Dear Friends,

It is a beautiful blue sky October day as I write this, the zinnias still going strong in my back garden and tomatoes and butternut squash continuing to ripen on the vine. It feels like a regular early autumn day and yet it is not.  On the news, there are hourly updates on the president’s medical condition, and I’m meeting with staff and deacons to figure out how to hold Christmas Eve services online. Nothing seems that “normal” right now.

So thank you for continuing to show up for each other at worship, at classes during the week, at small group and committee meetings. Despite all we are going through, I see this community continuing to reach out to one another to try and connect, support, aid and help.  As the weather grows colder and we get into winter, those efforts will be even more important.  We don’t know precisely what will be needed or how we can mobilize our community to help but if you want to be added to a list of potential “helpers” (to write notes, make phone calls, bring meals), please email me at jenny@fplincoln.org.  As time goes on, I’ll be consulting with the deacons and the Care Committee to see what, if anything, might be needed within our own community.

Thank you for participating in the conversation on core values last Sunday. The attendance was great and the contributions you made were thoughtful; your energy and caring for the future direction of this community was palpable.  I look forward to more conversations of this caliber as we move into the vision and mission setting part of our interim work together.

In the meantime, let me know if you’d like a visit (outside), a phone call, or sign up to chat during Minister’s Office Hours. I’ll be holding office hours each Wed from 1-4 pm.  There does not need to be a problem or an issue, it can just be fun to have a chance to catch up.  Sign up here and indicate if you would like to talk by phone or over Zoom.

Thanks for being part of this community; we’re all in this together and I appreciate the feeling of being part of a caring community. I hope you do too.