Saying Goodbye

Paula Reed, Trustee

With the board's Big Hairy Audacious Goal stating that by May 1, 2018 we will have a viable plan to free JUC from  the limits of our campus in order to live more fully into our  mission, it's an exciting time to be on the board. I can already feel the energy of the congregation rising. At the same time, for those of us who have been a part of JUC for many years, the idea of saying goodbye to this building, one that has sheltered us in good times and hard, can be a little sad.

​As a child, I attended Sunday school in the Mills Building. Here, my faith was planted and nurtured. When I was 10, my best friend's memorial service was held in our sanctuary. Here, I learned about death. Much later, I brought my own children to JUC for these lessons. Here, they were dedicated, and here we all said goodbye to their grandfather when my father died. His ashes rest in our memorial garden.

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Leaving this building is a hard goodbye, but I also dream of all the hellos to come: I dream of members I can't yet imagine speaking of us, the ones who made a home big enough to invite them in. I dream of a Jefferson County that can't even remember when JUC wasn't the spot for community organizing, candidate forums, and offering service to those in need. Someone will say, "We need a place for a large group to meet about..." and someone else will say, "Well, just call Jefferson Unitarian Church, of course." Oh, this is an exciting time, indeed!
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