Hello, Pilgrim UCC family and friends!

October brings cooler weather, changing leaves, and—in Pilgrim’s narthex—a tree we hope will soon blossom with colorful leaves.

By now, you should have received a letter from Pilgrim’s Council notifying Pilgrim members about the revised ONA covenant that Chris Deaner-Rogers and Sue Kaiser presented to the Council in July. The revisions are intended to center the covenant in scripture that calls us to this ministry and to include a challenge scripture that leads us into the future. With the input we received from the congregation, we believe this revision meets that goal.

This revised covenant is the version we will vote on at our 2027 Annual Meeting. No additional congregational input sessions are currently planned; however, comments are still welcome. If anything in the covenant revision raises questions or concerns for you, please reach out to the ONA Team: Sue Kaiser, Ceelie Williams, Michelle and Jeff Buck-Stark, and Andrea and Trixie Yttri. Rev. Jeffrey is also actively involved as he settles into ministry at Pilgrim. Depending on the input we receive, we can still revise the covenant before the final vote in 2027 if needed.

With sadness for our team, but with deep gratitude, we share that Chris Deaner-Rogers has stepped away from an active role on the ONA Team. She will continue to help with events as her time allows. We also give thanks for steadfast volunteers Joni Voss Hayibor and Chris Clementi. Chris C. is the artist who made the narthex tree possible. Inspired by the “living multicolor tree” image associated with the wider church ONA logo; the tree invites each person at Pilgrim—including children and each member of a family—to write their name on a leaf and add it to the tree. Our hope is to cover the tree with leaves as a visible expression of support for the covenant. If you are comfortable and would like your pronouns added to the church directory, you may also circle the pronoun printed on your leaf. Adding a pronoun is completely optional—your choice!

We had a blast at Intergenerational Night on Friday, September 18! Nearly thirty people attended. T-shirts were tie-dyed, snacks were enjoyed, a tie-dye-decorated cake and brownies were shared, and games were played. Lesson learned: next time, we need more supplies for all the people who join us! Thank you to Christian Education for inviting ONA to partner in the event.

Café Q’s September meal went unmanned, but fortunately there were enough gift cards available to cover the cost. Pilgrim is signed up to provide the December meal. Please let Sue Kaiser know if you can help prepare the meal or donate to it.

As this Quill article is being written on September 22, we are eagerly anticipating two education sessions about the movie Call Me Malcolm, scheduled for September 27 and October 4. We hope to have a full house, so please plan to attend. October’s educational resource focuses on one of Sue Kaiser’s favorite singer-songwriters: Jennifer Knapp.

When Knapp stepped away from her successful Christian music career in 2003, many fans wondered why. Now, she is speaking about both her comeback and her coming out—a topic that has sparked significant conversation among Christian music fans and within the Christian music industry. Pastor Bob Botsford says his heart breaks for her, and Ted Haggard also joins the discussion. The series includes four videos, each approximately ten minutes long.

Parts 1 and 2 are included with this article; Parts 3 and 4 will be included in November’s Quill article.

Part One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xDWc7SvBOA

Part Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Pm_pPYkYA

With deepest appreciation for all of you!

Your Pilgrim ONA Team (October Quill)