““the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends.… It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

GNUUC's Building Beloved Community Covenant Group meets the 3rd Sunday of the month from 9:15-10:30am in the RE Building. Come join us as we kick off a new year! All are welcome.

Each monthly gathering intends to offer these 3 components:

1. Education: Reflection, deepening and sharing as individuals and a group who aim to build Beloved Community at GNUUC

2. Engagement: Planning and reflection on activities that engage our congregation in building Beloved Community through and within GNUUC.

3. Action: Invitations and ideas for outward-facing projects that advance racial justice, challenge white supremacy, and build beloved community - namely through Social Action, NOAH, and other organizations that we support and partner with

This September we will introduce the two primary sources we plan to draw from in our discussions over the course of the year with our first discussion happening at our October meeting:

* 1619 Project from the Pulitzer Foundation and NYT Magazine with essays and creative writing commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first African people who were enslaved and brought to what would become the US - there's a podcast too!

* White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Professor Robin DiAngelo - one of the most helpful resources out there as we seek to grow as white folks and beloved community, walking our values of justice, compassion, and humility into action - and a really helpful read to digest in a group.

These are an exciting pairing that will both deepen our collective understanding of the legacy of slavery and white supremacy in the US and support each of our individual growth and ability to engage in this work to build a better world!

If you know of folks at GNUUC or in the community who would like to join us in this season of Beloved Community, please share this invite!