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!

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.

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.

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 Mental Health Cooperative was founded in 1993 with a bold mission to provide community-based care for adults with serious mental illnesses. We united three essential services — Urban Case Management, Continuous Treatment Team, and the Mobile Crisis Team — into one coordinated model focused on access, dignity, and real outcomes.”

The Kitchen's supply of containers used for take-home leftovers is depleted. Please return containers you have used to take leftover food home, or donate any extras that you don't need. Bring them on Sundays and drop off at the Kitchen.

Our January Share the Plate partner is Side with Love, the organizing strategy team of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Side With Love confronts exclusion, oppression, and violence rooted in identity. With the goal of building Beloved Community, they pursue social change through advocacy, public witness, and solidarity with those whose lives are publicly demeaned.

Through education, organizing, and collective action, Side With Love supports work for democracy, climate justice, racial and immigration justice, and LGBTQIA+ and gender justice—reminding us that these struggles are deeply connected, and that lasting change happens when we act together, grounded in love.

Side With Love has also supported our wider Tennessee UU community, including a recent grant that helped make the TUUCAN Fall Flock in Nashville possible.

We invite you to give generously today as a way of choosing, together, to Side With Love.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to the food and resources people in our community need to thrive. For nearly 50 years, we have welcomed our neighbors with radical hospitality, empowering them to live free from the daily burden of food insecurity. We prioritize innovation and remain committed to sustainability as we strive for a future where everyone is food secure, and no food is wasted.

GNUUC Women’s Group has provided requested toys, games, books, weighted blankets, etc. to the new Children and Youth ER Psychiatric unit at the Mental Health Cooperative in Nashville. 

The need for mental health services for children is urgent and growing.  Left untreated, mental health disorders can cause severe and long-lasting problems

We hope to make this an on-going service project and will inform the congregation of future opportunities. 

This October, GNUUC’s Sharing the Plate partner is Room In The Inn. The program provides safe shelter, warm meals, and fellowship for our neighbors struggling with homelessness during the coldest months of the year.

This year, we will continue to host overnight guests as part of RITI’s Winter Shelter program. Contact Nathaniel B for more information on volunteering.

White Stork is a US-based, veteran-led critical aid and last mile logistics charity that delivers medical supplies and evacuates civilians from the frontlines in Ukraine. Taking their name from the national bird of Ukraine, their mission is to give every Ukrainian the means to survive. They focus only on Ukraine, assembling and delivering high-quality individual first aid kits to soldiers and civilians. They also provide temporary housing and other forms of humanitarian aid. They do not provide any weapons or ammunition. 

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the separation of religion and government as the only way to ensure freedom of religion, including the right to believe or not believe, for all. Please donate to Americans United through Share the Plate in July, defending freedom of religion, and freedom of belief.

Please help us by bringing bottled water to church during July.  We will deliver to the Nashville Rescue Mission.  If you have a large vehicle and can help with delivery, please let us know. Please put the water bottles on the table at the back of the Fellowship hall.

On Sunday, June 15, members from FUUN joined GNUUC for Music Sunday. More than 100 people attended in person, and over 30 attended online! After the service, refreshments were shared in the Fellowship Hall. This event was a great success for both congregations, and we look forward to more co-hosted events in the future.

Click Read More to see pictures of Music Sunday.

The GNUUC Board held its monthly meeting on June 18, with members gathering via Zoom to discuss congregational matters and plan for the future.

Financial Update

Treasurer Jesse Spencer-Smith reported excellent financial news. The congregation exceeded budget projections with pledge income at 110% and plate income at 131% of budgeted amounts. The positive financial position will allow GNUUC to prepay next year's UUA Annual Fund contribution ($6,600) and add $2,000 to the building capital fund for future AC unit replacements.

Annual Meeting Reflection

Board members reflected on the recent annual meeting, acknowledging that some discussions became heated, particularly around budget matters. The board identified key learnings:

-Share the budget with congregants well before the annual meeting to allow time for questions and discussion
-Implement regular "meet your board member" opportunities during Sunday announcements
-Better prepare congregants for productive participation through resources like the "Be Prepared, Be Kind" guide to annual meetings

Contract to Call Update

Claire S. reported on the Contract to Call Task Force progress. The team is working to schedule a meeting with UUA representative Christine Purcell to clarify next steps. 

Looking Ahead

Board Retreat: Scheduled for Saturday, August 30, 9 AM - 2 PM at Jesse S-S's home.

Shared Ministry: Rev. Denise will provide updates during Shared Ministry meetings about her ministerial activities to help congregants better understand the breadth of her work.

Appreciation

The board expressed deep gratitude to outgoing members Tina and Carol for their years of dedicated service and welcomed new members Nathaniel B. and Gabby to their roles. A special congregational meeting to officially elect Gabby to the board was scheduled for August 24, following the Sunday service.

The meeting concluded with members feeling optimistic about GNUUC's financial health and committed to improving communication and processes for the congregation's continued growth.