"Thrilled" by Rich Laprade

[Memos from Rev. Barbara Merritt and Rev. Tom Schade]

G U E S T   M E M O
"Thrilled"
He who hunts for flowers will find flowers; and he who loves weeds will find
weeds.
                                                                            
                                     -.Rev. Henry Ward Beecher

While researching for an appropriately zippy quotation to act as a hook for
this announcement, and before settling on the Beecher quote above, we
stumbled across the old proverb, “The thrill is in the chase, not in the
catching of the quarry”, and wondered if it rang true for the successfully
concluded search for a permanent Director of Religious Education for our
congregation.

Certainly the undertaking of a DRE search provided us with a process and
opportunity to have extended conversations that explored, critically
examined, reaffirmed and refocused our attentions on the essential role that
religious education plays in ensuring that our church’s mission will be met
and our values sustained.

But, from the admittedly selfish perspective of the DRE Search Committee
“the thrill of the chase” has certainly run right into B.B. King’s, “the
thrill is gone baby”. However, we can say this in a most positive fashion
because our “quarry”, our next settled DRE, has made the effort so
ultimately rewarding.

The DRE Search Committee is “thrilled” to announce that professional
religious educator, Sierra-Marie Gerfao, will begin work on August 15th as
the new Director of Religious Education at First Unitarian Church.

Sierra-Marie has made a lifelong commitment to nurturing the spiritual lives
of children and youth through religious education, having felt a vocational
calling to family ministry from a very early age. Raised as a UU in New
Mexico and Colorado, she has been the Director of Religious Education for
the past six years at the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation of
Olympia, WA.  She has been active in the Liberal Religious Educator
Association (LREDA) and has engaged in ongoing professional development
within the UU guidelines for credentialed religious educators. She has
demonstrated accomplishments in establishing Small Group Ministry teaching
teams and provided programming for continuing RE volunteer training and
support.

As impressive as her resume reads, meeting her and realizing that her
commitment to children and youth extends to the wider community and is
amplified in her own family life is doubly impressive. She and her wife,
Gina, are mothers of two children: an energetic and active two-year old boy,
Marcus, and an equally energetic one-year old foster daughter, Kayla, who
they hope to adopt. They have experience as therapeutic foster parents,
caring for children with special needs, and have provided foster parenting
for youth up to fifteen years old.

In short, she is the real deal. We can see that all along, in Beecher’s
words, we really were hunting for a flower---and it looks like we found one.

Besides, how can you not feel energized when reading her enthusiastic
response to being informed that she would be joining us: “I am absolutely
thrilled that your congregation took this interest in me and has invited me
to be your settled Director of Religious Education!  I very much look
forward to the years ahead, and am eager to get to Worcester and start those
years.” The thrill is mutual.

The DRE Search Committee (Dave Blodgett, Rich Laprade, Ken Mandile, Kate
Narita and Lee Reid) extends its sincere appreciation to the congregation,
lay leadership, staff and ministers for all the guidance, feedback and
support provided during this successful search process. The Committee
invites everyone to welcome Sierra-Marie on August 19th at the “Meet the New
DRE” summer service.


Rich  Laprade


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