IGNITE - The Common Flame Newsletter

ISSUE 120

June 2026

We are Common Flame!

We did it! We have a new name. Thank you to the Board of Trustees for articulating and shepherding such an intentional and inclusive process. My gratitude to the many people who turned out to meetings, who suggested names, and those who argued for and against various choices, who weren’t interested in the name change, yet stayed engaged. I am grateful to each of you who participated and voted. We did a thing and, as always, we did it together.

In each of us there is a spark. United we kindle one Common Flame!

This is a time in which division is intentionally sown. When ‘flood the zone’ rarely refers to sports. When principles and laws that once were hard won toeholds that became bedrock strong enough to support a more equitable society lie in ruin at our feet. When war is declared without deliberation or discussion. It is a time when it is difficult to imagine, let alone find a path forward.

And yet, I was reminded today the work of sociologist John Paul Lederach, who wrote: “In fog we move at the pace of proximity.”

And so we did. In an overwhelming time, a time so rife with demands for our attention, we began close in, as poet David Whyte invites. We looked at ourselves and our name. We weren’t ashamed of who we’ve been, we celebrate it. We shout praise for how far we’ve come. As we did so, we could not ignore that our understanding of who we are and who we want to be in the world - and in our community - had changed. Our ideas of who we want to welcome, and how we best do that, have changed.

So we stayed together. In fog, we move at the pace of proximity. We named successes and impacts, and revealed challenges previously missed. Through it all, we stayed together and kept moving. We became Common Flame.

I am so proud of us. I so love each of you.

Blessings,

Rev. Wendy

Board of Trustees Meeting Summary

The May Board started with a session of the Mosaic curriculum, led by Rev. Jen, in which Trustees discussed the origins and merits of the Defund the Police campaign that arose from George Floyd’s murder. Steve DeCaluwe opened the board meeting, noting that it would be his last and acknowledged the gifts of serving with other trustees over the last three years. Trustees finalized the agenda and reviewed the themes to be presented at the Congregational Meeting, held Sunday, May 17. Next year’s Board Leadership was voted in, with Melissa Colegrove as President and Megan Duncan as Secretary. Additionally, Trustees began discussions on co-creating a finance committee with church staff made up of Board and lay leadership. This sub-committee of the board will support the ongoing financial planning and strategy of the church.

Our Name Change and Planned Giving

The transition from Jefferson Unitarian Church to Common Flame: a Unitarian Universalist Congregation marks a bold, hopeful step into our shared future. This new name better reflects who we are—a community that carries the flame of justice, compassion, and spiritual depth into a changing world. Planned giving is one of the most powerful ways to sustain this transformation. By including Common Flamei n your estate plans, you help ensure that our renewed identity is matched by lasting strength. Your legacy supports ministries that welcome seekers, nurture young people, deepen our commitments to equity, and keep our flame burning brightly for generations. If you have already included JUC in your estate plan, more information will be coming as we move throught the legal process. We will alert you if changes might need to be made to your documents. A planned gift—of any size—becomes part of the enduring light that guides our congregation forward, illuminating the path we walk together. Contact Bud Meadows or Carol Wilsey to learn simple, flexible options.

Friends, we’ve nearly reached the end of another church year… and what a year! June is the time that we celebrate all we’ve done and been as a community! Of course, since a year and a half ago, we’ve been doing our best as a community to adjust to the current… realities. It has not been easy. But we’ve started programs and projects, mourned together, celebrated together, danced together. We’ve found joy in both our work and our leisure. We’re helping each other through, and in this timeline, that’s an amazing blessing. I wanted to share just a couple of celebration-worthy happenings at Common Flame: ones that you’re invited to participate in!

In April, your pastoral care coordinating team put on a workshop in April about how we care for each other at Common Flame. Participants received information about what kind of care is available here, but also had rich, generative discussions about how we at Common Flame can further care for one another. They also were the first to take our pastoral care survey, which is also available to you now.

And, next year, we’re changing the name of pastoral care to “Common Care Ministry”! (Thanks to Brad Carson for the idea!) Why? Because a lot of people don’t know what the heck “pastoral care” means, and we want people to be able to find us. And because the purpose of our pastoral care groups is to help our ministry teams and congregants work together to take care of our community!

Another thing worth celebrating is our housing and immigration justice teams, and you’re invited to come celebrate with them! The combined housing task forces at Common Flame recently started a quarterly housing brunch in order to celebrate their accomplishments, honor folks who’ve been doing the work, and invite more Common Flamers to join them in it!

You’re invited to the next brunch on Saturday, June 6 at 10am! There will be brunch, and JUC CAN (who is coming up with a different name), Food and Nutrition Task Force (harvest table and the Rising cook teams), Family Promise, and Habitat, will be joined this month by UUSC team’s support for immigrant neighbors group! The teams will talk briefly about how the issues of housing and immigration intersect, share the work they’ve been doing, honor Gretchen May for her work, and invite you into conversation about how you might want to be involved. And there will be breakfast burritos, and singing with Randy! We look forward to celebrating with you!

A Love Letter to My Church

by Melissa Colegrove

There has been a familiarity in these walls since the first time we visited,

my budding family and I, with a child in my womb and another in my dreams.

To the woman who wrapped her arms around me as I wept to one of many sermons,

that small kindness has remained a core memory in my becoming a UU.

For all of the efforts put into creating each Sunday morning,

my definition of community is rooted in the service, love, and commitments of these teams.

To the connections my husband and children have made,

the importance of your presence in their lives is a gratitude I won’t soon forget.

For the unconditional love of the people I serve this congregation with,

your words of encouragement, acknowledgement, appreciation are forever etched on my heart.

A love letter to my church.

My church,

a phrase I’d never imagined holding with such reverence in my youth.

For the last ten years you have served as an anchor, a landing place, a home,

doors open, smiles wide even when I felt small inside.

To the years yet to come, I look forward to welcoming each with all that we are,

with such deep seated hope that the faith that brought us all here

will continue to touch the lives of others, like me, all those years ago,

looking for a spiritual home to call their own.

A Legacy: Vulnerability and Generosity

You may have heard a few weeks ago that our fellow congregant, Kate Kyanne is dying of pancreatic cancer.

Kate is a unique spirit among us. She has had many adventures and travels, and has the stories to prove it – always told with a wry smile and a strong dose of humor and humility. I can’t do her justice by sharing any of them myself, but if you don’t know her, take my word for it!

Kate is facing her death with preparation, clarity, vulnerability and courage. When I first spoke to her after learning about her diagnosis, she told me the “positives” of knowing how, and roughly when, she will die. I greatly admire that, and I hope I can have the same clarity and courage when I face my end.

When I wrote to her to ask permission to feature her in this article, she generously agreed and said: I am also working to have my body donated to a medical school. When my son (Jarrad) was in med school, his class worked with the same body the entire course of study. At the end of the classes the students took the family out to dinner. Jarrad says this helped to keep the students aware they are working with a "real" person.

For any future med students, if you “get” Kate, you’re getting the real deal!

Some years ago Kate joined our Legacy Circle by letting us know that she had named the church as a beneficiary in her will. We are to receive $20,000 as a bequest from her estate. We are so grateful for that, and for all others who have done so! Bequests have made a huge difference in our financial well-being, especially since COVID hit and caused so much disruption in our operations and membership. Here is a recent article about another really meaningful bequest in 2024 from Steve Sargent: The Church “Miracle” (scroll down to find the article).

You probably don’t know how, or when you will die. If the church is an organization that you would like to have as part of your legacy, you can contact me or Bud Meadows. There is also more information on our website including a link where you can join the Legacy Circle.

Kate – We are grateful for all you are and for your legacy gift to the church. I love you and wish you peace on this final journey.

There is a lot of life happening at Common Flame right now.

Over the past several months, I have watched this congregation continue to show up for one another again and again. The dance earlier this year still stands out to me as one of those beautiful reminders of what community can look like. People of all ages laughing together, dancing together, making memories together, and just being human together for a few hours in a world that can feel very heavy sometimes.

And while all of that joy was happening, so many volunteers were quietly making it work behind the scenes.

People showed up early. Stayed late. Decorated tables. Made food. Cleaned kitchens. Welcomed visitors. Moved chairs that somehow move again when no one is looking. There is so much love woven into this congregation, and I do not think we say that enough.

Without you all stepping up, these moments simply do not happen.

What has been especially beautiful lately is seeing even more people beginning to step into leadership and volunteer roles to help carry the load together. Community works best when care is shared. When new people step in to help, it gives longtime volunteers space to breathe, too. That matters more than most people realize.

As we continue moving forward as Common Flame, I keep thinking about how much hope there is in that. Not just in a new name, but in the people who continue to build this place week after week with kindness, humor, patience, flexibility, a whole lot of love, and probably a concerning amount of folding table experience.

And now we get to look forward to the All Congregation Picnic in August, which is already shaping up to be another joyful gathering for all ages. These events are never just events. They are where connections grow. They are where new people stop feeling new. They are where community becomes real.

So this is just a little love note to all of you.

Thank you for your time, your care, your willingness to help, and the many quiet things you do that often go unseen.

You are what makes Common Flame truly a place of belonging, acceptance, and love.

In this season of graduations, continuations, and other celebrations, I have so much to celebrate for our Faith Exploration Program. We finished another year of providing opportunities for our children and youth to grow their hearts here in this congregation. I listened to parents’ needs and wants for their children, and we created lessons that were fun and engaging for our K-5th graders. Neighboring Faiths went on seven field trips exploring different religious ceremonies and celebrations. We had full sessions for our 1st/2nd, 4th/5th, and 7th-grade Our Whole Lives (OWL) classes. Our Coming of Age (COA) program capped off with a lovely ceremony in which eight of our eighth graders shared what guides them and answered big questions. The High School Youth group led us in a wonderful service, created and fostered community, and had fun outings together.

A BIG thank you to Paula Garner for taking on new tasks in our department and being an immense support. Thank you to our volunteer teachers and mentors. Thank you to our children and families.

I love this congregation. I love the children, staff, adults, and elders. It is an honor to serve you. I love you. I know in my heart of hearts that we will all be okay because you exist in this world.