It is hard to believe this will be our second church year together! In 2016-17, we put up two Black Lives Matters banners (the first one was not up to village code), we helped create a chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), I facilitated a Let’s Talk about Race workshop, we hosted a student-led panel discussion on how to make Canton more welcoming to people of color, we partnered with SLU to help welcome HEOP students, and we addressed diversity topics at Coffee, Conversation, & More before Sunday services. We hired a great Congregational Administrator and a wonderful Music Coordinator. Since late August of last year, we welcomed 16 new members and dozens of new visitors. RE attendance is up. Sunday Worship attendance is up. Nursery attendance is up. We even had a well-attended summer RE program. A sermon writing workshop was offered, we had a Winter Solstice service, and an Immigration Navigator training was held here. A Jazz Circle started and so did a men’s group. We explored different ways of going solar and we sent a bunch of people to the Women’s March on Washington. I officiated the weddings of Judy and David, Theresa and Carol, and Natalie and Erika. I know I am probably missing some other accomplishments but it is important to take the time to celebrate what we have done together.
Of course, not everything was great. We had a special evening service after the presidential election. We have also had to say goodbye to some very beloved members who moved. Longtime member Richard Kimball died.
It is also important to look ahead. This church year we will work on writing a mission statement and creating a butterfly garden in our front lawn. The biennial Social Justice Initiative will hold its first conference on September 30, which will be followed by many more.
We will continue to firmly be on the side of love. Our world needs our message more than ever. We must continue to be the love people, the welcoming people. June 2018 will mark for us 20 years of being an official Welcoming Congregation, which means we have been certified by the UUA that we embrace LBGTQ+.
Recently I married a same-sex couple who are not UUs and I proclaimed who we are in the ceremony. Among other things, I said:
We believe we create our own hells in this life when we do not love.
We believe we have to continually be open to letting truth and love unfold in our lives.
We also believe that if you are ever in doubt about something, err on the side of love.
We believe in a Universal love, that some call God, that compels us to work for love.
We are the love people!
I am looking forward to a great second year with all of you love people!
Blessed Be, The Rev. James Galasinski
September 2017