Settling in. As the seasons change, and we tend to move indoors, we’re also adjusting to new ministry team members. I’m enjoying doing this good work with Darcy and with Roy, and I’m hoping you are finding time to get to know them, too. I’m hoping you’ve been able to make time to read their columns/blogs. All three of us are writing for the newsletter and those same pieces can be found as entries on the website under the “blog” heading. If you are a parent, you’ll be getting Darcy’s Weekly Updates, and if you aren’t but you want to, let me know, and I’ll make sure you get added to the list. I send out a Weekly Update too—let me know if you haven’t seen that. We want you to receive the communication you desire.

As part of our settling in, we are creating Religious Exploration, not only for children, but for adults as well. The majority of the offerings at SKUUC are still in the planning stages, but we’ve already kicked off the reading portion of our Common Read with the book The New Jim Crow. Roy King, Jr. will lead Building Your Own Theology beginning in January. Darcy Baxter will be coordinating a casual gathering for Parents as Resident Theologians. I will lead a class called, What We Choose: Ethics for UUs and in the spring, another class, Odyssey Writing for Elders. Also in January, we are planning on participating with another congregation in Jubilee: Anti-racism Training, and I plan to invite in my colleague to lead a dream workshop sometime this coming year.

Usually, when we think of religious education (or exploration), we think of children. But we know that one of the draws of this Unitarian Universalist tradition is the love of learning. Our tapestry of faith, and the opportunity to engage in ongoing, adult learning, nurtures Unitarian Universalist identity, spiritual growth, a transforming faith, and vital communities of justice and love.

Your schedules are full. So we’ll do our best to offer fewer sessions so that you don’t have to commit to something long term—unless you want to. As always, we have wonderful ongoing groups at church like Morning Discovery, Evening Meditation, the book group, SKIT (Starr King Improv Theatre), and the Elderberries. Let me know if you’d like to be involved, or if there is something you’d like to make happen.

Together, we’re learning, growing, changing and making this the world we dream about.

With gratitude,

Katie