. Poetry ..................................................2 Stewardship Campaign.............3 From Rev. Joe...................................4 News From the Board ...............5 Children & Youth .....................6&7 Evergreen's Offerings........8 - 10 Community Opportunities .........................11&12 Broader Community ........13 - 15 UUA, Holidays and Days of Observance ................................... 16
Spring 2026 | Covers March 21st through June 20th, 2026
Easter
Newsletter
the path to membership at Evergreen
Upcoming Worship Services
The Board of Trustees will be hosting another Sunday BrUUnch to continue our visioning as a congregation on April 12th. Save the date!
Submit something for the Weekly Update, Newsletter or Sunday Announcements using this form or go to www.bit.ly/EUUFblurb
Evergreen
Join us on Sunday, April 5th for a special Easter Sunday service with Rev. Joe Rettenmaier!
Table of contents
This Spring, look forward to hearing from guest speakers CB Beal (April 26), Rev. Lynn Ungar (May 17), Mike & Marilyn Mallory (May 24), and Rev. Judith Laxer (June 21). Save the date for our annual flower communion on Sunday, Apr. 19th! Stay tuned for more details and upcoming topics as the rest of our Spring calendar takes shape!
Sunday Bruunch
If you've been coming to EUUF as a friend and would like to learn how to become a member, the path begins by attending one of our Membership classes! Our next class will be on April 19th after the service in the Mt Olympus rm. You will learn about Evergreen membership, history, our UU Principles and have your questions answered. Please contact Alonna Chatburn, our Membership Chair, if you're interested in attending. On May 17th, we'll welcome this year's new members for a new member breakfast and a brief ceremony during our Sunday service.
SPRING 2026
Campaign Ends April 12 Our annual Stewardship Campaign is now in full swing. We kicked things off on Sunday, March 8, gathering as a Fellowship to reflect on this year’s theme—Together for Tomorrow. This theme invites us to consider how we can sustain, strengthen, and uplift our community in the year ahead. It’s a call to imagine the future we want to build and to invest in it with hope and intention. Our mission asks us to welcome, inspire, and advocate, and we live that mission together. Your annual pledge is what allows our Fellowship to thrive—supporting our staff, our programs, our worship, and the shared work that makes this community a place of courage, compassion, and joy. Our Goals for the Coming Year This year, we are reaching for a 10% increase in total pledges—$14,100—to meet an overall goal of $155,100. Achieving this growth will allow us to maintain our current budget while also funding three important priorities: Hiring an audiovisual technician to enhance our worship experience Providing a 3% cost of living raise for our dedicated staff Purchasing a new desktop computer to keep our office systems secure and up to date These investments strengthen the foundation of our Fellowship and support the people and tools that help our mission flourish. Make Your Pledge Today Pledge cards and online giving information will be available on Sundays throughout the campaign and members of the Stewardship Committee: Tom Gaskin, Ray and Kathy Hendrickson, Cherie Noble, and Kirsti Dodrill, are happy to assist with any questions. If you already know your pledge for the coming year and are wanting to make your commitment from the comfort of home, you can do so online by clicking on this link. For more information about stewardship and pledging visit www.evergreenuu.org/stewardship-pledging Building Tomorrow, Together We are deeply grateful for the generosity that has carried this Fellowship forward year after year. As we move through this year’s campaign, we invite you to consider how we can continue moving into a bright and hopeful future—together for tomorrow.
Come out into my garden, Charlotte beckons with a smile, Sit on the step and close your eyes and listen, listen for a while. So many birds take respite here, chattering and singing songs for you to hear. Yes, they sing in other places too but the sweetest melodies they sing are here. Your skin is soothed with the gentle brushing of the summer breeze, You are pleasured by the flower’s perfumes and scents from blossoming trees And you smell the richness of the earth and the varied plants around you. And from deep within a healing starts, your spirit to renew. Now open your eyes and gaze around, the visions gift is sheer delight, This truly is the meaning of what we call, “The gift of sight”. All the colors of an artist’s palate, and varied shapes of pure design. And through the seasons Charlotte labors her garden canvas to refine. Each creation large and small, she nurtures with her mind and hands. She weeds and spreads the mulch and protects the vibrant, giving land. Without hesitation, the fate of slugs is death, and their relatives forever banned. Here she will put her energy and here she will take her stand. A summer visit to Charlotte’s garden is a memorable time indeed, For many of the fruits of her labors have been nurtured from a seed. Try the sweet red raspberries, or a vine ripened tomato or two. Savor the many kinds of lettuce and a snow pea as she says, “Please do”.
Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am Online via Zoom & In-Person at the Carl Gipson Center, Cascade View Room Evergreen Unitarian Universalist Fellowship P.O. Box #3262, Everett, WA 98213 www.evergreenuu.org 360-659-6621 In-Person Office Hours Sundays 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00 am - 5:00 pm MINISTER Rev. Joe Rettenmaier BOARD PRESIDENT Sage Billings boardpresident@evergreenuu.org BOARD OF TRUSTEES board@evergreenuu.org OFFICE ADMIN Alli Curtis administrator@evergreenuu.org RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR JW Wenzel redirector@evergreenuu.org
Stewardship Campaign Underway
Charlotte’s Garden and Your Five Senses by Nancy B. Miller, 2008
Members of the Board 25-26
NEWS FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Contact the Board via email at board@evergreenuu.org
Sage Billings, President Ken Rines, Vice President Ryan Weber, Secretary Marijo Duprey, Treasurer Sandie Biggerstaff, Past President Dave Speights, Member-at-large Bernard Wacher, Member-at-large Rev. Joe Rettenmaier, Ex-Officio Member
FROM REVEREND JOE
2026 Spring Quarterly Report – Message from the Board President As we move into spring, I’m grateful for the energy and dedication everyone continues to bring to our congregation’s life and work. Stewardship remains at the heart of how we care for our community—spiritually, socially, and financially. Our BrUUnch potlucks are well attended and have sparked wonderful visioning sessions. Thank you to our 2026 board secretary who is spearheading the "Home Sweet Home Planning Group"- member involvement is needed. The Board of Trustees has updated the Communication Plan to reflect how our practices have grown and changed. We have made decisions on which board member communicates the duties such as posting the minutes, adding to the newsletter the topics of the Board of Trustees meetings and replying to emails. There continues to be a need for tech support volunteers to assist with set-up and maintenance of our equipment. A helpful guide has been drafted so volunteers can feel confident and supported. Please consider volunteering as back up tech support in case there is a gap between a permanent tech person. I’m deeply thankful to everyone who has volunteered and participated throughout the year—including the youth in our RE group—whose energy and creativity keep us all inspired and informed. Important Dates at EUUF: April 12: Last day of Stewardship Campaign & Visioning BrUUnch June 14: Annual Congregational Meeting Note: The Cascade View Room is reserved by another group at 1:30 PM With gratitude, Sage Billings Board President, 2025–2026
Evergreen's Board of Trustees meets once a month for their business meetings on the second Sunday of the month. All are welcome to join at Noon in the Mt Olympus room or online via Zoom. Meeting ID: 974 1896 3137 Passcode: 297484 View past meeting minutes here.
Happy spring, beloveds, I do hope you and yours are managing to enjoy this spring’s blooming wherever you live. Even if it’s just short glances or brief stops along the sidewalk to admire a tender new shoot of some living miracle. As I write this the cherry trees are beginning to burst forth here in Seattle, and as I’ll preach this Sunday, my spirit never ceases to be lifted as the great blooming we call Spring invites us to bloom, too. I’ve been reflecting on how this spring shines on our adapted life in the Carl Gipson Center. Evergreen is once again able to bloom with renewal and discovery and learning. Our emphasis and efforts over the past two years to renew our UUA covenant as a genuine “Welcoming Congregation” will continue to be a living, blooming learning event for all of us this spring. I witness all of us blooming with new social events, new intergenerational connections, new adult religious explorations, and more face-to-face visioning sessions for our future. Our family faith development cohort continues to bloom, too, alongside those cherry trees. We have hope and faith coming down the horizon with child dedications, Bridgings, and our special Earth Day Flower Communion service shaped by the collaborative leadership of our youth. And as always, we’ll continue to honor our UU tradition of welcoming a diverse cadre of guest speakers who’ll lift their voices to many theological and religious points of view. This pluralism and freedom of the pulpit is a gift of strength and wonder in our tradition, and I hope you’ll choose to partake and enjoy. Our New Member Ceremony honoring those who have joined Evergreen since last spring will be a joyful moment of expanding our circle in mid-May. I cherish this particular ritual because I see it as a living testament to our open-hearted welcome, our enduring power of belonging in UU traditions, together in covenant. And of course, our Easter service is rising on the horizon, too, when we turn our hearts toward the teachings of love Jesus and other prophets preached to their people. To my eyes and heart, spring in our beloved Salish Sea inspires the soul with its stunningly tender beauty, its unstoppable vigorous strength, even during these very difficult times. Especially during these very difficult times. As a congregation in covenant with Love, this spring and all through the year to come we will continue to walk the path of loving kindness with one another even though so many in our world choose instead to walk paths of hate and fear. May we continue to delight in the many spiritual paths unfolding among us, paths and practices and beliefs that call us to trust and love one another so we may grow as souls centered in Love, more fully. With bloom, and hope, warmly, Rev. Joe
Lend a Hand
All children and youth need to registered to participate! Thank you!
Nurturing Spirits, Embracing
Wonder, and Growing Together
Registration
Next time you are outside, try this simple grounding exercise to practice Paying Attention: Look for 5 things you’ve never noticed on your street before. Listen for 4 distinct sounds (a distant plane, a buzzing bee, etc.). Touch 3 different textures (rough bark, soft moss, cold stone). Smell 2 scents in the air. Affirm 1 new possibility for your week ahead.
RE Families with Children and Youth
Mindfulness Moment: The "Notice Five" Walk
Down
1.
A word that opens the door to any idea.
2.
A tiny green leaf just waking up.
3.
Feeling the sun hug your skin.
5.
The smell of the air after a spring rain.
6.
Coming out of a long winter nap.
8.
Going to a new place or trying a new idea.
RE Vision: We are a compassionate, interconnected community of spiritually-rooted carbon-based life forms living our values.
A Note from the Director of Religious Exploration Spring is officially here! As the earth wakes up, our classroom is buzzing with the energy of new beginnings. This season, our overarching themes are Paying Attention, Embracing Possibility, and Awakening Curiosity. When we pay attention to the first tiny sprouts pushing through the mud, we realize that the world is constantly renewing itself. That realization opens the door to possibility: What can we grow this year? Who can we become? I invite you to slow down this week—listen for the birds, notice the changing light, and stay open to the magic of the "unknown". Luckily, our children are the perfect conduits for (Re)Awakening Curiosity, as they are CONSTANTLY sharing their curiosity with us! Warmly, JW - your Religious Exploration Coordinator
Youth Corner: Seedlings of Change
We are looking for volunteers to help facilitate our service projects and classroom activities for the spring term. If you’d like to share your time or a specific skill, please let us know!
Our Youth group is currently looking at Embracing Possibility through the lens of environmental justice. "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness." —Howard Zinn Upcoming Event: April 19th we will be holding our youth-organized Earth Day service. If you are interested in helping the youth build on their interest in Environmental Justice and developing their understanding of UU tradition and ceremony, we would love to have your join our planning meeting on April 5th. Please contact JW for more information.
Across
4.
Like the moss or the new grass.
7.
When a flower opens its petals wide.
9.
When something becomes different than it was before. befor(lcaterpillar to a butterfly).
10.
Looking forward to good things in the future.
11.
Moving from small to big, or from a seed to a flower.
12.
Feeling prepared for something new to happen.
Book Discussion Group Last Wednesday of the month 7:15 - 8:45 pm, online via Zoom April 29th - "The Women" Kristin Hannah, the story of one woman gone to the Vietnam War, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm's way to help others. With searing insight and lyric beauty, it is profoundly emotional, richly drawn with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define a generation. Alonna leads May 27th - "Here Comes the Sun" Bill McKibben, tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind - and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. McKibben shows how solar power is more than just a path out of the climate crisis: it is a chance to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. You can't hoard solar energy or hold it in reserves - it's available to all. Michelle leads Contact Michelle Valentine for more information.
WISE (Women Investigating, Supporting and Exploring) We welcome women of all ages to share fellowship, interests, ideas, life challenges and opportunities. We meet once a month, typically on 1st Tuesday afternoons in person at locations to be decided each month - out to lunch or field trips.
Four F’s --Friends, Fun, Fellowship and Fundraising all belong together at EUUF. And this is how we can enhance these attributes. Once again there will be opportunities to sign up for events, activities, items or services that will bring us together for good times with each other and for the benefit of our church budget. There will be an on-line sign-up auction beginning on Sunday, April 5. Needed are hosts or providers and those willing to spend a little for the “good of the cause” i.e. EUUF. What do you do to participate? Consider what you can offer in any of the event, activity, item or service categories (or more than one!!). Choose a Title, Date, Time, Location and Number of Participants. To be a Host / Provider or an enthusiastic and willing Supporter / Purchaser of those Four F’s, either fill out the form online here or complete and submit a paper form available from Judy at a table on a Sunday. The Host / Provider provides for the experience listed for their event. This is the “doing” part at your expense and expertise, chosen time and location, for the number of people you can accommodate. This can be any size group, casual or fancy, inside or outside, adult and/or youth. The Supporter / Purchaser selects one or more offerings, signs up, pays up and shows up as specified for the event or activity. Need a few suggestions to get started? Think how you might expand on these suggestions. Host a dinner. Lead a hike / walk / bird watching / bike ride. Host an indoor or outdoor game time (board games, murder mystery, croquet, etc.) Wash and clean a car. Provide yard weeding or care. Pet or house sitting. Jewelry or tool repair. Provide your tools or equipment (pick-up truck, power washer, pressure canner). Lesson and take home item (fabric dying, knitting, bird house building, cake decorating.) A pie / loaf of bread / batch of cookies / soup for certain number of weeks or months. Do you have access to something or someone to share or offer – meal with a local celebrity, wine tasting, tickets to an event, behind the scenes tour. Do you have a craft or talent with a product to offer – quilt, painting, deck planter box. And the details: Please submit your offering online or in person BEFORE April 5. All offerings with a specific date will close the night before three days in advance of the event. (If you have a Saturday event, then Tuesday night will be the last date accepting a sign-up.) Please make your offerings for now through August. With sufficient interest, we can do this again next church year! If you have questions, contact Judy. We all have something to offer and we all can look forward to supporting our Fellowship with Friends for Fun and Fundraising support. Let’s get together for Evergreen!
evergreen's offerings
Men's Circle 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 pm We are a group of men who gather to share with each other our authentic joys, challenges and insights, with the goals of personal growth and mutual support. We pledge to create affirmative, compassionate gatherings through heart-felt sharing, deep listening, honest communication, and confidentiality. We meet in various homes. Contact Dan Hall for more information.
Big Questions 1st & 3rd Fridays, potluck dinner at 6:00 pm, discussion at 7:30 pm, in person at the home of Judy & Desmond Smith in Snohomish, and Online Join us to discuss fundamental questions in philosophy. The questions take the Socratic form, What is??? What is justice? What is truth? What is it to be spiritual? All are welcome. Contact Desmond Smith for more information. http://bigquestionscafe.blogspot.com/.
celebrating Pride Month
What began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy. Our peaceful movement is bigger than ever. On March 28th, rise up, take to the streets, and say it loud: no thrones, no crowns, no kings. We’re not watching history happen—we’re making it. Join us on Saturday, March 28th. Snohomish County Campus Plaza, 3000 Rockefeller Ave, Everett 12:00-1:00 pm Sign making and live music 1:00-2:00 pm Rally with speakers 2:00-3:30 Sign waving along Broadway Register HERE
Vocal and instrumental music is woven into each Sunday service. ALL are welcome, including teens!
Lend a hand on sundays
Help us celebrate Pride month in June! Saturday, June 13 is Pride Fest in Marysville, and Saturday, June 20 is the Everett Pride Block Party. For the third year, we would like donations of cookies from our group, and volunteers to pass them out. We have a great time giving away cookies and developing a reputation as the church that gives away cookies! Can you help with providing cookies?
Childcare at Evergreen
Consider lending a helping hand with Coffee Hour or with a Greeter task! There are many easy ways to pitch in and it's even easier to sign-up. You can find the sign-up sheet for coffee hour near the coffee pass-through and the sheet for Greeter tasks near the welcome table on Sunday. Simply add your name to a future date. Have questions about the process? You can talk to Judy about Greeter tasks, or ask Alli about Coffee Hour tasks.
Covenant Circles
Everyone is Invited! Get your spring warmth on..… by joining a Covenant Circle as we head into the light of the vernal equinox and the beginning days of spring. Covenant Circles or small group ministry is based on three things: First, small group members are committed to each other by actively supporting and caring for one another, while fostering close friendships by developing trust and mutual respect over time. Secondly, the small group commits to the fellowship by engaging in service projects that support the fellowships as a whole. The third level of covenant is the commitment of the small group to a service project to care for those in need in our wider community and beyond the fellowship. The structure of the Covenant Circle groups offers its members the opportunity to engage in meaningful topics for discussion each month and to enhance and explore our spirituality and the meaning of life while developing close bonds with fellow UU’s. Our Covenant Circles meet monthly for 1&1/2 hours. Currently we have six active groups. If you aren’t already in a Covenant Circle, we hope you will spring forward and consider joining one and get to know fellow UU’s on a deeper level. Hoping to hear from you! We welcome Newcomers! These groups have openings: Kate Mallahan- has started a new Covenant Circle this month. They are currently with six members and are eager to welcome other new members. They meet on the first Wednesday of the month from 6-7:30pm in South Everett. Contact Kate for more info. 425-344-9838, Mallahan.kate526@gmail.com Sandie Biggerstaff- has 2 openings in her Covenant Circle. They meet at the Carl Gipson Center on the third Monday of the month at 9:30am. Contact Sandie for more info. 253-318-4894, skbigg@live.com Nancy Miller and Sarah Taylor have room for 3 new Covenant Circle members. They meet on the first Sunday of the month at the Carl Gipson Center after coffee hour at 12:00pm. Contact Nancy Miller for more info. 425-754-6138, nmiller115@aol.com or Sarah Taylor - 425-422-0084, sarah_phin@yahoo.com You may contact the leaders directly by text, email or phone. And if you need more information please contact me. Warmly, Sue Gaskin EUUF Covenant Circle Coordinator 425-220-4678 scsg103@comcast.net
Common Ground Choir If you love to sing and want to be a part of a welcoming community that enlivens music each Sunday, the choir would love to have you with us! We are now meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for rehearsal in the Mt. Rainier Room.
Music
To help all adults get involved, we are happy to provide childcare for children whose guardians are attending any Evergreen UU adult programs, covenant circles, or committee meetings held at the Carl Gipson Center. Simply reach out to JW Wenzel in advance to coordinate your childcare needs. We look forward to seeing you there!
As is our custom, we will be without our minister this summer when he will be on a contract break. This means we have openings for any of us to deliver the main message on Sundays in July and August. Marijo and Desmond will be taking requests in the coming weeks and adding your name to the calendar if you have a topic or theme in mind. Share your passion, explore your spiritual path, include interpretive dancing or special music! Worship Associates will be available to help out with any part of the service you may need. They can also help finding music to support your topic, or for any other reason. The plan is to hold our summer meetings in the Cascade View Room as attendance has been strong.
Summer Pulpit opportunities
We've had a few scammers impersonating Evergreen staff and board members. Please do not respond to suspicious emails and know that we will never ask anyone from the congregation to purchase gift cards, send money via email, or ask for a PDF of the church directory. Scammers often use emails to trick people into revealing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. Be cautious when you receive unexpected emails, especially if they ask for personal or financial information. Look out for misspellings, generic greetings, and requests for urgent action. Always verify the sender's email address and avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. By staying alert and following these simple steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to email scams. If you ever receive a suspicious email claiming to be from someone at Evergreen UU Fellowship, please report it to our office at administrator@evergreenuu.org
Have you had a chance to explore the UUA's new virtual hymnal yet? Head over to their website at www.singoutlove.org to explore the full library of hymns and take a listen. This multimedia virtual resource is shaped and guided by our call to offer: A living collection of song resources. An accessible, equitable, online platform. Grounding in our UU values. An invitation to help Unitarian Universalism live into our prophetic calling as a joyful, liberatory, and anti-oppressive faith. Because Sing Out Love is an online resource, it’s also an ever-changing one: new hymns and resources will be added every month, expanding the ways we sing our faith.
Scam alert
Sing Out Love: UUA Virtual hymnal
UUMFE’s annual Earth Day Worship Service is our most anticipated and attended event of the year. This year our featured speakers include members of our UU Ministry for Earth community as well as special guests from UU Animal Ministry. UUMFE’s 2026 Earth Day Worship Service happens on Wednesday, April 22nd at 5 pm PT on Zoom. Our service will weave music, meditation, poetry, storytelling, and theological reflection on this year’s theme, “Sentience Surrounds Us.” Click here to register. Earth Day was born in 1970, honored by the White House in 1980, and went truly global in 1990. In 2016, the United Nations chose Earth Day to sign the Paris agreement for climate action, the most significant accord in the history of the movement. Join UU Ministry for Earth and other partners to honor Earth Day and celebrate this international day of protest and praise, as we use our love for Earth and all beings to ignite our passion for protecting and preserving our planetary home, for the sake of all beings and future generations.
Are you caring for someone who is ill? If so, you are offering an incredible service—but often at a high personal price. Caring for people with major physical and/or mental illnesses is far more difficult than most people realize. Caregivers are amazingly generous people who offer physical help and emotional and cognitive support to people in need, often 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are often physically and emotionally drained, typically working alone with minimal recognition of their profoundly valuable service. The Surrogate & Caregiver Support Team at Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church knows that caregiving is an arduous task that creates needs for emotional support and good ideas about how to deliver quality care. We deeply appreciate all that caregivers do and are offering support and a free service through a Caregivers Wisdom Workshop in which they can share the valuable lessons they learn and profit from the experience of others. Richard Stuart, psychologist currently serving on the staff of Swedish/Edmonds Hospital will lead the group as a lay person rather than in his professional capacity. The CWW is not a therapy group, although participation may have a therapeutic effect. It is also not a training program, although participants my learn new skills. They will meet weekly online via Zoom with one optional in-person meeting each month. If you would like to join this group, or know someone who might benefit from it, please contact us by email to: surrogateandcaregiversupport@shorelineuu.org
eliot institute offers summer fun!
Join UUs from across the Pacific Western Region of the US for a weekend of connection, learning, worship, and inspiration for Rising Resilient in these times. We’re fully multiplatform, with an in-person gathering at UU Society of Sacramento, CA and online gathering from anywhere. We’ve got engaging programs for children and youth as well as adults. Registration for in-person attendance closes on Friday, April 01, 2026. Register here! Here’s what we’ve got cooking for workshops, all excellent ingredients for you and your people to RISE RESILIENT! (All workshops are multiplatform unless otherwise indicated.) Long Workshops: Folklore and Song for Beloved Community - Led by Rev. Christopher Watkins Lamb Creating a Pathway for Adult Faith Formation in Your Congregation - Led by Rev. Dr. Sheri Prud'homme Grief is Not the End of Us: A Radical Workshop on Resilience, Movement, and What Comes Next - Led by Starr King seminarians Ronnie Boyd, Cam McKay, Keola Whittaker, Julie Mack, and Liesi Dees (online only). Journeys of Deeper Joy: A UU Role-Playing Game - Led by Mylo Way (The long workshop is in-person only, and the same program will be offered online during regular length workshop slots.) Regular-Length Workshops: Attracting Millennial Membership: So You Want 25 to 45 year olds? - Led by Mx. Sam K Pearl of the Pacific Western Regional Staff So You Want to Organize for Trans Liberation - Led by Heather Vickery of the UU Service Committee with UU Society of Sacramento Leaders We Should All Be Abolitionists: A Short Introduction to the Congregational Study Action Issue - Led by Antoinette Scully Hollamon of the UU Women's Federation Solidarity with Immigrants: the Side with Love Solidarity Initiative - Led by Rev. Ranwa Hammamy of the UUA Organizing and Strategy Team Pacific Western Region BIPOC Caucus - Led by Rev. Kevin Mann of Oakland and DRUUMM Calif. Lessons from the Front Lines: A Panel on the Federal Occupation of LA and Portland - Moderated by Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh of the PWR staff, including Rev. Alison Miller, Dana Buhl, Rev. Joshua Berg, and Rev. Omega Burkhardt Q&A with Keynoter Sam Ames - Led by keynote speaker Sam Ames Saturday Morning In-Person Options from our Host Congregation: Breakfast for Religious Professionals - Ministers and congregational staff are welcome! Embodied Practices for Stressful Times - Led by Rev. Lucy Bunch, Minister, UU Society of Sacramento Saturday Sing Out from Sing Out Love, the New UU Hymnal - Led by Anthony Tavianini, Music Director, UU Society of Sacramento As announced previously, our keynote speaker is Sam Ames, a powerful UU leader on the front lines of our intersectional work for human rights and justice. We are so excited to gather with you next month. Explore the offerings here! Register here! Reserve your hotel room here. And sign up to be a vendor or exhibitor here.
What is better than summer camp? Summer camp with amazing programs, opportunities for spiritual growth, and the warmth of growing friendships. Eliot Institute has all that, and more!! Music, swimming, talent shows, time in your favorite rocking chair on the wide front porch of a historic lodge… all this with a view of the snow-capped Olympic mountains and the blue waters of the Hood Canal in Seabeck, Washington.. Adults can attend the program offering in the morning followed by discussion groups, while children are active and entertained in age group programming. Meet your friends and family for lunch and activities all afternoon like tie dye, workshops on all kinds of topics, or swimming in the salt water lagoon. Quiet walks on the forest trails, napping and reading...these are also on the schedule. Dinner is followed by more activities, including musical jams, sing-alongs, and a late night coffeehouse for the night owls. It’s time to make your summer plans and Eliot Institute offers three wonderful options: Exploring and Celebrating Gender Diversity, Trans Justice, and Faith with Zr. Alex Kapitan Sat, Jul 11 — Sat, Jul 18 Sherherazade’s Caravan with Will Hornyak Sat, Aug 1 — Sat, Aug 8 Creative Arts Eliot – Choose Your Workshop Sat, Aug 8 — Wed, Aug 12 Camp prices are based on the housing selected. Your one payment covers everything: comfortable housing, all meals, adult and child programs, snacks and happy hours, camp activities. Generous scholarships are available. There is currently a $50 per person discount being offered for each newcomer. Check out the Eliot Institute Webpage and the Video. Summer fun awaits! REGISTER NOW
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. While anyone can attend, congregations must certify annually to have voting delegates. In 2026, we are creating a virtual “everywhere GA” with both online and distributed in-person options that will allow UUs to participate in whichever way works best for them. This new format will reduce travel costs and environmental impacts, offer optional in-person connections, streamline production costs, and provide a more flexible schedule for participants. Following the all-online business meeting June 14-16, there are six ways to take part in the second weekend’s program and worship portion of GA this year. Choose what works best for you and your community: Joining individually online and participating in live sessions as they happen in real time. Attending a satellite site, where some select congregations have generously offered to host online GA programming. Participating in a community gathering, perhaps a single watch party or a full weekend of online GA programming, or organize your own community gathering. Attending as part of the studio audience on site at the Galt House in Louisville, KY, the location where worship and major GA moments are produced and shared with participants everywhere. Exploring learning opportunities through live and on-demand programs in the EduCenter. Combining approaches, joining some events live and watching other recordings later. Learn more and register to attend here.
March Women's History Month 29th: Palm Sunday 31st: International Transgender Day of Visibility April Arab American Heritage Month 1st: (sunset) Passover begins 5th: Easter 9th: (nightfall) Passover ends 10th: Day of Silence 12th: Easter (Orthodox) 13th: (sunset) Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) 22nd: Earth Day 26th: Lesbian Visibility Day May Asian / Pacific American Heritage Month & Jewish American Heritage Month & Mental Health Awareness Month 1st: Beltane / May Day & International Workers’ Day 10th: Mother’s Day 17th: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia 18th: Victoria Day (Canada) 21st: (sunset) Shavuot begins 23rd: (nightfall) Shavuot ends 25th: Memorial Day June Pride Month 12th: Pulse Night of Remembrance (2016) 16th: Muharram (Islamic New Year) 19th: Juneteenth 21st: Father’s Day & Summer Solstice
submission deadline for the Summer newsletter: June 14th date range: June 21st through September 20th Send your submissions to newsletter@evergreenuu.org Or submit using this form
Please check the calendar on the Evergreen website for the most current offerings, activities, events and worship services.
UUA holidays & days of observance