Dear UUCM members and friends, 

Welcome to the new church year! We think it will be an exciting and rewarding one! 

With covid subsiding (happily), our covid policy will be the same as it was at the end of the last church year. People attending in person need to be vaccinated and, if eligible, boosted. Masks are encouraged but optional. 

Best of all, with covid no longer a raging pandemic, we can look forward at this point to a year when most of us can once again attend Sunday services in person. The service will be available on Zoom for those whose health issues or distance from the church prevents them from attending, and that is important. We also hope everyone who is able will commit to coming on Sunday morning in person, which is what keeps our church vital and thriving. Being together in person strengthens our ties to each other as a spiritual community as we sing, pray, share our joys and concerns, and socialize together. It allows us to get involved as greeters, choir members, chalice lighters, worship associates, and RE teachers. And it sends a hearty welcome to visitors and newcomers. When they see the pews full and can meet a variety of people, they get a clear sense of the friendly and supportive community they can be part of. 

Over the summer, our standing committees and church leaders have been busy getting ready for the coming year. Rev. Bruce and the Worship Committee have been planning our upcoming Sunday services including wonderful lay-led and guest-led services for the Sundays when Rev. Bruce is not leading the service. Our DRE, Mimi Olivier, and the RE Committee and teachers have been planning an especially engaging, fun year for the kids and youth. Our Music Director, Molly Ruggles, and choir members are looking forward to singing, performing, and welcoming anyone who wishes to help provide music. Members of the Social Justice Committee have been working hard building our relationship with GBIO (Greater Boston Interfaith Organization) and providing support to the Mir family, the Afghan refugee family who will continue to live in the Osgood House during the coming school year. The Building and Grounds Committee has made sure that the much-needed repairs of our beautiful stained-glass windows got done. Leaders of our small groups—Touchstone, book discussions, meditation—have sent out invitations welcoming everyone to join in. We are enormously grateful to all these people who bring such creativity and devotion to the church! 

This year, the Board is excited to introduce a new way that Board members will be involved in church affairs in addition to our regular duties on the Board. Beginning in the fall, each Board member will take responsibility for a particular need or task that keeps the church functioning well and requires church members’ participation but falls outside the purview of a standing committee. Here is what each of us will be doing as the point person or co-chair of a particular endeavor: 

Robert Lublin along with Paul Marcucilli will lead our new all-church Greeting/Welcoming/ Membership Squad (more details will be forthcoming!).  

Brian Wolf will make sure our Sunday morning Zoom transmission runs smoothly. 

Chris Fiorello will make sure our snack larder and milk are in good shape for Social Hour. 

Liz Ammons along with Steve Schmidt will co-chair the Annual Canvass. 

Daric Delfino will lead the Young Adults Get Together program that began last year. 

Lourie August and Lily MacNamee will co-chair our new Outreach Initiative (they already have some great ideas!). 

In addition to our volunteers and lay leaders, our dedicated staff keeps our church strong. We are grateful to our minister, Rev. Bruce Taylor; our Director of Religious Education, Mimi Olivier; our Music Director, Molly Ruggles; our sexton, Jim Costello; and our staff assistant, Brenda Bonetti, for the many contributions they make!  

As we head into the new church year, we hope you too will bring your energy, ideas, hopes, and commitment to share with our church community. Our community runs on the volunteer labor of its members. If you are not already on a committee or involved, please feel very welcome to volunteer. 

We hope we have not forgotten something. If so, we will let you know! But this is to say we are very excited to have the new church year starting and look forward to seeing everyone again soon! 

In fellowship, 

Your UUCM Board 

Liz Ammons, Chair 

Lourie August, Vice Chair 

Daric Delfino 

Chris Fiorello 

Robert Lublin 

Lily MacNamee 

Brian Wolf