Our last board meeting was packed with elements of growth and transition. In fact, it was the first board meeting since Covid restrictions that board members attended in person. An outdoor wine-and-dine gathering at Gene Pusitari’s beautiful home ushered in the return to in-person board meetings. The celebratory energy this brought to the meeting and the board was very apparent!

John Shartle and myself could not attend in person but joined from a distance by zoom, which also reflects our movement to a “hybrid” experience for church events in general. The board spent much time discussing this very topic and how to best move forward and plan for “hybrid” services, where participants are both in the pews and at home on ZOOM.  Equipment and logistics are being figured out now to make that all happen smoothly once we open up.

The board also had to decide on a new Religious Education Director to lead into reopening. We had two very qualified candidates and now welcome Kathleen Hogue as our new RE Director. She has great previous experience as an RE Director and is sure to be a vital part of our movement into the future for our children and whole community.

Finally, the board has rewarded our greatly loved and respected leader, Reverend Joseph Boyd, with an increase in compensation and our deepest heartfelt thanks for his incredible leadership through one of the most difficult periods ever. His calm, steady awareness and guidance has unified and strengthened us in ways we are still discovering. As he is on a month-long study leave, we look forward to his continued presence and insight as we together negotiate our future and build new ways of actualizing our principles.

We hope your summer is opening up the world to you once more and that we can all safely begin sharing both time and space together again. September is not far away…