Thank you for this new opportunity to serve Westside! I am honored to be in this role, to serve with this amazing slate, and to be one of the many Westside leaders who shape, guide, and grow this congregation. In thinking about what I wanted to say to you today,
Continue readingIt has been a bit of a whirlwind since I left all of you and beautiful West Seattle a few weeks ago, floating on air and pretty wiped out from our incredible ten days together. Ariel has just returned from five days away in Calgary serving as the Adult Chaplain
Continue readingThe Social Justice Council proposes that the Westside UU Congregation join the Washington Faith Action Network (FAN) as a congregation on an ongoing basis. We are submitting this proposal to be considered as part of the June 2, 2019 annual meeting. Who is the WA Faith Action Network (wafan.org) From
Continue readingThe Racial Justice Change Team (RJCT) formed in 2018, in part to fulfill a commitment that our congregation had made in 2016, when the Congregation voted at a special meeting to hang a “Black Lives Matter” banner prominently on the side of the building. The banner initiative was led by
Continue readingGreetings from the WSUU Racial Justice Change Team! We’d like to give everyone a better sense of what we’re all about, starting with why specifically we decided to call ourselves the “Racial Justice Change Team.” A “Change Team” is a group who identifies existing barriers to achieving desired outcomes in
Continue readingJudi Finney and I met with the contractors this past Monday to finally learn the fate of our new lift which will transport people from the Social Hall directly into the Sanctuary. Mark Olsoe, Judi, and I (along with input from Robert Pacht and Peggy Tlapak) have been working together
Continue reading“What IS an ordination and why is it important?” What is an ordination? Someone asked me that a few weeks ago as Westside prepares for the ordination of Crystal Zerfoss at 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 16th at the church. That person recalled the ordination of Westside’s DRE Rev. Cynthia Westby
Continue readingI would like to share something with all of you. I was standing on the platform during the service this last Sunday, directing the choir, and this wave of “you belong here” washed over me. It was palpable and powerful. When I decided to apply for the position here at Westside less
Continue readingCabin Fever “You’re now free to move about the cabin!” Words we live for when we’re trapped on an airplane in our 2X2 seats! In February, confined to my house by the snowy weather, I was more than ready to hear these precious words of freedom. My snowbound life gave
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