The Meridian
Board Notes ─ January 2023
The board is grateful for the time and thought that members are dedicating to the improvement of how UUCT functions! This month several reports from congregational teams led to meaningful discussions about the use of the endowment, the asking budget, campus security, and the current governance experiment. Thanks to all who participated in the recent…
Centering BIPOC Voices: February & March Book Discussions
For our February 11th meeting, the Centering BIPOC Voices Book Group will discuss “Home Going” by Yaa Gyasi, 2016, about two sisters and their descendants. In the 1770s, one sister was sold into slavery, and the other became a slave trader’s wife. Gyasi takes us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the plantations of…
Food for Thought Takes on Sugar
That Sugar Film is an entertaining documentary in which a young man (Damon Gameau) experiments on himself to see what effect a high-sugar diet has on his body. The film reveals the hidden sugars in many processed foods, even supposedly healthy ones, and includes two road trips to places where the population has been damaged by…
Developmental Minister Search Update
Last April, our congregation voted in favor of pursuing the search for a Developmental Minister to fill the position that will be vacated when Rev. Holly Brown completes their Interim Ministry in July 2023. In May, past Board President Brian Lee and Rev. Holly Brown met with Christine Purcell from the UUA Transitions Office and…
The Endowment, the 8th Principle and You
Our commitment to the 8th Principle offers a new question for the endowment. What does it mean to be a congregation with an endowment and a commitment to building the Beloved Community? Our relationship to the endowment has already changed over time. For a number of years the congregation let the endowment grow with the…
Even To Question, Truly Is An Answer *
As a congregation, we set our intention last May to work towards building a diverse multicultural Beloved Community that works to dismantle racism. Does that sound too big a job for our small community of communities? Are you wondering how we will do this? What will change? Where should we start? The 8th Principle group…
Thriving and Surviving in 2023
Can a food pantry Thrive and Survive in 2023 when faced with increased needs, costs, supply chain disruptions, aging and tired volunteers? Manna on Meridian entering its 14th year, answers that question “YES”. But that “yes” will take help from all of us. In pre- Covid 2020, Manna, monthly: served approximately 130 families; received donations…
Message from the Minister
Happy New Year, Beloveds! A new year brings lots of excitement and some new opportunities. There are changes and many things to look forward to. You will have the opportunity to participate in monthly small group ministry circles based on the monthly theme packets from Soul Matters Sharing Circle. A zoom format will take place on…
Board Notes ─ December 2022
Holiday greetings to you from your Board! Check out our totally unrehearsed video. Everyone should use the “buddy system” when visiting the grounds outside business hours. Rev. Holly Brown has mentioned in church services that several people have seen a person and/or evidence of a person staying on the church grounds. Recognizing the importance of…
December’s Congregational Meeting
Check out the December 4th congregational meeting minutes! The agenda included a vote to hold the ordination for E.N. Hill, a review of the budget process and calendar for FY 2023-2024, and brief reports from the search committees for the next Director of Religious Exploration and the Developmental Minister. These draft minutes will become final…
Centering BIPOC Voices: January and February Book Discussions
For our January 14th meeting, the Centering BIPOC Voices Book Group will discuss South to America: A Journey South of the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry (HarperCollins Publishers, 2022). Perry, a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, recently won the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction for the book. It is the story…
Food for Thought in the New Year
Let’s start the new year off to a good start and get healthy! Join Linda Oaksford, a certified Food for Life instructor, and other participants to learn about which foods and ingredients to prioritize for brain health. Drawing from the book Power Foods for the Brain by Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, the class will guide participants through the research supporting…