Cottage Meetings Stimulate Ideas and Understanding

Cottage meetings are small gatherings of church members with our new minister, Rev. Beau Rivers. Ten cottage meetings are being held in October and early November as a way for Rev. Beau and the members to get to know each other. The meetings so far have fulfilled that expectation. Rev. Beau sparks the discussion with three simple but far-reaching questions: What excites you about church? What feeds your spirit? What are you passionate about? The answers from the participants give the Parish Committee (PC) a deeper understanding of the many reasons people find value in belonging to our church community. The discussions have also generated dozens of suggestions for things we can do together to enrich our experience and make the world better.

A common theme emerging from the cottage meeting discussions is the “inspiring fellowship of the church.” People sense in this church community an openness to new ideas, to diverse perspectives, and to personal and social transformation. As one member put it, we are “decent human beings you can associate with.”  This widely shared appreciation is a good sign that we are succeeding in our mission “to create and sustain a caring and welcoming community.”

We are also, of late, bursting with energy, activity, and joy. The feeling is palpable in the worship service, children’s activities, and coffee hour every Sunday and in the many gatherings and events taking place throughout the week. This renewed enthusiasm brings with it an urge to project ourselves more clearly into our local community, to connect with people who are looking for what we offer and to welcome them into our family. We need to look for opportunities to draw people in. Membership development and community outreach are key goals for the coming year.

There is widely shared concern for the needs of those in our local community. We want our church to be of service to our neighbors and to the world. We recognize that we can achieve more when we work together toward social justice. For some of us, social justice activities are the reason we became UUs.

Importantly, many people have spoken about the inspiration they derive from weekly sermons and small discussion groups. Promotion of “spiritual growth without dogma or creed,” as we say in our mission statement, is one of our defining characteristics and one of the main reasons people choose to become UUs. “It’s great to come to a place and not be told the answers but to be challenged by the right questions.”

Five more cottage meetings remain on the schedule, most of them by Zoom (Cottage Meetings).  There is still plenty of room on the sign-up list! You can sign up in person in the church parlor or contact Val Ortelt in the church office (office@uumiddleboro.org).

The next meeting of the Parish Committee (PC) will be held Wednesday, November 20, at 6:30 pm in the parish hall. The agenda will include a review of the cottage meetings, planning for a Committee Fair, and an initial discussion of the budget for FY26 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). We will also hear updates from the Building & Grounds Committee on plans for major repairs to the roof and siding and from the Finance Team on raising the money to pay for those necessary repairs. PC meetings are open to all members of the congregation, and visitors are welcome.