To all our new UU friends,
In September of 2006 I reached out, via email, and asked for assistance in forming a new church fellowship in Hutchinson, Kansas. The response was immediate and gratifying. Within thirty minutes, we had received several phone calls and emails. Wow!
With this note I extend my warmest thanks to everyone who has helped us, both directly and indirectly. Thank you! And most directly, we want to thank Jill Jarvis and everyone at SCORE.
Thank you, also, to everyone who came last Sunday to our first public service. My heart is still warm with your outpouring. And a special thanks to Eric Banner and Aaron Ford and so many other people. To all of you, and dozens more unnamed here, we are grateful.
So far we have had a public meeting, and three samples services, to "prime" the pump. We have an email address, a web site, a bank account, and a handful of "Singing the Living Tradition" songbooks.
We have found several potential meeting sites. But mostly we have garnered hope and enthusiasm. We have begun the process of re-creating a UU Fellowship in Hutchinson. Yes!!!
We have made much progress, and have discovered many new friends. I would like to think that a new hope in one small town leads to hope everywhere. As centers of compassion, acceptance, thoughtfulness, and action, it is very important that UU fellowships succeed. They need to succeed and grow everywhere. That they need to emerge in new towns goes without saying. Young growing UU Fellowships are like spring wildflowers bringing new color and hope to the religious landscape.
This is not about the hopes of only a few families in Hutchinson. This is about something that is much bigger than any of us. It is a chance to rise above the tumultuous sea of religious conservatism. The UU alternative we offer is critical to the mix of human thought. Here we have a chance to make one small part of the world a little better and safer.
In UU fellowships we respect the inherent worth and dignity of all persons. In a world filled with hurt and pain, I cannot imagine a better place to start healing than UU fellowships and UU religious education. By the confidence that comes with being treated with respect and dignity, we give people of all ages permission to improve the world.
So, I thank you, with all my heart for your interest in our journey in Hutchinson. Thanks to your continued support, we just might make it!
Mike Williamson
Hutchinson Unitarian Universalists