I joined UCG in 1990. Some people go to several churches to find somewhere that feels right. My experience was a little different. I decided to start with the church of my youth which was the Christian Science Church. It turned out to be just as uncomfortable and confusing to me as it was when I was a child. Then my counselor, Ruth Keitt, suggested I try UCG.

At that time, church services were in what is now Reimer Hall. There were molded yellow plastic chairs facing the courtyard doors with a lectern in front. I believe there was a piano but I don’t remember a choir. It didn’t feel churchy at all which was fine with me. Larry Reimer, Minister Emeritus, was preaching. I’d like to say that I’ll never forget his sermon that day but honestly, I don’t remember it (Sorry, Larry!). Whatever he said, I was convinced that this was the place I wanted to be and I never visited any other churches. I joined at the next new member’s Sunday.

As I learned more about UCG, I found out that there had been a fundraising campaign from 1989 to early 1990 and enough money had been donated by members to build a new Sanctuary with a Chapel, seminar rooms, office spaces, and a courtyard which was completed in 1991. It impressed me that this congregation cared so much about UCG that they wanted it to grow and thrive. Many of our current members were involved with the process including Carole Zegel who was the Moderator at the time.

Now here we are, 32 years later and we are facing some very significant challenges with our facilities. As you probably know, we have not kept up with the maintenance of our church home. The Buildings and Grounds committee is working diligently to prioritize the many projects that are needed. The Financial Sustainability and Stewardship Committee is looking at best practices around launching a capital campaign. Whatever the outcome of these meetings and discussions, I hope we can come together with the same enthusiasm and generosity that was exhibited then and during major fundraising efforts throughout the years.

Here is a quote from Rev. Dr. Cynthia Lindner’s sermon titled “Beloved” that she gave at Bromleigh’s Installation:

“To let yourselves love and be loved will mean caring not only for the most vulnerable but also the for the least enjoyable—for spreadsheets, as well as moral causes; and for buildings as well as bodies—after all, we all know that LOVE sets tables and does dishes and folds laundry, and so it must be that LOVE balances church budgets, supervises staff, and repairs leaky roofs as well.”