by Rev. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister
I want to connect with you!
For some of you, it has been ages since I have seen you or spoken with you. Even the simple handshake or hug with an exchange of a few sentences after worship or as we walked out of a church meeting felt like enough to stay connected, knowing that if anything serious was going on you could easily whisper something to me and let me know you were going to call.
Now, these simple little exchanges aren’t happening.
As a church we’ve come up with numerous ways of reaching out and providing opportunities for people to remain connected with one another. Some of these are in person options, like our Parking lot Prayers and Taizé meditations, while others are virtual, like our relaxation through coloring adult group. Today I’m inviting you to a series of small group gatherings that we are calling Church Chats with Pastor Dale.
This series of gatherings are a chance for me to connect with each of you in a small group setting where we can share a bit with each other about how we’re doing, what challenges and joys we’ve faced in the last 8 months, and what role the church is or
could be playing at this time. I hope these groups will be serious, fun, meaningful, and comfortable. Most importantly, I hope it will help you and me feel more deeply connected. The planning team and I have a handful of questions that will prompt our discussions and then we’ll see where the Spirit leads us.
Right now, five sessions planned for roughly 6-8 people in each. They take place at random days and times hoping that EVERYONE will find a time that works for them. Obviously, we’ll only get by 30-40 people at these first 5 sessions, but I’m happy to schedule more if people respond. When I have done similar sessions in less daunting times, everyone has walked away saying, “That was wonderful! We should do these more often.” I anticipate you will feel the same.
The current sessions are scheduled for
- Thurs., Oct. 22, 2020 at 3:30 pm
- Mon., Oct. 26, 2020 at 7 pm
- Thurs., Nov. 5, 2020 at 7 pm
- Mon., Nov. 9, 2020 at 1:30 pm
- Sun., Nov. 22, 2020 at 11:30 am
You can sign up through Signup Genius or by contacting the church office (401) 246-0111 and leaving a message, or by emailing 
With these groups being so small we considered holding these sessions in person outside at the church. In person would, of course, be ideal.
However, that would have raised questions about accessibility, travel, and weather. So instead we opted for Zoom. It’s not ideal, but with such small groups I think we can still connect and share meaningful conversation.
I want to thank Amy Barkat, Pat Stoddard, and Liz White for working with me to plan and organize these events. Their input has been invaluable, and this wouldn’t have happened without them. I also want to encourage you to sign up. For without you, these sessions will go nowhere. Come join us, and let me know how you’re doing these days.