Dear Members and Friends of First Universalist,

We are thrilled to announce that the Director of Faith Formation (DFF) Search Team and I offered the position to our top candidate: Yvonne Wilken. A bit of history is needed. One year ago, we invited Yvonne to be our Director of Faith Formation after a national search process. We were surprised and sad when she needed to leave suddenly because of a serious family emergency. Though we could share few details, it is clear that Yvonne acted with integrity and love while making a very difficult decision. 

The DFF Search Team and I were pleasantly surprised when Yvonne applied for the position again. In our second national search with a pool of strong applicants, it was clear that she is still a good fit for the needs of our congregation. With confidence, I offered the DFF position to Yvonne Wilken. She was touched and is excited to begin again with us. Yvonne brings maturity, groundedness, creativity, experience, and a warm heart to her work. Yvonne is passionate about helping youth and children grow in a context that helps to open their minds, inspire their spirits, and nurture their bodies and hearts. She comes to us with 19 years of experience in work with children, youth, families, and young adults. 
Yvonne shares this introduction with the congregation:

"I have been working in ministry in one form or another since 1999. I was in art school when I felt the call to ministry so I transferred schools and received a B.A. in Youth and Family Ministry from Augsburg College in Minneapolis in 2003. In 2004, I enrolled at Luther Seminary in St. Paul and received an M.A. in Congregational and Missional Leadership in 2006. I still consider myself an artist, I love to draw, paint, create mixed media, sew, knit, spin and in general create beautiful things. In my spare time I can be found working on an art project, reading, walking, or spending time with family.  

I was born and raised in Minnesota and lived there for most of my life. In 2007, I moved to Wisconsin to become a campus minister for the University of Wisconsin River Falls. In 2014, I moved to Colorado to be closer to family. After a brief return to Wisconsin to care for family, I am excited to return to Colorado."
Please join the staff, ministerial team, and Faith Formation and Religious Education Committee in giving Yvonne a warm welcome back to our congregation. Please also thank the members of the DFF Search Team: Terese Rainwater, Chair, Paul Belden, Zoe Johnston, Karl Krebs, and Aaron Norris, Ministerial Resident. We are excited for the future of our programming for children and youth. 

Sincerely,
Rev. Jeannie Shero