The Stewardship Council of Lyndale UCC is comprised of five Officers (Moderator, Vice Moderator, Secretary, Treasurer, Ombudsperson), and one ex-officio non-voting member (the Pastor). The Stewardship Council meets monthly and serves as the primary leadership of the congregation.
[GalleryHere]
My wife, Mary, and I have been part of the Lyndale UCC community for 25 years. We have raised our two sons here, both, now adults, living in a relationship with God through Jesus, but in very different ways. We have found in the Lyndale community an amazing array of people seeking faithfully a spiritual connection to God. We have found in this community a wonderful witness of Jesus' welcome to all seeking a relationship with God. The community lives out my favorite scripture, “God has shown you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8. In my current role as Moderator for the congregation I am trying to guide us through good processes that are witness of Jesus' justice and love. This includes trying to assure that the leadership council carries enough of the administrative load to allow the pastor to focus on our spiritual needs, which are many. As with many at Lyndale, I am not always sure where the Lord is leading us, but we are doing our best to follow faithfully.
My journey from a fundamentalist Presbyterian church in western Pennsylvania to Lyndale UCC has included life experiences as a child of God, audiologist, author, wife, mother, lesbian, longterm partner, and many other adventurous and challenging roles. Through it all I have been aware of an ever-changing sense of my Higher Power, coming to accept that I am "wonderfully and awesomely made" and loved. I am convinced that God is still speaking and appreciate the affirmation of that revelation at Lyndale Church, along with the spiritual nurturance, stimulating worship, and uplifting music. I am continually fed by the friendship, fellowship, support, caring, and joy I experience with everyone at Lyndale, and I enjoy the opportunity to be involved in the governance as part of the Stewardship Council at this exciting time in the life of our congregation.
I find myself at the end of a long journey away from the theological and spiritual impediments of the Catholicism into which I was born…and in which I have lived a good part of my life. Since I joined Lyndale with my partner Fred Smith, I have found worship that never disappoints, a social justice commitment that is wide and deep and a broad and egalitarian decision making process that still surprises me given the hierarchal tradition that I come from.
I am a retired social work educator and researcher who continues to spend a tiny bit of my time teaching and doing research. Most of my energy goes into gardening, reading, playing and working with our 8 grandchildren and relishing the surprises and gifts that come with being a part of the Lyndale community
