So, What Now?

In this season finale episode, Rev. Peggy Clarke and Jil Novenski are joined by Rev. Jude Geiger and Br. Zachary Stevens-Walter to discuss how to breathe new life into congregations and Unitarian Universalism. They explore the stuck places that churches can find themselves in and how to get unstuck by embracing change, flexibility, and stepping outside the walls of the church building.The group dives into creating a sense of communal vitality, moving beyond an individualistic, consumerist model of church toward practices of mutual aid and sharing the joys and struggles of being human together. They examine the challenges of having courageous conversations about change, and the importance of finding new models of religious community suited for the world we want to live in, rather than replicating systems that aren't serving us well.Peggy, Jil, Jude, Zachary, and producer Starling offer practical ideas for disruptive actions both within and outside existing congregations - from starting one-on-one values conversations, to doing acts of care and support, to making literal soup to share with others as an invitation into beloved community. Throughout, they raise the call for Unitarian Universalists to get activated as a positive force for change in the rising tides of alienation, loneliness, and difficult realities we face as a society.