This is an exciting time at UUCSS! We have already taken several important steps forward in this period of transition, and members of this community are doing great work on other projects to move us along this path together. We had a wonderful farewell event for Rev. Liz and Sarah Gonzalez to honor and celebrate our time together, thank them for their service, and wish them the best in their next positions. Rev. Evan started on August 1 and immediately jumped into learning about our church community and its strengths and challenges. I hope you all get a chance to meet with him in the coming months to share your experiences and perspectives regarding UUCSS. And Catherine Boyle started on August 15 as Director of Religious Education, and has begun working with Michael Knaapen, our RE Assistant, and Gregg Harry and the rest of the RE Committee to embark on a great year of religious education.
The Dream Builders have been working hard to keep us on track to begin the work on the first phase of our capital improvements, addressing our emergent issues, such as the heating and cooling in the Sanctuary and the leaking roof, and preparing for the upcoming discourse with the congregation about other improvements to make to our buildings and grounds. The Board is working to ensure that we implement these improvements in a fiscally responsible and sustainable way, while maximizing the changes we are able to make with the resources we have. And I am heartened by the other ways the people of this community have stepped up in the last several months, on everything from serving on the Transition Team, to fixing issues with our buildings, to reviving the Uniter.
I know that, working together, we will take advantage of the opportunities we have now to reevaluate our identity and reinvigorate our community!
John Henderson