News, News!

We are delighted to announce that we have called Reverend Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson to be our next settled minister!  The wonderful music from adult and youth choirs and guest musicians added to the excitement and enthusiasm of this morning's service.

 Here is a letter from Reverend Kelly to all of us at FPC.

Dear Friends,

The lilacs were in bloom. I grew up surrounded by lilacs - my hometown is known for them - and when I came to visit your beautiful church, the lilacs in the parks and neighborhoods surrounding were in full bloom. There are a thousand reasons why I said 'yes' to the invitation to be your candidate; this is only one of them. But the mystic in me takes it as a kind omen, that we began our relationship when the lilacs were in bloom.

There are some things you should know, before we meet each other, face-to-face. I am a lifelong Unitarian Universalist - the words and deeds of our rich legacy of thinkers and activists have shaped who and what I am, and they continue, each day, to challenge me anew. Nurtured by our living tradition, I believe with a resolute faith in the power of religious community to save lives, grow souls, and heal the world. As a minister, I have chosen to devote my life to strengthening, leading, and transforming such communities, to help kindle the fires in our hearts that will draw us into and sustain us in the work of justice and peace.

Because this is the work I am called to do, I am tremendously excited to meet all of you in person. I have sought a congregation which, in the words of a favorite hymn by Marion Ham, "reveres the past, but trusts the dawning future more; and bids the soul, in search of truth, to venture boldly and explore." I believe you to be such a congregation, and look forward to the chance to explore with you, boldly.

In Faith,
Rev. Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson