Looking Forward!

Doug Zelinski, Director of Leadership Development  

"This year I'm all about congregational lay leaders appreciating that their efforts are not behind the scenes. I am humbly inspired when I meet with a group of Board members and Committee Chairs who realize that, collectively, they have the power to shift congregational culture by purposefully "going public" with the ways love has shaped their lives and with their hopes for how love can shape their congregation and the world."

Rev. Sue Phillips, District Executive

"I'm excited to work with congregations who are serious about faith development for people of all ages, and to celebrate the maturational and numerical growth that follows in the wake of that kind of congregational focus."

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And Now, Please Welcome...  

...Hilary Allen, a Master of Divinity student at the Episcopal Divinity School, who will be acting as Social Justice Intern at the District for this academic year. Hilary comes with an amazing background in community activism, anti-racism and multiculturalism. She attends First Parish in Brookline. 

When asked what she looks forward to in the coming year, she said: "...to being a part of the District's work at this exciting time as we learn about, develop, and communicate the work of Justice Ministry within congregations. It is my hope that I can offer my background, gifts, and current ministerial formation in service of the mission of keeping Spirit connected to our work for a just and beloved community." 

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Clean Up at Monson Congregation 

"What strikes me," says Ed Harrison, a congregant at the UU Parish of Monson, MA, "is how heartwarming it is that so many individuals pitched in to help us clean up the mess on our front lawn. The tornado just picked up the steeple and dropped it 10 feet away. Two trees on either side of the entrance were totally uprooted. Stumps needed uprooting. All of that work was done by church members and other people who just wanted to help whether they were UUs or not."

Though much of the labor was volunteer, there were still costs associated with the clean up. The church rented a dumpster and hired someone with a bucket loader to move debris into the dumpster. Bat guano that had built up in the steeple also needed to be dealt with. Finally, when the mess in the yard was cleaned up, some landscaping and reseeding were in order. The outdoor work alone cost $1500. An additional $3800 was needed to cap off the granite tower that became exposed when the steeple blew off.

It remains unclear what insurance will or will not cover. Funding from relief donations collected through the district office, therefore, has been extremely helpful. The congregation was able to move back into the church for morning services on September 11 and hold a dedication service that afternoon. Everyone in town was invited.

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