May at Chalice brings the end of the Pledge Drive, where we all are asked to commit (and recommit) financial support to Chalice’s annual operating budget. This sustaining action supports all of our staff and all our committees’ activities and is the foundation our annual budget. I personally pledge to ensure that Chalice’s Purpose, as stated in our Bylaws, can continue to be achieved:
“This congregation unites to foster spiritual and personal growth and to promote principles of community, dignity, and the right of individual conviction and truth regardless of source. We work for social justice in our locale and in the larger world and in doing so create a better life in the here and now. We dedicate ourselves to the democratic process in human relationships and endeavor to respect the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part. This is reflected in the Congregational Mission Statement: Open Hearts, open doors, nurturing spirits, and seeking justice in the wider world.”

Next month, on Sunday June 12th, our annual Congregational meeting will be held at 12:30 pm in the Chapel. Please plan on attending this important gathering, where members will vote on the proposed budget for the next fiscal year and for our new officers, and hear the update on our building plans. Materials and information will be sent out a couple of weeks ahead of this date but please note this on your calendars now. We on the Board of Trustees appreciate your attendance at this annual meeting, as a quorum of members is essential.

Lastly, I would like to bring your attention to Bob Nelson’s update on Chalice’s building and construction project in this month’s newsletter. We are modifying the strategy for our project submittal to the City of Escondido, but thankfully not our overall campus vision. Working with the Planning Department of the City of Escondido is different than working with the County. Bob explains our change, an overall result of our annexation last fall into the
City of Escondido boundary, from what was the County of San Diego.