Midweek Message - June 18, 2026

Last year, before I went on summer travels, I put out an update on both my first 65 days as well as what I planned to do when I was away.  A lot of people told me how much they appreciated my transparency, and so I thought I’d make it a tradition, so here’s an update on my first 444 days and where I’m heading this summer!  (Next year it will just be a regular 365 days .)

I started in April of 2025 and had 8 weeks of the regular Church Year programming before we started our experiment of Summer FUUN - building fellowship among our children of all ages in the Morgan House and surrounding parking spaces (1 spot less than last year!  I managed to squeeze it into 13 spots this year instead of 14.  Thank you for accommodating us in this way until Labor Day!). 

I held listening sessions and asked you what you wanted to Keep, Stop and Start doing as it pertains to Children, Youth & Families, and I’ve kept that button live in every eblast, as I love your suggestions - keep ‘em coming!

Last year the program overall was so burgeoning, I didn’t feel like I should or could take the full Ministerial time off in the summer - my boots needed to be on the ground here at FUUN for getting this first full year up and running

That choice both paid off, and I’m also starting to feel the extra time exerted!  

By the time Water Communion launched us into our regular programming, I had researched, consulted colleagues and had planned a whole year for our kids, as well as a 5 year vision of how to get us back on track. And I did a ton of running around, cleaning up, and moving supplies on our campus.  And did I mention I had knee surgery?  I, collaborating with Rev. Charlotte, started sending birthday cards with goofy jokes (my apologies for all of the cornball humor, families!) to every registered kid in our program.  I went to the November Sr. High Mountain Con and the annual LREDA Fall Con.  Both opened my mind to increased possibilities here at home.  We had our first-in-a-good-long-while Christmas pageant! (Thanks Jr. Youth!) I’ve seen performances at elementary, middle and high schools this year - our congregants are pretty talented!

Every 3-4 years the UUMA has a Ministerial Institute for Learning in January, which, luckily was this January and I learned even more. (And I got to leave my electricity-less home for 4 days to go - I do not miss the Ice Storm Days!)  I went to the Mountain again with our Jr. Youth and made JETPIG hoodies for us to wear as a cohesive group, borrowing a van from Calvary UMC down the road, which made it affordable for our families.  

We had our first Coming of Age cohort in 9 years, and our second year of Bridging in this new fuller way.  In the CYFFT end of year report  it was full of the word collaborating - with lead crafters, with volunteers, (and their donations of time, talent and treasure!) with interfaith clergy friends, with families, with my team of Marina (Childcare) Claire (Jr. Youth) and now Taqiyyah ((Sr.) Youth & Emerging Adults, a.k.a YEA!) with the team of all of our FUUN employees, and most of all with Rev. Charlotte - with whom it is a joy to work.  Did I mention she shares her office so that Jr. Youth can have a place big enough to meet?

And this year, Summer FUUN has a guide (Claire) for older kids so they are not lost in the shuffle.  My constant scouring of NextDoor Free has beefed up our game room and our blocked off parking lot with basketball, Ninja lines, swings, waterplay, magnet darts, and mini air hockey, one hole mini golf, and a piano (well, that was there, but no one was sure they if could play it). (Yes, they can play it! A new sign says so!)  Our Capek (Cha-peck)/stage room now has a (free) puppet theatre as well as all of the board games, books, and arts and crafts from which to choose.  I stayed on budget all year and used the treasures I found in various nooks all over campus.  Our own congregational artist, Suzanne LeBeau, helped the kids make an amazing mural that helps kids know that there are kids here from the moment you drive into the parking lot - this was important because we know that, all things equal, what causes families to choose one church over another is whether or not there are other families.  I also signed our playground to let our neighbors know that they are absolutely welcome to play here. And there was a lot of other stuff, but I’ve already gone on too long.

And now, dear ones, this last year of growth and community and generally saying YES to generally amazing people and deeds has me really very ready to head into vacation and study leave weeks.  I’ll be here until I’m onsite for Ministry Days in Louisville on Juneteenth.  I’ll keep going North to MI to head to a family reunion.  Then SE to dear friends in the DC area, culminating in a few days of personal solo retreat where I’ll be totally off the grid.  Completing the triangle, I’ll head to our UU retreat center The Mountain to be at Religious Educators Week July 5-10. I’m heading to FUUN the week of July 12 to troubleshoot, check in, reorder, and work on the Sr. Youth room.   The next few weeks will hold study leave, where I’m excited to plan out the Crossing Paths  (formerly known as Neighboring Faiths) curricula and dates, our Faith Formation retreat (save the date! 10-2 on Sat. August 15 - lunch included in the Social Hall for any and all FF volunteers)  and our OWL year, and the year for all ages in general (which is why we need your Registrations for 26-27, ;) sign up so we can plan how many adults and in which rooms! If you have a Jr or Sr. Youth All kids, Nursery though 12th grade need a registration. Nursery Registration , Pre-K (age 4) thru-12th grade Registration).

I’m back at it with you the week of August 10.   Until then Beloveds, thank you for an amazing 444 days.  Let’s do it again in August, shall we?