So
many wonderful things happen at Allen Avenue. Even I can't keep
track. But I want to let you know about a few things that are just
beginning to grow. Lenora Trussell brought a proposal to the Caring
Connection Committee to begin a ministry of Parish
Nursing.
“Parish nurses” serve in other congregations in a variety of
ways—so Lenora is working with Caring Connection and me to sort out
how it might work at A2U2. One way is that Lenora can meet with
individuals or families experiencing significant health issues to
listen and sometimes offer suggestions as they sort out their
options. Sometimes a wise and caring listening ear is so helpful
when facing a challenge or change in one's life. The Caring
Connection has already arranged for Lenora to meet with a few of our
members. Lenora is also planning to offer workshops on a variety of
health related issues.
One
of the things I love about our church is that we encourage our
members to share their gifts, to find their passion, to bring their
own ministry to our church, or beyond our church. If you are sparked
by what Lenora is doing, there is room for more than just one Parish
Nurse. Or if you have your own thing you'd like to offer, come chat
with me!
Another
new thing—the board just agreed for our church to sponsor a
Chaplaincy
Intern.
Mark Gallup is a student of the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine
(ChIME), and brought a proposal to be our intern from June 2012 to
May of 2013. Mark has been the Environmental Director for Southern
Maine Community College for several years, and is planning to retire
next year. He hopes to create a ministry of helping people to
experience the divine in nature and foster the need to care for the
earth. An internship gives Mark a chance to practice this new
ministry, and learn what he needs to know to be able to fulfill his
vision. Our church members will be his teachers and will also
benefit from the ministry he brings to us. It will be a chance to us
to practice being a teaching congregation.
We
are imagining this internship might include such things as creative
outdoor worship, religious education programs, and working with our
Green Earth and Building & Grounds committees on sustainability
issues. Mark will also be practicing pastoral skills such as
compassionate listening, as a part of our pastoral care team. The
internship involves 6-8 hours per week, and we hope to sort out more
details in June, when Mark can meet with different groups and
individuals to make a plan for next year. Stay tuned!
One
more new thing. Many of you had a chance to meet Rev.
Fulgence Ndagijimana at
the Ferry Beach retreat. Rev. Fulgence is a UU minister in Burundi,
founder and pastor of the only UU
congregation in Burundi.
The church is doing much good in Burundi, and there are ways that
our church might be able to help, if a few people are interested in
being coordinators. The church has a micro-loan program to help
women establish small businesses to support their families. They can
do this with as little as a $100 loan. They are also looking for
sponsors to help students complete a high school education, for $500
per year. If this calls to your heart, let me know. You don't have
to have money to help coordinate this work. It would be a wonderful
partnership to create. Again, it is all about encouraging our
members to share their gifts and their passions.
Thank
you for all the ways you make this community thrive!
