Shepherding Team has begun its work!

 

In early October, the team debriefed our visit to the Leaven Community/Salt and Light Church in Portland and reflected on what we learned about how faith communities can serve as neighborhood “anchors” for resilience and justice.

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We also held our first conversation with the UCC Church Building & Loan Fund (CB&LF), who we hope will walk with us as financial and planning partners in the months ahead. Together, we’re exploring what is possible for our building and ministries as we imagine a Justice-Focused Resilience Hub right here in Salem.

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The team has read The Bush Still Burns by Rev. Terry Moe, the pastor who led the Redeemer Lutheran community to become Leaven. We also read Sue Phillips’ article, The Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future, grounding our work in both spiritual imagination and practical wisdom. We’ve recognized that meeting twice a month will help us move steadily toward the goals of this dreaming phase.

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Each Shepherding Team member will be writing a short reflection essay about what they are noticing through the process. These will be shared later this fall as part of keeping the congregation informed and inspired.

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You can read the full four-month plan we are following here to see how the process unfolds and how it connects to the larger vision for a Justice-Focused Resilience Hub. There are also reading materials available if you’d like to join the Shepherding Team in our deep dive.

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Our goal in this phase (September 2025–January 2026) is to:

• Develop a clear concept proposal for the Justice-Focused Resilience Hub — outlining its vision, purpose, and possible programs or uses.

• Create a sketch of financial sustainability pathways with support from CB&LF.

• Prepare a plan for external resourcing to support long-term success.

 

The Shepherding Team will present its proposal to Council in January and to the congregation at the Annual Meeting on February 1, 2026.

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These outcomes will help us discern how FCCUCC can faithfully repurpose our people, building, and partnerships into a hub that embodies justice, resilience, and spiritual renewal for the wider Salem community.  

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Thank you for your prayers, curiosity, and encouragement as we take these next faithful steps together. This is what a Resurrecting Church looks like—listening deeply, discerning courageously, and reimagining how our faith community can bring new life and justice into the world.

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Team Members: Cheryl Beaver, Shelley Wagener, Susan Smith, Pastor Robin Lunn