A Letter From the Board President

Dear People’s People,

On behalf of the Interim Minister Task-Force and Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce that we have contracted with the Reverend Pam Allen-Thompson to serve as our Interim Minister for the next two years.

Reverend Allen-Thompson spent the last year as an interim minister at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, MN. Prior to that, she served as a consulting minister, interim minister, and settled minister in Florida, Virginia and California. Among other things, Pam served as a UUA trustee, on the Pacific Central District Board, the national board for PFLAG, and United Way of Northwest Ohio. She has been active in anti-oppression work and interfaith activity.

Prior to ministry, Pam earned a Ph.D. in German Studies and has co-authored two books and published numerous scholarly articles.

She and her partner of 21 years, Di Allen-Thompson, are proud grandmas and together they have renovated seven homes and three duplexes. Pam is fond of bold colors and interesting hats, enjoys making tasty meals from leftovers, and likes to ride her bike to work and anywhere that is possible.

For more information on Pam, please go to the member’s section of the web page. Pam begins her work with us August 1, 2013 and as we get closer to the new church year, there will be more information on how we can, as a community, welcome her to our shared ministry.

In peace and community,
Sue Caulfield

Between Us

Summer is nearly here—hard to believe, once again. That’s the thing about seasons—it seems we’d become accustomed to the changes, but somehow there is always a small surprise. That’s the thing about changes in general, I suppose—you’d think we’d get accustomed to them, given that most of our life is made of change—but we seem to always react with surprise. What, a change? Are you kidding? (Why this, why me, why now?)

Summer Services begin at People’s on June 16. The format of the service changes, and the starting time is 45 minutes earlier, at 10 a.m. This summer, the Sunday Services Committee offers a series of programs on transition, because, well, we’re in it! Since I’m here and working most of June and July, I’ll facilitate many of the services in these months, with help from others. Our plan is to meet in Room 19, the big upstairs room in the new building. Unless we get too crowded there; if so we’ll go to the Commons. A full program of activities is offered for elementary-aged youth (see page 5 in this newsletter for the schedule) and baby and child care is provided each week. A few greeters are needed for each week, especially to greet and help orient visitors and newcomers. Please let Anna Shade know if you can be a greeter a few times this summer. Following the 1-hour service, we always have time for refreshments and greeting one another. If you are able and willing to help provide them, fresh snacks are always welcome for this meeting time.

Hard to believe, and hard to say, but these summer months will be the time for us to say good-bye to each other, as Walter and I pick up and pack up to head west to begin a new life chapter. These fifteen years in Kalamazoo and at People’s Church have been some of the richest and most blessed of my life. I could never have imagined what would grow between us in this work together, how much I would learn and grow. In many ways, I will always be connected to you—because love never dies. In some ways, I will have to be disconnected for awhile, so that you can meet your next ministers and find the ways you will walk together with them. My greatest hope for People’s Church is that it keeps going strong! I will need that from you. I hope you will send us with your good wishes—I will need that from you too.

What do you need from me as we enter into these summer months? What can we do together to make our good-byes as good as possible? I hope you’ll let me know. And I hope to see many of you at summer services, as often as you can come

See you Sunday—Jill