We’ve just finished one of the busiest months of the church year.  While I’m looking forward to a little recharge and renewal time, there’s still a lot going on over the next few months and on into the coming church year, which begins on August 16th.

Some of you had a chance to meet or speak with our UUA consultant, Mary Gleason, over this past Mother’s Day weekend.  Many of you attended the town hall meeting Mary facilitated that Sunday.  Given the holiday, many more of you were unable to attend.  Throughout this issue of The Voice you’ll read about the results of that weekend.  With regard to our progress on the building project, you’re going to be reading one word over and over again — vision.

The questions we’ll be asking ourselves over the next several months, and which we’ll be afforded the opportunity to explore throughout this coming fall are, “Who are we?” and “What must we be doing?”  The answers we arrive at together will be our guide for not only our building project, but also our wider mission in the world.  As Mary said many times throughout her weekend here, “The building is a tool for carrying out the church’s vision.”

Over the next few months, I would ask that you reflect on these two questions; and because it will take the blending of all of our hopes and insights to create a complete and compelling vision, I encourage you to take part in the conversations when the time comes.  This is a moment when we need to hear everyone’s voice.

❦

Remember that beginning this month, we move to our more relaxed summer schedule, with one service at 10 a.m. and a coffee hour following.  The worship committee has put together some great programming for our summer services, and I’ll be in the pulpit four of the ten Sundays with a series on film and theology called “Summer Blockbusters”: Big Fish (PG-13) on 6/21, The Fisher King (R) on 7/12, Once (R) on 7/26, and Contact (PG) on 8/2. Each sermon will be preceded by a “Dinner and a Movie” night on the Saturday evening before the service, with a chance to see the full film.  While seeing the whole movie isn’t essential for the sermon, it’s a good chance for some fellowship during the summer months.  Please join us.

❦

I’m pleased to announce that the RE Committee and I have selected our new interim DRE.  Benette Sherman joins us on July 15^th for the next two years.  She comes to us with nearly two decades of religious education experience, from volunteer teacher on up through earning Credentialed Religious Educator honors form the UUA.  Currently, Benette is serving as Program Consultant for the Northern New England district of the Association, and prior to that served as DRE in Ames, Iowa.  She introduces herself in an article this month.

❦

Our Covenant Circles program continues during the summer with “Open Circles” on the 17^th of each month.  For Circle participants who feel the need to keep in touch with the covenant sharing process, and for those who are curious about our small group ministry programming and would like to sample it before regular circles begin again in October, I invite you to join us on the 17^th of each month at 7 p.m.  One of our facilitators will be there to lead the circle for the month.  For more information, please contact Jess Cullinan.

Rev. John Cullinan

Print PDF