As Spring becomes a reality, the church seems to be experiencing our theme:
“Renewing Faith.” Based on past efforts, and the confluence of many decisions, the church
seems primed for a renewal of energy and commitment. There have been many creative events
that have continued to enrich the community. The discussions with Ryan Stryffeler at Birdfish
Brewery have been going well. We average about 10 participants every time we’ve done it, and
it will soon be wrapping up in the next couple weeks. Based on the experience, Ryan is
contemplating offering something similar at the Slippery Rock campus and YSU.

We have been invited to participate in a canvassing effort in the neighborhood to engage
our neighbors in asking what kind of businesses they think would benefit them and their
families. This is taking place this Saturday, March 19 at Price Memorial Church, where there will
be a brief training. We’ve also been invited to participate in the upcoming ACTION banquet, an
annual fundraiser to help social justice task forces on a range of issues from food justice to
community policing and legislation. I will be participating in the banquet.

Jennifer and a fellow actor from Portland, Oregon completed a staged Zoom reading of
“The Roommates.” It was well received and thought provoking. Going forward, Jennifer and I
are wondering how we can continue encouraging the arts in our church: plays, dance, concerts,
etc. I know these activities are part of the history of the church culture and our neighborhood,
and it’s good to continue that tradition.

Hope Lovrinoff-Moran is running a Food and Nutrition program for 8 weeks on
Wednesdays beginning in late April. The program aims to give families access to fresh
ingredients including fruits and vegetables, and they offer training on how to cook healthy and
cost-effective meals. I believe each person/family will be given $300 worth of free produce from
surrounding farms. Our kitchen and Channing Hall will be used for this.

I have confirmed with Rev. Daiken Nelson, Roshi, that he will be able to come to
Youngstown and co-lead a half day meditation retreat with me on Saturday, April 30th, starting
in the morning and wrapping up around noon. I’ve been studying with Daiken for about a
decade in the Zen tradition, and he is encouraging me to start a Buddhist sangha in
Youngstown. He would be available to drop in every quarter to do a retreat, and we have been
meeting just about every week via Zoom so that I can digest aspects of the Zen tradition. I’m
learning liturgy and also doing koan study (stories that demand a response not using the
intellect alone). Some of that training will need to be in person, face to face, and I’ve made
arrangements to do that. So the retreat will be a nice opportunity, and it seems like a worthy
experiment to reestablish a Buddhist sangha, given that the closest Buddhist practice group is
50 mins away in Kent, OH.

I’m thinking of breaking up my study leave/vacation days over the next few months, so
that I’ll be available for most of the summer. I think it is possible that the summer may be an
active time for the church especially if we are able to stay open and meet each other safely with
fewer precautions. So I will be away March 23-28 in South Carolina to visit my in-laws and
celebrate a birthday. I will be teaching my classes virtually, and will be accessible by
phone/zoom/email. We have two guests on March 27th speaking on the theme of Trans
Visibility, organized by Jan Grigsby. I will be away from April 4-8 in New York City to do face to
face training with Daiken and plan the upcoming retreat. This will be during the week, and I’ll be
back to preach on Sunday. The same applies: I’ll be teaching at YSU virtually, and accessible by
phone/zoom/email while I’m there.

Coffee hour has been lovely. It’s one of my favorite parts of church, and it’s been a treat
to enjoy that again. It seems to be going well so far. Some are masked, many are not, and it
seems to not be bothering anyone. Thank you to the board and our hospitality team for making
coffee and providing snacks. It’s definitely been a boon.