By Michelle Zechner, UUCWC Board of Trustees
Fall is a time of transition, when leaves slowly drift to the ground, evenings grow earlier, and the weather turns colder. It is also the season to prepare for new growth of spring and summer flowers. Here at UUCWC, we are in a similar transition period.
Our long-term Director of Congregational Life, Robin Pugh, will retire in January after years of service at the church. We celebrate Robin and her many contributions to the church and wonder what the future will look like without her. At the same time, we are preparing to say goodbye to our beloved Rev. Lisa Schilansky, who, after serving us first as ministerial intern and currently as Assistant Minister of Justice and Pastoral Care, is leaving to open a new chapter in her life. Many of us feel uncertain and maybe even a little scared about these upcoming changes and goodbyes, which is a normal response to change.
The Board at UUCWC is working diligently to evaluate all options to support the church during these transitions and to ensure the future health of our community. We established a Sustainability Task Force to assess the financial feasibility of hiring a new Assistant Minister. After these discussions, the Board and Reverend Kim are proceeding with seeking an Assistant Minister through the UUA’s ministerial search process. Updates, including details on the Task Force’s recommendations and the search process, will be shared more broadly in January and February.
Changes are a natural part of life, and in fact, change offers opportunities to grow and define who we are and who we want to become. During this transition, we can lean on our community’s strengths with kindness, courage, curiosity, and love at the core. Our resilience stems from embracing our past with Robin and Rev. Lisa, knowing they have laid the groundwork for our community’s success. Our future will be stronger because of the gifts they have given and their presence, and we will discover new ways to connect, learn, and advocate thanks to their valuable contributions. We can honor these by trusting that, together, we will grow and thrive in the years ahead.
As the poet and mystic Rumi said, “Life’s picture is constantly undergoing change. The spirit beholds a new world every moment.”
May we stay open to and embrace all of the new moments ahead.