About WEAV

In the Spring of 2023, Starr King School for the Ministry launched the pilot program of our Educating to Counter Oppressions and Create Just and Sustainable Communities model for congregations and communities – WEAV.

WEAV is a curriculum designed for UU congregations seeking to build spiritual community engaged in counter-oppressive, sacred social change. Through this 10-session small group online ministry program, participants will learn a framework for how to engage in collective justice work to bridge the gap between our current reality and the ideals of the Beloved Community.

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Four Pillars

The WEAV program was designed in a small group ministry format and is grounded in four foundational pillars:

Vision

Beloved Community: Commitment to Radical Love, Reparative and Restorative Processes Including Regeneration

These four pillars bring together Starr King’s ECO model and the four quadrants of UU congregations. Moreover, as addressing harm done within UU communities calls for a restoration and reconciliation process, we also integrated a process from “Thresholds of Collective Wisdom” into the program. “Thresholds” was developed by Angeles Arrien and Patrick O’Neill, professional mediators who participated in the South African Truth and Reconciliation proceedings, to address the universal principles and skills that build and support collective wisdom. WEAV integrates the “Thresholds” process and reflections and applies them to the UU Vision.

Why WEAV Was Developed

​Created by Dr. Shannon Frediani, the program was developed in response to Starr King alumni feedback compiled from our 2021 ECO survey research, the UUA’s 2020 “Widening the Circle of Concern” report, and the recommendations of our school’s Team ECO, faculty, staff, and consultants. Data shows that harm is still being done within UU communities as those communities reckon with what it means to live into our values and to build a multicultural spiritual community. WEAV was created to address this harm and to help bridge the gap between the reality within many UU communities and our vision of a UU beloved community.

SKSM recognized the ultimate success of their mission, to equip Unitarian Universalist and other progressive religious leaders with the tools to help dismantle white supremacy culture, depends on also equipping the congregations and communities those leaders will serve.

Pilot Launch

Who Is WEAV For?

UU’s who want to build their capacity for leadership and integrity; those who want to dive deeper into what it means to be a UU and our values.

How to Sign Up?

SKSM is currently offering the WEAV training as a fall course (Sept thru early Dec) to UU lay leaders, religious educators, and ministers. One need not be a SKSM student to take the course. A Special Student designation for WEAV enrollment can be obtained. For those interested please contact SKSM admissions to enroll in WEAV as a Special Student. Based on the outcome of participation in the fall WEAV training, some people will have the opportunity to participate in the following spring WEAV Fieldwork course to have ongoing support while rolling out the WEAV curriculum in one’s own UU congregational setting

A special thank you to the Lilly Foundation and Hinckley Foundation for their generous funding of this program.