Reflections on the Chorus America Conference
Last month I was lucky enough to attend the Chorus America Conference in Cincinnati, thanks to this congregation’s support of my professional development funds. Here are a few highlights of the conference – things that I can tangibly apply to my work here at OCUUC: Speaker on multicultural programming and multicultural audience development. Does our programming consistently reflect our community? Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble concert, featuring two world premieres. Top-notch performing, such nutritious food for my soul! Email marketing seminar.…
Scarpe Diem
SCARPE DIEM. That’s my attempt at a bad pun – “scarpe”, Italian for shoes – following in the footsteps, etc. No? well I said it was bad, didn’t I? Nonetheless I will attempt, as your new President starting July 1st, to carry on after Tom Loughrey – no small task as you all know and can appreciate. He is truly a pillar of this community and will still be here for each of us who will need his help and…
Farewell
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes; (turn and face the strain) Ch-ch-changes; Oh, look out you rock n rollers Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes; (turn and face the strain) Ch-ch-changes; Pretty soon now you’re gonna get a little older Time may change me; But I can’t trace time I said that time may change me; But I can’t trace time -David Bowie Many songs and poems have been written about change. As we close out our Religious Education ‘regular’ class year, there will be some important changes happening on…
Talking With Children About Traumatic Events
How do we talk about traumatic events with our children? The Orlando shootings have the nation, and parts of the world, in an emotional and media upset. Our children can be extremely vulnerable at this time, and be unable to articulate their sadness and concerns. Here is some help on how to talk to the children and youth in your life. This Washington Post article has suggestions and talking points to help you with these conversations: “They [children and youth]…
President’s Corner – June 2016
Where has the time gone? It hardly seems like it could be two years since I became your president. When I first took on this job I knew that I had some big shoes to fill following Katherine Martin. She had the job of moving us from Victoria to Mesa Verde and bringing on a new minster to OCUUC. As I reflect on this what I have come to realize is that no one does this job on their own.…
Thanks
I’d like to take this opportunity at the end of the church year to thank a few people who helped make the Music Ministries an inspiration for everyone this past year: The Music Committee – Barbara Schilling, Amy Tompkins, and Stacy Smith – creates fun events throughout the year to help raise funds for the church. They put on Open Mic Nights, singalong movie nights, Music Under the Stars (our next one is September 24), special auction events, performances by…
Pride
A few months ago I got an email from another minister in the area named Bobbi Becker. I didn’t know her at all, but she had heard of me and wanted to invite me to a meeting she was organizing of local clergy around GLBTQ issues. You see, she herself was gay and had moved here to Orange County, with her wife and daughter. She had been rather nervous about moving here since Orange County had a horrible reputation in…
Bridging Ceremony
The congregation celebrated the bridging into young-adulthood for three of our youth on May 22, 2016.
It’s Time for Summer Camp!
Dear RE Community- It’s almost time for summer camp! Our local camp, de Benneville Pines, has plenty of room for elementary age campers. Here is a note from Eric Bliss, our District Youth Ministry Specialist: In this time of tech and screen overload, isn’t an enriching, safe, and spiritually nourishing outdoor experience exactly what our children need? According to American Camp Association’s 2005 Youth Outcomes of the Camp Experience report, parents cite the following as the most important reasons for sending their children to…
Music Notes
Orange Coast Choir is lucky to have several new singers join us in the last few months: Richard Belles, Tamara Colby, and Don Martin. If you’ve always wanted to sing in a choir, this would be a great opportunity for you too. We sing through the end of June, then take off July and August. The only requirements for joining choir are your ability to match pitch and follow directions. Choir rehearses every Thursday from 7:30-9pm, and they usually sing three Sundays per month.…
Mercy
A friend of mine from Chicago recently was approached by a homeless person who asked my friend if he would buy him a one-day CTA Pass. The homeless person said he was a vet and was struggling with VA red tape. The pass was $10 and my friend paid it. But he’s been wondering… was he just tricked? Did this person just “con” my friend? These questions really struck me as I sometimes ask myself the same thing. I want…
Freedom
I once read a book called “Games Criminals Play” by Bud Allen and Diana Bosta. It was published 35 years ago, but its truths ring today. In the book, Allen and Bosta posited that freedom is intrinsic to human nature; that when we try to bottle it up – or cage it – people will always try to break free. They were talking in particular about our penal system that forces persons into cages and that consciously and unconsciously those…