Read this week’s issue of our newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Jan. 31

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

As the month turns into February, our worship theme turns, too – to Vision. And here’s what I know about vision in my own life and in the life of our congregation: the core of what we believe in and what we are all about stays the same; it’s the practice of how we live it out that changes over time. Let me give you an example.

Our capital campaign, Not for Ourselves Alone: Building an Inclusive Future, launched in 2016 with a particular vision. We wanted to make our building into a more effective tool for our mission. We wanted it to be more welcoming, more accessible, more useful to our community, and more financially and environmentally sound. We wanted our building to reflect our commitments to racial and environmental justice, and we wanted to put our largest resource to the best possible use for not just ourselves, but for our community, too.

First, we imagined a new welcome and drop-off center toward the rear of the parking lot. Then, architectural review and more thought led us to imagine a more prominent, accessible, and welcoming Dupont Avenue entrance. Long-looked-for documentation showed that we could build up on the foundation of the Religious Education wing, and we imagined a new third floor full of classrooms and meeting spaces. Then, cost came in for a reality check, and we realized that a third floor was likely not within our reach – and its exit took with it a sense of possibility and openness.

Conversations with Shir Tikvah continued all along in the background, as the synergies and shared commitments of our two congregations came to light. Commitments to racial justice, disrupting white supremacy culture, environmental stewardship, and creating spaces that reflected our values and our dedication to the community were shared. The dreaming began again, this time in the shape of co-location, and our two congregations decided to spend September of 2018 through June of 2019 in a time of discernment: asking and answering hard questions about finance and structure and learning about each other’s culture and commitments.

At the center of all of these changes has been our vision – a building that serves our mission. A building that is welcoming, accessible, useful to our community, and financially and environmentally sound and progressive. While the shape of our practice may shift and change, our vision from the beginning, and still, is to create a space that is not for ourselves alone.

May this vision guide us as the dreaming and the hard work of discernment continues.

In gratitude,
Rev. Jen

P.S. Please join us for our Annual State of the Church Meeting on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 12:45 p.m. in the sanctuary to learn more about the potential of co-location here at 3400 Dupont Avenue with Shir Tikvah.