This month we say goodbye to our long-time and well-loved Membership Coordinator, Diane Julian. Diane is retiring. We will arrange a retirement party for her later this summer.
We also say goodbye to our music staff: Cris Law, Tom Parmeter Dyer, and Kasey Bindra. All three have been serving under contracts that end on June 3. During worship that day we will say goodbye and thank them for their contributions.
The Personnel Committee and I have spent the last several months re-imagining the staffing structure at UUCLB. For music staff, our aim was high-quality, inspirational music appropriate for 21st century Unitarian worship; a unified vision that would guide all of the church’s musical resources, and a worship collaborator for me and others responsible for crafting worship. We created a Director of Music position, rather than separate choir and band directors, assisted by an Accompanist who will work with both ensembles and support congregational singing.
A Search Committee composed of members of the Wylder Spirits, the Choir, and the Music and Arts Committee began our search in April. We conducted interviews and observed final candidates directing the band and choir in May. We solicited input from band and choir members. We’ve now selected a Director of Music whom I will introduce to you shortly. Our new Director of Music will then help us hire the Accompanist.
The search for a new Membership Coordinator (I’m avoiding saying “replacing Diane”, because, of course, we can’t) required waiting for the new budget to be approved at the annual meeting. We now have a job description and a search committee and have begun to publicize the job availability. We hope to have someone in place by late June or early July.
All of these staff changes cause further stress on a church system that was already adapting to the resignation of your previous Minister, Office Administrator, and Lifespan RE Director. It’s hard to say goodbye to people we love and respect. It’s hard to let go of the certainty of the past and welcome the possibility of the future. Any change is difficult because change always involves loss. Personnel changes are particularly difficult because people are involved.
Yes. And. Change is inevitable. Change can be resisted temporarily but not avoided entirely. Whether it’s change in our personal circumstances or changes in the world around us, learning to navigate through change with courage, trust, optimism, and equanimity is essential for spiritual health.
I hope you will say goodbye to our exiting staff with sincere and heartfelt gratitude for all their contributions. And when you meet our new staff I hope you will give them a boisterous and eager welcome with excited expectations of the gifts they will bring.