Dear Fellow Congregants,

I hope your summer has been joyful, fruitful, and restful.  As it draws to a close, the kids return to school, and we anticipate the autumn, I would just ask you to consider your part in the life of the church.  What do we want to be the story of this time?  We have a new minister, a sanctuary renovation, loss of reproductive rights, racism as a public health crisis, war in Ukraine, and divisions among us about the future of our denomination.  How will they say that we handled it? A warm welcome to our new minister, Rev. Dr. Josh Snyder.  I know many of us, myself included, are eager to meet with him and awaiting his input on various topics.  Please be patient and give him grace as he familiarizes himself with our church, members, and processes.  We have all started a new job at one point or another, so just remember that it can be overwhelming at the beginning.  That being said, I think he is off to a great start, and I am really looking forward to years of learning, growing, and serving together.

Soon we will begin our annual stewardship campaign.  Plans are being laid but please start to think about how important your financial gifts are to the life of the church, and what you can afford to pledge.  If you have interest in helping the stewardship committee, especially if you have experience in fundraising, public relations, nonprofit organizations, or anything else you might deem relevant, please reach out to church leadership and we can point you in the right direction.Separately, we are navigating the financial aspects of our sanctuary renovation and learning as we go.  Our sanctuary renovation team is full of wonderful ideas and focusing on audiovisual/tech equipment and HVAC upgrades, to carry our sacred space into a world where COVID continues to threaten health and lives.  Meanwhile, cosmetic improvements to the space will help us all feel that things are spruced up and refreshed.  More to come.

My heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers that make UUCA tick.  I see how hard you’re working and admire it greatly.

With love and respect,

Libby Archinal, President of the Board of Trustees