From the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee:
UUSC is committed to providing you with engaging opportunities for your congregation and its members to advance justice in the year ahead. If you are already starting to look at your congregation’s activities for August and early September, here are some helpful resources and upcoming events:
2013–2014 Calendar of Social Justice Opportunities: UUSC’s action calendar, running through July 2014, explains the how individuals and congregations can connect with UUSC’s justice work at different points in the year. We will continue to update these resources as new opportunities become available. When you begin planning for the upcoming months, please take a look at the calendar to see how your congregation can participate in UUSC’s work.
Water Communion: Does your congregation practice water communion or another water ritual in August or September? If so, this is a chance to raise awareness that access to safe, clean, affordable water for basic needs is a human right — and that many people around the world are being denied that right. During your congregation’s water ritual, consider symbolically pouring an empty vessel into the communal bowl and making a simple statement such as the following: “This container, empty of water, reminds us of all who lack access to safe and affordable water.” (See more sample statements from congregations around the country.)
If you make a place in water communion to recognize water as a human right this year, please let us know.
Guest at Your Table: Watch for a Guest at Your Table planning packet coming by mail in early September — expect exciting congregational program updates as well as a special anniversary incentive as Guest at Your Table approaches its 40th year.
And this year, we are also introducing a new online fundraising feature for participants in Guest at Your Table!
Guest at Your Table is an annual fundraising and education program that supports UUSC’s human rights work. Guest at Your Table raises awareness of human rights leaders around the world who are working closely with UUSC to advance social justice. By sharing stories about these grassroots leaders and raising money for UUSC, you can welcome these leaders to be your “guests” — in your lives, homes, and congregations.