NAUA Announcements & Events

North American Unitarian Association
naunitarians.org

The NAUA Compass Newsletter

Mid-March 2025 Announcements & Events

North American Unitarian Association is a member service organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the practice of liberal religion by embracing freedom, reason, and tolerance—rooted in our commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of every person and all peoples.

Welcome Spring

March is the month of renewal, as we welcome spring and a host of religious celebrations. We honor multiple religious traditions that celebrate spring rituals, including but not limited to:

March 5: Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lent)
March 13-14: Purim (Celebration of Jewish Deliverance)
March 14: Holi (Hindu Festival of Colors, Love and Spring)
March 20: Ostara (Pagan celebration of Spring Equinox)
March 21: Naw-Ruz (Baha'i New Year)
March 29-30: Islamic Eid-al-Fitr (end of Ramadan)

February-March
Liberal Beacon

The February-March issue of the Liberal Beacon has just been published, containing a number of thoughtful articles, book reviews and a letter to the editor.

To read and enjoy this issue, please click on the image at left or go to the Communications tab on our website.

March Worship Service:
"Yours, Mine and Ours: The NAUA Going Forward"
March 15th, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM PST

This month's worship service explores various perspectives ("Yours, Mine and Ours") on the future of the NAUA. Join on the 3rd Saturday of the month to take a closer look at our purpose and direction, what the NAUA is, and where we would like to see it going.

Zoom access at https://tinyurl.com/NAUAService

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Workshop: "Reflecting Our NAUA Values in Communications"
March 20th, 4:30 PM PST
7:30 PM EST

Many recent NAUA events have explored our values of Freedom, Reason and Tolerance and their meaning to each of us individually. In this workshop, we’ll explore how these values can serve as a guide to our everyday communications. How can we exercise personal freedom while also respecting the freedom of others? How can we approach people and discussions in a “reasonable” way? How can we exercise tolerance in our interpersonal communications? Do reason and tolerance have limits? We’ll discuss these and other questions in a quest to define the communication best practices that naturally emerge from our values.

This workshop will be led by three members of the newly formed NAUA Communications Committee. Board Trustee Terry Anderson has previously led an NAUA Academy session on “Color Blindness” and frequently posts videos and articles to our website and Facebook feed. Joyce Kinnear is chair of the Summit Planning Committee. Joyce also serves on the Worship Committee and has written numerous reflections for our website and Facebook feed. Joanne Krettek produces the bi-monthly “Compass" announcements email and co-chairs the Communications Committee with Terry. The Communications Committee continues to welcome new members. Please email naua-communications@googlegroups.com if you are interested in joining our team.

There will be a limit of 30 participants for this session. If there is sufficient interest or a sizable waiting list, we will repeat the workshop in the future.

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Workshop: "Communicating our Values"
March 22, 10:00 AM PST
1:00 PM EST

This is a follow-up workshop to the prior workshop on “Reflecting Our NAUA Values in Communications.” However, it is not necessary to have attended the prior workshop in order to obtain value from this one.

In this workshop we reflect on how we might explain or present our NAUA values when communicating with friends, neighbors and the general public. Why do we believe in the values of Freedom, Reason and Tolerance? How should we describe their meaning to others? Some of the suggested language may be used on our website or in future communications.

Next, we’ll discuss communications within NAUA and how we can improve as an organization. How are you currently getting news about events and happenings within NAUA? What would you like to be informed about that you currently are not? How can we communicate better overall? The feedback participants provide will be helpful as we work to improve overall communications, including about our active and valuable committee work.

If you are unable to attend the workshop but would still like to share feedback about internal or external communications, please send an email to naua-communications@googlegroups.com.

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NAUA Forum CIRCLE

March 23rd, 1:00 PM PST

The NAUA Forum CIRCLE meets every other week to discuss a selected topic relevant to current events and issues.

If you are already a member of this group, look for an email with readings and discussion questions from CIRCLE host Mark Reimers a few days before the meeting.

If you are not currently a member but interested in joining, please send an email to circles@naunitarians.org to get added to the waiting list.

NAUA Book Club
March 27th, 4:30 PM PST

The March Book Club meeting features a discussion of The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben.

If you are interested in attending, please email Ed Hudak (bookclub@naunitarians.org).

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Monthly Ministers' Support Meeting
March 27th, 10 AM PST

NAUA ministers and ministerial friends attend a regular meeting meant to foster support, collegiality, and learning.

If you are a minister and would like to explore or join this group, please email info@naunitarians.org.

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NAUA Conversation / Discussion CIRCLE
April 2nd, 4:00 PM PST

The NAUA Conversation / Discussion CIRCLE is a monthly space for connection and community building. This CIRCLE is designed for NAUA members and friends to gather, share ideas, spark meaningful conversations, and deepen connections.

Our next gathering takes place on the first Wednesday of April, from 4:00 - 5:30 PM PST / 7:00 PM EST. The NAUA Conversation / Discussion CIRCLE has no limits on participation and is open to all NAUA members and friends. Join in creating a vibrant, supportive space for dialogue and reflection. The zoom link is: https://tinyurl.com/naua-circle

For questions or to register for reminders, email us at circles@naunitarians.org. The CIRCLE will be facilitated by a member of the NAUA Board of Trustees. We hope to see you there!

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NAUA Academy:
"Role of Faith Communities in Abolishing Nuclear Weapons"

Tuesday, April 8th,
4:30 PM PST

Discussions about nuclear weapons are often framed as security, legal, political or military issues. Yet equally important are moral and ethical perspectives, and faith communities play a critical role in bringing such dimensions to discourses about nuclear weapons, which pose existential threats to humanity and our planet. In this talk, Anna Ikeda of Soka Gakkai International will discuss efforts by people of faith in advancing nuclear disarmament and abolition, both at the United Nations and grassroots levels.

Guest Speaker: Anna Ikeda is a Representative to the UN for Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and the Program Coordinator for Disarmament for the SGI Office for UN Affairs, where her work focuses on nuclear abolition and autonomy in weapons systems. She is a campaigner for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Stop Killer Robots, where SGI serves as an international member. Anna is an Executive Committee member of the Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, a cooperation circle of the United Religions Initiative. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Metta Center for Nonviolence, where she co-hosts the podcast series “Uniting Nations”, which explores the intersection of nonviolence and the UN.

International Alliance Study Course: "Mythology Then and Now: How Can It Inform Our Future?" Part IV

April 12th, 10:00 AM PST

Mythology has an important connection for Unitarians and others who practice free religions aligned with values of inclusivity, spiritual exploration and the search for universal truths. As myths often embody the mystery and wonder of life, this will be an opportunity to think of your mythical connection to archetypes and the hero/heroine’s journey. During our sessions we will explore how the commonality of myths has fostered interconnectedness and provides a foundation for our spiritual and religious traditions.

We welcome new participants to the fourth session of this five-part series, held on Zoom on the second Saturday of the month, ending in May 2025. The time is 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern Time, 6:00 PM UK Time and 7:00 PM Central European Time.

This discussion group will be hosted by Marga Hanna, MA, a retired Registered Clinical Counselor/Psychotherapist and Art Therapist, with experience as a University Professor and Trauma Specialist. She will be supported by Wayne Hanna, PhD., FCMC with cross-cultural experience in leadership development.

The Joseph Campbell lecture to watch for this session is “From Goddesses to Gods” available on YouTube. The reading is the last three chapters (6, 7, 8) in “The Heroine’s Journey" by Maureen Murdock. If you are interested in other readings, here are some suggestions:

"Goddesses in Older Women: Archetypes in Women over Fifty" by Jean Shinoda Bolen
"Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives" by Jean Shinoda Bolen
"A Life of Meaning: Relocating Your Center of Spiritual Gravity" by James Hollis
"Tracking the Gods: Studies in Jungian Psychology by Jungian Analysts" by James Hollis
"King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering Masculinity through the Lens of Archetypal Psychology" by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette

If you have not registered for this study course before, please register by clicking on the 'REGISTER NOW" button above. If you have already registered, there is no need to register again.

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