Dear Hillside Family,

Over the past many months, our congregation has been engaged in a series of conversations about the possibility of merging with Sanctuary UCC. While not everyone has been directly involved in these discussions, they have been unfolding quietly but significantly in the background, guided by prayer, care, and a desire to discern what is most faithful for our future. It is in that spirit of transparency and love that I write to share an important update.

After much thoughtful conversation, Hillside’s Church Council has come to a clear and unified decision: we will not be moving forward with a merger. This decision and the discernment behind it will be discussed in more detail at our upcoming Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 18th, and I hope you’ll make plans to be there. It will be a time for sharing more fully and for looking ahead together.

For now, I want to take a moment to thank our council members (Meredith Allen, Rebecca Davidson, Dave Kroouze, Merri McKeown, Krista Snell, and Jenn Young) for the extraordinary work they’ve done. These conversations were not easy. They were demanding – spiritually, emotionally, and in time and energy. But they approached the work with courage, clarity, and compassion. They listened deeply. They asked hard questions. They stayed rooted in love. I share in their discernment and support this decision fully.

This decision also brings with it a shift in our shared leadership. I want to let you know that Rev. Wendy will no longer be leading worship with us, beginning this Sunday. She is stepping away in order to focus more fully on Sanctuary’s mission and the important work of strengthening and building that community. While this news may come as a surprise, it has grown out of mutual reflection and a shared understanding that this is the right time for such a transition. Rev. Wendy will be sharing a pastoral message of her own in the coming days. We give thanks for the many gifts she has brought to our worship life, and we will be holding her in prayer as she continues her ministry.

Though we are not merging as congregations, we remain siblings in faith. Sanctuary UCC members are warmly encouraged and welcome to continue worshiping with us at Hillside. Likewise, Hillside members are still warmly invited to participate in the ministry and outreach opportunities offered through Sanctuary. The spirit of connection between our communities remains a gift, and we hope it will continue to grow in new ways.

This moment is tender. And yet, I believe it is also full of possibility. I continue to trust that God is not done with us – that our story as a congregation is still being written, and that the Spirit is still very much at work in and through Hillside. Thank you for being part of that story. Thank you for walking this road together.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you care to talk.

With care and hope,