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MUUSJA, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, equips Unitarian Universalists in Minnesota and the surrounding area to do powerful, sustainable, accountable, spiritually-rooted work — both locally and in the broader public sphere. We encourage you to subscribe to their newsletter, delivered to your inbox twice a month, and occasional stand-alone alerts with important news, events, or calls to action.  Click here and scroll down to subscribe today!

Last week, those of you in attendance voted nearly unanimously in favor of adding Lake Fellowship to a list of united congregations in support of making Minnesota's universal school meal more inclusive and equitable.

Genevieve Vavreck from MN Plant-Based Kids responded to our participation with the following message:

LFUU Members and Friends,

This Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincides with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Let that sink in for a moment . . . or two . . . or even three . . .

Are you wanting a way to acknowledge and/or act at this defining moment? Here are a few options:

UUs are gathering to stand for justice and equity this Saturday at The People's March. We'll meet at Cathedral Hill Park at 11-11:15 AM before the 11:30 AM Pre-March Rally at Saint Paul College. We'll march to the Capitol for a rally from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Arrive early for parking and dress warmly. Let’s show up for justice—everyone is welcome! More details about Saturday.

On January 14, join Lake Fellowship members, MUUSJA, and other organizations at the Minnesota Capitol for the start of the legislative session. Let’s show our elected officials that we’re paying attention to their work and are a voice for justice and equity! Meet us starting at 10 am outside the rotunda to get supplies.

The Message from the Board chair is now posted on the new LFUU Blog on our website! Other notices, such as from our Social Action committee, are also there. When Matthew, our website expert, suggested it, I said yes right away. It will give visitors to the website a good feel for what we’re about and stand for. So, Matthew added the code to make it so. Check out our LFUU Blog.

Join Rev. Dr. Andrea Johnson for a two-part webinar series on January 14 and 21, exploring Unitarian Universalist theologies of racial justice. We’ll discuss how UU theology and the liberal theological tradition can inspire our work to dismantle white supremacy culture and live out our anti-racist, anti-oppression values.

Minnesota offers “universal” Free School Meals—but those free meals are hardly universal. They exclude kids who follow a plant-based diet as well as those whose religions have very specific considerations for how meat is handled. An opt-in plant-based option (already implemented in Illinois!) would make these lunches truly available to everyone. MUUSJA and Genevieve Vavreck, a UU working with MN Plant-Based Kids, invites us to send letters of advocacy to our MN House and Senate representatives.

It’s a New Year! A time to reflect on and learn from the past year. To be grateful for what’s working in the present and let go of what’s not. To dream for the coming year and commit to actions that will help make those dreams come true.