Dear Beloved Community~

What a joy it was for me to have so many of you be a part of our Next Steps Weekend! Your turnout for this event matched the glorious weather we had, and I hope that you felt as much warmth and happiness being together as I did. We truly have a great congregation of people. Thank you for all who attended and helped behind the scenes to make this such a loving weekend.

Two weeks ago we held our August Board of Trustees Meeting, in preparation for the Next Steps Weekend and to run through regular business. It was our last meeting with Tena Bunnell as Secretary, so we all bid a sad farewell to her. Thanks to Sue Bender’s communication with the congregation, we have had an increase in pledge contributions, which is vital to maintain the work that we do with each other and in the community at large. Your contributions speak to your values, and we thank you for honoring them.

The New Home Task Force reported that the architects have their plans 90% complete, and that the architects would personally like to present them to the congregation. Please keep a watch in Journey Well for that announcement, as it will be fascinating to hear how our vision has been translated into this new structure.

We are expecting to have our Special Permit request in front of the Zoning Board in September, and have started receiving bids on 624 Broadway, so things continue to move forward. Watch for the next Coffee Chat from the New Home Task Force to catch up on all the details.

There have been some changes to a few of our committees;

Tari Lee Sykes will join the Endowment Committee in January 2024, and Bill Fox has retired from the Personnel Committee. We are always looking for your help as a volunteer in any area that you may have an interest to serve. Becoming part of the Care Team was what lead me into involvement as part of the congregation beyond just being a Sunday participant, and it brought me many friendships and a lot of understanding about just how connected we can be to each other. As one of my friends said during a Next Steps Weekend workshop when she volunteered for a team, she “felt needed, and recognized for who she is”. This belonging to each other gives us great strength together, and as many of you (85%) pointed out in your responses to our survey, Community and People are our greatest strength. I can speak from experience that when you volunteer to help, you are helping not only those around you but also enrich your own life.

Please do join us! Contact Lucy Manning if there is an area in which you would like to volunteer.

We need YOU!

Tari Lee Sykes, UUCSS President