Rev. Matthew's August Board Report
August 15, 2021
Dear BUU Board of Directors,
It's been less than a week since I returned from my month of study leave - and I've hit the ground running! Following our four C's,, I'm coming back, reconnecting, recommitting, and covenanting as I do every year at this time. This pattern follows our four C's, Come, Connect, Commit, and Covenant, the spiral of belonging that we all follow in our relationship with our congregation.
Dear BUU Board of Directors,
It's been less than a week since I returned from my month of study leave - and I've hit the ground running! Following our four C's,, I'm coming back, reconnecting, recommitting, and covenanting as I do every year at this time. This pattern follows our four C's, Come, Connect, Commit, and Covenant, the spiral of belonging that we all follow in our relationship with our congregation.
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Brainstorming Project
On Tuesday, August 10, I facilitated our first brainstorming session for the project you initiated in June. This session had a dual purpose, first to introduce our facilitators, scribes, and Zoom hosts to the process and second to allow them to participate in the process. This was a wonderful away for me to come back to BUU and connect with our congregation as they share their hopes and wishes for our community. After experiencing the process with these leaders, it was obvious: this project has great potential for developing our congregational road map as we transition out of the pandemic. (To the left you can see a few images from that first brainstorming/training session.) |
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Baja 4 Resilience Webinars
On Friday and Saturday, August 14th and 15th, I attended the Baja 4 worship and three webinars facilitated by our Baja 4 consultant, the Rev. Robin Tanner. Due to the rising transmission rates of the COVID delta variant, all of these webinars were held online. Rev. Robin shared several means for the Baja 4 to be a source of resilience for our congregations. She addressed lifespan learning, pastoral care, and the ongoing challenge of the pandemic.
Nancy, Jean Richon, and Jeanne Macauley joined in and represented BUU. Nancy and Jean also contributed to the webinar on lifespan learning sharing details of the "Life Review" program they have developed. I participated alongside Rev. Robin for the pastoral care webinar. After presenting a meditation and massage technique I concluded the session retelling the story of the Fisher King.
Unfortunately, the activity intensity of the webinars and activity of the week caught up with me and I could not attend the final session on Saturday evening bringing together Baja 4 church Boards and the Baja 4 Governance team. I look forward to hearing from you about this gathering and what you learned from your Baja 4 counterparts.
On Friday and Saturday, August 14th and 15th, I attended the Baja 4 worship and three webinars facilitated by our Baja 4 consultant, the Rev. Robin Tanner. Due to the rising transmission rates of the COVID delta variant, all of these webinars were held online. Rev. Robin shared several means for the Baja 4 to be a source of resilience for our congregations. She addressed lifespan learning, pastoral care, and the ongoing challenge of the pandemic.
Nancy, Jean Richon, and Jeanne Macauley joined in and represented BUU. Nancy and Jean also contributed to the webinar on lifespan learning sharing details of the "Life Review" program they have developed. I participated alongside Rev. Robin for the pastoral care webinar. After presenting a meditation and massage technique I concluded the session retelling the story of the Fisher King.
Unfortunately, the activity intensity of the webinars and activity of the week caught up with me and I could not attend the final session on Saturday evening bringing together Baja 4 church Boards and the Baja 4 Governance team. I look forward to hearing from you about this gathering and what you learned from your Baja 4 counterparts.
Communication Query
While away last month, I developed an online survey to learn more about our Members' and Friends' communication preferences. I'll be sending out a letter through our Wednesday, August 18th BUUB to all our Members, Friends and Guests inviting them to use the poll to share their preferences for receiving and sending communications within BUU. CLICK HERE if you would like to see the online poll and participate.
This is my first step at reconnecting with our Members and Friends while seeking to know how we can better communicate within the congregation. Certainly, online polls are not some individuals' cup of tea, so I will be following up with those who do not use the poll more directly in September.
Connecting with our Members and Friends this way will help me with my focused commitment this year: Inreach and pastoral care of our congregation.
While away last month, I developed an online survey to learn more about our Members' and Friends' communication preferences. I'll be sending out a letter through our Wednesday, August 18th BUUB to all our Members, Friends and Guests inviting them to use the poll to share their preferences for receiving and sending communications within BUU. CLICK HERE if you would like to see the online poll and participate.
This is my first step at reconnecting with our Members and Friends while seeking to know how we can better communicate within the congregation. Certainly, online polls are not some individuals' cup of tea, so I will be following up with those who do not use the poll more directly in September.
Connecting with our Members and Friends this way will help me with my focused commitment this year: Inreach and pastoral care of our congregation.
Conclusions from Study Leave
Closing out this report, I'll share the conclusions that I came to in my four areas of study over the last month. As I reported in July (CLICK HERE to read), I focused my time on Multiplatform Worship, Transitional Resilience, Social Justice, and Lifespan Learning. While orienting on Inreach at BUU, I won't be neglecting our other ministries, instead I will be approaching them through that focus of Inreach/pastoral care. I've added the ministries to my areas of study, so you can see this connection.
Closing out this report, I'll share the conclusions that I came to in my four areas of study over the last month. As I reported in July (CLICK HERE to read), I focused my time on Multiplatform Worship, Transitional Resilience, Social Justice, and Lifespan Learning. While orienting on Inreach at BUU, I won't be neglecting our other ministries, instead I will be approaching them through that focus of Inreach/pastoral care. I've added the ministries to my areas of study, so you can see this connection.
Multi-medium Worship (Spiritual Nourishment)
Marshall McCullen famously said, "The medium is the message." While there are many ways to understand this, the relevant one to our worship is that virtual worship and in-person worship are different mediums. Each has an intrinsic message that exists independently of the message we wish to convey in worship through music, ritual, or words. This understanding informs my first goal and challenge for BUU worship: creating comparable worship experiences with mediums that have distinct messages.
My second goal is tied to my study of Transitional Resilience: preparing a pastoral response to anxiety, stress, and trauma as we begin to transition to in-person gatherings. While the goal is to develop practices and rituals that invite our individual ways each has internalized the uncertainty of these times, it does not exclude the grief and hurt that may arise if we cannot begin in-person gatherings as planned.
I have drafted a timeline of our developing multi-medium worship for BUU. I'll be working with our Worship Arts and A/V teams to flesh out this plan and bring it to life. CLICK HERE to view the draft timeline.
Marshall McCullen famously said, "The medium is the message." While there are many ways to understand this, the relevant one to our worship is that virtual worship and in-person worship are different mediums. Each has an intrinsic message that exists independently of the message we wish to convey in worship through music, ritual, or words. This understanding informs my first goal and challenge for BUU worship: creating comparable worship experiences with mediums that have distinct messages.
My second goal is tied to my study of Transitional Resilience: preparing a pastoral response to anxiety, stress, and trauma as we begin to transition to in-person gatherings. While the goal is to develop practices and rituals that invite our individual ways each has internalized the uncertainty of these times, it does not exclude the grief and hurt that may arise if we cannot begin in-person gatherings as planned.
I have drafted a timeline of our developing multi-medium worship for BUU. I'll be working with our Worship Arts and A/V teams to flesh out this plan and bring it to life. CLICK HERE to view the draft timeline.
Transitional Resilience (Inreach)
Rev. Tanner offered an inspiring sermon on resilience for our August 15 Baja 4 worship service. (CLICK HERE if you have not yet viewed it). Connecting to her sermon and the ideas and practices that she shared in the webinar, I have been studying meditation and self-massage of anxiety, stress, and trauma that is stored in our Vagus Nerve. Starting in September, I plan to include embodied practices at the start of all our Sunday gatherings.
Additionally, I have been taking courses to be a certified Laughter Yoga facilitator. (If you don't yet know Laughter Yoga CLICK HERE.) I began sharing what I've already learned today after our 11am Zoom Fellowship. Eight Members stayed to laugh with me for 1 minute for world peace and personal joy. I'll be working with the Baja 4 Lifespan Learning team to develop a virtual and eventually in-person Baja 4 Laughter Yoga Club.
Rev. Tanner offered an inspiring sermon on resilience for our August 15 Baja 4 worship service. (CLICK HERE if you have not yet viewed it). Connecting to her sermon and the ideas and practices that she shared in the webinar, I have been studying meditation and self-massage of anxiety, stress, and trauma that is stored in our Vagus Nerve. Starting in September, I plan to include embodied practices at the start of all our Sunday gatherings.
Additionally, I have been taking courses to be a certified Laughter Yoga facilitator. (If you don't yet know Laughter Yoga CLICK HERE.) I began sharing what I've already learned today after our 11am Zoom Fellowship. Eight Members stayed to laugh with me for 1 minute for world peace and personal joy. I'll be working with the Baja 4 Lifespan Learning team to develop a virtual and eventually in-person Baja 4 Laughter Yoga Club.
Social Justice (Outreach)
My studies in this area led me to this conclusion: justice begins with each individual's embodied and radical self-love. The work of Sonya Renee Taylor, Resmaa Menakem, and Rev. angle Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens and Jasmine Syedullah (shown below) each look at the individual as the root of social change. I'll be bringing the ideas of these activists and authors to BUU this church year.
My studies in this area led me to this conclusion: justice begins with each individual's embodied and radical self-love. The work of Sonya Renee Taylor, Resmaa Menakem, and Rev. angle Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens and Jasmine Syedullah (shown below) each look at the individual as the root of social change. I'll be bringing the ideas of these activists and authors to BUU this church year.
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Lifespan Learning (Spiritual Nourishment)
Last, but not least, I've selected three elder fairy tales to share in the Baja 4 Lifespan Learning program "Elder Tales." Chosen from among many cultures and meanings, I've selected these three as they promote the qualities of resilience that mature elders need today. Children and Youth from the Baja 4 will read the selected tales which will then become the "scripture" for individual online discussion groups.
Last, but not least, I've selected three elder fairy tales to share in the Baja 4 Lifespan Learning program "Elder Tales." Chosen from among many cultures and meanings, I've selected these three as they promote the qualities of resilience that mature elders need today. Children and Youth from the Baja 4 will read the selected tales which will then become the "scripture" for individual online discussion groups.
Diving into our church year!
Rev. Matthew Funke Crary
Minister Borderlands UU
Rev. Matthew Funke Crary
Minister Borderlands UU