Dear People’s people,
This summer, I have been noticing the power of teamwork and collaboration both within and beyond our congregation.
Within our congregation, I have noticed how so many in the church have done such powerful ministry this summer – both in public ways (please watch some of the summer services newly uploaded on our YouTube page, if you weren’t able to attend them!) and in more private ways – the steady flow of meals and cards to people who need care always inspires me. People’s people, led by our building and grounds team, purchased a necessary new lawnmower. Summer religious education and two sessions of Peace and Nature Camp have kept our children having fun while building community and deepening their understanding of our values. And it took many of us to attempt to fill in for Eli as he was on medical leave this summer.
As I prepare for fall, the collaboration continues. I am excited about a few offerings and opportunities that will happen over the next few months.
September 9 is the first session of a multi-congregation joint Bible Study called ‘Bible Problems. ‘This grew out of conversations I had with local clergy – the Good Neighbors Collaborative, we’re calling ourselves – and with some of you who had questions about the Bible. Please come to learn from people more knowledgeable about the Bible than I am about issues including women preachers and Christian nationalism. This group is all clergy from mainline to progressive traditions. We will largely agree – and it will be good to hear various perspectives and get to know some of the other people of faith in our community who share our values, if not our perspective on the Bible.
There are a few more opportunities to learn with others that are coming soon:
A UU History 101 online class offered by our partners at First Unitarian, Dallas. Learn UU history with UUs from all over the country. Details are listed elsewhere in this newsletter.
A Zoom book club for the UUA’s Common Read Love at the Center. This is a collection of theological essays. If this interests you, I encourage you to pick up a copy and pay attention to the church newsletter. We’ll be having a Zoom book club with at least one other congregation, starting later this fall.
We also partner with other community organizations to do good and important work in the wider community. One of these collaborations is giving away one offering plate per month to a community organization. I would love to hear what organizations you think would be good recipients of our special offering. If you know of a local organization making our values real in the world, please send me a note. We generally focus our special offering on organizations that are either local or specifically Unitarian Universalist, are aligned with our values, and are small enough that our special offering (typically $800-$1000) can make an impact. Please email, call, or text me with your nominations. I imagine I’ll receive more nominations than spots available, but I’m curious to learn what organizations you support.
Here’s to a collaborative September,
Rachel