May NAUA Announcements & Events

North American Unitarian Association
naunitarians.org

The NAUA Compass Newsletter

May 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.

Greetings, !

A delicate fabric of bird song
Floats in the air,
The smell of wet wild earth
Is everywhere.

Red small leaves of the maple
Are clenched like a hand,
Like girls at their first communion
The pear trees stand.

Oh I must pass nothing by
Without loving it much,
The raindrop try with my lips,
The grass with my touch;

For how can I be sure
I shall see again
The world on the first of May
Shining after the rain?

- Sara Teasdale 1884-1933

NAUA Member Services Update

The Member Services Committee is attempting to develop virtual regional NAUA Groups, which hopefully will lead to in-person connections. These groups are designed to provide members with additional opportunities to interact, network, feel a sense of community, and experience a greater connection to NAUA.

BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP FOR TO BE SUCCESSFUL!

We are looking for people to who will work in pairs to organize their regional group. We will provide the Zoom link for you to set up your meeting, as well as a list of names and email addresses of people who live in your geographic area. We’ll also suggest an initial list of topics for you to discuss in your first meeting.

If you are interested in volunteering to assist in the leadership of one of these groups, or have ideas for their programming, please send a message to the Member Services Committee at memberservices@naunitarians.org.

Note: Below is a map showing NAUA member locations in continental North America. In addition, we have members in Hawaii, Europe, Australia, Brazil, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Taiwan!

2025 Summit: "Building Bridges: Unity and Diversity"
Save the Dates: September 30 - October 5

The theme for this year's Summit is Building Bridges: Unity and Diversity. If you have any suggestions for a Workshop, Panel Discussion, Ice Breakers or other activity you would like to see on the schedule or, better yet, coordinate or lead, please let us know! The Planning Committee would love to get your ideas. We will review them along with other suggestions, to see what works best for the theme and overall program. We are hoping to put together an interesting and educational Summit that fulfills your needs and wishes for NAUA.

This year will be an all-Zoom event, to make it easier for everyone all around the world to attend and interact on the same platform. Please save the dates of Tuesday, September 30 through Sunday, October 5 for our next Summit!

If you would like to help us plan the event, we'd love to hear from you. We are actively looking for another one or two members to serve on the committee after an existing member needed to resign for personal reasons. Please email us at summit@naunitarians.org to let us know of your interest in any of these areas.

Thanks, and see you at the Summit!

NAUA and the International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women

Call for ICUUW Members!

The International Alliance Committee of the NAUA has recently made contact with Ms. Tina Huesing, President of the International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women (ICUUW). We informed her that we would be interested in developing a collaborative relationship with her organization.

To move forward in developing this relationship, we would like to invite NAUA members who are also ICUUW members to join us. If you are presently a member of the ICUUW, we would like to hear from you, so that we can involve you in our ongoing discussions. Please contact Marga Hanna, (margahanna@shaw.ca), member of the NAUA's International Alliance Committee and of ICUUW.

NAUA Forum CIRCLE
May 4th and May 18th,
1 PM PDT, 4 PM EDT

Prior Reservation Required

May 4: "Can left-wing parties win elections if they control borders?"

May 18: "What’s good and bad about foreign aid? How can aid be usefully reformed?"

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 Forum 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 Conversation / Discussion CIRCLE
May 7th, 4:00 PM PDT

No Reservation Required

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 May, from 4:00 - 5:30 PM PDT / 7:00 - 8:30 PM EDT. 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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International Alliance Study Course: "Mythology Then and Now: How Can It Inform Our Future?" Part V

May 10th, 10:00 AM PDT

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 fifth and final session of this five-part series. 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 is 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.

In preparation for this final session, Marga Hanna recommends:

Watching the last video in Joseph Campbell’s lecture series: "The Shaping of our Mythic Tradition," titled “The Mystical Life."
Briefly reviewing the last four chapters of Maureen Murdock’s “The Heroine’s Journey."

Time permitting, the following books would also be worthwhile reading:

"King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetype of the Mature Masculine," Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette. Harper Collins, 1990
"When God was a Woman,” Merlin Stone. Harper Collins, 1976

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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NAUA Academy:
"A Vision for Liberal Religion" with
Dr. Matthew Shear

Tuesday, May 13th,
4:30 PM PDT

Ralph Waldo Emerson decried the Unitarianism of his day as “corpse-cold” and urged the religion to evolve with new understandings of the contemporary world. Those understandings are still with us today, but our Living Tradition asks us to continue evolving with the times. Dr. Matthew Shear will share with us a positive view of what a liberal religion for the 21st century could look like.

All Are welcome!

Guest Speaker: Dr. Matthew Shear is a 1980 graduate of the New England College of Optometry, and completed a post-graduate program from the Baltimore Academy for Behavioral Optometry in 2002. He has also trained as a peer counselor, eventually teaching the technique to others. His particular interest is in the effects of misperception on our understanding of ourselves and the world, and how that affects our behaviors. This focus eventually led him from clinical practice to becoming a religious professional. He began preaching lay-led services in 2007, and in 2018 was engaged by Channing Church in Rockland, MA as their full time preacher, where he served for two years. A former Board member of UUMUAC, he is still an occasional preacher of their 3rd Wednesday Vesper services and elsewhere.

Third Saturday Worship Service:
"Conversations with Todd"
Saturday, May 17th, 10:00 AM PDT, 1:00 PM EDT

Todd Eklof, NAUA President, will be the main speaker for May's worship service. He will discuss where we are, where we have come from, and where we might go. This will be a chance to reflect on our course and offer your thoughts to the community. In addition, with our annual Summit only a few months away, participants will be invited to share their priorities and suggestions as we plan, prepare, and move forward.

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

Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. Todd F. Eklof has been the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, WA since 2011, and president of the NAUA since 2023. Eklof has two undergraduate degrees, one in Philosophy, the other in Communications, a master’s degree in religious studies, and a Doctor of Ministry. He is also a founder of NAUA and author of The Gadfly Papers: Three Inconvenient Essays by One Pesky Minister (2019).

NAUA Board Meeting
May 14th, 10 AM PDT

If you are interested in joining or observing the board meeting, please email Stephen Polmar at secretary@naunitarians.org for the Zoom link.

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Monthly Ministers' Support Meeting
May 22nd, 10 AM PDT

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 Book Club:
"Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari
May 22, 4:30 PDT

Our May meeting features a discussion of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.

"From renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be 'human'."

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

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