Fall has officially started and the days are just a little cooler (by California standards). At UUSM, fall is the beginning of the church year (similar to how educational institutions start their school year). This church year is bringing us several additional changes.
Rev. Diana started as settled minister seven weeks ago, has been in the pulpit several times, and is leading many new and renewed efforts. Rev. Diana, along with a dedicated search committee, are well underway in the search for a Director of Music. We have excellent candidates. The newly appointed Director of Music will start sometime this fall, although I can’t provide a specific date.
You may have noticed that I spend time with our church kids and usually head out to the cottage when they leave the sanctuary. I enjoy working with our little ones and I’ve become good friends with them. Making sure that our children’s program is thriving, especially that it’s well staffed, is important to me. In the absence of a Director of Religious Education, we have been fortunate that church members have stepped up to do this important work. Maddie Van Beek was Interim RE Coordinator over the summer and has now finished in that role. Maddie provided warmth, consistency, and fun activities every Sunday since June 21! We have loved working with Maddie and will miss her in the cottage.
Raf Ibay and Lisa Moran have joined us as Interim RE Coordinators. Raf will be responsible for children’s programing in the cottage on Sundays. Lisa will support our youth and families and restart our OWL programs. Meanwhile, we are at the beginning of the search for a permanent RE Director. Again, I am grateful for the church members who have stepped up to work with our church kids. They are special!
This first weekend of October is our church weekend at the DeBenneville Pines. This year’s weekend is special because we have not been able to have church weekend at DeBenneville for the last two years due to fires in 2024 and mudslides in 2025. We are grateful to have this beautiful resource as part of our UU world.
Every Sunday, I am grateful to each and every one of you for the tremendous work you do for our community. I love the energy at church—it’s contagious. We are committed to sharing our vision and values with each other and the larger world.
