This is our last newsletter for this church year—and I’m prompted to ask where did the year go? I am amazed at all the successful, fun loving and spirited events we’ve held over the past nine months. Though some of the events are annual, they were all new for me and for those just coming to the Unitarian Church of Staten Island.

We marched in the Gay Pride parade last weekend with a beautiful new banner. We are now a part of Building Bridges Interfaith Coalition and some of us attend most Metro District events. In a few weeks, four of us will attend the annual Unitarian Universalist General Assembly and report back to you during a forum on what we learned.

On June 14th, we celebrate our annual Gay Pride service and on June 21st, our service theme will be Father’s Day and Volunteer Appreciation Sunday during our final service of the 2008-2009 church year. We will hold our Annual Congregational Meeting on Saturday, June 20th at 11 am. Please plan to attend this meeting where everyone is welcome and members gather to elect officers and members of the Board of Trustees and Nominating Committee as well as other agenda items.

During the summer, we will not hold any Sunday worship services but we will have a weekly Arthur Foise Summer Forum series (see i nformation on the Forums elsewhere in this newsletter). I am sponsoring an Interdependence Day Celebration on the church grounds on Saturday, July 4th from 5-8 pm. We’ll have tasty treats and a celebration of Interdependence on July 4th. We have a croquet set and please bring other family friendly games that will not harm our church grounds or Memorial Garden. Everyone is welcome! Please RSVP to me (PSKARL3@gmail.com) or 347 466-0864) to insure we have enough food. Please bring a beverage to share.

Two events are already set for the fall. One is an orientation and informative series for people new to the Unitarian Church of Staten Island. The UU and YOU classes will give people an informative look at Unitarianism and Universalism through a video, dvd and discussion. We’ll provide an overview of this church’s history, its programs and volunteer opportunities and what it means to be a member of this liberal religious church. We are scheduling these sessions on two Sundays, September 20th and October 4th from 1-4 pm. Please let me know if you are interested in these sessions and I will put you on a list, reminding you about the dates and provide more information as we draw closer to September.

The other events will take place on Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th. Gini Courter, the current moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) who is running unopposed for another year, will be offering a workshop for the Unitarian Church of Staten Island from 9-12 on Saturday, the 26th. In the afternoon, we have invited people from other congregations in the Metro New York District to attend an open workshop from 1-4 pm here at the church. Gini will also preach on Sunday, the 27th. A few of us have heard Gini and she is always inspiring, challenging and dynamic. Mark your calendars now as we host our UUA Moderator and open our doors to our fellow Unitarian Universalists throughout the District.

The Minister’s Letter of Agreement states the minister has 4 weeks of vacation and 4 weeks of study leave during the year. During vacation, and study leave, I am available for emergencies and can be reached by cell phone at 347 466-0864 or PSKARL3@gmail.com. Study leave is a time intended to prepare through reading, reflection and study for the coming year. I will be away at General Assembly from June 22-29. Upon my return, I will be on study leave through Saturday, July 11th. I will be on vacation from July 12-August 8, physically away from Staten Island from July 21-28. The last part of my study leave will be from August 9-22nd. I will be attending an Anti-Racism and Metro New York Board Retreat on July 10-11 and a Minister’s conference from August 9-13th in Boston on Adaptive Leadership in Congregations. Please note that I will not hold office hours during the summer during these times but you can always reach me if you have a pastoral need or concern.

I wish you a bright and clear summer with laughter that surprises you, wonders that catch you off guard and the roller coaster ride of life that opens doors to the next transformational step on your journey.

Take good care,

Susan

About Rev. Karlson

The Rev. Susan Karlson is the minister of the Unitarian Church of Staten Island. Susan moved to Staten Island after receiving and accepting the call to be the settled minister here on May 4, 2008. She officially began her ministry on September 1st. Please see her welcome message on the home page of this website. She lives with her husband, Alan Kindler; a cavorting dog, Lillith; and a beguiling cat, Obi-Wan. Susan's daughter lives in New York and two of Alan's daughters and his mother live in Virginia while a third daughter lives in Japan. Susan and Alan are delighted to live in Staten Island and look forward to many fulfilling years with the Unitarian Church of Staten Island.

Prior Ministries: Consulting minister to the Gulf Coast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Gulfport, Mississippi from 2007-2008. Settled Minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wilmington in Wilmington, North Carolina (UUFW) from 2003-2007.

Ordination and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship: The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wilmington ordained her to the Unitarian Universalist ministry on November 2, 2003. She received Preliminary Fellowship in May of 2003, recognized at the Service of the Living Tradition during the 2003 General Assembly in Boston, Massachusetts. Susan received Final Fellowship in the fall of 2006, recognized at the Service of the Living Tradition in Portland, Oregon. She was ordained as a Minister of Integral Yoga in 1982 in Santa Barbara, California.

Education and Former Professional Experience: Masters in Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. in May of 2003. Susan had a prior career as a clinical social worker and still holds a License in Clinical Social Work in Virginia. She received her Masters in Social Work from Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia and obtained her B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Social Welfare from Old Dominion University, also in Norfolk. Susan had an Integral Yoga Teaching Center in Los Angeles, California, teaching hatha yoga, prenatal yoga, and meditation classes.

Social Justice and Community Involvement: Susan has a passion for social justice work, born out of a lifelong desire to be of service and her social work background. She served as the co-chair of the Ministerial Roundtable in Wilmington, North Carolina, an interfaith clergy group dedicated to healing the wounds of racism in the area, particularly in congregations which have often been complicit in spreading racial injustice but have institutional and cultural power to transform and dismantle racism. She also served on the Board of Directors for the African American Heritage Foundation.

She was a member of the Thomas Jefferson District's Antiracism Transformation Team since its inception. She participated in three interfaith panels in Wilmington, NC on clergy responses to marriage equality and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender concerns, the difference between religion and spirituality, and the significance of the first amendment concerning religious freedom. She was an active participant in the Steps Coalition, a grassroots community organization working on recovery and transformation in the Gulf Coast area after Hurricane Katrina.

Hobbies and Interests: Susan regularly practices yoga, qigong and meditation. Her interests include writing, walking, travel, scrapbooking and on an irregular basis, learning to play the guitar.

I regularly practice gigong and other forms of meditation and yoga. I have an active prayer practice and spend time each day with devotional readings. I love to write, walk, travel, and am learning to play the guitar.