UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
The Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Senior Minister
The Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, Minister of Congregational Life and Religious Education
The Reverend Dave Clements, Interim Minister Consultant
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June 1, 2021

Dear Members and Friends –

During this past year, our Ministers have been exploring with the Board and members of our congregation a variety of ways to strengthen and broaden educational programming at UUCB.

Rev. Dave Clements, as our Interim Minister Consultant, has shared with us how past models for religious education are no longer serving the needs of Unitarian Universalist and Protestant congregations across the board. As families find their lives to be increasingly busy, we need to adopt new educational models grounded in life-long learning, engagement, and building relationships at all ages throughout the church community.

This congregation deeply values the work that Rev. Emily Manvel Leite and Director of Religious Education Adrienne Summerlot have done over the past many years. Their work has given us a solid foundation from which we can begin a process of reimaging religious education to meet the expanding needs of our congregation.

To assist us in launching this process of growth and exploration, the Ministers and Board plan to hire a UUA Credentialed Consultant in Lifespan Faith Development who will serve as our Interim Director of Religious Education for the year ahead. Our Interim DRE will engage with congregants of all ages as we explore together our needs and the opportunities for Religious Education post-COVID, and will assist us in building an RE program that is robust and well established as we enter the ministerial search process ahead.

We anticipate providing further information at the zoom Congregational Meeting on June 13, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. and look forward to seeing you then.

Sincerely,

Stuart D. Yoak, President, pres (at) uubloomington.org
Abby Gitlitz, Vice President
Steven Gilbert, Secretary
Rich Slabach, Treasurer
Julie Lawson, Member at Large
Jane McLeod, Member at Large
Drew Schrader, Member at Large

Board of Directors
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
2120 North Fee Lane, Bloomington, IN 47408
office mobile: 812-287-9615

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May 31, 2021

Dear Friends,

As you have read in the preceding message, there will be changes in our religious education program in the coming days, and both of us will be leaving our work with religious education at the end of June. At that point, Adrienne (and her family) are planning to practice an extended absence from the congregation to allow us to move forward and welcome new leadership. Reverend Emily will be letting go of her religious education work to focus more fully on her new half-time position at UUCB: Minister of Story and Ritual.

Our feelings are mixed as we let go of our leadership in religious education. It has been an honor and a delight to work with families, children, youth, staff and volunteers in our community and to create a program that invites young people to embrace their Unitarian Universalist identity and become active participants in our congregational vision of Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, and Changing the World. We have learned so much from so many of you and shared many happy memories. It is hard to give up this work that each of us has found deeply fulfilling.  

We wanted to make sure you know that we are in complete concurrence with the Board that this is a great time to begin the work to hire a new person to oversee our Lifespan Faith Development program. It is an exciting opportunity to bring in new ideas at this time of regathering and transition for the congregation. We are looking forward with hopeful expectation towards the program that will emerge for this beloved community in the months and years ahead.

With many blessings for that journey,

Adrienne Summerlot
Director of Religious Education

Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Minister of Congregational Life and Religious Education
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Mailing address during Covid:
UU Church, PO Box 1158
Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158
Masthead photo by John Woodcock.