Near the beginning of June I received an email from the Rev. Alexis Carter Thomas, looking for congregations within two miles of a university campus who might be interested in learning about the program she is managing.

 Her email read, “The Vinery is a vision made possible by the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The Vinery is looking for congregations who sense a call to be in relationship with their university neighbors–those willing to do the work of listening, reflecting and reimagining relationships with young people. Do you have colleagues who may be interested?”

And I read those words and I thought: “Me! I am interested!”

I set up a time to speak with Alexis, and as she described the Vinery, I began to wonder, indeed, if it would be a good fit for UCG. I reached out to Andy and Talia, spoke with Judy Parsons, who coordinates our young adult lunches, Council Exec and CMRB – and time and again heard a refrain that for a congregation with as many connections with UF and Santa Fe, our relationship or ministry with university community members is not nearly so robust as it might be. What would it be to commit some time and energy, and some funding, to seeking out consultation and best-practices, to exploring how we might reimagine, and re-vision, those relationships, in conversation with a diverse cohort of other congregations near university campuses? Is this the moment to re-focus on this aspect of our outreach? To spend two years, beginning in January, to listen and dream?

 After that first conversation, Council Exec, CMRB and Church Council approved our application to participate in this exciting program. Donn, Judy and I were interviewed by the Rev. Carter Thomas and her colleague, who directs the program.  I can now share the wonderful news that on August 27th our application to participate was accepted. We will spend the next few months figuring out who will be on our leadership team related to the Vinery project. The members of that team would be me, a lay member or two, and a young adult. Then, the two year program begins in January. I am working with the Boards of Business and Endowment Management to name the funding source needed  to cover the relatively low association costs over the next two years and the cost to have at least one team member travel to two in-person retreats. We will be sharing more details as the work of this ministry becomes more fully involved with The Vinery program over the coming months, and I look forward to dreaming together with you!