My wife, Gail, and I joined the Fellowship in 2001 after attending only a few services. We felt it was a good place to be.  We had moved to town during the summer of 2000 and had talked off and on about getting involved in one or another religious endeavor.  My previous church experiences had been less than satisfactory. I only had a sketchy understanding of UU, but given that the Fellowship at the time was located on Pohl Road within walking distance or our home I, along with Gail, decided to give it a try. Actually she was the instigator.

A number of things impressed me during those initial visits. One, I was struck by the significance and nature of sermons that often drew upon viewpoints and ideas of various thinkers of all faiths. I liked the non-dogmatic approach that reflected a willingness to explore and examine what it is that constitutes spirituality, recognizing we all come at it from different perspectives. Two, we were very impressed with the warmth shown to us by the membership even though we were strangers to one another. The coziness of our facility probably added to the experience. Third, though it may seem trivial, the decided emphasis on food (and its quality) was a strong selling point. And, of course, the Seven Principles are a sufficient cause to get most people hooked on being a Unitarian Universalist.

During the mid to late 2000s I served on the Board of Directors.  Up until just recently, for at least a decade, I served on the Buildings & Grounds Committee, stepping down this past winter. I currently serve on the Finance Committee and Personnel Committee.  Additionally, over the years I’ve tried to help with various maintenance tasks—painting, yard work, etc. whenever time allows.

I find the Fellowship to be a good venue for reflection and contemplation about matters of the spirit. Participation offers a glimpse into the non-physical world and a bit of respite from the ordinary tasks and distractions of daily life. The Fellowship also provides an opportunity to live more meaningfully in relation to the non-UU world in that we offer a collective example of living our lives according to our Seven Principles.

Right now I think all of our focus has to be on keeping the ship afloat, spiritually and financially. We must attend to the here and now over the next several months or more to insure that we come out of the present set of conditions in tact. That means doing everything differently than we’re accustomed to, but doing them in a way that protects our viability and that retains our communal sense of purpose. As we make these difficult adjustments (virtual services/meetings, budget adjustments, alternative funding sources) I would ask that we keep our eye to the future and look toward growing our membership and more than ever bearing witness to the larger community as to what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist.