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What a difference a couple of warm weeks make! As I was writing for Circles last time, the trees were bare, the first daffodil was beginning to burst, and spring was making a tentative appearance. Now the trees are leafing out rapidly, we’ve cycled into tulips and other spring flowers, and many flowering trees have completed their spring display. This time of year is so exciting!
It’s an exciting time at church as well. Your leadership is still trying very hard to find the money we need to balance our budget. But at the same time they are busy with keeping our programming going, our staff morale up, and looking toward next year. They have done a commendable job this year when faced with many difficulties. You have elected strong leaders – we are blessed with a wealth of talent in this congregation!
May brings more excitement: of welcoming back our youth from a successful trip to New Orleans; of honoring our 8th and 9th graders through their Coming of Age and joining our Senior Youth; and our not-to-be-missed Youth service where we ritually send off our seniors to their being and becoming as young adults. We celebrate our Flower Communion and join together in love as we make important decisions about our future through the Annual Meeting on May 18 after the service.
And May brings planning for next year: I have communicated to the board my priorities for next year: renewing a Small Group Ministry program, renewing a Religious Services Committee, and renewing our caring efforts as a congregation. The Board of Trustees will be looking at the mission of these three areas – when this is done, I will publish the job descriptions for the help that we need so that you have a clear idea of what is asked. If one of these areas speaks to your wishes to serve this congregation, I urge you to get in touch with me. It is my hope that we can at least begin our work in these areas in June so that we can plan for next year.
This is all part of what we call ‘shared ministry.’ None of this can adequately be done by just one person or a couple of people here and there. Much of congregational life is the work of the congregation in conjunction with the minister. It’s important to keep the institutional memory, the creative impulse, and a sense of what benefits the whole congregation. No one person can embody all of this. So I invite you to join in these exciting times and enhance our efforts to deepen our experience of what religious community is and can be in transforming our lives.
Blessings, Priscilla
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Rev. Priscilla Richter