From EOD: February 11, 2022
Greetings from your Executive Operations Director
This Sunday, February 13, we return to the sanctuary for in-person worship. So much time has passed and I miss you all. Your dedicated staff remains committed to our accomplishing our work and our mission toward Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole. We are still transitioning from our home offices to working in the building. Jessica will post our UCE office hours.
I have big news on the music front. Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m. Emma’s Revolution (Pat Humphries and Sandy O) returns to the UCE stage. The concert will be in-person and streamed live from the sanctuary. Tickets will go on sale in March. If you are not familiar with their powerful music, go online and check them out. Pat and Sandy’s songs are voices for justice. Their lyrics are moving, provocative and clear in their quest for equality and change in our world. We had the privilege of seeing them on stage at UCE with the legendary Holly Near. Watch the newsletter and social media for more information in the coming weeks and don’t miss this special opportunity to hear them in person or in the comfort of your home.
Inside our walls there’s been much progress. The Sanctuary Cooling Team (Greg Grabowski, Michael Drennan and I) have just completed almost two years of research and work toward installing cooling in the sanctuary and social area of the sanctuary. We signed a contract with Gleason Heating and Air Conditioning. Their work begins this week and installation will be complete by the end of May.
A new “Welcome Center Desk” — The Lobby Team (Sandy Danforth, Gillian Lawrence and I) have been reviewing proposals and sharing information with the ministers and are prepared to move forward with construction. This unit is being made by the same, talented young woodworker who made the nametag cabinet. Materials will be the same as that cabinet and will have storage, doors to hide the storage and an open area beneath for a stool where a hospitality team member can sit. Welcoming signage that will invite guests and congregants into our space. will be inserted into discreet wood rails along the top and bottom of the front.
Next week staff and volunteers will meet to plan for an event that will help us make Rummage Sale budget. It is doubtful it will be as it was before, but there are many options we hope to explore on Wednesday evening via zoom. If you are interested in being on this planning team, please let me know by emailing me at srobinson@ucevanston.org
Rentals have declined during November/December and January as you can imagine. They are beginning to pick up again during this first half of February. I am working with several previous renters and new ones to rebuild the significant income we have lost over these past two years. New ideas are being explored to market our space. If you know of organizations that need meeting space, music groups who need a place to perform, or someone who wants to hold a memorial, please ask them to contact me at the email shown above.
A new Garden Team at UCE has been formed. This is very exciting and will be enormously helpful as our gardens have expanded and we need individuals who can care for them. The spring and summer will be beautiful on the grounds of UCE with new plants along the wing, our Intergenerational Playscape and a newly planted pollinator garden in the west lawn. Janelle Brittain is leading the Garden Team and welcomes your help. If you have an interest in caring for gardens, please contact Janelle or me.
Our Integrated Stewardship Team met last evening for our regular monthly meeting. We focused on plans that our Pledge Drive Team Co-Chairs Jim Strickler and Rafael Hernandez-Arias have been busy coordinating over the past several weeks. They have assembled various teams to help them accomplish the goal of a successful pledge drive. Look for more information from the Pledge Drive Team this month as letters will go out in the new few weeks. There is more in this newsletter about the kick-off event and the 2022/23 UCE Pledge Drive.