Aisha’s Departure
By now, most of you have heard that Aisha has announced her intent to leave East Shore at the end of June, 2020. I would like to thank Aisha for the amount of notice she has provided so that plans can be made. Aisha has built a strong foundation in the areas of both youth and adult religious growth and we need to build upon that foundation. She will be missed, and I’m sure we can all agree that there isn’t “another Aisha” out there. Aisha has led us into difficult conversations, has definitely stretched me, and has awakened in me an acknowledgement of the growth I need to do. I am appreciative of her time at East Shore and will definitely miss her.
I’m sure that many of you are wondering “What are we going to do to replace Aisha?” Your Board discussed this at the first of our two January Board meetings. Our plan is to step back and look at what East Shore’s most pressing needs currently are that impact today and our future. That understanding will direct our plans for the future. The first step in the assessment is being led by Rev. Steve, and he will be providing input to the Board at our February meeting. Please feel free to email your thoughts to any of the Board members, as your thoughts are very important to the Board. As we know more, we will share more. Additionally, we will be scheduling opportunities for us to hear from our members.
Mission Fund Drive
I would like to thank Nicole Duff, our Membership Development Manager, for leading our efforts with the Mission Fund Drive. And, additional thanks go to David Langrock who is working closely with Nicole from a lay leadership perspective. They will need our help with the many tasks at hand, so please join the team by saying yes when asked to help. If you don’t wish to help with a particular task when asked, simply ask what other help is needed and you will then be able to join in. Nicole and Daviod’s efforts will be focused during the months of February and March. If this year’s drive is similar to previous drives, there will be a need to do “mop up” with some of our members in April. Please let either Nicole or me know if you would be willing to be involved with the “mop-up” portion of our canvas. We need your help.
Radical Hospitality
Nicole and Aisha will be leading a series of three gatherings to help us learn to better retain visitors, transition them to members and then keep our members. The classes will start at 7:00 PM on January 28, February 25, and March 24. Nicole and Aisha will use a video series to launch a discussion on how to Repel Fewer Visitors (January 28), Help New Comers Become New Members (February 25), and to Close the Revolving Door (March 24). They will be using a multicultural welcoming handout to ensure we are being fully inclusive. This is our opportunity to learn what each of us can do to help grow East Shore. Please attend as many of these sessions as you can.
Holly House
While there haven’t been any recent communications regarding Holly House and the sale process, I would like to acknowledge and express my appreciation for the significant work that Ann Fletcher, Dave Baumgart, Evelyn Smith, and Jason Puracal continue to perform on behalf of our congregation. The Board has also spent a significant amount of time discussing this topic, and expect to be in communication with the congregation about Holly House during the next month.
Yours in faith,
Dennis