on the frontlines, and one action we take together right then and there during our meeting to support the work of our partners. Thursday, April 30th at 7:30 PM - Part II of our Share and Learn series on Immigration Justice Work (no guest because in this special, by-request series, we share stories, strategies, and support as our congregations are deepening their immigration justice work.) RSVP here and make a difference with other UUs from across the state and our justice-seeking friends. #eBlast -04-29

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< Back < Latest eBlast eBlast Article < Previous Article Next Article > CoffeeHouse and Open Mic CoffeeHouse and Open Mic Saturday, May 2, 2026 at UUSE Come for MayFair, stay for the CoffeeHouse and Open Mic! Join us for an evening of music, poetry, stories and community. Sign-ups begin at 6:00 P.M., and performances start at 6:30 P.M. We feature 12 slots, each about 10 minutes or two songs. BYOB, BYO dinner, and BYO friends -- we'll provide the coffee! A $5 suggested donation goes directly to UUSE. CoffeeHouse is held the first Saturday of each month, October through May and is sponsored by the Music Committee. #eBlast -04-29