After much deliberation and thought over the past church year, I have decided my time as your Director Religious Education is coming to a close. This was an incredibly difficult decision for me! I will remain with you through the end of June, and I hope between now and then to organize our affairs well so that you will be in good shape when I leave. The past seven years we have journeyed together have been incredibly meaningful, and in many ways, it is painful for me to see that journey come to an end. We have been through so much together! I will always cherish the relationships, the true friendships I have made here. And I will never forget the support and trust you gave me throughout my time here, as I learned how to be a DRE; as I pursued credentialing and grew into this profession as best I could. I will be forever changed, for the better, through the experiences we shared building beloved community together, here.

Please know that I came to this decision some time ago, and certainly not because of Eric’s arrival! I have every confidence your partnership with him will be a fruitful one, and I remain very optimistic about San Gabriel’s future as a liberal and liberating faith community in Georgetown and within our larger association.

If you are asking yourself why now, the answer to that is complex. Certainly, one reason is that my personal family circumstances have changed and I need to spend more time in other areas of my life. It has also been seven years…and maybe there is something to that sabbatical cycle, because I definitely feel the need for rest and renewal. Lastly, there is no denying that since the pandemic we have seen a marked decrease in the number of children participating in religious education. I believe that with my departure San Gabriel will be better able to support programming and leadership that is responsive to where the congregation is right now, and then create new ways to meet future needs. If you have ideas in regards to that, please let Eric and I know! Whether for adults or children, I know that Eric knows how crucial faith development is to the church’s mission and he looks forward to your ideas and energy.

I look forward to seeing you all and spending time with you every Sunday between now and June 30th. Like I said, I want this to go as smoothly as possible and I hope to leave church leadership with good information and resources for a healthy volunteer-led religious education program for the immediate future. There are several trained, loving volunteer teachers and helpers in the congregation who can carry this work forward, and I hope you all join them in that effort. I also believe our longtime childcare provider, Hush Childers, will also be an incredible support to you all. 

Please reach out with comments or concerns to my email address at DRE@sangabrieluu.org

In faith and community,

Corinna