Ministers Musings
The Reverend Lydia Ferrante-Roseberry
Reflections on a wonder-full year!
What a year it has been. One year ago, we were just getting acquainted with one another during candidating week. Now, nine months and one installation later, we are covenanted in a unique relationship that asks each of us to bring our fullest selves toward a common endeavor: building a congregation that serves our community and brings our Unitarian Universalist values out into the world.
During our September Start-Up Weekend, we agreed that the congregational / ministerial priorities for the year would be …
- Worship
- Care and Feeding of the Membership
- Visioning and Long-Range Planning
It’s nice to look back once in a while to see how far we’ve come on our stated goals …
Worship…
- Sunday mornings continue to be a bustle of activity, energy and inspiration. I’ve paid particular attention to bringing varied voices into our Sunday morning experience, so topics can be explored from more than one perspective.
- The newly-formed Worship Committee had its first meeting in March of this year. Their purpose is to oversee a year- long program of quality worship services that nurture, inspire and challenge the congregation to grow spiritually and intellectually. Mark your calendars for the June 14 Worship Workshop — see page 9 of June Connections for more details.
- In addition to Sunday services, we’ve added intergenerational services to celebrate the changing of the seasons.
Membership…
- We’ve added over 30 new members this year. Welcome to all of you! I hope you are finding your way into the life of the Fellowship.
- The Caring Committee has been re-organized to better serve the needs of our growing congregation.
- New Member Orientations have been redesigned, New Member projects have been instituted, small group ministries continue to meet … many, many connections are budding!
Visioning and Long-Range Planning…
- We had two very well-attended congregational events to help us chart our course together:
- The Start-Up Weekend was designed to help us gain clarity on expectations and roles, and set ministerial goals for the year as articulated above.
- Our Assessment Weekend was the kick-off to what we expect to be a multi-year process of creating our new vision, developing a strategic plan, and making decisions about our needs for a larger home.
- We are already in the planning process for a visioning weekend, September 5-6. Mark your calendars now!
- We have the good fortune to be able to work with Ashlin Spinden from Metro Organizations for People, who is helping us name for ourselves our public vision — who we want to be in the world outside our doors.
Wow! And that’s just our stated goals!
In my first letter to the congregation, I spoke of “something greater” that draws minister and congregation together. That “something greater” is also what keeps congregations together. It is an ultimately indescribable force that forges connections between strangers, encourages vulnerability and trust, and enables growth in numbers and spirit. It is what makes a congregation different from any other organization.
When I accepted the call to serve this congregation a little over a year ago, I had a hunch that we could do great things together. Now I am certain.
-Rev. Lydia