Dear friends, Over the last several weeks, we have received many questions about the process that led to the decision to restructure our office staff. We have also heard the need for more clarity and understanding about the related UCG policies and procedures. It is always the goal of church leadership to faithfully uphold our…
DetailsSummer renewal is coming! This summer our congregation has the opportunity to participate in a period of renewal. Part of Bromleigh’s sabbatical grant from the Lily Foundation earmarks a portion of the grant for congregational renewal during the sabbatical period. Led by Congregation-Ministry Review Board (CMRB), a cross sectional group of UCGers gathered weekly to…
DetailsDear Friends, As I enter my final month as moderator, I am reflecting on the last year at UCG. We started the year in Transition with a capital “T”, with a designated Transition Team working to engage the congregation and discern our next steps with regard to a third minister. Now, we end the year…
DetailsThe last supper club of the year will take place on Saturday, May 18 at Jim and Lisa McElwee-White’s home on Kanapaha Prairie. Rather than being assigned a recipe, you will be assigned a category (appetizer, salad, side or dessert) and can bring whatever you wish. We also request that you bring your place settings…
DetailsThe UCG Sunday Seminar Committee is proud to announce a lineup of coming seminars we are certain you will enjoy. Join us every Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. in Reimer Hall or on Zoom. May 5 – We welcome Chelsea Bowlin and her team from Partnership for Strong Families. They are the lead child welfare agency…
DetailsBecause of the timing of our financial reports and newsletter article due dates, I can only report to you on our budget through the end of March. Through 25% of the year, we have already received 28.3% of our revenue budget. Particularly encouraging is that the church has already received 38.5% of the amount budgeted…
DetailsDear United Church, As I reflect on the past year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the journey we’ve shared. Your generous retirement gift of a pilgrimage fund allowed me to embark on a transformative journey through Italy, walking the ancient path of the Via Francigena. This was my fifth pilgrimage, and though the circumstances…
DetailsCompassion in Action held its annual Break-Fast Feast on the evening of Thursday, March 21 – a lovely fellowship event including communion and delicious homemade soups and salads. Prior to the feast, we fast, however known, and donate what we are able to support solutions to world hunger. United Church of Gainesville partners with the…
DetailsWe have so many super awesome things coming up in Tribes. This May will be our final month with Tribes classes. We will be having Children’s Sabbath on May 19th! We look forward to all of our children advancing and 5th graders graduating and moving on into our amazing middle school youth group! If your…
DetailsIt’s Spring! And things are growing and blooming all around the UCG campus. Thanks to Erick Smith and more than a dozen volunteers, we tamed some of the vegetation in the East Parking lot and the area north of the Sanctuary on the work day at the end of March. We learned our lesson from…
DetailsDear friends, In March, a UCC consultant interviewed a sample of UCG congregants to better understand the congregation’s readiness for a capital campaign. In short, the consultant determined that our estimated “probability of success” was 62%, which she characterized as “typical” for churches preparing for capital campaigns. The study identified a number of areas where…
DetailsDear UCG, As you may have heard, I’ll be taking a sabbatical this summer: officially beginning on May 13 and returning for the Gathering of the Waters service on August 11. What you may not have heard (though we’ve had it in a host of newsletters and emails) is that UCG has received a grant…
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