Weaving the Web

Attendance is up, and there’s lots going on at UUCPA on Sundays! This has created a parking challenge: we have had several Sundays recently when there were few parking spots left during the second service. And a chair challenge: while the Main Hall is not actually full, the empty chairs can be scattered in ones and twos that make it hard to find a place. And a meeting-space challenge: some Sundays, every single classroom and meeting space is filled, even the ministers’ offices. And a timing challenge: so many attractive programs can be clustered in the same “Sunday window” between 12:30 and 3 that they compete with one another in ways that are frustrating to both the presenters and the would-be attendees. As the saying goes, these are nice problems to have. The lay leaders and staff have been hard at work resolving them in ways to keep that great momentum going.
The parking challenge is being met by the generous agreement of our neighbor, Abilities United, to let our staff park there on Sundays; that should remove ten cars from our lot. If you usually attend the 11 a.m. service and you don’t need to sit in an armchair or on an aisle, you can help address the chair challenge by moving in from the aisles and sitting right next to a neighbor.
The meeting-space challenge is best met by each person here by looking ahead at what you’ll need in the coming weeks. If you want to make sure a room is available for your Sunday meeting or class, please request it of the office at least a week in advance, and preferably longer. We want everyone to find a place, and advance planning makes it possible for the staff to meet your needs.
The timing challenge has been met by a new process approved by the Board at its January 22 meeting. The goal is to balance the Sunday programs–not too much or too little on any given Sunday, and no big events (such as invited guest presenters) at conflicting times–with our Minister of Religious Education, Dan Harper, as the traffic manager. For you as a planner of a program, nothing changes; put your request in to the office staff and they’ll get back to you about which dates are available. Behind the scenes, staff and lay leaders such as the Adult Religious Education Committee will work to maximize predictability, flexibility, high quality programming, and intra-church communication. With a little advance planning and care, we’ll make it easier for you to attend all the great programs that help you grow spiritually and intellectually.
Let me know if you have questions!
Blessings,
Amy