If you were in the Parish Hall on Sunday, April 8, for coffee hour you were witness to FUUSN at its finest. Our big room was a cacophony of activity, with barely enough room for all the teams and their tables to set up. Young and old, new members and long-time congregants milled about as our precious first-graders stole everyone’s attention with their small, costumed march through the crowd. And this was the second time that morning room was at capacity – the first being a well-attended community breakfast. What a vibrant and exciting place to be on a Sunday morning!

My slice of the busy morning was hearing about my teenage boys’ sleep over at FUUSN with the Youth Group. The high point it turns out was not making sundaes while blind-folded, but meeting and spending time with a young person new to FUUSN and the Youth Group. After sharing their night adventures, the boys jumped up from the breakfast table and went off to their Religious Ed responsibilities, where they, like many of our youth, help teach the younger children. If you are looking to witness some FUUSN magic, watch the older and younger kids interact – my boys once had their teenage FUUSN pal, and now it is their turn to be a human jungle gym.

It simply amazes me how FUUSN stays such a significant part of our lives, year after year. In a moment when Dana finds herself caring for our whole city in her new role in the Mayor’s office, our family is adjusting to the demands of a two-career household, and our boys are nearly consumed with their academic and athletic efforts, FUUSN is as present and vital to all our lives as it has ever been.

In my last board column in November, I reported on the important finding from our October Financial Summit that we, as a congregation, might consider engaging a broader team in our fund-raising activities. I am sure I was not the only one who deeply appreciated our canvass leaders’ Julia, Brian and Saul report on fundraising progress to date this past Sunday, and it was gratifying to hear that a wider group of congregants has stepped up in supporting the team. A busy Sunday morning, a couple of engaged teens, a family relying on FUUSN and a congregation looking at a financial challenge and responding with effort and support. I see it all as part of an immensely healthy, vibrant and embracing place that will continue to grow and thrive. And one measure of that vitality is a rather tall jar of marbles on the canvass table – we are off to a great start, so let’s finish the job and fill that jar up!                                                                                                                                                             Brian Burba