Back from summer break and today I interviewed Rev. Jenn Gracen, the new Interim Minister at St. John's. She shares a little about her background and what to expect in the next month or so of the interim period.

Hosted by Roberto Henriquez

Rev. Alice joins us this time to discuss the recent Listening Circles.

Hosted by: Roberto Henriquez

Joetta Prost and Matthew Cowperthwait join me to discuss the sanctuary construction project and talk a bit about the numbers.

Hosted by Roberto Henriquez

In this episode Rev. Alice Diebel and I speak with our wonderful accompanist Pengcheng He as he prepares to leave St. John's.

Hosted by Roberto Henriquez and Rev. Alice Diebel

In this episode I talk with Pamela Wilz about what is often referred to as NonViolent Communcation.

Many of us long to discover and deepen skills to help strengthen our relationships with family, friends and colleagues, as well as ourselves.  If this describes you, consider joining one of the upcoming Compassionate Communication opportunities at St. John’s. We will learn, practice, and integrate skills and concepts based on NonViolent Communication (NVC) as developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg. Some examples include:

• Deep Listening: Understanding others from head and heart
• Creating Inner Peace: Converting judgments and resentments into human needs
• Authentic Self Expression: Speaking honestly in a way that leads to connection

Two opportunities:

• If you are new to NVC or want a refresher on basic concepts, the Foundations of Compassionate Communication series is for you.  This is a 4-session zoom class on February 8, 22 and March 15, 29 from 6:30 to 8:30pm.  Sessions build on each other so attendance at all sessions is requested for optimal learning experience, but not required.
• If you have some prior experience with NVC, you may want to consider the Practice Group where we will explore concepts in more depth and practice using skills more extensively.  This is an in-person group and meets on 2nd and 4th Mondays 6:30-8:30pm beginning February 13.

All sessions will be facilitated by Pamela Wilz, CNVC Certification Candidate. For planning purposes, advance registration is requested and can be accomplished by emailing pamela.wilz@fuse.net.

We discuss the recent Board statement against racism and Islamophobia. You can read the statement below.

Hosted by Roberto Henriquez

I’m Melissa Rowland, your St. John’s Board President, and I’ve got some important information to share. Please read through thoughtfully.   In a blog post right before sabbatical, Rev Mitra said “...I challenged the board to address implicit and explicit Islamophobia experienced at church by your minister. What does it mean for you to be served by an Iranian-American minister?” You can find the blog post here: https://stjohnsuu.org/september-brings-a-sabbatical/   This was a deeply troubling revelation and has been thoughtfully considered over the past several months by all board members. The Adult Faith Formation team in partnership with Rev. Alice developed the 4-part class, Interpersonal Harmony, to provide tools to better respond to anxiety and tension among our congregation members and friends. It provided a sampling of many areas that can be more deeply studied in the future and gave us lots to think about in the present moment.   Did you see Rev. Alice’s sermon this past Sunday? If not, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92RMjAX4SOk&t=4241s   Rev. Alice mentioned that the St. John’s Board approved a statement that speaks out against Islamophobia. You will find that statement as a link in this very email. It has been thoughtfully written and we know it is not the end of the conversation. It is the beginning.

There will be many opportunities for ongoing personal and spiritual growth. Listed in the attached document are actions already being taken that include:  Provided Interpersonal Harmony short series Collaborating on the Building the World We Dream About program to start in January, a multi-congregation effort. Engage the Social Justice and Adult Faith Formation Teams in creating and supporting programs, such as Beloved Conversations, Nonviolent Communication, and others.  Please continue to look for updates in the E-news and at Sunday services for information about actions currently under development that include: Review and update the 2016 Commitment to Racial Justice statement. Identify and invite speakers on Islam to St. John’s. Explore facilitating the Intercultural Development Inventory program - or other cultural awareness programs. Provide further education on microaggressions.  You are also always welcome to reach out to your church Board of Trustees for any questions or concerns. You can email us at Board@stjohnsuu.org. Your opinions, concerns, and ideas are always welcome.   Yours in Faith,   Melissa Rowland St. John’s Board President

Rev. Alice and I discuss thoughts from her sermon from 11 December about "Authentic St. John's" about micro aggressions, difficult conversations, and being more mindful.

In this episode, Rev. Alice turns the tables on the host and interviews Roberto Henriquez about his political activities and why it's important to get involved.