One of my priorities in this COVID time has been to provide quality Sunday meetings by experimenting with new technologies and building the capacity of the Sunday Service Ministry to provide virtual services. We are averaging 35 people connecting on Sunday mornings through GoToMeeting and recently the Sunday Service Ministry provided the first virtual service without any help from me. Please contact Diane Diachishin if you are able to contribute to this vital Ministry.
A second priority has been tending to the worst off, by increasing the Minister’s Discretionary Fund and distributing those funds, securing grant funding, and providing compensation and guidance to Bryon Abrams who is leading the food security initiative. I celebrate the generosity of members and friends who responded to my requests. More than thirty individual donors have contributed. So far, I have distributed funds to ten households, for rent, food, and utilities, impacting 48 people (21 adults and 27 children). Bryon has delivered non-perishable foods to at least fifty households in the month of May. Please contact Bryon Abrams, or sign up as a volunteer on the UUCRT website, if you are able to contribute to this vital Ministry.
A third priority has been to build the capacity of the Care Team, and provide ongoing supervision and guidance. Members and friends have utilized the Care Team at unprecedented levels. The Care Team will be moving into phase two of the support group offerings, with group consolidation, fewer offerings during the week, and rotating coverage. This shift is underway in order to deliver a model of care that can endure for the foreseeable future. Please contact Jaye Moyer, Donna Deming or Jan Kinney if you would like to join a support group or are looking for ways to help care for members and friends in our community.
A fourth priority has been to support the Communications Ministry. I have drafted press releases and updated the UUCRT website Meetings page to include video links to six of my most recent homilies. I have updated recent news with the latest guidance from the UUA about reopening. Please contact Kris McGrath, John Kinney, or Nan Dempster, if you are able to contribute to this vital ministry.
The UUA General Assembly meets at the end of June. For the first time, the meeting will be entirely virtual. The UUCRT is allotted two delegates. Please contact Board President Hollis Kellogg if you are able to serve in this capacity.
I am available to meet by phone or by videoconference. You can schedule appointments with me online with this link. https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13792450
See you on Sunday.
Chris