Christmas Eve service moves to online only. Join us for in-person caroling at 6pm!
Friends, members, beloveds, I am beyond gutted to have to share this message with you. Know that I wish so badly that these times were other than they are, as I know you do. And yet, we find ourselves again invited to make a choice to preserve community health as best we are able, to trust in our resilience, our love and connection. On behalf of the staff and congregational leaders, I am writing to let you know that we have decided that, due to a rapidly accelerating spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 throughout the world and increasingly
Continue readingThe Holidays at Westside
Blue Holidays December 18th, 4:30 – Zoom The holiday season can be especially difficult for lots of folks, filled with the grief of loss, of loneliness, of challenging relationships or a haunting church trauma. Especially when the world around us seems to call out for joy unceasing. Come together with Rev. Christopher for a time of meditation and prayer, where sadness and melancholy are allowed, our burdens shared and lightened. https://zoom.us/my/wsuuminister Solstice Service December 21st, 7-8pmLabyrinth opens at 5pm, closes at 9pmMyrtle Reservoir Park (35th and Myrtle) The longest night approaching, let us gather under night sky and give thanks
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We’re Hiring a Worship Technology Assistant
After almost two years of extraordinary volunteer leadership by our AV Tech Team, we are now hiring a Worship Technology Assistant to take on this essential work of ensuring that our services remain accessible to members and friends who aren’t able to be in the sanctuary. They’ll also take on some of the presentation and preparation tasks associated with worship which had been on the desks of other staff members. The job description is below and we encourage you to share it with your networks and help us find a great new member of our worship staff team. Worship Technology
Continue readingMeet the Committee on Ministry
Dearest Westside members and friends, We, the Committee on Ministry, are pleased to introduce ourselves. We are Simon Knaphus, Roseanne Lorenzana, John Fawcett-Long, Naomi Bradfute, Peggy Abby, and Rev. Christopher. We were chosen by Rev. Christopher with input from last year’s Board of Trustees, and have been affirmed by the Board of Trustees this year. Although we have been meeting since May 2021, we took awhile to find our rhythm with each other and to build our container. In fact, we are still polishing our mission statement and will share it soon. In general, a Committee on Ministry (CoM) is
Continue readingAging to Saging Scheduling Survey
Members of the Aging to Saging group at Westside are invited to complete the form below to help determine the best times for meeting for the remainder of the church year, and also to provide some feedback on how/if folks are interested in participating in in-person gatherings in addition to online ones. The current plan is to offer one in-person meeting and one online one each month on a consistent schedule. Thank you for sharing your availability and we look forward to sharing the results of the survey with the group soon.
Continue readingEvaluation of Rev. Christopher
Last month, we indicated that the board is working to establish a supervisory relationship with Rev. Christopher and will implement an annual performance review. Here is some more information about the process and how you can participate if you wish to provide input. Approach to Ministerial Supervision & Evaluation Since Rev. Christopher is in a period of preliminary fellowship, there is a process in place which requires annual evaluations to support Rev. Christopher’s ministry. The board is working with the Committee on Ministry to provide Rev. Christopher with feedback that will allow him to grow as a minister and better
Continue readingMaking Our Way by the Light of the Heavens
Beloved Members and Friends of Westside, As you read in the message earlier this week from the Board of Trustees, Rev. Cynthia Westby and Cheryl Brown have resigned their positions in our Religious Exploration program. We are grateful for the leadership and service each has offered to the congregation over their many years here, working through sometimes difficult situations as they cared for our children and youth. As they move into other pursuits, we wish for both Cynthia and Cheryl the very best. I know that for myself, as I’m sure it is for many of you, this is something
Continue readingMoving in Spirit Extended Through November!
The first cycle of Moving in Spirit was a great success, with a growing cohort of movement meditators each week as we visited Kubota Gardens, Lincoln Park and Schmitz Park! It was so lovely to see so many Westside folks gathering to walk on their own, and then to do a little deeper sharing with another person during the second half of our time. It’s such an important time to be making and maintaining connections with friends and members new and old, and I’m so grateful to the new folks who made this a point of connection with the community,
Continue readingVote for a WSUU Congregational Read
WSUU is going to offer a congregational read for 2021-22, and we want your input on the books you think we should engage with as a community. Each of the proposed books is available from the Seattle Public Library or King County Library, as well as local booksellers. Regardless which book is selected, participants will have the chance to engage in either discussion groups or self-directed reading reflections with guiding resources. The three proposed books are (descriptions are from GoodReads): My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies By Resmaa Menakem The body is
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