For those of you who weren’t at the Martin Luther King Day Gathering at Hayward City Hall, it was a powerful experience. Terri Owen has been the chief organizer of this march for many years and once again the turnout filled the square and the march inspired those we passed in cars and on the sidewalks. Our church was joined by others in the South Hayward Parish in both celebration of how far we have come and the determination to achieve the changes that are so sorely needed. We had many speakers including our minister, the mayor, and Frank Burton who has been working tirelessly to promote the “Poor People’s Campaign.” The overriding message is that we believe in “the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” The previous Sunday we had an opportunity to view Naomi Klein’s documentary about climate change, corporate overreach, income inequality, but more importantly about a new way of looking at our world history that might allow our grandkids a chance to reach old age. We are in the planning stages for our Earth Day events, and we would appreciate your ideas, input and energy on this key event for our congregation. If there is an overriding message it is “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

The board is continuing to work on the “nuts and bolts” of the church business with a focus on living up to our Mission Statement and the Unitarian Principles and Purposes. We have met recently, both together and in small groups to find better ways to serve the church and form stronger bonds. Will Fitch and Jennifer Koney have devoted a lot of time and energy to both leading our efforts and learning from the diverse group that is our board. They truly represent the words “Justice, equity and compassion in human relations”. For those of you who got here early Sunday, January 14, we played host to an Owl group of youths and their chaperones. They were a great group of kids and this is just one step to creating greater cooperation between congregations. On the weekend of January 26th, we are doing the “Beloved Conversations” workshop with Mt. Diablo UU church; we hope you had a chance to attend this event which promotes “the goal of worldcommunity with peace, liberty, and justice for all.”