"I am honored and thrilled to be hired as your Consulting Minister. I bring a deep appreciation of Unitarian Universalist religious community which informs my ministry as a congregational growth consultant. As someone who has spent considerable time in our congregations (as a member, parent, lay-leader, staff member and minister) I understand the complexities and demands of shared leadership for both congregation and minister and how the relationship between the two is often best developed and nurtured through mutual trust, shared vision, and collaboration.

"I consider my ministry here as an opportunity to promote the ideals and values of contemporary liberal religion and to help build a community eager to reach its stated goals. My work with committees and leaders will focus on creating structures to serve the health and vitality of this growing congregation. My sermons will strive to explore the depths and breadth of ‘practical theology.’ This is a vibrant theology grounded in our historical roots and enriched by the religious pluralism that makes contemporary Unitarian Universalism both unique and relevant to our lives, today.
"The majority of my ministry with UUP will focus on what I consider to be the four core areas of church life: life-span religious education, spiritual development, community-building, and sustainable organization. I believe the programs offered in our religious communities should strive for a balance between the heart and the mind, spirit and substance, and should speak to both ‘what is’ and ‘what ought to be.’ Although we can never be ‘everything to everyone,’ I earnestly believe that doing a few, simple, but key, things, extremely well, creates a community where people are connected, served, and empowered to serve others. "In short, I believe that life is essentially good, that we are part of something greater than ourselves, and that liberal religion is an important, relevant, and necessary part to our becoming the best people we can be. I look forward to working with you, the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma, to spread the good news of Unitarian Universalism in Petaluma--and beyond!"