Community and Committees

by Kari K

I've had the privilege of serving on the Westside Board of Trustees for nearly two years. In this time, especially during our long-term strategy planning sessions, we often discuss the obvious transitory phase that Westside is currently going through. Since COVID, we've seen a surge of interest and membership, and that includes me! 

Personally, I was seeking a community after feeling isolated for several years. I don't think my reasoning is uncommon--there have been numerous news stories and think pieces after the pandemic on the need for physical connectedness, community politics, and safe third spaces. We're all feeling the anxieties of being village-brained people in a global world. 

It's tough out there, but I learned that worrying doesn't do anything except sap my energy. So I narrowed my focus and decided that I would work on things I could accomplish in my village. To edit a well-known saying, I needed to become the community I wanted to see in the world. I am a firm believer that if we all start small and help a little, it can add up to something incredible. I've seen it. I've been part of it. It's the sort of hope I hang onto when I am feeling bad about the world: we all have the potential to make a big difference, a little at a time.  

What does it mean to create community? Well, a lot of times, it means working on the nitty-gritty details behind the scenes. As a big-picture person who likes to move fast, this can be difficult for me. So I started by looking around at all those who make the coffee after the sermons, who create meal trains for those who are sick, who run our various religious education programs, and who make sure the bills are paid--and tried to identify how I can best fit my talents and expertise into this puzzle. It turns out, change requires working with others. And what better way to do that than within a committee?

People moan and groan about committees and the challenges of group work, but I've found that I've learned and grown a lot from my time trying to create a shared vision with others. I'm more flexible, I listen better, I pick up new skills, I teach skills to others, and I genuinely never feel more accomplished than when I see a common goal come to fruition. There's a spiritual component to working with a team, a mystical element added to the final product that is better than anything an individual could do on their own.

As Westside grows, we find ourselves in need of more people helping to keep the engine going and ensure we continue to be a loving and safe home for everyone here--because none of us on our own can make community happen. It's a joint project that needs all of us to contribute.

Where can you start? Join a committee! And the best way to figure out which committee is a good fit for you? Attend the Committee Fair, happening during the potluck after the service on October 4!

We will have placards and representatives from eight Westside committees set up at the potluck tables, ready to answer questions and chat about what they do. You'll hear from Building and Grounds, Caring Connections, Children's Religious Exploration, Communications, Congregational Life, Green Sanctuary, Justice and Generosity, and Worship. There will be a handout with a brief description of each. All you have to do is grab a plate from the potluck and sit down to eat at the committee table that you might be interested in. We need your unique mix of ideas, talents, and interests to help Westside grow. 

When we all pitch in a little, amazing things can happen. 

See you there!