Report from the Board of Trustees

May 2003

Good morning. I start my letter off saying this because I am focusing on being in the "present". I sit at the computer realizing how wonderful it is to acknowledge the meaning and wonder of being in the "present" and feel joy in relieving myself of all of the discomforts of lingering in the "past" or lamenting over the "future." I celebrate NOW….this moment; this instant…..NOW.

From the book, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle:

"Make Now the primary focus of your life. Whereas before you dwelt in time and paid brief visits to the Now, have your dwelling place in the Now and pay brief visits to past and future when required to deal with the practical aspects of your life situation. Always say "yes" to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to something that already is? Say "yes" to life - and see how life starts suddenly working for you rather than against you."

We have many opportunities and experiences bundled up in our church community. The work of the Board of Trustees is focused on the future because it is our charge to "deal with the practical aspects of our life situation." As a team we are working together well. We are preparing to meet in May for our second board retreat to discuss teams and our future as we transition from a "family church" into a "pastoral community".

The organization is implementing the heart of intentions we all agreed to at our Annual Meeting in January. Good progress is being made on the Minister Search thanks to the hard work and commitment of that team. The Stewardship Team is meeting every month to review and discuss the solvency of your church. We are holding monthly Town Hall Meetings to listen and openly communicate. The Education Team is planning ways to better accommodate the needs of our children and should be ready to present a new format for the back to school time this fall. The Book Nook is a blessing thanks to the hard work of that team. Our Worship/Fellowship Team is visibly active and providing wonderful service. The Public Relations team has made huge strides to communicate our message and presence in the community. I know I have not listed all of the teams but you get my point….we have blessings beyond comprehension in this community.

When I focus on "making Now the primary focus of my life" I pause for a moment and ask myself - when was the last time we stopped and focused on the NOW to recognize the effort and time and commitment and talent and love of those serving our community? I’m not talking about formal recognition, I’m talking about individual "pats on the back." Walking up to a member of the team and allowing the present moment to wash over you, to simply be, so that you fully accept the gifts that these people have to give.

We’ve got many wheels in motion, but let us not forget the value of one another, the value of connection. If we become excessively focused on the future, we may very well miss out on meaningful connections with one another. So while in committee meetings, town meetings, after church, in passing, etc, I would ask you to focus on the NOW and empower each other to do great things. It is our community and the relationships that make our church so special. I affirm the power of Now.

Peace - Doug Wurl, President
board@unityofappleton.org