Dear 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 Dale, Mike Myers, Tracy and Andy Bachmann, Shirell Hix, Mary Fukuyama, and Eric Nelson for offering workshops! I am grateful to Anne Casella and Jeremy Archer for leading our early-morning offerings of birdwatching and movement and meditation, and to Jeremy for serving as our emcee at this year’s variety show. Thank you to everyone who got in on the act and participated! Our youth staff, Lucy Stein and Yo’Quarius Tucker, always blow me away with their enthusiasm. Yo even drove back to Gainesville to participate in two choral performances before returning to retreat, and Lucy brought our epic youth scavenger hunt back to life! Thank you to Talia for her leadership at worship services and for her guidance as I navigated the facilitation of my first All-Church Retreat; to Dar and Shanna for fielding a million questions, in-person registrations, and support in the days and weeks leading up to retreat; to Catherine Cake for sharing her wisdom during the registration process; to our volunteers who helped unload, check people in, move chairs, host meals. . . and to our 124 attendees. . . Thank you for making this year’s retreat a success, for sharing your gifts and your generosity of spirit.

I am also so grateful to everyone who contributed to making Noodles and Doodles a success this year. We received more than 300 pieces of art donated by our talented and generous congregation, and dozens of volunteers throughout the week and during the event to ensure its success. A special thank you to Heidi and Lucy Stein for serving as our art curators and creating our bid sheets, to Edo Carter for once again donning his top hat and handlebar mustache for his role as auctioneer, to Mike Myers for leading our youth in creating mosaics for the auction, and to Walt Barry for generously donating so many beloved pieces of Pamela Barry’s in support of work tour. And to everyone who attended, purchased art, donated menu items, put away tables and chairs, washed dishes. . .our programs are truly a community effort, and we are so appreciative of your continued involvement!

May will be another eventful month, full of welcome for Rev. Donna and well-wishes to our beloved Rev. Talia as we send her off for sabbatical. We will usher in new beginnings for our seniors as they step into their next chapter. And we, as a church, are entering a new era as well; I am curious about who we are becoming.

Over the past few months, I’ve reflected many times over the programs and events we’ve hosted throughout the spring and oftentimes find myself focused on what I could have done differently, what I plan to do better next time. It’s so tempting to direct my attention to the opportunities for improvement, because that’s where the growth emerges. And yet, it’s the things that go right – the things that we, as a congregation, do well – that keep programs alive, that continue to bring us together. UCG is a wellspring of generosity, talent, persistence, resilience, service, and engagement. We champion causes and seek out justice. We inspire change and we inspire each other. And every day, I am inspired by all of you. As this next era in the life of our church takes shape, I look forward to all the opportunities for connection and collaboration we have ahead of us. It is a joy and a privilege to work alongside you as we create our beloved community. Thank you for showing up and being a part of it.

With gratitude,

Tami