Through spiritual connection in community, we
Listen
deeply
to others and ourselves,
Open
to wonder and transformation,
Serve
together with love and humility
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Shari Halliday-Quan is our
Candidate for Senior Minister
A few of our Ministerial Search Committee members share their personal thoughts on Shari. After you read, be sure to RSVP to meet Shari yourself (info and links below)!
"One of the primary things I experience when interacting with Shari is warmth. Shari has an incredible gift of cultivating fluid conversation. By showing genuine interest in others, recalling important details of past exchanges and sharing interesting or funny stories of their own, Shari doesn't dominate the conversation. Every one of Shari's references echoed the sentiment that Shari navigates conversation with people of all ages and all walks of life with 'ease and authenticity.'
"As our pre-candidating weekend with Shari was drawing to a close, Shari expressed that much of the weekend was focused on them. Shari invited us each to take a turn sharing something that no one else in the group knew; something we were proud of-maybe even a touch "braggy" about. We had fun going around the table and learned that one of us had donated a kidney to a stranger, another had been a fierce rugby player in college, and another had run over 100 marathons. Shari has a remarkable gift to personally connect with all kinds of folks, and also to help them connect to each other."
-Amber Brown
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“The first sermon I listened to from Shari was 'Loved Into Being.' Excited by what I heard, I sent off an immediate email to the other 8 searchers, with one word ‘Wow!’ Lots of enthusiastic appraisals from the others soon followed. Shari preaches with a voice that is authentic, refreshing, well-researched, and often sprinkled with mild humor. I wanted to hear more.
"In our first interview with Shari, via computer-visual sharing, we asked her our prepared questions. And, then she asked us one that proved a personal revelation for me: ‘When did you feel Unitarian Universalism was your spiritual home?’ I answered that I had actually, specifically joined the church to have a spiritual home. So, early on I dove into the intellectual experience of building my own theology. But, in truth, I haven’t found a spiritual home. That’s on me, not the church, but it is a valued insight, all because Shari asked.
“A few weeks later we met Shari in person with her wife Elisabeth. We discovered a loving couple we knew would fit in easily at First Unitarian. At that meeting—a potluck dinner—Shari was seemingly effortless in giving everyone her attention. One of us arrived a few minutes late and sat at a bit of a distance from our circle. Shari got up and sat next to him, including him in. She has a remarkable gift for naturally uniting people. I knew I didn’t want to lose this amazing minister.”
~Carolyn Phinney Rankin
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"Last August, we met as a Ministerial Search Committee for the first time at a weekend retreat. The Reverend Darcey Laine was there as our search team adviser. She outlined the process that lay ahead for us. It all seemed so daunting at the time! At one point during the weekend, one of us asked 'How will we know when we find the right candidate?' She calmly paused and looked at each of us as she said...'You will know, you will know!'
"After a video interview and spending a weekend with Shari Halliday-Quan, WE KNEW! During the interview, once all of our questions were answered, we gave her a chance to ask some of us. She asked each of us a question like, 'what were our most meaningful spiritual experiences?' What happened as a result was that we were able to share some of our most deep, dear, and innermost feelings. Shari ministered to us and it happened so naturally!"
~Glenn Koch
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"Shari has a fearless, yet groundedly humble, exciting and highly collaborative approach to worship. While being mindful, planful and organized in an effort to bring excellence to worship, Shari is equally able to improvise and speak spontaneously. Within every worship opportunity, Shari is sure to include many points of access: appealing to intellect, emotional centers, spiritual matters, musical or artistic exploration, and physical embodiment practices.
"Wholly comfortable with 'god language,' yet highly celebratory of the diverse beliefs that contribute to our congregation, Shari hits that inclusive sweet spot in which everyone feels ministered to and each member of the planning team's voice is obvious as it translates into worship. Shari's openness to learning about the arc of our traditional services and how we use monthly themes to enrich and focus our services is hopeful, confident and generative. I can't wait to share with you the electricity of a Shari Halliday-Quan service! Fasten your safety belts, First Unitarian, Rochester, you're in for a treat!"
-Jul
ē
Sanchez
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Now It's YOUR TURN to meet Shari:
All are welcome to join us for brunch or a potluck - or both! - to get a chance to meet Shari, introduce yourselves, and take part in a Q&A.
Saturday, April 27, 10:30am - 1:00pm
: Brunch in the Sanctuary followed by a Q&A* with Shari.
RSVP here
for April 27!
Friday, May 3, 6:00 - 8:30pm
: Community potluck in the Sanctuary followed by a Q&A* with Shari.
RSVP here
for May 3!
Thank you!
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Emergency Pastoral Care for members: 585-271-9070 x104.
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