Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Dear Friends of United Christian Church of Austin,
This is an unprecedented time in our church and in our world. We are struggling personally with the implications of Covid-19, and as a church community, we’re asking “What Next?”
Over the past two weeks, your church leadership and Council have spent many hours in meetings discussing this very question, “What Next?” Last week, we heard a presentation from our Ad Hoc Structural Committee about our staff and leadership structure. Last night, we heard a second presentation from those with experience in interim ministry about the interim tasks we have yet to accomplish. We have asked hard questions. We have spoken the truth in love. Yet through it all, your leadership has emerged hopeful, ready, and unified on this roadmap for the months ahead that we would like to share with you.
Naturally, you’ll have many questions about this roadmap which represents hours of presentations condensed into a single infographic. Your council, pastors, and staff have been prepared on how to field your questions. We anticipate that coffee hour breakout rooms after worship will be one of many opportunities to listen and ask more about “What Next?”
It would also be natural that you would be feeling anxiety about these changes, especially given the climate we’re living in. Beginning on May 10th Rev. Anna, your Minister of Music and Worship, will lead us through a sermon series titled “What Next?” where together we will dive into what it means to walk faithfully with God into the unknown. We will strive to create worship experiences where we can tune into what God is up to in this time and preach to your uncertainty about both our church and world.
As your Executive Minister, Rev. Nikki will be our sherpa through this process of organizational becoming. Along with a team of lay leaders, our entire community will be engaging in an exciting process of inquiry, dreaming, and innovation. We look forward to hearing from each of your during this community-wide discovery process!
Bob Fuller has already begun to increase our church communications in this time so that we can be fully transparent, and bring along as many people as possible in this journey of becoming.
We are truly a remarkable church family. You can see it each Sunday as you look out over our pews, as you scroll through our gallery view on Zoom, or as you read the Facebook posts in our in-house group. We believe the best is yet to come and we are excited to ask God with you, “What Next?”
Much heart,
