Dear Beloveds and Friends of DRUUMM,
As DRUUMM President, I am writing to seek your support for our 2024 DRUUMM Public Worship & Fundraiser. It will be held on Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 at 8:00pm Eastern. Our guest preacher is the Reverend Ali C Bell of Cedar Lane, Maryland and musical artist Saunder Choi of Santa Monica, California. Our liturgist is the Reverend Carol Thomas Cissel. This will be a public virtual event and you can view past worships at youtube.com/@druumm and view our 2023 Order of Celebration for context.
Our DRUUMM Public Worship is an opportunity for the wider world of Unitarian Universalism to connect with DRUUMM and be in community together. The Worship is open to everyone while prioritizing space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. We particularly encourage our DRUUMM members in multiracial families and White antiracist allies to join.
We are at a sensitive moment after incredibly difficult years of pandemic and loss in our communities. Your witness and solidarity are greatly needed to help us thrive into the future. Our goal is to connect more deeply with our wider Unitarian Universalist community to share DRUUMM’s mission, highlight some of our key activities, and raise funds in support of expanding our chaplain and pastoral care work with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Unitarian Universalism. We are reaching out to ask if you would visibility support DRUUMM in one or more ways:
- Publicly endorse our May 8th, 2024 event on behalf of your congregation or UU organization, and reshare with your constituency. We will provide additional publicity information and provide visible recognition through our DRUUMM channels by March.
- Pledge at a level meaningful to your congregation for our fundraiser to help us raise our goal of $40,000. Last year this was in the range of $250 to $2,500. Already several congregations have offered to make a meaningful gift from their congregational budget, or share part of their Sunday offering plate at some point by December 2024.
We kindly request that interested Sponsors complete our 2024 Sponsorship Form by April 15th, 2024, which can be found at this link: bit.ly/druumm-2024.
Thank you for your consideration and continued solidarity. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons our community minister at [email protected].
With gratitude,
Esperanza Flores Garza
DRUUMM President
About our preacher Rev. Ali C Bell
Rev. Ali, a Black, transmasculine Unitarian Universalist minister, serves our Cedar Lane congregation in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area. He earned his Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School. Rev. Ali brings a background in psychology and social work, and is known for his empathetic, inclusive ministry. He lives with his partner, children, and dogs, actively participating in UU communities. Rev. Ali envisions Unitarian Universalism as a pluralistic, vibrant faith, embracing diverse beliefs and fostering Beloved Community. Learn more at alikcbell.org.
About our musical artist Saunder Choi
Saunder Choi, a Los Angeles-based Filipino composer and choral artist, has made significant contributions to church music as the Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica. His diverse body of work, renowned internationally, emphasizes narratives on immigration, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ advocacy, reflecting his commitment to using music as a platform for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Alongside his role in the church, Choi is a teaching artist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, further showcasing his dedication to choral music and its power to inspire and educate. Learn more at saunderchoi.com.
