the OUUC spark

Amazingly, I am completing my fifth year of ministry at OUUC! I often tease that this settled ministry at OUUC has been anything but settled! I am grateful for the seven months that we had in person before we shut down for the pandemic almost four years ago, and for the community we have built since then.

What a four years it has been! During that time, we have fully embraced Zoom. Transformational worship remains a centerpiece of our community online and onsite. We navigated Covid with care for each other and for the community., and we continue to do so. You made a new vision and mission for OUUC, working for a loving, just and healthy world. The Worship Arts Team and Pastoral Care Team are skilled and strong. We’ve focused our Faith in Action work on climate justice, economic justice, and anti-racism. We have maintained faith formation for all ages. We have a new Healthy Congregations Team to help build conflict transformation skills at OUUC. We have built connections to community partners through Share the Plate and justice efforts. We continue to make the transition to a program-sized church with a new policy-based governance model for how we get things done. And, we have adapted and transformed ourselves and the OUUC staff team to meet the challenges and expectations of a post-Covid, digital world.

OUUC continues to do what we are here for: transform lives and transform the world.

The ministerial agreement that I have with OUUC requires that I take a sabbatical sometime between four and seven years of service. A sabbatical is an extended time away for clergy renewal, a common practice in many denominations, including Unitarian Universalism.

Periodic ministerial sabbaticals are recommended as a period of refreshment and renewal for both the congregation and the minister. My colleagues who have taken a sabbatical talk about returning with new energy, commitment, enthusiasm, and ideas. A ministerial sabbatical is also a time of renewal for congregations when they may have new ideas and a new appreciation of their capabilities.

I am aware that the pandemic changed everything, including how things work at OUUC. It was a time of emergency when more had to be carried by me and the staff. I know we are all a bit weary from that, me included. The pandemic also changed the work of the congregation, and my hope is that the sabbatical will help renew the congregation's sense of ownership and commitment.

Based on the requirement that I give one year’s notice of a sabbatical, in early 2023 I asked the Board to approve time away for sabbatical this year. The Board has supported this effort with the formation of a Sabbatical Team, which began its work in January, and they have been working hard since. I am grateful to the five people who said yes when asked to serve: Dan Donahue, Tiffany Felch, Kirsten Hill, Curtis Tanner, and Polly Taylor. You’ll be hearing more from them in an after-service forum on March 17.

I’ve added a few questions and answers below. Look for more information from the Sabbatical Committee on March 17 and in the months to come.

I was inspired by Carrie Newcomer’s song, “Like Molly Brown.” Carrie uses the phrase “pull and rest” to describe how we sustain the work of justice. I’ve been pulling for a while now and am looking forward to resting. May the sabbatical be a time of renewal for all of us.

Blessings on your week,

Rev. Mary

Minister@ouuc.org

QUESTION: When are you thinking about taking this sabbatical and for how long?

ANSWER: I will be away from June 16 through October 31, about 4 ½ months.

QUESTION: Why those dates?

ANSWER: My ministerial agreement allows for one month of sabbatical for each year of service, so this year I am eligible for 5 months. This sabbatical will be about 4 ½ months.

I chose to leave after the June 9 annual congregational meeting and will be back in time for the presidential election in November.

QUESTION: Isn’t this a hard time for a minister to be away?

ANSWER: Wisdom among clergy is that there is never a good time to be away. Or put a different way, there’s always something going on. I chose dates that I think will be the least disruptive and most supportive for me and the congregation.

QUESTION: What would you plan to do on the sabbatical?

ANSWER: I’m not sure yet, but I have a list of possibilities which include some silent meditation retreats, some travel to visit friends and family, a road trip with my husband John along the Camino Real, reading, walking, and resting. John & I also have an end-of-life planning curriculum that we have taught in the past and want to update. I plan to be in Olympia much of the time.

These past years have been a time of incredible change and grief, which I have experienced personally and professionally. I will be focused on refilling my well, renewing my spirit, and deepening my call. The Ministry Development Team will help me finalize a plan that will be approved by the Board in April or May.

QUESTION: What happens if we run into you around town while you are on sabbatical?

ANSWER: I would appreciate it if you let me take the lead on engaging. I may be in a place to say hello or may not be. Please don’t take that as an affront; it will most likely be related to my reserves and where I am in renewal. You can be sure that I will not want to talk about congregational affairs or business.

QUESTION: Who takes care of things while you are gone?

ANSWER: The Board is in negotiation with a UU minister for half-time coverage. Of course, a half-time minister cannot do in 20 hours per week what I do in 45-50 hours per week. That means committees, teams, and lay leaders will step up to do more, or some things will wait.

The budget includes honoraria for more guest speakers. The sabbatical minister and I will schedule speakers before I leave. The Worship Arts Team is preparing to be busy.

The Pastoral Care Team is preparing for more activity.

And, of course, the amazing OUUC staff will remain at work, and are preparing for my time away. Rev. Carol McKinley, OUUC’s Affiliated Community Minister will be available to be called on by the sabbatical minister and OUUC staff.

The Sabbatical Committee is working on a contact list for who to call when I am away.

All the teams, including the staff team, are in preparation mode now, with the Sabbatical Committee helping with the preparations and communications.

QUESTION: Will you be totally out of touch while you are on sabbatical?

ANSWER: Mostly, yes. There are some circumstances in which I would want to be contacted. I will discuss those with the sabbatical minister and board president, who will be the ones to contact me if needed.

QUESTION: What will the financial arrangements be, and how will we pay for it?

ANSWER: As stipulated in my settlement agreement (and as is customary), the church would continue to pay my salary and benefits. To cover the cost of a sabbatical minister, for several years the Board has been placing money in a Sabbatical Reserve and will look to other reserves as needed.

QUESTION: What’s this about serving the church for a year upon return from the sabbatical?

ANSWER: The requirement to serve the church for at least one year after a sabbatical is a standard provision in ministerial agreements. The idea is to ensure some leadership stability after a time away. Also, you are making an investment in me by supporting a sabbatical, so I will want to share what I learn with you after I return.

Do you have more questions? Bring them to the after-service forum with the Sabbatical Committee on March 17 at 11:30.

This is what Rev. Mary said about equity in the service on March 3, which you can watch here.

This month, our spiritual theme is equity, another of the core UU values identified by the Article II Commission as the foundation of our faith. The Commission defined equity this way:

• We declare that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity and worthiness.
• We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.

For those familiar with the 7 UU principles, you will recognize the first principle here: the inherent worth and dignity of each person. Equity adds to this the idea — that we use our resources to create accessible and inclusive communities.

Equity is not equality; it is not that everyone gets the same. Equity means that we recognize that fairness and justice mean that everyone does not start from the same place and that we must adjust to offset the imbalances and injustices.

For more information about the Article II Commission of the Unitarian Universalist Association, check out the resources that Rev. Sara has collected here.

This week’s dinner will be a Salad Spectacular (all kinds of fun and delicious salads). Everyone is invited for food and fellowship at 5:30pm.

Rev. Sara could still use some help with cooking, set up, and clean up - just show up if you're willing and able. 🤗

After-dinner options tonight include: the UU Buddhist Sangha, Parent Group, and Kids Class, all at 6:30pm.

This Sunday, we’ll spring forward for Daylight Savings Time; so we lose an hour of sleep. None of us like to lose that hour, and it can make a busy morning seem even harder. So, that means it’s “wear your jammies to church” Sunday!

Join me in the tradition at OUUC to wear your PJ’s this Sunday. Colorful, comfy robes and slippers are welcome, in addition to jammies (fit for public viewing, please).

We’ll be as comfy in the sanctuary as everyone joining from home online!

In this week's Tiny Little News Show, news about our Stewardship Campaign and this week's events:

Website: https://www.ouuc.org

Email: office@ouuc.org

Location: 2306 East End St NW, Olympia, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 634-2005

Office Hours

Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sunday, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Staff Contacts

Rev. Mary Gear, Minister

Rev. Sara Lewis, Director of Community and Faith Development

Troy Fisher, Music Director

Isaac Jennings, Business Manager

Rosie Koppelman, Office Assistant

Teresa Madsen, Communications & Tech Coordinator

Marie Arensmeyer, Facilities Manager

Anissa Bentlemsani, Religious Education Assistant

Carbon Marshall, Tech Specialist