[printprofilepic]I am pleased to announce that the DRE Search Committee has selected and the Board of Trustees has agreed to hire our new Director of Religious Education!
De Anna Hoyle will join us this summer in the director’s position. De Anna comes to us from Pagosa Springs, Colorado and the Pagosah Unitarian Universalist Fellowship there, where she as served as their RE coordinator for the past seven years. De Anna and the RE program at Pagosah have grown together over those years, with De Anna earning her Associate DRE credentials from the UUA one year ago. The search committee and I were very excited by our interview with De Anna, and by the weekend she spent with us in April meeting with the RE Committee and leading Time for All Ages on Sunday. She is our unanimous first choice for the position, and we’re thrilled she has accepted.
De Anna will have a chance to introduce herself to you all in next month’s issue of the Voice. She’ll arrive in Los Alamos later this summer along with her husband, Joe. In the meantime, I want to thank the members of the search committee that made this process a success: Mark Petersen (chair), Kristine Coblentz, Tom King, and Steve Tenbrink. Give them all a hearty “Thank You!” the next time you see them.
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Sadly, the arrival of De Anna also means the departure of our interim, Benette Sherman. Benette’s last day will be May 29th. On Sunday the 15th, she’ll be in the pulpit to share some reflections on her time here, and her dreams for our future as we move into the next phase of our RE story.
It’s been a tremendous pleasure to work with Benette these last two years. Her expertise and experience have been invaluable in helping us envision what our religious education (and our congregational life) can be. We shall miss having her here, and I wish her well in her next adventure.
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The month of May means the beginning of a downshift in congregational life. On May 29th, we’ll move back to our summer schedule, with a single service at 10 a.m. Over the summer months, I’ll be reprising my “Summer Blockbusters” sermon series. I have a few movies chosen for the series, but I’d like to hear from you about your favorites as well. Drop me a note and let me know what some of your favorite movies are, and what themes you think I might preach on from them. If you have other ideas for summer services, or are interested in speaking this summer, please contact either myself or the co-chairs of the Worship Committee: Mary Hrbek and TJ Ulrich.
I’ll be away for most of the month of June. I’ll be spending part of that time vacationing with my east coast family and celebrating my parents’ fortieth anniversary. The remainder of the time will be spent in Charlotte at our annual General Assembly, where I’ll begin my term as a member of the UUA’s Commission on Appraisal, and be welcomed into final fellowship at the annual Service of the Living Tradition.
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Finally, please be sure to join us for our annual meeting on May 1st after the second service. Food and childcare will be available. The board has worked diligently on an effective budget for the coming year, and we have a change in constitution regarding board composition to consider. I look forward to seeing you there.
Wherever these slow and quiet months take you, I wish you health, happiness, and a sense of peace.
See you in church,
Rev. John Cullinan
