Welcome to 2021! Seems like we’ve been waiting a long time to say that and to put 2020 behind us. Many of the challenges of 2020 are still with us, yet 2021 is a year of possibilities. Now is a time to look at the opportunities that the new year brings and to set some intentions for ourselves in 2021.
One set of intentions that UUCP will help to determine is the community problems that the organization JUST Pensacola will focus on this year. The annual meeting of the interfaith coalition JUST Pensacola is scheduled on Monday, January 11, at 6pm. Many of you will remember that last year at this time, UUCP gathered at Forest Methodist Church with other congregations from our community to choose the issues of Criminal Justice and Education. We have the same opportunity on January 11 this year, but the event will be virtual. Details for registering for the online event have been distributed by email. You may also see the Social Justice page in this newsletter or you may contact Paula Montgomery for info. As a member congregation of JUST Pensacola, UUCP’s participation in this meeting is vital to deciding the problem areas we will focus on addressing in 2021.
Speaking of community issues, members of our congregation generously provided 19 new coats to children in need this winter. UUCP participated as a co-sponsoring organization of the Coats for Kids Drive spearheaded by a member of Allen Chapel AME church, a historic congregation in Pensacola. The coats were distributed just in time as we had a real cold snap at the end of December. See the article in this newsletter for more details and pictures of the coats and happy children wearing them.
Opportunities such as the coat drive provide us a chance to touch the lives of our greater community. We also continue to extend love and support to the people within our UUCP beloved community. During December, the Membership Team led a special effort to reach out to some of our Members who we have not been in touch with much lately. A few Members who have been shut-in received a poinsettia plant and others got cards to let them know we are thinking of them and hope to see their faces or hear their voices again soon on Zoom Sunday Coffee Hour, Friday Night Happy Hour, a live, online Sunday Service, or another opportunity.
On the topic of Ministry Team work, the Board was thrilled to accept Lesley Ortiz’s offer to lead the Caring Team. While the Caring Team members have done great work spotlighting the news of our Members and Friends, sending cards, providing hospitality, and responding to emergent needs of our Members and Friends, the team has been without an official leader for several years. Lesley is the perfect person for the job, and we are so appreciative that she has volunteered for this important role. Get in touch with Lesley if you know of someone in our church who needs some caring attention.
We are moving forward from the coronavirus pandemic with new perspectives and opportunities in 2021. Some of these opportunities and aspirations will be incorporated into the vision statement and Strategic Plan that is currently being worked on by an ad hoc committee appointed by the Board. The Strategic Plan Committee is co-chaired by Carol Trotter and Linda Cobb and includes Paula Montgomery, Emma Mulvaney, Jack Comstock, Barbara Goggins, and Bradley Vinson. Your input into the vision statement and Strategic Plan are essential, and the committee will be soliciting your views and ideas about UUCP’s future.
In many ways, the pandemic has forced us to reimagine our role and purpose. For example, UUCP launched a YouTube channel in order to distribute Sunday Service videos and other recordings to our Members and Friends. The YouTube channel provides us with great opportunity to reach more people, including those who might be looking for something deeper in their lives and/or who are uninitiated into UUism. The convenience of virtual services — so necessary during the physical distancing required by the pandemic — also will allow us to continue to bring inspiring and meaningful content to our own Members and Friends who are not able to participate in person even after we resume gathering at church, whether due to distance, health issues or whatever reason. The Sunday Services Team, Rev. Alice, and the Board recognize that some element of video services will remain.
We expect to begin recongregating in person at some point this year. Regarding recongregating, the Board has been considering the best course of action in conjunction with the Safer Congregation Ministry Team led by Arnie Ondis, our President Elect. In preparation for a physical return to the building, some retrofitting has been necessary to improve air circulation, especially in the restrooms. These projects have been addressed in The Light and will be discussed at the Midyear Congregational Meeting, set for Sunday, January 24, at 12:30pm.
The Midyear Congregational Meeting will be via Zoom and will be in lieu of Coffee Hour that day. We do not traditionally vote at the midyear meeting. This meeting is a time to get updates on important topics such as church finances, improvements to our church building to make it safer for us in light of the novel coronavirus and similar pathogens, plans for recongregating, and the Strategic Plan. An informed and engaged congregation is critical to the success of our church. We hope many of you will join us. If you need help figuring out how to log in or call in through Zoom, please reach out to your Cluster Group Leader, a Board Member, or another Member or Friend of UUCP who is familiar with Zoom.
Until next time,
Lauren Anzaldo
Board President