Letters from Leadership (Page 4)
Each week, our leadership publishes a message to keep the congregation informed about what’s happening at UUCE.
From the Executive Team (ET)
Greetings from the Executive Team Let me begin by saying WELCOME BACK! I think I can confidently say, on behalf of the entire Executive Team, that it is wonderful to see folks return to our prairie cathedral for in-person worship again. To those who attend via Zoom, we are certainly delighted to have you with us too as we work to improve the online experience with live-streaming of worship from the sanctuary (with upgraded equipment thanks to the generosity of…
From the Worship Team
It was so great to see everyone who was able to attend our service last Sunday! We were blessed with a beautiful day and a healthy turnout for our first in-person service in 2022! Several people stayed to walk the labyrinth and place the stones Rowan provided, thanks Rowan! I love spring! Buds are forming, grass is greening, and I rejoice in the rain! Ponds that looked doomed are teeming with life and the birds are singing happy songs. The…
From the Revitalization Team
Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where dem boidies iz? This silly saying pops into my mind every spring – can’t find an author to own up it! Our most exciting spring news right now is the Reopening Team’s announcement that an on-site service option will resume on March 20th! (We will still offer an online Zoom option for all services as well!) As I write this, statistics are still favorable and expected to improve. Thanks to…
From the Board President
Hi Everyone! I wanted to check in and give you an update on what your Board of Trustees has been working on. With the church closed I feel like we have less opportunity to get the word out on what we’re doing, and I sometimes forget that people would like to know what direction the Church is headed! We recently held a meeting that combined the Executive Team, the Revitalization Committee and the Board to discuss how we could all…
From Marj Askins, RE
Learning to be Together Again As we enter a new phase of this pandemic (again), and plan to be back in person for our Worship and Religious Education, I am feeling some tension – and I’m sure you are too. There is a strong desire to go “back” to the way things were before the virus, and also an urgent need to figure out how we do this in a new version of the world, one where we live alongside the virus…
-450x300.jpg)
From the Worship Team
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the place Dr. Seuss refers to as, “The Waiting Place”. This time of year I always seem to get stuck in The Waiting Place – waiting for W2s so we can get our taxes done (and, hopefully, get some money back), waiting for the weather to warm up, waiting for Spring Break… Hopefully, one thing we won’t have to be waiting on too much longer is a return to in-person activities and services! …
From the Revitalization Team
Everything you do matters. Each and every choice makes a difference. Maybe it won’t be a huge difference. Not every decision is going to be a do-I-move-across-the-country-and-take-that-new-job kind of choice. But they all do make a little difference. And cumulatively, these everyday choices determine what kind of life you have. Do I eat a salad or a burger for lunch? Do I bundle up and attend the church bonfire and spend time building community or do I stay at home, on the couch, and binge…
From Religious Education
Trying RE over Zoom It’s been a long time since we were together for RE way back in November and we’re really starting to miss the kids of UUCE! Now that the holidays are behind us, we’re starting to offer some time for our kids to see each other on Zoom until we can physically gather again. We know they miss each other and the community they find at church, so we hope to give them some time and some…
From the Worship Team
At our Worship Team meeting earlier this month, someone asked an interesting, thought-provoking question: why do we use the word “worship” in our Sunday service (e.g. Call to Worship)? For most of us, the word “worship” invokes images of supplicants kneeling before a higher power. As a non-creedal religion, Unitarian Universalists don’t come together to worship a common god – so what is it that we’re worshiping? The question reminded me of a sermon Rev. Brosier gave years ago that…
From the Revitalization Team
In the face of a continuous onslaught of challenges to the UUCE, I’m pleased to report that there are many reasons to remain optimistic about the future of our congregation. As part of the Revitalization Team, I’m fortunate to get to hear the excitement in the voices of our group members who are actively working to bring stability and enthusiasm back to our community. One of the consistent sources of that excitement is our transition to being lay led. While…
The Seven Principles
Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these Principles within a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience. As Rev. Barbara Wells ten Hove explains, “The Principles are not dogma or doctrine, but rather a guide for those of us who choose to join and participate in Unitarian Universalist religious communities.” 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every…
From the Board of Trustees
Welcome to the New Year! I hope you all had a great holiday season however you chose to celebrate and you’re all heading into 2022 full of hope and enthusiasm. I wanted to fill everyone in on what the Board has been up to recently and give you some information on the status of the church. It’s no secret that the Covid Pandemic and subsequent shut down has thrown the whole world for a loop, our church included. Our membership,…