A NOTE ABOUT THE COMING YEAR

THE UNITARIAN CHURCH PEEKS AT THE FUTURE

With a new board in place, the annual board retreat was a smashing success. The board took on a serious and sustainable and do-able study of the way we view stewardship in this congregation. We were helped in our work by our stewardship consultant, the Rev. Tricia Hart. She’ll be with us a few years to work with us on adopting an attitude of can-do generosity. I cannot wait to see what kind of transformation happens among all of us around the idea of giving, generosity and vision-making.

Just think for a moment of all that has been accomplished of late, think of all that we can build upon: the cool campaign which enabled us to put in geothermal heating and cooling (including in the sanctuary); the addition to the building in the 90s which provided additional space for religious education; the lounge and the patio in the 80s; not to mention all of work for Guatemala, for community projects, or even the building which this year will turn 50 years old! Whatever the future holds, we know that this congregation responds when called to step up to a new project.

This year will hold other significant events in our collective life together:

September 7, we’ll move back to our 11 a.m. worship time period with Water Communion.
Our children and youth will be engaged in two significant learnings: OWL (our whole lives) which focuses on sexuality education and spiritual growth and good decision-making and Famous Unitarian Universalists, about the kinds of individuals who helped shape society, liberal religion and the beloved community.
In September, you’ll have a chance to participate in the first annual Unitarian Church Spirituality Retreat. A great group of lay people are working on making this retreat as powerful as possible.
On October 12th, we’ll commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard with a joint service with our friends at the Metropolitan Community Church (they’ll come to our church to join with us on that day). While honoring Matthew’s life, I anticipate that the service will be positive, proactive and empowering.
In late October, we’ll have a wonderful CELEBRATION SUNDAY, in which we all of the members and friends of the church will gather to give our pledges for the year. A powerful group of committed members are working on this, headed up by Dr. Dick Kaspar.
November 7-9, we’ll have an opportunity to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, which ushered in the worst aspects of the Holocaust. I am working with the Yom HaShoah committee to bring in Victoria Barnett, Director of Church Relations at the Holocaust Museum in DC and filmmaker Martin Doblmeier who has devoted his life to the work of justice and peace through his films.
In the Spring, Paul Rasor, a Unitarian Universalist author (Faith Without Certainty) and theologian from Virginia Wesleyan College, will come to speak about liberal religion, war and peace.
In the Spring, we’ll celebrate the 50th anniversary of our “new” (third) building, our little beacon on the hill.

There will be many opportunities to connect, to grow, to learn, to discover, to share your gifts and talents. There will be children to dedicate (starting with the Tim and Angela Reier’s child Amelia). There will be opportunities to say a welcoming word to newcomers. You are the greatest gift in the life of this church!

Let us begin again!

Love. See you in church. In faith,
Roger