Letter from the President of the Board January, 2013
Happy New Year to all TRUU members and friends! Already we are more than a week into 2013, and there are so many exciting events in our near future. But before we turn to those, let’s take a moment to reflect on the church year so far. We kicked off the year with a potluck picnic in the lovely back yard of Susan Cashel and Pat Seydel, and it was a wonderful opportunity for us all to re-connect after the summer. It was also the opportunity for everyone to meet our new minister, Amy Rowland, and her partner, Gaye Denley.
Much fun (and food) was had by all! The next morning, we celebrated our Ingathering Water Service. September offered us Circle Suppers and a guest sermon from the Rev. Stephen Papa of Denver.
On Oct. 6, a large and loving group of animal lovers gathered at Colorado Animal Rescue to celebrate the Second Annual Blessing of the Animals. We had inspiring speakers, including Amy Rowland, Jim Calaway, and 7-year-old Anakeesta Ironwood, who stole the show! If you haven’t yet attended a Blessing of the Animals, you owe it to yourself and your critters to come next fall.
October also saw the First Annual TRUU BFF (Bidding for Fun) Service Auction, beautifully orchestrated by Mike Schermer. This social event/ fund raiser was an enormous success that we hope to repeat next fall.
Over 100 people enjoyed the Solstice Celebration on Dec. 21st, which featured a children’s program, a fabulous array of cookies, an adult program with Amy and TRUU volunteers, beautiful music and a roaring bonfire in the “back yard” of the Third Street Center. Also, special thanks are due to Cathy Schermer, Nicolette Mason, and all the volunteers who turned the Calaway Room into a magical space of flickering candles, white lights and festive greenery.
We are so fortunate to have Jimmy Byrne contributing his musical talents and to have Heather Rydell providing imaginative Religious Exploration classes for our TRUU children!
TRUU volunteers continue to cook and serve meals to the homeless at the Methodist Church in Glenwood on each 4th Monday of the month. More helpers are always welcome at Extended Table.
These are only a few of the highlights of the year so far. January has been cold and dark, but it can’t diminish the warmth of our Sunday gatherings or the camaraderie of Circle Suppers. Our congregation is growing steadily, and early in February Amy will conduct a Path to Membership class that will conduct more “friends” into the ranks of our membership.
Please mark your calendars for Feb. 17, when we will be honored by a visit from guest speaker Nathan Woodliff-Stanley, an ordained UU minister who is now the newly-appointed Executive Director of the ACLU of Colorado
Also, starting in January, our Fellowship Sundays will begin discussions of the meaning of Covenant and the process by which we all can create a congregational covenant that speaks specifically to TRUU. I urge everyone to attend these discussion groups and share your thoughts and experiences. This is an opportunity to put the “You” into TRUU!
From the book, Redeeming Time: “The covenantal congregation is the basic institution of liberal religion. When we live in covenanted communities of support and accountability, we live deeper, more authentic, more creative lives.”
Your Board of Trustees is working hard to provide solid leadership to TRUU, but we can’t succeed without your participation. We need members and friends to join such committees as Social Justice, Membership, Caring Committee, Worship Committee and others, and do the fulfilling work that keeps us growing. If you would like to know how to become more involved in your TRUU community, please contact Amy Rowland, Cathy Schermer, or any member of the Board of Trustees.
Please stay up to date on TRUU activities not only by attending worship services and Fellowship Sundays, but also by reading the newsletter and web site (thank you, Trina Haines!) And again, consider contributing your time and talents to one of our TRUU committees, the backbone of our congregation.
Happy 2013! Peace!
Sue Coyle
President of the Board of Trustees