How Can We Honor Our Legacy and Shape Our Future by Nurturing Gratitude?

When I think about gratitude, I think about the people who built this spiritual home—the ones who showed up, gave generously, and made sure we had a place to gather, learn, and grow. Many of them aren’t with us anymore, but their gifts live on in every candle we light and every conversation over coffee.

Their generosity reminds me that gratitude isn’t just a feeling—it’s an action. It’s what moves us to care for what we cherish. And right now, caring for this community means looking honestly at our future.

Like many congregations, we’re facing changes in how we sustain our ministry. This year, for the first time in a decade, we didn’t meet our pledge goal. That’s not a reason for panic, but it is a reason for reflection. Some challenges can be solved with quick fixes—others require deeper conversations and new ways of thinking. This is one of those deeper ones.

I believe gratitude can guide us. When we remember what this church has given us—connection, meaning, a place to belong—we find the courage to imagine new ways forward. Not just during pledge season, but all year long.

So let’s start with gratitude. Let’s honor the legacy we’ve inherited and ask ourselves: How can we carry it forward? How can we make sure the gifts we’ve received continue to bless others?

Watch for opportunities to join the conversation. No one person will ever have all the answers, so let’s find them together.

-Submitted by Robyn Miessler-Kubanek, President of the Board of Trustees