Dearly Beloved,
Raindrops send ripples through the muddy puddle outside my kitchen window (the yard's a bit of a mess). The trees that line the ditch between my home and the Chilson Rec Center are chasing gold, and the cheeky squirrels (as Cora affectionately calls them) have hidden themselves away, hopefully staying dry on this cold and rainy autumn evening.
I find myself energized coming off of the Nominating Committee's meeting this afternoon (Tuesday). The team is approaching their work a little differently this year. They want to align their way of working with our congregation's mission: to nurture spiritual growth, foster deep social connection, serve with compassion, and practice mindful stewardship and our congregation's vision: that ALL people experience belonging, purpose, and the boundless love of God.
Through this nominating process, the committee seeks to cultivate excitement, clear communication, collaboration, and commitment among themselves and within our wider congregation. To find those places where your passions, talents, experience, and interest meet our congregation's needs. They want to be invitational in offering opportunities for each of you to participate and find purpose within this community of love and belonging.
The Nominating Committee will be working over the next month to communicate about opportunities for spiritual growth, social connection, service, and stewardship. These opportunities include service in our wider community, engagement with groups and activities within our congregation, and elected positions within our church.
This shift in the committee's approach is truly thanks to each of you and the work of the Vision and Ministry Discernment Committee (VMDC). One of the pieces of helpful feedback the committee received by way of the VMDC was the need for clearer communication in general about opportunities within our congregation for service and leadership.
Over the next few weeks, be on the lookout for an email outlining the many and varied opportunities for spiritual growth, social connection, service, and stewardship within our congregation -- some of these are elected positions, some are more informally organized, and some are simply come if/when you can. The Nominating Committee is in the early stages of planning times for you to ask questions about various committees, commitments, and opportunities within the congregation. And finally, you will be invited to prayerfully discern where you might engage and serve next year or in years to come.
After all of that, the Nominating Committee will look to connect your gifts and interests with the particular leadership opportunities opening up this year and in years ahead. If you have questions about their process, don't hesitate to reach out to Rhonda Racicot, Allie Mason, Lee Daniels, Craig Bialy, or myself.
I am grateful for the ways in which our congregation's Mission & Vision statements provide clarity and guidance for the HOW of our life together as church. I'm grateful for creativity. For constructive criticism that helps us all do better together. And for the invitation -- again and again and again -- to be God's church, to be God's hands in the world, and to live love together today, tomorrow, and always.
In love and hope,
Thandiwe
