By Rev. Carol Bodeau
Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you and your family doing well, enjoying the summer, and looking towards a peaceful and healthy autumn. As you know, this is a time of constant change; we are adapting at every turn to changes in political, social, and global health circumstances. The pandemic continues to be a moving target, and things have also changed with staffing at Westside. Wendy Weiss has departed from her position as Membership and Programs Coordinator, and our summer intern for the last two years, Reagan Monday, has stepped in as intern for the entire 2021-2022 congregational year. In addition, we have increased the hours and compensation for our administrator, Brad Kurtz, for his excellent ongoing work at Westside. All these changes mean that we’re making some big adjustments to how we do things at Westside.
As you may know, we had planned to reopen Westside in September. However, recent rises in Covid cases and an increasing concern for the expected effects of the Delta variant have made us reverse that decision. For now, the Reopening Committee and the Board of Trustees have decided to continue outdoor services only. Here’s what will be happening:
• August 22 and August 29: if the weather is good, there will be outdoor services these two days. If weather allows an outdoor service, there will be no Zoom service or Zoom coffee hour these two days. If the weather is bad, the outdoor service will be cancelled and the service will be presented only on Zoom, with a Zoom coffee hour following.
• Starting Sunday, September 5th: all services will be outdoors at 10am, weather permitting. These services will be broadcast simultaneously on Zoom, and there will be conversation/coffee hour on Zoom following at about 10:45am. If the weather is bad, the service will be broadcast by Zoom at 10am, followed by virtual coffee hour.
• For Water Communion on Sunday, September 5, those attending by Zoom will have the opportunity to share their contributions to the ritual during the virtual coffee hour at 10:45am.
• We will be holding our usual outdoor water-fun activities for kids of all ages after our Water Communion on Sunday, Sept. 5th.
• Masks will be required for everyone at all times in the building (even if we’re carrying things in and out after the service) regardless of vaccine status.
• The Reopening Committee and the Board will be reviewing other planned events, including our retreat at Pickett State Park and the annual Auction, at the September meetings.
Of course, as changes happen in the local and national pandemic situation, our Reopening Team will continue to adapt appropriately. We cannot guarantee that things won’t change again in the coming months, so we will all need to be flexible and compassionate with one another. We plan to continue our Thursday evening adult RE discussion group, and also add some more focused adult RE classes in the coming months as well.
Another change is that, during the next two congregational years (August of 2021 through June of 2023), I will be taking a number of extended periods away from Westside, to honor the sabbatical time I have earned in the last 6 years as Westside’s minister. Under my Letter of Agreement with Westside, I was due to take my sabbatical (which accrues at the rate of three weeks per congregational year) in the summer of 2020, but the pandemic prevented that. I chose to defer my sabbatical in order to be present with you all through what has proven to be a challenging and unpredictable last year. I have now earned 18 weeks of leave, plus some accrued vacation time as well as my regular vacation time for the coming year. But things are still changeable and unpredictable. So, rather than taking one long extended sabbatical leave, I have decided to take my sabbatical in small chunks over the next two years. This allows me to be more present for Westside, and also to help the congregation save some money by not needing to hire extended ministerial sabbatical coverage. In general, I will be taking 3-5 week bursts of sabbatical time, interspersed with 2 month intervals of being at Westside. At present, I plan to be away from August 16 – September 4, for a few weeks in November, for about 6 weeks this winter, and then a few weeks next June/July. (The dates of my leave during the 2022-2023 congregational year will be determined next Spring.) The Board has reviewed this calculation and agrees that it is correct, and they have approved the sabbatical term. I am deeply grateful to the leadership of the congregation for making this time of rest, renewal, and professional development possible.
While I am away, the Sabbatical Team—consisting of Lorie Allion (congregation at large), Diane Gray (adult RE), Ellen Greenwood (worship), Anne Harvey (Board of Trustees) and Barry Shumpert (Welcoming Congregation)—will be working with the Worship team, the Board of Trustees, the staff, and other committees to make sure things run smoothly. If you ever have any questions, you can always reach out to them at
sabbaticalcommittee@westsideuuc.org
In general, they will respond to various concerns as follows:
• Organizational concerns will go to the Board
• Logistical concerns will go to the staff or appropriate committees
• Urgent pastoral issues that cannot wait until I am back in town will be referred to Mike Fisher M.D., a trained and experienced psychiatrist and long-time Westside leader who has agreed to help out in urgent situations
• In true emergencies, such as death of a member or other catastrophic event, the team will contact me for guidance and support (and in truly emergent situations, I would do my best to be there for individuals and the community in whatever way possible)
• In emergent situations where I am unable to be present, another local UU minister will be on-call to assist if needed
One of the great benefits of sabbatical time in a UU congregation is the opportunity it gives the community to reconnect with its values, to foster volunteer leadership, and to encourage connections between committees and other groups in the congregation. I feel incredibly lucky to have such skilled leaders and hard workers in our community—this is a congregation of committed, skilled, caring people who step up when it matters. I am excited to see what new creativity and possibility arise out of the changes in front of us, and I look forward to hearing all your ideas about who we might become as we adapt to meet new circumstances with the steadiness of our values and our commitment to this community. Looking forward to seeing you in person or online soon.
In peace, love and gratitude,
Rev. Carol