March always feels like a threshold month to me. We’re not quite in spring, but we can sense it coming. The light shifts. The air softens. There’s a subtle but unmistakable feeling that something is loosening.
That’s a little how this season feels in the life of our church as I enter my sixth month as your contract minister.
During that time, much of our work has been about stabilization — catching up, clarifying roles, and tending to systems that needed attention. It has been necessary work. Faithful work. But much of it has happened behind the scenes. Now I’m beginning to sense a shift.
Our recent Renewal Weekend, Belonging Conversation, and Town Hall didn’t just surface concerns; they surfaced energy. I’m seeing longtime members and newer folks in the same conversations, talking about who we are becoming. There’s a growing willingness to imagine not just how to manage what is, but how to lean toward what could be. That feels hopeful.
We recently welcomed four new members, and they are already sharing their time and talents in meaningful ways. Their presence has sparked interest from others who are asking about joining or learning more. I’ll be offering additional “Getting to Know UU” sessions this spring, and I hope you’ll continue inviting friends and neighbors to explore this community.
Behind the scenes, we’ve taken some practical steps to support this next season. We’ve upgraded our church management system to better integrate our database and strengthen communication. You’ll begin seeing improvements in the Weekly Connection, and eventually we hope to offer a church app as well. There will be a learning curve — there always is — but we are moving from conversation to action.
We also received a professional assessment of our sound system. Our in-person audio quality is strong. The remote experience still needs refinement, and we’re continuing to test and adjust. Hybrid worship remains important to who we are, and any changes will be made thoughtfully and clearly.
At the same time, pastoral care continues quietly and steadily. Several among us are navigating difficult seasons — health concerns, grief, family transitions, struggles that may never be spoken aloud. I’m grateful for our Caring Committee and for the ways you look out for one another. That quiet attentiveness is part of what makes this community real.
All of this leads to a deeper question we are living into together: What matters most to us?
For the past six months, I’ve been inviting us to look honestly at who we are and who we are becoming. That work has not primarily been about programs or budgets. It has been about clarity — about identity and calling. And clarity naturally leads to alignment.
If we are becoming clearer about what matters most, then the next step is asking how we align our lives with it — our time, our relationships, our financial resources, and our shared energy. Alignment is not about pressure; it’s about integrity. It’s about making sure the way we live matches what we say we value.
In the coming weeks, as we enter our stewardship season, that will be the invitation before us. Not simply to maintain what is, but to consider how we invest ourselves in what we believe is emerging here.
We are not rushing. We are not ignoring financial realities. But neither are we shrinking from the possibility that this congregation has more life in it than we sometimes imagine.
March feels like a month of leaning forward. And I am grateful to be leaning forward with you.
— Bill