Dear Beloveds,

The nights are getting cooler as they always do this time of year, the kids are back at school, and this Sunday is our annual Ingathering Service where we welcome each other back for another congregational year that we hope will be filled with love, joy, and purpose. It will also be a tender time as we come ever closer to the General Election in November. Tensions are high and our emotions can soar and drop in a heartbeat.

There are several things I’d like to share with you.

Rev. Dee Evans is now officially our ¼ time Assistant Minister! She will focus her time on our Welcoming and Pastoral Care Ministries. If you have a pastoral need, Rev. Dee is now the minister you will contact. I invite you to welcome her warmly to Eliot Chapel when you see her. 

Some of you will be aware that Debby Lovell, our Administrative Assistant and Communications Specialist, tragically lost her husband in an accident this past weekend. We are heartbroken for her and her daughter, and deeply concerned for them. Tragic news like this affects all of us differently. If you feel the need for spiritual support please do not hesitate to reach out to Rev. Dee. She will say more about that in this newsletter. There will also be a card you can sign at the Pastoral Care table during coffee hour this Sunday. You are also welcome to bring your own card and we will mail it for you. 

We are launching a fundraiser this weekend to support the Honduran family we adopted this spring. They are pursuing asylum status. We are living a promise we made several years ago in a congregational vote to become a Sanctuary Congregation and serve those who are most vulnerable within the immigration system. We have worked closely with CAPAS, a program of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and have the opportunity to apply for a matching grant that would provide $10,000 to support this family. All we have to do is secure $2500 in donations to unlock this matching grant. Let’s be a generous people! The link to give is here (select "Asylum Program Fund"). If you have any questions, the Immigration Justice Team is available during coffee hour.

Finally, you will notice a few changes to the beginning of the worship service on Sunday. This past spring we established a worship team and together we are reviewing the feedback received during the Minister Search process about our worshiping experience. We made these changes in response. This is a 3 month trial and we will welcome your feedback as we near the end of the trial period in early December. 

As Unitarian Universalists we have covenanted to put love at the center of all we do. Let us be, always, a loving people with open hearts, open minds, and open hands.

Yours in faith and love,

Rev. Krista Taves.

Lead Minister