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!