Congratulations on your new settled minister
Rev. Lissa Gundlach will become your minister on August 1
I will continue as your Interim Ministry through June 30

Work of the next month
Close the books on this fiscal year.
Prepare a budget for fiscal year that begins June 1
Re-start the paused Stewardship Campaign
Elect new Trustees for the Board, etc.
Congregational Meeting on May 31.
Vote on a couple of amendments to the Bylaws
We’ve been talking about moving the awards presentations to June 21.

In worship we have a lot of “ending the church year” business
Coming of Age culmination (May 31)
Our Music Sunday (June 7)
Our RE Sunday (June 14)
My last preaching day (June 21)

Calendar items
Budget Hearing, Saturday, May 9, 11am
Memorial for Jack Graham, Sunday, May 10 1pm

Saying Goodbye

I want to use these facebook messages to begin to put a good ending on this interim ministry.

There are a lot of aspects of leave-taking.
I’m not going to get to all of them today
Ethical guidelines that have to do with relationships in the future.
Reflecting on what we did together
Celebrating successes
Acknowledging mistakes
Blessing each other
Releasing each other

Today I just want to say thank you
Thank you for opening your church to me
And asking me to be your interim minister
I was honored
I enjoyed the work
I enjoyed getting to know you
I learned a lot

This was my first Interim Ministry
I prepared by taking a couple of classes
And reading a book
But of course that was nothing like the learning I received on the job.
I learned ideas about how far to step into the church
How much to stay out
How fast to introduce change
How much change a system can tolerate
How to balance the particular tasks of interim ministry
With all of the other things that ministry needs to do
Plus all the completely unexpected stuff that comes up

So I am leaving this interim with perspectives I didn’t have when I began
And that’s a gift you give to me
As well as to whatever congregation I come to next

So let me begin to say goodbye,
Just by saying thank you

2)  Message

We are beginning to see some good news around the COVID-19 epidemic

Death rates nationally, and statewide, 
Dropped this week from the week before
California:  542 – 495
Nationally:  14,000 – 13,000
LA County remained flat
315 deaths both weeks

Meanwhile we are seeing a lot of talk about re-opening parts of our society
Some states actually re-opening
Other states presenting plans for phased re-openings
That would begin later.

I think the message from this
Is to take hope
But also not to let our hope run away with our reason

The reality is that this is still a very serious
And very dangerous situation
13,000 dead last week is not a reason to rejoice.
And much of the gains we have made
Are due precisely to the fact that we have kept our society closed up
And remained diligent about social distancing
And other precautions

It’s not my place to advise you what to do
Follow the guidelines of public health officials
Within those guidelines make your own choices.

But I want to say to you that you are strong
You can bear with discomfort
You can find new ways to be diligent
You can hold on to patience
You can continue to adapt
You can stay true to a principle
And ignore temptations that may not be in your best interest.
And ignore messages that be more optimistic that wise.

And we can do all that
While still retaining confidence
That this will come to an end in the proper time
And my prayer is that will come to that proper time
Proud of what we did
For ourselves
And for others.

I’ll see you tomorrow 1pm