The First Unitarian Universalist Church welcomed our new Interim Minister, Rev. Art Severance, on Sunday February 5, 2012, when he gave his first sermon titled, “Interim Ministry: A Temporary Shepherd of Cats.”  The church was packed and it was wonderful to see so many congregants eager to welcome Rev. Art to our community.

Over the past 20 years, Rev. Art has served churches in San Antonio, Texas; Boulder, Colorado; and Cleveland, Ohio.  We are so grateful that he has joined us here in Stockton.  We have found his sermons to be insightful, thought provoking and full of warmth and humor.  The congregation looks forward to our time with Rev. Art and welcomes him enthusiastically.

We are delighted to announce that we have a new Director of Religious Education! Michelle Mueller comes to us from the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, NJ, where she served for two years as the Acting DRE in a program serving 100 children and youth. Michelle is also a trained OWL (UU sexuality education) instructor. This fall she will start a Ph.D. program in religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She plans to live in the Bay Area and drive to Stockton once or twice a week.

Michelle’s first day will be Sunday, August 28. Please mark your calendars and come to say hello! Michelle will spend a few days meeting people and learning her way around the church before the church school year starts on September 18.

On October 12, 2010, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a teaching in San Jose, with many UU clergy and laypeople in attendance. You can watch a video or download an mp3 file of the teaching by visiting http://www.gyutocenter.org/. Photos of some of the interfaith clergy in attendance are at http://www.gyutocenter.org/HHDL_IF/–scroll to photo #5 for a shot of Rev. Laura, her husband John, and her colleague the Rev. Craig Scott!