Following Rev. Mara's sermon on goodbyes and our related listening circles last Sunday, we wanted to share with you Rev. Mara's schedule for her remaining time with us, as well as let you know who and how key ministerial duties will be covered during this time of transition.

 

As you may know, Rev. Mara's official last day of employment is June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Rev. Mara's final Sunday in the pulpit will be June 10, which - as the second Sunday in June - is our traditional last Sunday of the regular program year. Our June 10 service will include a Ritual of Release of Call, and then will be followed by a celebratory picnic (hopefully - weather cooperating - on the front lawn!). Mara will also be preaching the prior Sunday, June 3, which will be followed by our Annual Meeting.

 

Rev. Mara will be out of the office May 3 - May 19, taking accrued vacation time which needs to be used before June 30. While Mara is away, Christina Fulton, our Director of Operations ( [email protected]), will be handling Executive Team business, and Andre Mol, our Ministerial Intern, will be covering pastoral care needs. If you do experience a pastoral care need while Rev. Mara is away, please email Andre ( [email protected]) or call the FUUSB Pastoral Care Number (802-870-0447).

 

We have a rich line-up of worship services over the next few Sundays, including our annual YUUTH service, a fun and inspiring all-ages service on Mother's Day, and a special Music Sunday featuring the Paul Winter Consort's Missa Gaia (Earth Mass) on May 20. And on Memorial Day Sunday, Andre and our Worship Associates will be leading our annual Service of Remembrance.

 

Rev. Mara will be returning to enjoy Music Sunday with us, then her first day back in the office will be May 21. Mara will then be with us for another six weeks, which will include time for last meetings, farewell appointments, and administrative wrap-up and hand-offs. If you'd like to schedule a meeting with Mara during that time, you can email ( [email protected]) or call her (802-862-5630, x. 24) after her return to set something up.

 

Some of you have been wondering what ministerial and staff coverage will look like over the summer, as we begin our transition. In terms of worship, as usual, we have a great and eclectic array of summer services planned for you, which will include a mix of lay-led services, guest preachers, and sermons by our own ministerial staff (and our Minister Emeritus Rev. Gary Kowalski will be making an appearance in late August). Our able and dedicated Worship Associate Team will be hosting our summer service leaders.

 

In terms of pastoral care, Rev. Mara will remain "on" through the end of June, and then will pass the baton to Andre, who (after a month fully off and away in June) will be starting his new position as Developmental Assistant Minister on July 1. Andrea Spencer-Linzie, our Developmental Director of Family Ministry ( [email protected]), will also be around through the summer and preparing to launch next year's RE program. Christina Fulton, our Director of Operations ( [email protected]), will be Acting Chief of Staff during the month of July.

 

And, of course, the congregation's Transition Minister will be coming aboard sometime in August. You'll be hearing more about that from the Board of Trustees in the coming weeks!

 

In the meantime, if you have any general questions about the ministerial transition, please feel free to reach out to our Board of Trustees ( [email protected]). If you have questions about particular programs or ministries and who the best contact person is during this transition time, please contact Mary Williams, our Society Administrator ( [email protected]), who can point you in the right direction!

The Transition Task Force is fortunate to have had several very able candidates express interest in participating on the task force to interview transition minister candidates and choose a Transition Minister. We are pleased to announce that Jill Allen and Suzy Comerford have joined the Task Force. They both bring much experience and knowledge of the congregation to the search.

The Task Force had its first meeting on Sunday, April 29 to organize ourselves for the work ahead. On April 30 we received the confidential applications of eight very experienced ministers. This is the maximum number of applications any congregation can receive, which reinforces that we are a desirable congregation to serve.

Now begins the work of reviewing applications, conducting video interviews, checking references and ranking candidates based upon our community's priorities for the transition. We are bound by confidentiality not to discuss the individual candidates, but please let us know if you have any questions about the process. We expect to be able to announce the Transition Minister by the end of May.

Jill Allen

Debby Bergh

Suzy Comerford

Dan House

What? No service auction this year?

No one stepped up to volunteer to run the annual auction so we are doing things differently. No auction leaves a big hole in our budget, and there are still services out there that people want to offer and people who want to contribute, so this year is the  NON-Auction. 

There are two ways to be a part of the non-auction.

1.     Donate. What would you have been willing to spend on the auction? Just donate that amount to the Society. How much would you have spent on a meal or event you provided? Donate that amount.

2.     Still provide a service, but organize it yourself. Is there something you have done in the past that you can do again? Pull it together and have people send their "bid money" to the Society. You can organize it personally, via the  eNews, or on the Facebook group.

The money needs to be collected by mid-June, so we only have two months to pull this together.  

Donations can be sent to the Meeting House with "Non-Auction" in the memo line, or go to the  Donate page on the website and click on "Make A Gift" to donate to the non-auction using your credit card.

Let's get in the spirit of the auction and find ways to connect throughout the year via services we organize ourselves.

 

Greetings First UU owners of dull cutting implements. I will sharpen said items in exchange for a donation to FUUSB. Contact me to arrange an exchange, and we'll get you up and cutting again. I can usually turn a job around in a day or two.

 

Drop me a line at  [email protected].

 

Peace, Todd

The generosity of our Society is truly amazing. As of April 30, we raised 97% of the amount we raised last year--$441,000. While we received 87% of the number of  last year's pledges, our generosity showed through in an increase in your average pledge. 

What dedication and commitment you've shown to the FUUSB and the beacon it is to our community. The Stewardship Team is very grateful to everyone who pledged and everyone who helped us on the campaign. And to those of you who still have to get your pledge in, know that we need you and want you to join us to Answer the Call of Love and Justice! 

To pledge online, go to: 

uusociety.org/donate/stewardship/

Please click here to RSVP!  

The Sanctuary and Solidarity Task Force seeks to deepen our understanding of Islam to combat Islamophobia and be ready for solidarity actions with our neighbors of this faith. The Task Force has invited me to teach two classes about Islam, based partly on what we teach our 7th graders in the world religions program called Building Bridges.

The next class is this Sunday, May 6 from 12:30-2 p.m. , and is called "Islam - Contemporary Issues." We will start softly with a game about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to re-discover what we already know. We will again have a table of Islam-themed "show and tell" items. We will discuss differences among Muslims while viewing a handout about Sunni and Shia sects and discussing a story about the life of Khadijah, wife of the prophet Muhammed. To flush out issues, we will consider the role of women in religious and everyday life, both in contemporary and historical times. Half the class will argue that "Muslim Women Are Equal," and the other will argue that "Muslim Women Are Unequal." We will discuss Muslims in peace and conflict, based on the viewpoint that Islam is going through a reformation (as argued by religious scholar and author Reza Aslan). We will have time for asking questions and having discussions, and ending on time will be our challenge!

The first class met on April 22 to review the lesson "Peace by Surrender." If you missed it, not to worry! We will make available the handouts from the first class, showing the numbers of religious adherents worldwide, the Five Pillars of Islam, and a Fact Sheet on Islam, including the beliefs shared with UUism.  

Will you attend on May 6? What topics do you want to learn about? Do you have pictures or objects to share? Please reply to [email protected],

(802) 497-0920 (during daylight hours).

First  UU families cherish this annual gathering. We'd love to have you come join us!

Your Board of Trustees will be changing the dates of both the May and June meetings to accommodate scheduling conflicts and upcoming deadlines. The May Board meeting will be held  on Thursday, May 10 at 6 p.m. The agenda for this meeting will include finalizing the warning for our Society's Annual Meeting that will be held on  June 3 .  The June Board meeting will be held on  Tuesday, June 5 .

Thank you-
Your Board of Trustees

Did you know? Even if you have been attending services for a long time, taken the New UU classes and made a financial commitment/pledge, you are not a Member of the FUUSB unless you have signed the Membership Book! Among the many great reasons to become a Member is the right to vote at congregational meetings including the Annual Meeting coming up  June 3. At the Annual Meeting we vote on our budget for the coming year and a slate of new officers, and sometimes also on bylaw changes or other major decisions. 

The deadline for signing the Membership Book in time to vote at this year's meeting is Sunday, May 13.  On May 13, we will have the book up front on the chancel right after each service for those who are ready to sign - Just meet Nina up front. If you would like to sign the book but will not be here on May 13, please contact Nina at 

[email protected] and she will arrange a time to do this with you.

On Sunday, May 20 , we will begin our one service  summer schedule. Join us for worship at 10 a.m. on  Sundays! 

Please keep in mind that parking may be in  shorter supply, so you may want to allow extra time.

 

HOW TO REACH 

THE CARE NETWORK TEAM

Please let the Care Network Team know if you are aware of someone in the community who could use some support, whether it be a visit, a comforting prayer shawl, or a meal. The email is:  [email protected] .

• Shirley Wolfe would greatly appreciate a couple meals every week while her husband, Roy Neuer, is at Fanny Allen Rehab recovering from a stroke.  
• Miriam (Tammy) Strauss is dealing with long-term health issues caused by being rear-ended by a cattle truck. One meal every week is a major support to her. Hannaford, Rite Aid or gas station gift cards are also welcomed. See the meal train for more details.
• Kathy Bonilla has been fighting a long-term health battle and she and her two granddaughters truly appreciate the help that a few meals a week can be. 

SIGN UP HERE:  mealtrain.com/uusociety