Greetings everyone, and a special welcome to our new Board and committee members. Thank you to all for a successful Congregational meeting last month. In addition to the usual Board and budget approvals, we approved a new Mission Statement and adopted a new Eighth Principle. I was happy to witness and participate in a mindful and heartfelt debate of the new Eighth Principle, and it was satisfying to see our democratic process working so well. And speaking of working well, our technology team, lead by Dean Goddette and David O’Gwynn, did an excellent job of providing us with a hybrid meeting capability. During the acknowledgment portion of the meeting, I realized just how many people participate in running our congregation and how many different and varied programs are offered. We are blessed.
We had a Board retreat on June 18th where we studied policy governance and the role of the board. Armed with our new mission statement and 8th principle, the Board is excited to explore new ideas to fulfill our mission and promote not only our new 8th Principle, but all of our UU values. As part of this exploration, we want to hear all of our congregants’ thoughts concerning the future of Chalice and the many paths before us. We will be hosting forums and discussion groups later this year to provide input for developing our congregational goals. One idea centers on the technology of hybrid services and online presence to provide us with new opportunities to work towards our mission.
From July through October, our minister Rev. Sharon will be away on sabbatical. This is an important time for her to have a break from the constant demands of Sunday services, pastoral care, interacting with staff and committees, and overseeing care of the campus. But unlike a vacation, a sabbatical offers enough time for self-reflection and spiritual growth. We wish her all the best for a successful and satisfying sabbatical. While Rev. Sharon is away, Dr. Gregory Boyd from Los Angeles will be preaching three services a month in August, September, and October as well as providing pastoral care. The services in July and other Sundays will be organized by the Worship Associates. I look forward to the diversity of services to come.
I will be on vacation the first two weeks of July for a family reunion at Lake George in New York state, and I hope that you will also have time off this summer to relax with family and friends.
Blessings,
Tom Carlstrom