As you know well from experience, being part of any community is by definition a give-and-take relationship. Even well-established communities go through periods of change; it’s natural. But going through changes can be hard.  In the past year our called minister resigned, and two other key employees left, too, in planned and unplanned moves. These and other changes compounded the downturn we had experienced during the worst period of the pandemic, when church services were only available via Zoom.

Many of us have some idea about how to manage changes when they occur. But not all changes are alike; some can challenge communities to respond in constructive ways, to avoid panicking, and to draw more closely together in the process. Despite the adversities of recent months, the First Unitarian Church of Oakland makes a positive difference to its congregation, in its neighborhood, and in Oakland more broadly, holds to its principles, and continues to further its mission and vision.

The church is working toward a strong and fiscally responsible recovery. We have hired Rev. Laurel Liefert, a dynamic and experienced minister who was ordained at our church about 12 years ago, as our half-time contract minister. She is with us through May 2024 and possibly longer. In respect to other staffing needs we are drawing close to hiring a new Congregational Administrator, after benefiting from the full-time volunteer service of a long-time member in that role for the last 7 months. We plan to also fill or expand other essential part-time positions. In addition, the Board of Trustees has engaged the services of a UUA sponsored congregational conflict counseling team. They will work with our church for the coming year.

We’ve begun the annual Stewardship pledge drive for 2024, for which our theme is “Be the Wind,” meaning that gentle but persistent force that carries water over the desert of our challenges. It’s the time of year when we ask members and friends of the church to commit both financing and volunteer labor to help offset the needs of the church for next year. The Stewardship drive is an opportunity for established members to renew and expand their support, and for those who have found the church in recent months to take part in the same ways. This year’s pledge drive is important and valuable for the well-being of the church.

We feel confident that we can recover in membership, staffing, and finances to levels near those of just a few years ago, but such recovery isn’t automatic; it depends on the participation of everyone involved.

If you haven’t done so already, please make your 2024 annual pledge here:

Link to 2024 Pledge Form: https://uuoakland.breezechms.com/form/Pledge2024

Questions can be addressed via email to the Stewardship Team at stewardship@uuoakland.org