Dear Friends,

As I'm here in New Orleans with the UUA Board, talking through how our Association might best support the ministry of congregations, the Unitarian Universalists in Oak Ridge are more than on my mind--you are also on Facebook, my cellphone, and my email inbox! And I am glad for it. Our connections are precious. Sustaining them is vital.

While each of us has a part in sustaining these connections, it may be that one person is responsible for maintaining the whole network of connection, to make sure things run right, is someone often unseen, whose work of support and coordination often goes unrecognized (until those rare instances when things, for whatever reason, just don't go right!). This person is the Office Administrator.

For the last couple of months, ORUUC has been ably served by the temporary staffing of Debby Crider. Debby arrived with the purpose of helping us keep things going as the Board's Staffing Task Force discerned our best configuration for staffing. Meanwhile, day after day, Debby's worked impressed not only me, but other staff-members, as well as many members. It is rare that people gush about competent administration, but gushing is exactly what I heard with respect to the skill, poise, and wisdom we'd discovered in Debby.

On Wednesday, I shared the good news that Wendel Werner's status was changing from just-for-now to permanent. Now, I'm so happy to be able to tell you the same about Debby.

ORUUC has been in a time of transition with staff in the last several months. But now it feels as if we've come to some wonderful resolution. I'm so grateful to walk alongside such a talented staff team. And also alongside the generous congregation who supports them. Spring is coming again. Can you feel it? I can.
Faithfully,
Jake