The Meridian
Board Minutes: March 2025
Thursday, March 27th, 20256:30 PM Board Attendees: Chase Den Beste, Marty Beech, Annette Pearce, Kim Ross, Sally Andersen Invited attendees: Rev. E.N. Hill, Greg DeAngelo, and Gwendolyn Waldorf Unable to Attend: Alden Hutchison The March 27, 2025 board meeting opened with a discussion about the church’s role in community transformation. Members shared plans to form…
Treasurer’s March 2025 Report to the Congregation
Pledges received in March of $28,630 were again well above the budgeted monthly amount. Current year pledges totaled $117,452 fiscal year-to-date, or 47.0% of annual budget, compared to our 75.0% target. With prepaid pledges included, current year pledge receipts are 76.7% of annual budget. March receipts for other recurring income of $980 brings our current…
Message from the DRE: May 2025
It’s May! This month includes Flower Communion, Volunteer Appreciation, Harmony Camp, and Sunday RE moving to Makerspace. Read on for updates! Harmony Camp 2025: Register Now!!! Children entering grades K-6 are invited to participate in the 2025 Harmony Camp from 5/27 – 5/30. You can register your child(ren) here. Camp registration is $185. Scholarships are…
Capital Area Justice Ministry (CAJM) News
Our 4th Nehemiah Action on March 31was a success—826 people attended to confront our public officials. Thanks to everyone who showed up, invited others, and wrote emails. Your actions are making a difference. We need to keep up the pressure! In the gun violence interruption strategies, we are building alliances and making slow but steady progress.…
Committees, Ministries, & Affinities, Oh My!
The Leadership Development Team is considering questions that members raised during congregational discussions last fall (in meetings held prior to the December 2024 bylaws vote). The Leadership Development Team collected the names of over a hundred UUCT groups, past and present. With input from the Board, the Committee on Shared Ministry, and staff members, we…
May 2025 Green Sanctuary Good News Corner
This month’s good news comes from Arizona via The New York Times: Living Car-Free in Arizona, on Purpose and Happily. One community near Phoenix is taking a “completely different” approach to development. By Cara Buckley Photographs by Rebecca Noble, March 25, 2025 Last year, when Andre Rouhani and Gabriela Reyes toured Culdesac Tempe, a rental…
Pledge Drive Update
We are making great progress toward our pledge goal of $253,927. We have extended the pledge drive to Friday, April 11, 2025. If you haven’t already done so, please record your pledge to support the church for 2025-2026. Here’s a link to the online pledge form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-Rrmo17i6MuLJvEL7TWsWiwleBXEKqFqgI-eRZLiK7k8QGA/viewform?usp=sharing If you have any questions, please…
Board Minutes: February 2025
Board Attendees: Chase Den Beste, Marty Beech, Annette Pearce, Kim Ross, Sally Andersen, Alden Hutchison Invited Attendees: Rev. E.N. Hill, Greg DeAngelo, and Gwendolyn Waldorf The agenda review and revisions took place, followed by a motion to approve the consent agenda and minutes, which was approved. The consent agenda included the approval of the January…
Treasurer’s February 2025 Report to the Congregation
Pledges received in February increased to $29,343 and exceeded the largest prior month’s pledge receipts this FY by more than $12,000. Current year pledges totaled $101,027 fiscal year-to-date, or 40.5% of annual budget, compared to our 66.7% target. With prepaid pledges included, current year pledge receipts are 70.1% of annual budget. February receipts for other…
Message from the DRE: April 2025
Happy April, beloveds! Read on for lifespan RE updates and Sunday schedules from the Director of Religious Exploration. Harmony Camp 2025: Register Now!!! Children entering grades K-6 are invited to participate in the 2025 Harmony Camp from 5/27 – 5/30. You can register your child(ren) here. Camp registration is $185. Scholarships are available for families…
The “I” Word
Inclusion! It’s about making all people feel welcome. From those of us attending remotely: Thank you for looking directly at the camera from time to time; for us, it’s eyecontact. We appreciate your waves; we find ourselves waving back! Thank you for remembering to always face the microphone while speaking. We are grateful when…
Love is Central: SUUSI 2025
SUUSI is the Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute, a walloping week long summer camp for the young and the young at heart, a meet-up of Unitarian Universalist community, bringing together old friends and new. SUUSI 2025 will be July 20-26 in Radford, VA In 2025, we will gather in the foothills of the Blue Ridge…