From Rev. Doug Wadkins, UUC Interim Minister

An essential part of our intentional transition period involves thoughtfully balancing tradition with the opportunity for meaningful change. It's important to approach this process with curiosity and patience, recognizing the natural anxieties that change can provoke. I will carefully invite changes that support our congregational work, and look for ways to practice flexibility and resilience in the reality of change. I am often guided by consistent areas of focus for clergy in search in recent years so that you will better engage the patterns of ministry that have evolved since last you were in search.

Starting in February, we'll introduce a "Time For Ages" at the beginning of one service each month, typically the first Sunday. This complements our existing All Ages Service and aims to enhance multigenerational connections in worship. Most ministers that have followed me, include at least a couple of multigenerational times in worship a month and seek for them to help more of the congregation feel more integrated as a community. This Sunday will begin our first Time for All Ages in worship. Aria and I will continue to explore different ways to enhance this experience and learn from it, so stay tuned for updates. 

Additionally, we will explore thematic ministry. Since my interim service began in 2012, each minister who was called as the settled minister to those seven congregations, all but one mid-sized or large, enthusiastically embraced themes because they experienced that they fostered depth and connection. Beginning this month, we will introduce a unifying monthly theme that will be used in worship and family ministry, we will utilize the theme resources and expand beyond them when it is needed. I invite you to experience themes with curiosity and a sense of adventure over the coming months and see what we learn about them together here at UUC. Over the past 25 years, I've found that themes can, indeed, deepen connections within the congregation and in our larger movement. Mindful use of themes helps us create cohesion by addressing complex, essential aspects of life and foster connections across the generations in our congregations. For now, we will use the theme materials of Soul Matters that consult with congregations to set and shape themes and curate resources from UUs all over the globe. We will begin with the theme of Inclusion and see what we learn together through this exploration.

Gratefully, 

Doug 

Upcoming Themes:

February:  Inclusion

March:  Trust

April:  Joy

May:  Imagination

June:  Freedom​