Greetings All,

As our Annual Budget Drive (ABD) enters its final phase I wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you to Susan Bartlett, Tom Bean and Brian Gill for stepping in and up to lead our ABD in this most uncertain and unusual year. Thank you to all of you who signed on as stewards to help make calls and connections with your fellow FUUSNites to facilitate their pledges. Thank you to everyone who has been able to make a pledge this year. Thank you to every one of you for all the ways you give to our beloved community and all the ways you ensure that we are here for each other year in and year out – especially this past year.

There are so many feelings and experiences of the last year that we as individuals and a community have still to process. Yet, one of the things of which I am sure is my faith in you. I believe even more deeply in your strength and resolve because I have seen it in full measure this past year. Though I am sure there were times when both felt far from your grasp the truth is that as the pandemic begins to wane, we are here looking toward a time we can once again be together in person as well as in spirit because of you. Your resilience and persistence – your ability and willingness to show up week in and week out on zoom for worship – for committee meetings – for sharing joys and sorrows on Sunday nights – for RE classes – for all the ways you stayed connected and committed to FUUSN continue to be an inspiration to me.

For more than a year we have been a congregation that could not congregate in person, yet we found real and meaningful ways to be together. We found out that being with and for each other doesn’t know the limits of space and location. All of which will make our coming back together again profoundly meaningful and moving.

As our Annual Budget Drive enters its final phase I hope that if this is a year that you can pledge that you will. Please know that no amount is too small or too big and that each pledge makes a difference in the life and health of our congregation.

Again, and as always, thank you for all the ways you make our life together possible.

Peace,
Erin