News: March 14, 2025
Dear Members and Friends,
As you can probably imagine, I’ve been reflecting on retirement. My last day as an employee of First Unitarian Universalist Church Houston will be June 8th, about 3 months from now. I have been so fortunate to have a job I love for many years. This job, Director of Religious Education or Director of Religious Community, has provided me with opportunities to live out my values and help create much needed support and community to many families. Not everyone has that opportunity in their day job!
And the volunteers I’ve worked with over many years have been nothing short of wonderful.
Blessed are the givers.
So many gifts of time and care I’ve witnessed. And gifts of learning, whether leadership skills, organizing skills, caregiving, or spiritual practice, have all been part of what I’ve seen here and experienced myself. I’ve had people tell me that their volunteer role has been one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. One volunteer, who worked with our youngest children for about a decade, said she loved watching the little ones grow up and having the chance to see them still and have a connection. Our community offers that.
Of course, people come and go. The going of those who have played an important role or who we’ve grown to love and depend upon….that is the hard part. We have had many members move away, and many even pass away. The sadness of loss is part of being human. But when we are part of a beloved community, we are supported by others who may feel the same loss we do, and we manage to make it through. And there are those new folks who come. New people come through the door, who then grow to thrive in the support of our community and offer their gifts of time and care. We open our arms and hearts to the new ones, whose gifts are yet to be known and who, like us, will grow and help our community thrive.
May it be so.
See you on Sunday,
Carol
Carol Burrus, Director of Religious Community
As you can probably imagine, I’ve been reflecting on retirement. My last day as an employee of First Unitarian Universalist Church Houston will be June 8th, about 3 months from now. I have been so fortunate to have a job I love for many years. This job, Director of Religious Education or Director of Religious Community, has provided me with opportunities to live out my values and help create much needed support and community to many families. Not everyone has that opportunity in their day job!
And the volunteers I’ve worked with over many years have been nothing short of wonderful.
Blessed are the givers.
So many gifts of time and care I’ve witnessed. And gifts of learning, whether leadership skills, organizing skills, caregiving, or spiritual practice, have all been part of what I’ve seen here and experienced myself. I’ve had people tell me that their volunteer role has been one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. One volunteer, who worked with our youngest children for about a decade, said she loved watching the little ones grow up and having the chance to see them still and have a connection. Our community offers that.
Of course, people come and go. The going of those who have played an important role or who we’ve grown to love and depend upon….that is the hard part. We have had many members move away, and many even pass away. The sadness of loss is part of being human. But when we are part of a beloved community, we are supported by others who may feel the same loss we do, and we manage to make it through. And there are those new folks who come. New people come through the door, who then grow to thrive in the support of our community and offer their gifts of time and care. We open our arms and hearts to the new ones, whose gifts are yet to be known and who, like us, will grow and help our community thrive.
May it be so.
See you on Sunday,
Carol
Carol Burrus, Director of Religious Community
