May 2025 Update from Create Climate Justice: realizing a world where all communities thrive

For people who work on climate change, we are accustomed to thinking long-term.  When we strategize, we aren’t just addressing what’s happening right now or planning for the next election cycle. We think about what our communities will be like in ten or twenty years.  We work on plans with timelines spanning the next 25 years.  When we make changes - winning a solar campaign, creating a disaster preparedness plan, building partnerships in our communities -  we know that the impacts of our actions may not be fully realized for years or even decades to come.  

I think about the Martin Luther quote, “Even if I knew the world was to end tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today.”  Many of us are planting trees - literally and figuratively - under whose shade we will never sit.  

When it feels like everything is going the absolute wrong direction for the climate, I take comfort in the reality that we are conditioned for the long haul.  Climate advocates are made for these times.  When everything feels overwhelming - and it is pretty easy to feel like that now - we know that there is still - always - so much that we can do to work toward a better future. 

If we ground in our faith and commit our hearts to realizing a world where all communities thrive, we can weather any storm.  It’s so much easier to do these things if we’re connected to each other.  In the next two months,  we have opportunities for UUs to strategize what’s next after your Revival during our Revival Community of Practice.  You can learn about the completely revitalized Green Sanctuary process in an orientation or at the May Community Meeting.  If you’re going to GA, you can join the Revival at GA, find comfort in the Revival Meditation Space, and learn about the ways the UUA is rising to the call of climate justice.  I’ll end with one of my favorite adrienne maree brown quotes, 

“HUMBLE yourself to what is.  

ACCEPT that this is what has unfolded so far.  

NOTICE that you have your whole life to 

SHAPE what comes next.”  

In community,

Rachel

Rachel Myslivy, UUA Climate Justice Strategist

May’s Revival Community of Practice

May 14, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET

In May we’ll learn how Liesl Dees came for just one coaching call on the SAME DAY as her Revival follow up meeting and identified several ways to approach the meeting.  Bonus, the team agreed on actions to move the work forward in a way that is both transformational and manageable for their small congregation in New Mexico. Learn more & register.

Working with the New Green Sanctuary Materials

May 21, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM ET

Learn how one of our Green Sanctuary teams is working through the new Green Sanctuary materials! Released in February 2024, the new materials are designed to be more manageable, accessible, and impactful for our congregations. Join us on May 21 to learn how the materials are being used by your fellow UUs! --- Come together for shared learning and mutual supports with other UUs transforming our congregations through climate justice. Green Sanctuary community meetings take place on the third Wednesday of the month at 4PT - 5MT - 6CT - 7ET for 90 minutes. Learn more and register.

UU Climate Justice Revival at GA!

June 18-22, 2025

The UU Climate Justice Revival is coming to GA!   We’re hosting a mini-Revival on Friday, a Revival meditation space, and a deep dive into the ways the UUA is moving climate justice forward.  We’ll share more in the coming weeks, but for now, mark your calendars for:

• UU Climate Justice Revival at GA

  • Friday, June 20, 1-2:30 PM ET (Hybrid)

  • in person at Baltimore Convention Center -- Ballroom III & IV

  • virtually on Whova

• UUA Strategies to Address Climate Justice  

  • Saturday, June 21, 1-2:30 PM ET (Virtual via Whova)

• UU Climate Justice Revival Meditation Space: 

  • open Wednesday, June 18 - Sunday, June 22, 8AM-5PM ET (in person: Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor -- Stone Room)

Please note: all General Assembly programming is for registered General Assembly attendees only unless otherwise noted. Bookmark our page for detailed information and links later in June!