Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance. – Virgil
Dear Members and Friends of UUWestport –
By the time you read this, I will be on my way or have already arrived for a few days in my homeland of the Memphis area. I made these plans in the weeks before we learned the search for a settled minister had not yielded the desired result. By then, however, I had already made appointments with my primary care physician and my periodontist in Tennessee, and I needed to honor those arrangements.
Because the original plan was for the minister candidate to be speaking the next two Sundays, we had to pivot. Happily, the Settled Minister Search Committee agreed to lead the service this Sunday, April 19, as they reflect on their experience together this past year. Don’t miss this morning about “The Promises We Keep.” Sunday, April 26, our pulpit guest will be my dear UU minister colleague Rev. Lindasusan Ulrich (they/them). You will value their warmth, humor, and wisdom … I feel so blessed to have such partners in ministry right hear in Connecticut. Please support the Search Committee and the Rev. Lindasusan as they graciously share with you.
I also committed to be at the NYC Big Book Award in New Jersey next Saturday, April 25, where my beloved Rev. Dr. Terrlyn Curry Avery will receive awards for her books Dismantling Racism: Healing Separation from the Inside Out and In Quietness, Confidence, & Strength: Prayers to Deepen, Elevate, and Expand Your Relationships.
You might be wondering what this has to do with you. It’s this: There were enough unexpected twists and turns in the past few weeks that I didn’t get to do all the things I thought I would have time to address. Between the outreach for the pledge drive, the Cottage Parties, the Celebrations of Life for our departed beloved ones, the staff performance reviews, the worship services, the meetings, the FY2027 budget and other conversations, the Minister Search pivot, and more, I’ve scarcely had a moment to follow-up on the plans for the Saturday, April 25 Get Set … GO! 2026 Pledge Drive Celebration.
The good news is that I made great use of the moments I did have and recruited some stellar leaders to guarantee a wonderful night for those who will attend. Julyen Norman graciously agreed to make sure the food and beverages are all set up as they need to be. Diana Bell will be the MC for the talent show, with support from Brian Lasher. In fact, Brian, Sari Bodi, Sam Somashekar, and Felicia Keeton will all assist before, during, and after the Celebration as they can.
However, these kind souls will need your help so that we all feel good about the evening.
Toward that end, please be mindful to do the following:
- Sign-up for the Pledge Drive Celebration in the lobby Sunday or online by April 19. This will help ensure we have an accurate head-count.
- Sign-up for the Talent Show, or to be part of the set-up and/or clean-up crews.
- Say “Yes!” to any of the kind souls listed above if they ask you for your help and you are available.
- Make or increase your pledge to UUWestport by April 19 to ensure that your pledge is matched dollar-for-dollar through the generosity of a faithful donor. As I said a while back, nothing would be more satisfying to me as this year with you draws to a close than your meeting you pledge goal of $580,000, and we’re 96 percent there as of today! Only you can close the gap!
- Please be patient with each other. With so much going on, there are bound to be missteps and disappointments. Your willingness to maintain spiritual practices of generosity and gratitude can turn a so-so experience into a great one.
I have deep confidence that all will be well, because the congregation as a whole has proven time and time again that it has the endurance to meet meaningful moments as they present themselves. This automatically puts the odds in your favor.
I will be back on the campus Tuesday, April 28, and back on the chancel at 10:00 AM for the Sunday, May 3 service where UUWestport as a congregation will lift up the life and legacy of our dearly departed Minister Emeritus, Rev. Frank Hall.
Until then, I love you very much … Take good care of yourselves and of each other!
Rev. Carlton
