Appeal From Co-Chair Anjela

      Over the last year and a half, we engaged in a challenging and ultimately heartbreaking attempt to purchase a home of our own. We can all look around the room on Sunday morning and think about familiar faces that we don't see, and we miss them. Some may have left because they disagreed with the focus of church-ownership, some may be absent because of the bitter disappointment of not realizing this dream, some may have responded to painful injuries due to mistakes we made, and some may have simply drifted off while our efforts were directed elsewhere. Whatever the reasons, their absence leaves a hole in our midst. Perhaps you, reading this, are someone who no longer attends. Please know that we miss you. We are so sorry for your pain, and hope your spirit is nourished wherever you are. We would love to see you again.

     The purchase process gave us a shared sense of what our future was likely to be and a sense of what we needed to do to get there. That is also missing from JUUF these days. So where do we go from here? What's our next step? Can we ever realize our dreams? What are our hopes and dreams for our fellowship? Can we all dream the same dream?

     The board and chairs of our committees are meeting at 9:00 am Sunday morning, the 7th of March, to explore the issues surrounding the healing that we need and the future goals of our fellowship. Please consider attending this meeting. We welcome and encourage participation by members and friends. We need your thoughts and ideas to be part of the wisdom that guides us.

     The meeting next Sunday is the first step of a process that will be assist- ed by the Pacific Northwest District Office. The dates and details are still being worked out, but they will send us someone later this spring to help us set out a plan to work toward our goals. Our task on the morning of March 7 is to come up with a shared vision of JUUF's goals.

     So again, please come if you can. If you cannot attend but would like to share your thoughts with a board member beforehand. We would love to hear from you. We need to hear from you.

                                In faith, hope, and love, Anjela  

      Dave Frey is bringing WhaleCoast to Juneau for the nights of July 18, 19, and 20. He has less than 20 people signed up so far, so we may be able to host all of them without resorting to commercial accommodations. The three nights is more profitable to us than last year's two nights, so we hope everyone will pitch in and help with hospitality.

     Please notify Karragh if you can volunteer to coordinate accommodations, dinner, or transportation.

Adult Religious Education

As part of our plan to strengthen our community and grow we hope to offer an adult RE program as part of our Sunday mornings.  We are envisioning a series of classes and people can participate in whichever ones most interest them.  So far we have people willing to teach a courses on Articulating your Theology and Creative Writing: Poetry.  We are looking for more adults to participate in, teach, and coordinate an Adult RE program for Sunday mornings.  Please let Karragh know (karragha@juuf.org) if you would like to teach a course or help to coordinate the schedule and the teachers.