Beloved Friends,

The long, hot days of summer are beginning to think about cooling down, and we find
ourselves preparing for the season as the snowbirds begin to fly south for the winter. I hope
your summer held moments of rest, joy, and connection, whether with family, with nature,
or simply with yourself.

The rhythm of congregational life, much like the turning of the seasons, carries us forward.
Summer scatters us to different places and projects, but now we return, together, to the
shared work of building community. That return is not only about showing up on Sunday
mornings; it is about renewing our covenant with one another, and recommitting ourselves
to compassion, justice, and hope.

This year, I invite us to deepen our practice of “beloved community.” That phrase, so central
to Unitarian Universalist values, reminds us that our church is not only a place of worship
but also a place of repair, of healing, and of radical welcome. Beloved community asks us
to hold one another with tenderness, to wrestle honestly with the challenges of our world,
and to imagine together the kind of future we long for.

We will face opportunities and struggles in the months ahead. Some will be global issues,
such as climate change, immigrant justice, and world peace, while others will be personal,
unfolding quietly in our own lives. Whatever comes, we will not walk alone. This
congregation, with its open hearts and steady hands, will be here to remind us of our
shared purpose and our collective strength.

So let us enter this new season with gratitude for what has been and with courage for what
lies ahead. May we saunter into fall ready not only to be nourished but to offer
nourishment. Together, we will continue the sacred work of building a world rooted in love.

Warmly,
Rev. Amy