Dear Friends, We are officially on the other side of the year with July in full summer swing. I’m hopeful our new air conditioning units will be installed by the end of July in the Sanctuary. We have some pressure washing of our outside areas on the books and other upkeeping of our campus. Our…
DetailsI want to share with you a non-standard statement of financial position for the church as of the end of May 2025. The things that are not standard in this statement: Generally assets (here the buildings and land) are listed as historical costs and not a fair market value. The values…
DetailsSome rituals are spiritual. Some are silly. Some are inherited, and some are self-made. Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices, walks us through how we create all sorts of meaningful, grounding rituals. One of my rituals is writing a newsletter. I always try to make my “minister’s…
DetailsHello all! We can feel that summer sizzle already in the late mornings to the afternoons. This hopefully means our newly scrubbed solar panels will be ready to receive the sun’s ray as the days stretch longer and the nights feel warmer. Thank goodness for air conditioning and ice machines. Speaking of air conditioning, we…
DetailsSomething of a Miracle! Think of it, Ray Meeks was sentenced to Florida’s death row when he was about 19 years old. On June 28, Ray will be 72 years old, which in its own was is something of a miracle. All of the circumstances surrounding his arrest, trial, conviction and sentencing were absurd. He…
DetailsHere are three items of interest. We are working with the Sierra Club of Florida to address shutoffs of utilities (power and water) during heat waves and especially for the poor. We met on May 21 with GRU’s Government Affairs and Community Relations Director. Our interest in this issue was sparked by a local problem…
DetailsI usually write about the church budget, but this month I would like to comment on our designated accounts. These are special encumbered accounts where we tract donations, registrations, and grants and associated expenditures that are earmarked for special programs and purposes. They are grouped into twelve categories: adult programs, children’s programs, youth programs, outreach…
DetailsHello All! May was so full of fun and growth. Our pilot year of Kids’ Night Out was a success. We had a lot of fun with your children on Friday nights while enhancing their learning through STEM activities and crafts. Thanks to all the volunteers who made KNO successful. Kids United classes ended in…
DetailsAs I prepare to step away for a season of sabbatical rest and renewal, I want to pause and offer my deepest gratitude to each of you. Thank you for your generosity: in gifts, in spirit, and in trust. Thank you for the love you have poured into our shared ministry. Your prayers, your kind…
DetailsWe arrived Wednesday about 5 p.m. with four beautiful days of driving behind us from Connecticut. It was an amazingly peaceful trip, almost no traffic. No surprises. About six hours a day of driving with at least half of them on the beautiful back roads that start in Virginia with the Blue Ridge Parkway and…
DetailsDear friends at UCG, May is finally here and so is our interim minister, Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper! I’m excited to start the month off with welcoming her and her husband, Warren. We will then say goodbye to Rev. Talia as she goes on her summer sabbatical towards the end of May. We continue to…
DetailsDear Ones, April was definitely brought to us by the letter U. As in, all of Y-O-U who made all our programs, special services, and events so amazing! Our annual All-Church Retreat featured the talent and expertise of so many of our congregants; thank you to Heidi Stein, RD and Meaghan Bonnaghan, Liz McCulloch, David…
Details