MEMBERSHIP

Karen Johnson-Susko serves two important membership functions. She is the woman who coordinates help requested by Fellowship members when they need rides, food, childcare, etc. She sends flowers when appropriate. She has her finger on the pulse of the Fellowship and is such a quiet presence in the background that we forget to thank for her efforts. Her second function is to accumulate weekly Caring Notes. This is three-way collaboration. Dick Johnston rips them from the recording of Joys and Concerns in the services. He sends them to Karen and me. Karen edits them for publication and I send them to members and active friends.

There has been some concern about the distribution of the Caring Notes. I would like to ease any anxiety. Here are the facts:

We distribute Caring Notes electronically to members and active friends ONLY.

On any Sunday, about 105 adults attend the service and about 13 are involved with the children in Religious Edu- cation. We have about 300 members and active friends. That means that about 200 people have not heard the sharing during the worship service,

When you arise in the service and tell us your joy or concern, you are seeking some kind of affirmation from the rest of us.

Caring notes expands that circle of affirmation while keeping it inside the church family. It is a members/ active friends only voice.

Just as you can opt out of telling us your joy or concern in the service, you may opt out of Caring Notes.

Tell or e-mail Karen to remove your sharing. Tell me to remove your sharing. The best time to do this is on the Sunday you spoke, but no later than Tuesday of the following week. The responsibility is yours.

Caring Notes are not unique to BuxMont. Other churches, Unitarian Universalist and non-Unitarian Universalist do something similar. I read Washington Crossing’s notes weekly. They help me stay in touch with what is happening in my former congregation. When an old friend expresses a joy or concern, I am able to contact her and commiserate. Caring Notes serves this same purpose for our family members who could not be in the service. If you have a specific concern that I failed to address, contact me. Personally, I love Caring Notes. They keep all of us in touch on some level.

Howard Bennett, Membership Coordinator