Dear Members and Friends of BFCC,
I never dreamed that I would be leading a church during a global pandemic, especially into the third year, but here we all find ourselves. Right now, we are amid a surge of illness. I write this letter after four Sundays away on study leave and a week in bed with Covid. It was inevitable for our family and the first time we had experienced this wretched illness. I am grateful for the experience of good health care and the knowledge and expertise of my providers.
I want to reach out to all of you, share what the past month has been like, and let you know that I am on the mend! I also wanted to write and share a few things about the church, progress, and continued ministry.
I am in the last course of my Doctor of Ministry program: Prophetic Leadership. The independent study is called a Feminist Approach to Worship. I have read: Women's Ways of Worship: Gender Analysis and Liturgical History by Teresa Berger, Women of Spirit, edited by Rosemary Ruether and Eleanor McLaughlin, Women at Worship, Interpretations of North American Diversity, edited by Majorie Procter-Smith and Janet R. Walton and In Her Own Rite, Constructing Feminist Liturgical Tradition, by Marjorie Procter-Smith.
The readings have been fruitful research, but nothing this congregation has not already experienced with Mandy and me! In addition, I joined a preaching cohort/workshop called, The Soul of Preaching with Methodists, Presbyterian, and Unitarian Universalists, and even a few Baptists. I have met with this group twice over the last few weeks and had additional individual coaching sessions. I was invited to join a Social Healing Clergy Cohort with The On Being Project's Religious Life team. I will join this group too. I feel I have used my time of study well. I am grateful for the support of BFCC and the leadership to continue to unfold our vision of On Earth as it is in Heaven during this time.
I look forward to being back with all of you this Sunday.
We will continue to follow the CDC and keep our eyes on the School districts. This week, I talked with another parent about school and covid. Most of us agree it's a mess. We also understand why the schools are being kept open; there are too many vulnerable children who need the consistent safety of someplace to go during the day and get a hot meal. We also understand that long-term isolation for children and teens can cause mental health breakdowns. The risks are complex all around. So, like the schools, we ask that you all continue to mask and take other common-sense precautions. We will continue to have worship on Sunday mornings at 10 am. We will lean into the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 18:20: for where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
Most of you know that it is a custom for congregations like ours to have an annual meeting in January and vote on a 2022 church budget. In December, we were in the process of transitioning our volunteer bookkeeper and our outside accountants to one person that would be in-house. At the end of the year, Trudy Adamovich began with us and will work closely with Cindy Halsey and Ann Cushman, co-treasurers, on the 2022 budget. If you are interested in Trudy's job description, don't hesitate to reach out. The staff, treasurers, and Trudy met a couple of weeks ago. We had planned to have a series of meetings between now and the February 6th board meeting (as a reminder, all board meetings are open to everyone) and then an annual congregational meeting in mid-February. This process is pushed back because Trudy and her husband also have Covid. Please hold Trudy and John in your hearts and minds. Cindy and Ann will continue to grapple with the budget as there will need to be creative solutions in 2022. This Sunday's scheduled board meeting will be postponed, and we will keep you all updated on the upcoming Annual Meeting.
The First Step Preschool continues to operate smoothly under the direction of Beth Garrison-Kemp, and there have been no outbreaks of Covid to this date. Mandy will resume choir the first week in March (hopefully after the surge), in time for the liturgical season of Lent.
This week, we will open our doors for the final Sunday of Justice January, and the theme for the service will be with every stitch; there is a blessing. I look forward to seeing you all again.
Peace and Grace,
Pastor Marta
P.S.
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