Who is my neighbor? The Least of These

Program Details

Our 2026 SoulCare Summit considers the question: "Who is my neighbor?" as we prepare for our 2026-2027 theme, In All Things, For Every One. Contemplative spirituality is not just a "navel gazing" experience but one where our contemplation leads to action as we recognize the Holy Presence in everyone and everything.

Join us for our Day One event in our Soul Care summit as we look at: "Who is my neighbor? The Least of These." Together, we will heed Jesus' call to care in Matthew 25 as we consider the needs of marginalized communities. Presentations and Q&A with three local activists will frame the day as we first look at immigration in the morning. Grace Pugh Hubbard will join us in the early afternoon to share about how to care for the environment. Renee Manning will close out the day by sharing about the current realities of the trans community. You will be challenged and inspired by stories from the front line and will come away with a deeper understanding of how to be an advocate and ally.

We do not want costs to limit participation as we want all people in our community to join us. Thus, there is no registration fee for this event. It is being offered "by donation." Please pay whatever you can afford. The suggested gift is $25 to cover the meal. However, if you are able to give more to help offset expenses for another person, we would appreciate the generosity. Thank you.

Overnight options Friday and Saturday night are available with dinner and breakfast options to create a full weekend event connecting our Saturday event with our Sunday event, "A Priest, Rabbi, and Reverend walk into Rolling Ridge..." We hope that you will join us for the entire SoulCare 2026.

About the Leaders

Renee Manning

Rev. Renee Elaine Manning has lived near Boston her entire life. After retiring from a 38-year career as a CAD illustrator for Raytheon, where she worked on the PATRIOT Missile Project, she received her Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in 2018. Called by West Parish Church UCC in Andover, MA, she was ordained in 2023 as a “Minister in the Community”. Rev. Renee is also a facilitator for the Merrimack Valley PFLAG and a Transgender advocate through which she has presented her own “Transgender 101” educational series throughout New England. She lives in Andover, MA with her wife Serena. Their combined family includes two sons and two daughters. Her hobbies are astronomy, NASA spaceflight and aviation, model building, model rocketry, and studying history.