What an interesting year this has been! So many things have happened since the the all-church picnic in June 2016. We have lost some friends, gained some wonderful new ones, grown as people of faith, and shared some great moments in worship, in mission, and just having fun together.

There are so many things that have been highlights for me this year. Many of them are described in our 2016–17 Congregational Activity Report and in the other sections of this newsletter. Please take some time and read what wonderful things are going on in this congregation, both on Sundays and during the week. But here are a few things that aren’t easily covered elsewhere.

I had the wonderful opportunity to be a chaperone for our presbytery’s Triennium delegation this year and was accompanied from UPC by Jazmine Mead and Jullian Wanjama, who came as participants, as well as Shawn Landon, who was chosen for the Triennium work crew. It was an uplifting experience to see 5,000 youth work, learn, worship, and have fun together. The youth cheered the preachers who called for action and spoke aloud hard truths such as white privilege and climate change. For a few days, Purdue University became this little utopia where everyone was accepted for who they were, regardless of color, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or economic background. Youth included other youth both in discussions and recreation. And by the end of the program, hope was rekindled in our hearts that this world can be a place of God’s love and justice.