Bill Warner, Board Member
For visual accessibility, I’m a cisgender white male with balding brawn hair, a short mostly grey beard & glasses wearing a blue shirt, and black fleece vest. And my ears can use a little help so I’m a grateful user of our assistive listening devices.
Deciding what to say in this post-election Board Connection was hard. Even preparing for the election’s outcome, I was thrown way off balance. You too?
And that’s really the thing.
I’ve got company here. You’ve got company here. We all have company here.
During personal and societal turbulence, one way through it is by not being – not feeling – isolated. Finding community.
Another way through turbulent times is continuing – perhaps expanding – what you already do to promote your priorities and values. Turbulence or not, your priorities and values are still your priorities and values. Keep them.
UUCCH offers community.
UUCCH promotes enduring values.
After the election, I’ve found support and strength here. Here or elsewhere, I hope you have also.
Four days after the election the Board met with the Governance Advisory Committee. THIS meeting had a bonus. Several members from the Arts & Aesthetics Team joined us to refine policies on signs and displays in our buildings and grounds. During those turbulent days, I was – I am – so grateful to have been part of such great collaboration.
At our Board meeting last Tuesday, we passed policies on grants and clarified our policy for speaking out on social issues. As part of our annual vision of ministry, the Board heard and is now considering priorities identified by our Infrastructure Advisory Committee. I’m so grateful for all the people working, loving and sustaining our community.
Rev. Eric and our ministry teams bring us together. They – no, We. WE, in our teams, are paths away from isolation and toward community.
The night after the election, Rev. Eric, Natasha, and the choir supported us with a very reflective, forward looking post-election service. In case you don’t know that service was planned well in advance and it was assumed that the outcome would not be known so soon. Well, we did know the outcome. While the assumption ended up being wrong, the team’s pre-planned service was oh SO right.
The Sunday after the election, Rev. Eric delivered his powerful and very centering What’s Next sermon. Did you notice how many people were here in the Sanctuary or on Zoom? We are people finding connection. We are people building community.
And then, last Wednesday, our Pride Alliance, Rev. Eric, the Choir and our community held a moving Transgender Day of Remembrance service.
I’ve mentioned only a few people A few committees. A few Teams. We have over 40 Board Committees and Ministry Teams. And that’s important. Because the work of all our teams, builds community. This is direct action, living into our values.
In our free faith, we value Equity. We value Transformation. We value Pluralism. We value Interdependence. We value Generosity. We value Justice, our theme for November. All of these with Love at the Center.
Thank you, teams for continuing your work!
As we prepare for the times ahead… As we come together this week to give thanks… On behalf of the Board, thank you for working with all of us, all of you, to strengthen ourselves and this welcoming beloved community.