unitarianfellowshipregina

Guest Speaker Barb Byers

Why do we need to keep our attention on feminist approaches to problems, to raise awareness about women’s history, rituals, and perspectives? Barb Byers, well known in Regina as one of the most influential women in the Saskatchewan and Canadian labour movement, shares her views on women’s issues in the context of International Women’s Day.

Presenter:  Andrew Quackenbush

In who or what do you trust?  When the trustworthy becomes untrustable, where do you turn?  Today’s presentation will explore our responses to the loss of trust.

Today we are exploring the theme of trust again with Andrew Quackenbush.  Andrew is a writer, teacher, musician, Unitarian, just to name a few of the roles he lives.  We always trust Andrew to give us a very thoughtful and thought provoking presentation.

Guest Speaker Liz James

Unitarian Universalist – what is that about?  We’ve learned about Unitarians but not so much about Universalists.  Today Liz James tells us about Universalists.

Christian universalism is a school of Christian theology focused around the doctrine of universal reconciliation – the view that all human beings will ultimately be “saved” and restored to a right relationship with God.  From its beginnings, Universalism challenged its members to reach out and embrace people whom society often marginalized. The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church included a freed slave among its charter members, and the Universalists became the first denomination to ordain women to the ministry, beginning in 1863 with Olympia Brown.

With Guest Speaker Jamie Lerat

 Jamie Lerat is a First Nations – Métis woman from the Cowessess First Nation. Lifelong learning is woven into the fabric of her life and she often reminds herself to pause and reach out to the Elders to listen to their wisdom.  Jamie believes that sharing creates respect and understanding – when asked about pieces of her culture she is honoured and humbled.   

A daughter whose mother is a residential school survivor, and whose father was incarcerated throughout his adult life, Jamie searches for the answer to the question, “how did my siblings and I manage to break the cycle of abuse and create a positive life that is not dependant on society?”

Guest Speaker:  Rev. Lara Cowtan

Rev. Cowtan originally hails from Winnipeg, but she has worked in several European Unitarian Universalist congregations as well as in the United States.  Rev. Lara says "Liberal religious people are no strangers to working for environmental justice, many of us live and act in ways that demonstrate our values of caring for land, water, animals, and plants.  Eco-spirituality looks beyond our sense of justice to connect us even more deeply with how we engage with nature on a personal and spiritual level"

Guest Speaker: Rabbi Jeremy Parnes

Rabbi Jeremy Parnes believes that antisemitism is unique among racist or hateful ac-tions. Most people can harbour hateful thoughts but we moderate our own behaviour and don't allow the thoughts to lead to hateful action. We need to go deeper to understand ourselves and each other. Listen to the stories of others.

Guest Speaker: Liz James

Like so many institutions in modern society, church is undergoing profound change. What are the possibilities? Liz was halfway through a Ministry degree when she decided to quit school and form the UU Hysterical Society, a 20,000 person UU humour group. This is her story of being open to possibility

Written by Rev Josh Pawelek, presented by Marena Charron

“Sometimes the greatest ministry we offer to each other—the way we know, hold and love each other—is through encountering
each other’s stories. And what inspires us to offer such a ministry? Curiosity. When we are curious about each
other’s stories—really, truly, genuinely curious—when we listen with open hearts and minds—we offer a humanizing
ministry, a ministry of recognition, acknowledgment, embrace. Continuous revelation is not only out there in the natural
world, in the expanding universe, or the universe of ideas. Our lives and our stories are sources of continuous revelation
as well…” The words of Rev Josh Pawelek, UU minister in Manchester, Connecticut.

 Speaker: Jamie Struthers

Jamie Struthers, lawyer, theology student and Unitarian, presents his thoughts about religious pluralism. His talk is based on a paper he recently prepared for one of his classes at the Vancouver School of Theology, at the University of British Columbia campus.

 

Guest Speaker: Joan Carolyn

As the Rev. Hilary Landau Krivchenia [UU Minister & Author with Quest for Meaning] and her UU planning team reflected, “Howard Thurman’s words are wise – and it turns out that what the world needs are precisely the same things that make us each most alive – not just excited or agitated or stimulated – but purposefully, meaningfully and deeply alive.”
Our guest speaker, Joan Carolyn, is the CUC Congregational Life Team Lead for Western Region. Together we explore what makes us, as individuals and communities, “Come Alive”. Life may and does indeed throw many things our way, from the great and wonderful to the extremely painful and challenging. How does that which motivates us, help us to celebrate and fully draw on the wonderful in our lives as well as hold us and aid us through that which raises significant obstacles?