Read the full issue of this week’s newsletter, The Weekly Liberal, here.

In this week’s Liberal, Rev. Jen Crow writes:

This week has been full of meetings, but not the kind of meetings that leave you longing to escape. Energizing, hopeful, satisfying, and creative – these have been the hallmark feelings of the many meetings I’ve participated in this week as small groups of congregants and staff have gathered with our architects to further inform our vision of how our building can better support our mission. Welcoming Hospitality, Education, Social Justice & Racial Justice, Worship Experience, Building & Grounds, and Administration have been the topics of these meetings as we have listened deeply to the hopes and dreams we share.

With the successful completion of our capital campaign coming into view, we are hard at work gathering information that will allow us to make the best possible decisions about how to spend that money. Voices from all areas of congregational life are being heard by both our architects and our Building Team. The Building Team will ensure that a Racial Justice lens is being applied to all decisions, and will ultimately make recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding the Capital Budget and the scope of our project. The Building Team is made up of church members and staff with experience in finance, construction, architecture, interior design, project management, and sustainability. Building Team members include: Keven Ambrus, Eric Cooperstein, myself, Christine Devens, Shawn Gaither, Paul Kloth, Kristen Mengelkoch, Christina Nicholson, Rev. Justin Schroeder, Jenn Stromberg, and Peter Styx.

In addition to the focus groups held last fall, attended by over 150 congregants, and the pre-design process led by our own in-house volunteers (who just happen to be architects and interior designers and leaders of our past capital campaign), we are listening again this fall to your hopes and dreams. You’ll have a chance to meet our architectural team for open-house style listening sessions on both Sunday, Sept. 24 from 12:45-1:45 p.m. and again on Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Come dream big with us, and imagine how we might live even more fully into our mission of giving, receiving and growing.

In gratitude,
Rev. Jen