2004 Letters

Letters from the President, 2004

By John Phelps

June 2004

Thanks to Live Oak Volunteers

This past weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 22-23, was just amazing. We completed calling a new part-time minister, elected new officers and trustees, worked toward negotiating the sale of Lakeline Office Park, walked the labyrinth for graduates and completed yet another Hands On Housing project.

How many volunteers does that take, you ask? I’m not sure I know myself. Hands On Housing had some 42 people on Saturday and Sunday. Seven people devoted many hours of effort to developing the process that resulted in our calling Kathleen Ellis as our second minister. Between officers, trustees, ministerial liaisons, and nominating committee, we elected 20 people to manage our church. We sent our best and brightest into negotiations to sell our excess property. In the midst of all this special activity, we sang, worshipped, taught, walked, shared, and welcomed as many visitors as I have ever seen on a Sunday morning. Did I mention the gorgeous gardens or the labyrinth?

Is this place cool or what? Isn’t it amazing what we have been able to accomplish? Now, with Kathleen joining Chuck as our spiritual leaders, and with the wonderful culture of gratitude we have created, imagine where we will be a year from today!

With gratitude and no small amount of awe,

John Phelps

April 2004

Wisdom from the UUA

It will come as no surprise that as president of the congregation, I receive more than my fair share of junk mail – everything from advertisements for companies selling church signs to appeals for money to a blizzard of communications from the UUA. Usually this stuff gets a brief glance before going into the recycle bin, but occasionally something fascinating is discovered. Actually, this discovery was made by my wife, Joyce, who read this article to me at 7 am one Sunday morning. It was good enough to actually penetrate the fog. The article is from the spring 2004 issue of the Southwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference Newsletter, written by Rev. Bob Hill, District Executive. Bob observes: “… Three indicators of congregational health … are fundamental to success in our Unitarian Universalist congregations of all sizes:

· Enthusiastic ministry

· A positive, cooperative, non-contentious spirit among the lay leaders

· Small group ministry

On the first item, enthusiastic ministry, I think we are in pretty good shape. Chuck’s picture is in the dictionary next to this term. And we are well along toward hiring a second part-time minister.

The third item, small group ministry, is another strength of Live Oak. Small group ministry, sometimes called covenant groups, are all the activity groups that you continually hear and read about. The men’s groups (we have 3), the women’s groups (four), the team that built a labyrinth, the group that runs the coffeehouse, the Christian group, the choir, the RE teachers, the folks cooking the soups – the list goes on and on. These groups give everyone an opportunity to meet folks and build lasting friendships. This is where you find support in a smaller, more intimate environment than a Sunday service.

On the second item, Bob cautions us …”Contentiousness drives people away.” We have worked very hard as a congregation to drive out contentiousness and to create a culture of gratitude – to appreciate the best in people and to recognize it. And what a difference that makes!

Verdict: the place looks great, feels even better, and is growing like, well, a Live Oak in spring.

So as the wildflowers bloom and the Live Oak grows this spring, come to the men’s groups or the women’s groups, teach RE, walk the labyrinth, cook a soup, sing in the choir, plant flowers in the garden, invent your own activity and they will come. It’s how this place works!

With love and gratitude,

John Phelps

February 2004

Frictionless Culture of Gratitude

If I had to describe my goal for Live Oak in four words, it would be “Frictionless Culture of Gratitude”. What does this mean?, you ask.

Frictionless – our interactions are smooth, easy, painless, fun. We get along together. Individuals are friendly and respectful of others. Committees and teams work well together. It’s a supportive, warm, friendly place to be. It’s easy for newcomers to find us, be recognized, become integrated into the community and become members. It’s a very special place of love and acceptance where everyone is welcome and safe. It’s no accident that our place of worship is called a sanctuary.

Culture of Gratitude – a Zen master once observed that gratitude was a key sign of enlightenment. Gratitude means being grateful for what we have and where we are. It means recognizing good works with thanks and a hug. It means understanding to the bone that this church and community only exist because of the generosity and wisdom of those who call it home. It means recognizing our amazing good luck to have found each other and continuing to work together to build this community and extend its reach.

Let me know what you think. What does “Frictionless Culture of Gratitude” mean to you?

Love,

John Phelps