A collaborative retreat for Unitarian Universalist and UU-adjacent young adults (ages 18–35) who are curious about leadership, ministry, faith formation, community building, and the future of our movement. Through conversation, covenant, creativity, and shared spiritual practice, participants will explore their gifts, deepen relationships, and experiment together with new possibilities for congregational and movement life.
Together, participants will develop practical resources such as worship elements, faith development materials, rituals, community engagement projects, and other tools that can be shared across our wider UU community.
The program includes a pre-retreat online gathering, an immersive weekend retreat experience, and a follow-up online session to continue learning and collaboration.
Whether you are a lay leader, religious professional, seminarian, activist, artist, or simply wondering how your gifts might serve the world, Summer Sojourn offers space to imagine, create, and grow alongside peers who care deeply about faith, justice, and community.
Who
Emerging and Young Adults (18–35)
When
Monday, July 27: one-hour preliminary online session (synchronous & recorded)
Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2: in-person weekend immersion
Sunday, August 9: two-hour follow-up online session (synchronous)
Where
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston, Illinois
Contact
Mary Shelden at marylambshelden@gmail.com
Capacity: Limited to 24 participants
Cost is $125 plus travel expenses
Registration closes Monday, July 20, 2026.
Come as you are. Leave with new companions, new skills, and new possibilities for the journey ahead.
Summer Sojourn is grateful for funding from the Midwest UU Conference’s Dismantling White Supremacy Culture Grant, which makes this pilot possible. Housing and some meals are provided during the weekend immersion. Participants are responsible for travel expenses and additional meals.
Rowan Jakobah (she/they) serves as RE Assistant at People’ Church in Kalamazoo, MI. Rowan is an herbalist, facilitator, fertility awareness specialist, and sexual/reproductive health educator to people of all ages. Rowan grew up UU at People’s Church and has attended on and off for 29 years; serving in various volunteer roles since 2018. Since then, Rowan has helped plan several young adult cons and served as a middle school OWL facilitator. In the past, you may have found Rowan serving as an educator, working on various local farms, or teaching herbalism and fertility classes. She holds her Bachelor of Theatre Arts from the University of Michigan.
Diane Melvin (she/her) has served as the Religious Education Director at the People’s Church of Kalamazoo for the past 25 years. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in American Studies and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois in Environmental Studies. She is a credentialed religious educator through the UUA and is completing her certificate in Spiritual Direction from Meadville Lombard Theological School in May 2026. Diane was an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University and taught classes in the environmental studies and holistic health programs for fifteen years. She is passionate about nature, animals, spiritual practices, rest as resistance, working for justice while leading with love, authentic connections in community, and cultivating more healing, peace and love into the world.
Dr. Mary Lamb Shelden (she/her) is a lifelong, second-generation Unitarian Universalist; a credentialed religious educator (CRE-A, 2020); and spiritual director (Meadville Lombard, 2025), and a certified interfaith facilitator (Interfaith America, 2024). She has attended eight UU congregations over the course of her life: two as a young person, four as a lay leader, and two serving as a religious professional. She teaches college writing and the freshman seminar at Aurora University and has written about the Transcendentalist circle. She and Margie, her beloved longtime partner, and their rescue pup, Penny, live across the road from Lake in the Hills Fen, a 400+-acre preserve of restored prairie. Mary’s website includes her blog and information about her private practice in spiritual direction.
Shannon Snideman grew up attending the Universalist Unitarian Church of Farmington and was a member of the District Youth Steering Community. Their passion for youth empowerment and leadership development led them to serve with a number of youth programs, including City Year (AmeriCorps) and Mystic Lake YMCA Camp. Passionate about science education, Shannon earned a degree in Integrated Science for Secondary Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and focused her work on informal education and museum studies. Her interests and expertise include astronomy, forensic science, and environmental science. Shannon currently serves as the Director of Religious Education at the Birmingham Unitarian Church in Michigan, where they oversee the development of faith formation programming for children and youth. Shannon recognizes the power of uplifting youth voices to create positive change, and proudly serves as an adult advisor on the Heartland Area Youth Council, which evolved from the District Youth Steering Committee that she served on as a youth.