Widening the Circle of Concern
Reading for January 16, 2022
Faith Formation Hour at 11:30-12:30

5th Chapter – Living Our Values in the World  

Come learn ways to live our UU values in the world. Congregants are encouraged to participate in small group discussions of the Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change, Widening the Circle of Concern. This report is a guiding document for UCE’s Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression work.   

For our discussion in January, you are encouraged to read the chapter on Living Our Values in the World before January 16th so you are prepared for the conversation. You do not need to have participated in previous conversations to join this one! 

These conversations will be taking place via breakout rooms in Zoom. If you hold a marginalized identity and would want an identity-based caucus space to discuss Widening the Circle of Concern, please contact Rev. Eileen Wiviott or Rev. Susan Frances so we can arrange that space.   

Here is the link to take part via Zoom on January 16th at 11:30 am: https://zoom.us/j/93634773993?pwd=TXlTMG9XODd3dEFkd2Z0aEZnWkZSUT09  

The UUA Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) was commissioned by the 2017 General Assembly to conduct an audit of the power structures within the UUA and analyze systemic racism and white supremacy culture within our movement. This report, issued in June 2020, is the result of three years of labor by the COIC, gathering painful stories and doing the difficult emotional labor of identifying the ways systemic racism exists within Unitarian Universalism. The purpose and goals of the report include, to “identify the aspects of [white supremacy] culture that must be dismantled to transform us into a faith for our times.”  

As the Board of Trustees, staff, and a few members have engaged with this report over the past year, we are clear that dismantling systemic racism within our institution is a shared responsibility and requires all of us to take part. Please join us in these vital conversations the 3rd Sunday of each month during the Faith Formation Hour through June 2022 (except April will be the 2nd Sunday).  

~ Rev. Eileen Wiviott and Rev. Susan Frances