Thoughts on Memberhip

Thoughts on Being a Member of Live Oak

Last April, I came to Live Oak for the first time. It was the High School Service, and I attended with my brother. I remember hearing one of the students playing Metallica on his electric guitar, and deciding that Live Oak was the place for me. I signed the book and became a member in July of 2004.

Ever since I was in high school, I’d always been curious about Unitarian Universalism. I had friends who attended the UU church in Racine, Wisconsin, where I lived most of my life. I grew up in a half-Jewish, half-Lutheran family, so it seemed a good fit for me – a church that accepted both of those religious backgrounds and many more. But strangely enough, it was the space shuttle crash of 2004 that really made me come to church. On that shuttle was one of my schoolmates, Laurel Clark, a UU who attended my high school. The day “Laurie Salton” died was the day I found out a person from my hometown, from my own school, just a year my senior, was an astronaut. I started to consider her accomplishments, and what I wanted my own legacy to be. It occurred to me that I had been thinking for years about service to the community, and had done little about it. I thought that coming to a church might put me in contact with like-minded individuals, and offer me more opportunities to contribute. Little did I realize just how true this would be!

At Live Oak, I immediately felt welcomed. Before I even became a member, I was part of the community. I remember Tere Kaulfus telling Jon Montgomery that I had signed the membership book, and he said, “Oh, I thought you’d already been a member forever!”

I wasn’t even a member yet when I was given the opportunity to organize a donation drive for Operation Iraqi Children. We sent 42 school supply bags to kids in Iraq. Since then, I’ve helped out with Hands on Housing (soon I’ll have done that twice). I’ve served on several committees, including the Aesthetics (briefly!), Community Outreach, Adult Programming, and Welcoming Congregation Committees. I’m now co-organizing a drive benefiting the Austin Children’s Shelter and working on a Live Oak Cookbook. I’ve been asked to be on the Nominating Committee starting next year.

I’ve attended classes and workshops, including Evensong, Relationships as a Sacred Path, a Creativity Labyrinth Walk, and American Sign Language. I’m going to be co-facilitating a class on Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Katherine Enyart, starting later this month.

I’ve participated in other groups such as Circle of Friends, Aftermath, Girls’ Night Out, Cinema Club, and Live Oak Bookworms. Because I cam to Live Oak, I met Stephanie Wells, a cellist, and I’ve started playing my cello again. I’m also playing with the Live Oak Orchestra.

I was “volunteered” to be a teacher for the high school RE class. I’m not sure who has learned more from whom, the students or the teachers, but I am absolutely loving that experience. In this and other activities, I’m thankful that somebody in the congregation recognized my desires and talents, even when I didn’t recognize them myself.

And finally, I’ve met and become friends with an incredible bunch of people – the kind of people you feel like you’ve already known for a long time. I’ve been coming to Live Oak for just about a year now. I can’t imagine what my life would be like now if I hadn’t.

Thanks, everybody!

Leah Korn