Diving In – Water Communion and So Much More!
Beloveds,
We start a new church year this month and have a lot of exciting things on the horizon. Later this month, on September 25th, we will celebrate Water Communion as a Multigenerational and interactive service. This is the first time we will have the opportunity to have a hybrid version and our goal is to make it meaningful for everyone to participate from wherever you are. Rather than bringing in your own water, we will have a basin of water for individuals and families to place a stone representing the mark we leave in one another’s lives and in the wider world. We will include folx online during this process with someone in person adding a stone for each person attending virtually.
This year, we will be utilizing Soul Matters Sharing Circle theme-based resources. The themes will be used for Worship, Music, Religious Exploration, and Small Group Ministry. This offers the congregation an opportunity to dive more deeply into the shared theme beyond worship and connect with one another about what resonates in those various aspects of ministry.
The Small Group Ministries (or Chalice Circles) will begin in October so stay tuned for additional information and the opportunity to sign up for sessions. The groups (5-10 people) will meet monthly through May. There will be a few options of day/time to choose from as well as zoom and in-person options. If you expressed interest in the Engagement Survey, we will be reaching out with the sign-up information but don’t worry it will also be opened to everyone in case you haven’t been able to fill out the survey yet.
We have had over 70 responses to the Engagement Survey and you have expressed interest in a lot of opportunities. We will begin developing and scheduling additional offerings based on those responses. If you haven’t and would like to fill out the survey you can do so here https://forms.gle/BdhoYUYxXR9bmFxr5.
May you be well, Rev. Holly
About the author
Rev. Holly Brown, Interim Minister
Rev. Holly (they/them/theirs) was ordained on April 3, 2021, by Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church in Charlotte and Salisbury, NC, where they served as a ministerial intern. Rev. Holly earned their Master of Divinity from Methodist Theological School in Ohio (MTSO) with a special focus on UU courses offered by the UU House of Studies at MTSO. During seminary, they served as a student minister at North Unitarian Universalist Church in Lewis Center, Ohio and student chaplain during one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Rev. Holly also served as an Interim Director of Religious Education at the UU Congregation of Greenville, NC before perusing ministry.
Rev. Holly has a passion for Racial Justice, LGBTQIA Rights, Interfaith Work, and Mental Health Awareness and Accessibility Justice. In addition to local justice work, Rev. Holly is a member of several UUA and UUMA (UU Ministers Association) groups including TRUUsT (Trans Religious professional Unitarian Universalists Together), Trans/Nonbinary Ministers, Ministers with Disabilities, ARE (Allies for Racial Equity), and the UU Mental Health Network.