Dear Ones,

I hope you are having a great summer and enjoying a bit of the outdoors or nature, whether you are being active or merely sitting near an open window enjoying the fresh air.

As I wrap up my week in the office, I am excited about the beginning of the upcoming program year. Over the summer, there has been much planning happening, as our staff and congregational leadership look for new ways to live our faith during the extended pandemic. 

Starting in October, I expect to lead a year-long spiritual exploration (SE) program on examining white privilege and systematic racism, as well as developing skills to work towards racial healing in ourselves and the world.

Karen and I have been working on developing a new monthly “Family/All Congregation” worship experience based on a workshop we attended at General Assembly. Karen has also been very busy planning a new COVID-friendly SE program for our younger members. In collaboration with REAL, our OWL teachers, and students, Karen is also putting together a COVID-sensitive OWL program, so our Jr. Higher can finish the program they started last spring.

I want to thank Tim and Judy Martin for their work on our ongoing food collection on the second Sunday in August. I also want to thank Rissa Moore who offered her talents in playing a Chimes concert to serenade people as they dropped off their food donations. Since December 2019 we have collected 1,684 pounds of food for the Ecumenical Food Cupboard! Something we should be very proud of as a congregation!

I also want to thank Kerrie O’Brien, who has led the weekly Chalice Side Chats while I have been gone this summer. Many people really appreciate this opportunity to check in and get to know their UUSB siblings in a deeper and more meaningful way. Thanks Kerrie!

I have enjoyed being able to spend some time away to renew my spirit and I have been using some of my time to reflect, plan, and prepare for the upcoming program year. More details will be following soon. 

I wish you a peaceful and happy ending to your summer and as smooth a transition as possible into the late summer and early fall. I am looking forward to being back fully in a few weeks. In the meantime, I hope to see many of your faces this coming Sunday from the (Zoom) pulpit and again when I return on September 7th.

Be Well and Stay Well!
Namasté & Love,
Rev. Drew

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