11/20/2017 by Shannon Day

We’re In This Together: The Season of Gratitude – Patti McCall Board President

“Let us rise up and be thankful…”  I’m thankful to my beloved community at WSUU for the kindness, support and love you consistently demonstrate to me, our membership and our new friends.  A special thank you to our staff for unfailingly giving more than your job description requires.  Alex, Shannon, Cynthia and Bert — a thousand thank yous.  Thanks, too, to our chaplain, Mark Newton—a source of strength and compassion we have all benefitted from.  Thank you to Viv Monahan for chairing our 2018 Auction.  Viv jumped in beyond the last minute with the creative enthusiasm we have come to

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10/04/2017 by Patti McCall

We’re In This Together – Board Retreat Summarized

A Message from Patti McCall, Board President As promised, my message this month is about the goals your Board of Trustees have set for themselves for our year together.  First, though I need to thank John Britt who expertly and compassionately wrangled, I mean, facilitated the Board and Rev. Alex at the August 26th Board Retreat helping us to wade through the multitude of wishes, passions and ideas that each of us brought to the day.  Sincerely, thank you John. You spent a lot of time preparing a structure for the retreat; then working with us; and finally summarizing which

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08/15/2017 by Patti McCall

We’re All in This Together – “To Support One Another”

Your Board of Trustees will be meeting in just over a week for the annual Board Retreat deciding on our areas of focus and setting our goals for the coming year.  Then, once decided, determining how those goals will support our Mission Statement.  In case you’ve forgotten, our Mission Statement reads: To support one another, expand our minds, and build a more just world. In this letter, I’d like to talk about the first part of our statement,  “to support one another…”.  We are a vibrant, loving community and I am reminded of that before, during and after every Sunday service;

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07/12/2017 by Shannon Day

We’re In This Together — “Transitions” A Message from Patti McCall, Board President

I have the honor to serve as your Board President for the next year along with a remarkably intelligent and competent group of six filling the remaining positions: Jill Jackson as Vice President; Allan Lang as Treasurer; David Cycleback as Secretary; and Judi Finney, Jean Mendel and Scott Iverson as Trustees At Large.  That is, there are four Board Members returning for a second year and only three new members; that is promising continuity in Westside’s leadership and something to consider in the future.  This new Board will be meeting at the end of August for a Retreat when we

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05/24/2017 by Shannon Day

Liquid Spirit – Tracy Burrows, Board President May 24, 2017

Thank you to everyone who responded to the Board’s request for feedback on the proposal to extend Rev. Alex’s interim contract. The Board heard you loud and clear and voted to enter into a new contract with Rev. Alex for a two-year duration, with a one-year check-in to confirm that the arrangement continues to be mutually beneficial. We have a lot of work to do over the next two years. Priorities include leadership development, a newly structured social justice program, improved financial stewardship planning, and a continuation in the growth of our small group ministries.  We’ll need your help to

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05/01/2017 by Shannon Day

The Candidacy of Rev. Carlos Martinez Has Ended

Candidating Week is a week of mutual discernment. It is an exciting and stressful process as a congregation and a ministerial candidate think deeply and reach clarity about whether the match and the opportunity are right for both. The Search Team put a lot of emphasis on the congregation’s role in assessing whether WSUU and Rev. Carlos were a good match for each other. It’s clear that Rev. Carlos is a gifted minister. We heard lots of positive comments.  At the same time, we heard a growing number of concerns and reservations. As the week unfolded, we also became increasingly

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04/20/2017 by Shannon Day

Liquid Spirit – Tracy Burrows, Board President

The final preparations have been going on all week, and we are finally going to meet our ministerial candidate, Rev. Carlos Martinez, next week. We will put our best selves forward to welcome him. We are going to learn a lot about Rev. Carlos and, perhaps more importantly, we’ll learn a lot about ourselves. Who are we as a congregation and what are we looking for? Who do we want as a leader for the next years in our congregational life? We are a dynamic congregation, and the answers to these questions are constantly evolving. We’ve changed dramatically over the

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01/26/2017 by Shannon Day

Liquid Spirit -Tracy Burrows, President Board of Trustees

When you sit on the WSUU Board, you tackle a lot of issues. The issues that really get the blood stirring are stuff like flood, fire, and theft. Then there are making plans for the future, troubleshooting problems that arise, keeping track of finances, and making suggestions for improvements to the day-to-day operations of the church. You quickly develop an awesome appreciation for everyone who contributes to making this congregation run smoothly. None more so that those who are responsible for giving us the experience of a meaningful gathering on Sunday morning. Our service may be joyful, it may be

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