Kitsap Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Things have really started off with a bang for me as your interim minister. On my very first day of work I found myself sermonizing in the worship service and my wife Peggy and me being warmly welcomed. This congregation is as it was described to me: warm, active, involved, and welcoming. It is good to be here.

I will be spending my early weeks here simply trying to digest the nature of this congregation, its program of activities, and the people involved in it all. As an interim minister I have found that there is no short cut to getting to know who people are and what is most seriously on their minds.

It takes a lot of talking and a lot of listening – especially a lot of listening. And, since doing interim ministry, I have found that a year usually is not enough time for this to happen adequately. I am glad that we are to have two years to do all this and to make inroads in moving this congregation into your desired future.

So, since I am just now learning my way around this area, it would be helpful for people who would like to talk with me to contact me. Please feel invited to do so. If someone can tell me where to meet them and how to get there, it could greatly accelerate my learn- ing of how to get around these very interesting, some- what spontaneous, streets. So far I have found that I can get to most places from my home in fifteen or twenty minutes so things look pretty convenient at this point.

At this writing I have not even met with the Board to talk business so I don’t yet feel free to set up firm office hours.  However, I can give you an idea about the schedule I usually follow. My long term practice has been to go to church on Sunday, take Monday off, schedule a half day in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (with the other half available to visit and to study), work on my sermon on Friday, and on Saturday catch up on what I haven’t done.

At least that’s the plan. Sometimes, I’m still putting things together on Saturday evening because I have a basic principle of not letting schedules stop me from responding to what seems most in need of doing next.

Also, because of this principle, quite often announced office hours suffer. So, even after supposedly firm office hours are in place, if you want to see me, it’s a good idea to call me first and make sure of where I am. The church phone might be your first attempt. If that doesn’t get me, call my cell phone which I try to keep turned on during the day.

Don’t let my cell phone’s Virginia area code throw you; that was the phone company’s idea, not mine. Since I have seldom been where they thought I would be, they apparently decided Virginia was as good a place as any to keep my account.

Let me hear from you when (or if) you are of the mind. Peggy and I are looking forward to a most enjoyable time with you.

Don Vaughn-Foerster