Dear Members and Friends,

Every April, in preparation for our annual meeting in May, we ask members and friends to clearly communicate their intentions for sharing money with the congregation in the upcoming fiscal year (July 2026-June 2027). If you’ve been with us recently, you have (we hope!) noticed that together we are growing and doing exciting things: 

Welcoming new and returning visitors alongside familiar faces to Sunday services. 

Adding new members at a steady pace, 

In the process of calling our minister to settled ministry, gathering to assess our shared ministry and identifying areas of strength and stability.

Sharing space with a forest preschool, which provides a budgetary boost and uses our outdoor and indoor spaces more fully and for purposes aligned with our values, 

Co-hosting a statewide meeting of UUs organizing for justice work (TUUCAN).

Offering religious education for folks of all ages, like Climate Justice Workshops, UU Compass, and ever-ready Sunday volunteers to be with children of visiting families.

Enjoying social time together: Sunday potlucks, special events like our recent auction, Saturday afternoons and evenings devoted to workshops, trivia, movies, and games.

Last year, this letter invited us collectively “to stretch our imaginations and capacities to become people who build community and speak truth, for ourselves and for others.” One year later, we are experiencing sustained growth and stability; our imagination and capacity continue to fuel our justice work. Here is the question each of us and all of us together must answer this spring as we make plans for next year:

"What feels possible that didn't feel possible a year ago?"

Since GNUUC’s beginning over 30 years ago, we have relied on the sustained attention and generosity of members and friends. Once again, each of us has the opportunity to support our congregation’s health and in turn help heal the world. People these days need encouragement, and as a healthy, growing faith community, we are needed in Nashville and beyond. YOU are needed, now more than ever! 

Let’s discover what is possible for us. Individually, let’s consider what we can realistically share financially. (Please imagine stretching, but stretch within your capacity!) Together, who knows all the possibilities, but we will discover them in good company. Visit our Online Pledge Card or turn in a physical card on Sundays. The pledge drive runs through April 19, 2026.

Still yours in gratitude and generosity,

Rev. Denise Gyauch (Minister) and Jesse Spencer-Smith (Stewardship Drive Chair)

Early Voting

Early voting begins today, April 15th, and continues through Thursday, April 30th. The County Primary Election is on Tuesday, May 5th. If you missed NOAH’s School Board Candidates Forum this week, you can read about it in this article from the Nashville Banner or watch a video of the forum here.

And don’t forget the judicial candidates on the ballot!

Upcoming Events

Thursday, April 16 — Don't miss "Transformational Justice: The People's Voice in the Courts", a community judicial candidates forum at Clark Memorial United Methodist Church (6:30 pm). Register Here

Thursday, June 5, 6 PM — Join us for NOAH's 2026 Banquet — Faithful Resistance, Rooted in Justice, Rising in Hope at the Boone Convocation Center at Trevecca. Buy Your Tickets Now!

Upcoming Task Force Meetings

Affordable Housing Task Force
Monthly Meetings on the 3rd Sunday, April 19 @ 2:30 pm
Register HERE

Economic Equity, Jobs & Transportation Task Force
Monthly Meetings on the 3rd Tuesday, April 21 @ 5:30 pm
RegisterHERE

Greeters Needed! Would you like to be a Sunday morning greeter? It's an easy and fun way to contribute your time to the congregation! If you're interested, simply show up at 10:45 any Sunday and find Lisa G. — she'll review the guidelines with you and greet alongside you your first time. If we can get 7 more interested people, we can each be assigned one Sunday per month to volunteer. Questions? Contact Lisa G.

TUUCAN Representative We are actively recruiting a representative to TUUCAN — the Tennessee Unitarian Universalist Community Action Network. Meetings are held on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 10 AM via Zoom. Last month's meeting featured guest speaker Makaela Webb of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood (TAPP), who spoke about the state of reproductive rights in Tennessee and TAPP's legislative priorities during the current General Assembly session. Your only responsibility would be to attend the monthly meeting and write a brief summary for the e-blast, which will also be posted on the bulletin board.

UU the Vote: Igniting Solidarity, Reimagining Democracy On March 25, Side with Love launched UU the Vote: Igniting Solidarity, Reimagining Democracy! This initiative honors the work UUs have done over the last six years protecting democracy and combatting fascism, introduces partners from around the country, and unveils the resources, programs, and tactics we'll be focusing on in 2026. Caren S-S has generously volunteered to watch the launch recording and write up a summary to keep our congregation informed on what's ahead. If you are interested in learning more, visit UU the Vote.

NEW: Rev. Denise and UU leaders across the state have been meeting with UU the Vote staff to start planning a Solidarity Summit in Tennessee (probably in September); stay tuned for details of this opportunity to gather with our UU siblings from across the state for fellowship and training in preparation to defend democracy in our very own state!

General Assembly Banner Great news! Linda B. is working on designing a General Assembly banner for us to use this year — stay tuned for more details!

It's a busy stretch for community action! NOAH has several upcoming events you won't want to miss:

This Saturday, April 11 — Kick things off at a Voter Happy Hour at Plaza Mariachi (2:00 pm), where NOAH's Integrated Voter Engagement team will discuss what's at stake in the May 5 elections. Register Here

Sunday, April 12 — Attend the MNPS School Board Candidates Forum at Kairos Ebenezer AME Church (4:00 pm), featuring candidates for seats 2, 4, 6, and 8. Register Here

Tuesday, April 14 — Join the monthly Membership/Board Meeting at First UU Church (6:30 pm).

Thursday, April 16 — Don't miss "Transformational Justice: The People's Voice in the Courts", a community judicial candidates forum at Clark Memorial United Methodist Church (6:30 pm). Register Here

Ongoing Action — Moral Budget: NOAH is calling on Nashville to invest $30 million in the Barnes Housing Trust Fund to support affordable housing. Contact your councilmember today! Send a Message to Your Councilmember

Save the Date: NOAH's 2026 Banquet — Faithful Resistance, Rooted in Justice, Rising in Hope — is set for June 4, 2026.

Join us on Saturday, April 18, at 4 PM for Game Night! Bring your favorite board game to share.

Pizza will be provided! You are welcome to bring a side, drinks, or dessert (optional).

All ages are welcome.

Questions? Contact Ryan

Join us Saturday, April 25 from 10 AM–2 PM for our Climate Justice Workshop as we continue our work on the UU Green Sanctuary 2030 program — building toward a sustainable and just world for all.

The Four Essentials of Climate Action that guide this work are:

Mitigation — Reducing emissions from energy usage, transportation, waste, and consumption

Congregational Transformation — Working together to improve the ways we organize and collaborate

Community Resilience — Cultivating communities of care to prepare for and respond to climate disruption

Justice — Partnering with those most harmed by climate change to build thriving communities

This month we'll continue exploring Mitigation and begin diving into Congregational Transformation.

You do not need to have attended previously — everyone is welcome!

Lunch will be provided. To help us plan, sign up at Sunday lunch, or email Kristin at kristin.reveal@gnuuc.org with any dietary restrictions. Or simply show up on Saturday!

To learn more about the Green Sanctuary Program, visit: https://www.uua.org/environment/green-sanctuary

AI for Good (good for you, good for the congregation, good for the community). You can use AI right now, and we'll show you how.

More importantly, we'll show you how to use AI to make a real difference in this congregation, and in the community.

Bring a laptop if you have one, or your phone.

No technical background needed--EVERYONE WELCOME.

Date: April 26

Time: 12:45-1:45 Workshop, 1:45-2:45 Work Session.

Facilitator: Jesse S-S.

Greater Nashville UU Congregation has a booth at the Bellevue Picnic on May 16th. We need volunteers to sign-up to staff our booth! Ryan D. is donating some great swag to hand out as well. Thank you, Ryan!

Booth Details

Exhibit hours are 11 AM - 6 PM. We’ll need a Setup team and Shutdown team as well.

Sign up with organizer Caren S-S during lunch in April. Also, join the Slack Channel #bellevue_picnic.

Bellevue Picnic Details

Date: May 16, 2026
Hours: 11 AM - 9:30 PM
Location: 655 Colice Jean Road, Nashville, TN 37221

The Bellevue Community Picnic is an annual festival managed by the Bellevue Harpeth Chamber of Commerce. Join us for live music and engaging entertainment for the entire family, an amazing variety of food trucks, carnival rides, inflatable attractions, exhibitors, and businesses, plus an incredible fireworks display.

Since its founding, TIRRC has grown from an informal network of community leaders into one of the most diverse and effective coalitions of its kind, a model for immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast and throughout the United States. TIRRC’s vision is a stronger, more inclusive Tennessee where people of all nationalities, immigration statuses, and racial identities can belong and thrive.

Tennessee has a rapidly growing immigrant population, and while these communities bring vibrancy and value to our state, they don’t always have access to the same opportunities as their neighbors. For this reason, in 2003, immigrants, refugees, and allies came together to fight for change. Since that time, the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), a statewide immigrant- and refugee-led organization, has continued building power with and for refugees and immigrants in order to strengthen our communities, build belonging, and transform Tennessee and the South.

The Auction raised $9,469.50 for the congregation!

A BIG THANK YOU to all who planned and participated in this event.

Two seats available to Seat at "Table at Rudy's Jazz Room Downtown" with Susan M. on Saturday, April 4, at 5:30 PM for $45/seat.

One Seat is available at the Indian Cooking Class and Dinner (Oct 3, 4 - 6 PM) with the Spencer-Smiths for $55. Each seat is for an adult chef participating in the class, and family members can join the meal at no extra charge.

Contact Kristin R. for more information.

NOAH in a Nutshell

Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) is an anti-racist, inter-faith coalition of congregations, community organizations, and labor unions (around 70 member organizations). We aim to amplify the power of ordinary people so that their voices are heard in the public arena. GNUUC is a founding member of NOAH.

NOAH is a member of Gamaliel, a national network of local organizations committed to building political power by uniting people of different races and faiths.

NOAH engages ordinary people in the political and economic decisions affecting their lives, acting as a unified voice for the faith and justice community to act on its values in the public arena. NOAH does not endorse political candidates but gets them to endorse our issues agenda, and pledge to work with NOAH if they are elected.

Currently, NOAH has four task forces, selected at its most recent Issues Convention: Affordable Housing; Education; Economic Equity, Jobs, and Transportation; and Transformational Justice. Additionally, there are three working groups: the Faith Leaders Caucus, made up of clergy members, Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE), which engages with voters about the issues they care about, and, more recently, the Immigrant Rights Campaign, which has partnered with The Remix to provide Know Your Rights trainings, among other things.

Join Us at the No Kings Protest

If you are marching in the No Kings protest Saturday, March 28, from 10 am - 1 pm, and you would like to meet up with us, contact Kristin Reveal, kristin.reveal@gnuuc.org or text her at 615-400-3445 by Friday to join a group text. You are also welcome to text the day of, but it might be harder to coordinate.

Details

Saturday, March 28, 10am – 1pm CDT

592 S 1st St, Nashville, TN 37213

Bus

Note the WeGo bus from Bellevue does not run on the weekends.

For other bus routes see the WeGo website.

Parking

For parking, we would try:

Music City Center Parking, 701 Demonbreun St, Nashville, TN 37203. It is about a 20 minute walk across the pedestrian bridge.  It is $15/hour.

Metro Courthouse / Public Square Garage, 101 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville, TN 37201. It costs $5 on the weekend. It will take 22 minutes to walk, but you'll have to cross Woodland St instead of the pedestrian crossing.

Nisson Lot R, Nissan Stadium - Lot R, 400 S 1st St, LP Field, Nashville, TN 37213 (on the same side of the river) often has free parking for 2 hours when there is not a game, but it is small and we think it will quickly fill. It might be blocked off as well.

Sign up at No Kings Nashville Tennessee

NOAH and Gamaliel are hosting an Organizing Revival Bootcamp where we will dig deeper into the work we need to do to topple authoritarianism in our city, state, and country.

This Bootcamp will be on Friday, March 6th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 5:00 p.m. (An optional breakfast is available at 8:00 a.m. Lunch will be served midday, and an optional dinner will be held at 6:00 p.m.) Location is the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, 2025 Rosa Parks Blvd. Register here.  

Greater Nashville UU Congregation Presents the "Going, Going, Greek!" 2026 Auction

Join us for a Greek Bazaar with Live and Silent Auction - the social event of the year!

Auction Website

- Purchase Tickets, Donate Items, Browse Catalog at the Auction Website.

Date / Time / Location

- Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026

- Time: 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM

- 12:00 PM: Greek Taverna Lunch and the Silent Auction start.

- 1:30 PM: Live Auction starts.

- During Intermission, sign up for Set Price Events and make final Silent Auction bids.

- Location: 374 Hicks Road, Nashville, TN 37221

All are welcome!

Tickets

- Adults: $10

- Sunday Service Visitors are free.

- 18 & younger: Free

Tickets include food & live auction. Adult Tickets includes bidder #. Tickets can be purchased onsite or at the Auction Website.

This month, our Share the Plate partner is The Remix Way.

The Remix Way is a Middle Tennessee community organization rooted in justice, solidarity, and the belief that another world is not only possible — it is already taking shape among us. They describe their work as sacred: not bound to any creed, but grounded in the conviction that justice, dignity, and collective care are deeply holy realities.

Their mutual aid work meets neighbors in their most urgent moments — providing financial assistance to families facing eviction, job loss, or medical crisis, as well as care boxes filled with groceries, diapers, hygiene items, and handwritten notes of encouragement. Monthly community markets called Mercaditos create space for families to sell homemade foods and goods, keeping resources circulating within the community itself.

Beyond direct aid, The Remix Way builds power from the ground up — through Know Your Rights trainings, neighbor-to-neighbor canvassing, and teaching community members how to document and advocate against injustices they experience in local courts and government. When communities name concerns that require broader action, The Remix Way shows up — with phone banks, petitions, public comments, and protests.

And right now, through their Flip-A-County project, they are partnering with allies across Middle Tennessee to resist the spread of 287(g) agreements between ICE and local law enforcement — work that is both urgent and courageous.

As we reflect this month on the theme of Paying Attention, we are invited to support an organization that refuses to look away — one that pays close, compassionate attention to those pushed to the margins and organizes alongside them toward healing and shared power. Their mission and our UU values speak the same language.

We invite you to give generously to Share the Plate with The Remix Way.

The UUA’s General Assembly planning committee has created a totally on-line GA for 2026—and scheduling of the business and program segments will be very different. Check it out and consider being a delegate—again or for the first time! GNUUC is looking for 2 people to represent us as the business of our association is conducted. 

See the full schedule (Note: delegates should be available to participate at least in General Sessions 1-5; budget hearing optional) The congregation has funds to help cover delegates’ registration fees.

Contact Rev. Denise (revdenise@gnuuc.org) for more information or to volunteer to be a delegate. The Board will select/approve delegates.

Are you interested in becoming a member of Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Congregation (GNUUC)? 

If yes, talk to Rev. Denise. If you’re not sure, read on!

People become members of our congregation by signing our Membership Book and pledging to support the congregation with their time and resources. The privileges of membership include voting at congregational meetings and eligibility for elected or appointed service on the congregation’s Board, Finance Team, or as a GNUUC delegate to the General Assembly of the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations). 

To vote in any particular congregational meeting, a member must have signed the Membership Book at least three months prior to the meeting date and must have a recorded contribution to the congregation within the prior twelve months. (To be “recorded”, your contribution must be received with your name attached–as a check or cc contribution, or as cash in a labelled envelope.)

New Members who sign the book during the New Member Signing on February 22, 2026, will be eligible to vote at the May Annual Meeting, as long as we have a recorded contribution. Reach out to Rev. Denise about participating! 

To learn more, email Rev. Denise at revdenise@gnuuc.org.

GNUUC Members,

The members of the Contract to Call Task Force (Ryan D., Carol L., and Kristin R.) wanted to thank you for the exceptional turn out at Sunday's Congregational Meeting. We also wanted to thank each and every one of you for your engagement and honest reflections throughout this process. We truly feel like we are a more cohesive and healthy congregation now than we were several months ago. This process has strengthened us in ways that will service us well into the future.

The resolution proposed during the meeting was:

"That the Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Congregation call Reverend Denise Gyauch to be our Settled Minister, effective immediately, upon the terms and conditions outlined in the Ministerial Agreement to be signed pending an acceptable and accepted congregational call vote."

Of our 51 Voting members, we had 42 people participate in Congregational Meeting and vote via in-person vote, Zoom vote, proxy vote, and absentee vote. Of the 42 participants, 41 people voted for the resolution and 1 person voted against.

The resolution passed. Reverend Denise in turn, accepted the call and signed the Ministerial Agreement.

We also invite all members and friends to join us for a Shared Ministry meeting on Sunday, March 1 at 1 PM. Ryan D. and Rev. Denise will lead the meeting. We'll review the Suggestions for the Future document. Look for upcoming announcements!

And with that information, the work of our Contract to Call Task Force is finished. It has been our honor to serve you.

With love,

Kristin R.
Ryan D.
Carol L.

Next organized cleanup of fallen tree limbs in the memorial garden will be this Friday from 10 till noon, volunteers welcome, just bring gloves.

All Greater Nashville UU Congregation Members, please join us for a Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 1 PM.

To join online: https://tinyurl.com/gnuuczoom

In December we entered a new and meaningful phase of our community of faith, discerning whether it is time to call Rev. Denise to settled ministry with the Greater Nashville UU Congregation. We had an introductory Sunday Service, The Call We Make Together. We also held small group discussions with members of the congregation.

During the Town Hall Meeting we will discuss the Contract to Call Small Group Report that came out of the small group meetings in December.

This Town Hall will be led by the Contract to Call Task Force (Ryan Davison, Kristin Reveal, & Carol Looney).

First, we will present the Contract to Call Report. You are welcome to read the report this prior to the meeting. For a copy of the report, see your email.

After each section, we will answer any questions about that section. The sections are as follows:

Recommendation

Basis of Recommendation

How does our Mission, Covenant, and/or Vision of Ministry guide our shared ministry?

What is working well in our church community?

What do we need to work on? Where do we feel called to grow?

How do we experience our relationship with Rev. Denise in this shared ministry?

What hopes do you have for our future together?

Is there anything else you would like to share?

We will stay as long as needed to make sure everyone has their questions answered.

We have also compiled a Suggestions for Future list based on bike rack information. This list will not be discussed at the meeting, but will be discussed at the March 1, 1 PM Shared Ministries Meeting. At that meeting, various team members could take ownership to bring the info to their teams for discussion and action. See your email for a copy of the Suggestions for Future document.

We will have the Proxy Form, as well as the Ministerial Agreement available at the Town Hall as well.

Note that Rev. Denise will not attend the Town Hall meeting.

Questions? Contact Ryan D., Kristin R., Carol L. (See email for contact information)