Greetings for the New Year. On behalf of your Board of Trustees I’d like to wish you a wonderful 2022 filled with joyous surprises, manageable challenges and innumerable blessings. Looking back, we see ongoing uncertainty with the pandemic, somewhat eased by our early experiments with multi-platform services, and the resumption of choral harmony just last week.
Looking ahead, lots of anticipation of re-opening on January 23. Please remember that folks over 11 will need proof of vaccination to attend services in person. Watch the weekly eblast for details of how to make that go smoothly. It is so exciting to imagine seeing some of you for the first time in almost two years.
The East Shore Growth Study Group is looking at actions large and small; maybe a ‘buddy program’ for visitors, maybe adopting an Afghan refugee family. Some things we can begin soon. Others should wait for the new minister. One thing is certain. There will be a new normal going forward. We will all navigate it as best we can, showing patience, grace, and care for each other. Such hospitality, not just to newcomers, but to current members can help us grow in numbers. The point is pointedly not to get more pledges but rather to increase East Shore’s impact on our inner lives and on the outer circumstances on those we serve through our ministries. My resolution is to more fully live out our mission now and in the new year. If I practice love, the rest, exploring spirituality, building community, and promoting justice should surely follow.
In peace, Mike
by Mike Radow, Board President