Connecting Through the Struggle Rev. Leslie Mills

This year, we have focused on how to engage in activism during times that drain us -- an "Age of Compassion Fatigue." But what about those relationships that are closer to home? Together we will explore what causes "bumps" when we try to connect across differences, whether that's an argument with a dear friend, or an uncomfortable conversation with a neighbor who voted for the other side. From Eastern philosophy to Western psychology, we will draw on many stories and examples, only to find that the solution is both simpler and more challenging than one might think.

Rev. Leslie Mills has been a Unitarian Universalist minister for over a decade, serving several congregations on staff as well as guest preaching around the country. Leslie is a resident artist who has sold her work at the St. Paul Art Crawl, currently focused on using materials harvested from nature to create prints and dyes on fabric. She also loves singing, knitting, reading, and traveling. A long-time student of the peaceful Japanese martial art of Ki-Aikido, Leslie draws on its foundational principles to guide her preaching and her ministry.