September is a little like January – a fresh start and a clean slate after the summer. Whether you or yours are in school, teaching, or no longer connected to an academic schedule, the CPC calendar is here to remind you we are diving into the second half of the church year with many opportunities to re-engage.
Our Mid-Year Meeting earlier this week, the first Choir Practice on the 9th, and the start of Sunday School along with our Welcome Fall Potluck (sign up here!) on the 13th bring us together after Pastor Ellen’s Summer Sabbath and a season with irregular schedules for many of us. I recall past “blessing of the backpacks” when my son was small enough to be excited to bring his school bag to church. Now, I appreciate knowing he headed back to college with a stronger sense of who he is and whose he is thanks to time spent among you as part of this community over the years.
At the Mid-Year Meeting, lay leaders shared updates on the new Legacy Giving initiative and the Assistance Fund. The Trustees and Finance Team also updated the Congregation on their portfolios. Thanks to everyone who shared a little more of your Sundays with CPC by joining in person or via Zoom – check out updates on our Congregation’s activities from many volunteer lay leaders either online or by picking up a print copy at church this Sunday.
I shared news about two efforts intended to help us continue evolving as a community:
- Dialogue Initiative – This initiative is one way we can Improve our ability to communicate and make decisions effectively and respectfully with each other as a UCC Congregation, especially across different generations, lived experiences, and viewpoints. Thanks to all who responded to the survey sent out via email earlier this summer. A team of six volunteers from the congregation will work with a facilitator trained on Sustained Dialogue to help us on this path (in alphabetical order): Anne Lee, Deb Neimeier, John Williamson, Katherine Stevens, Maggie Micklo, and Ross Parks. The Council approved an initial phase of this work in June – stay tuned for more from this group later this fall.
- By-Laws Review – A small team has begun reviewing our Constitution and By-Laws to identify potential improvements to recommend to the Congregation at our January Annual Meeting. This document – first adopted in 1985 – has been revised eight times since then (see the revision history on the last page). Thanks to John Tichy, Anne Lee, Elizabeth Schiemann, and John Buchanan for taking on this periodic review.
Meeting attendees raised questions about financial matters, the Dialogue Initiative, and plans for an Outdoor Classroom in our side yard to support our tenant, Kinderhaus. This slide deck from Sunday’s meeting may help you identify who to contact on specific issues, or perhaps to get more involved yourself. You can always send inquiries to gro.hcruhccpc@ofni, and our wonderful Church Administrator, Meg, will help route your questions to the right place. You are welcome to reach out to me at gro.hcruhCCPC@rotaredoM – though I may not be able to respond promptly.
Fall reminds me of the foundation CPC provides our young people returning to school and all of us as we go forth into the world to make a positive difference where we can, nurturing love of God and love of neighbor.
With gratitude for each of you and all you do,
Melissa L.
Moderator
P.S. The Young Adult Group will be leading worship this Sunday – I’m looking forward to seeing what they have to offer, and thank the group for stepping up!