Next Saturday, the Reverend Allison Palm will arrive in Nashua to begin Candidating Week with us, from May 3 until May 10.

We've scheduled many events and meetings for you to meet her and for her to get to know us. You'll find the schedule of activities here. Please sign up for the events you plan to attend. If you have some time to help with setup or clean-up at any of the events, please volunteer here.

At the end of Candidating Week, immediately following the service on May 10, we'll convene a congregational meeting, and the voting members of the church will vote on the Search Committee's motion to call the Reverend Allison Palm to be our next settled minister.

Your role in this process

As we approach this important milestone in the almost 200 year history of the church, please reflect on your personal role in the process. The Search Committee asks you to do the following, even if you are not a voting member:

Learn about Allison
Begin by reading the wealth of material on her website. You'll find her biography, vision for ministry, and sermons.

Attend the worship services on May 3 and 10. If you can't be in the sanctuary, listen to the live stream or replay from the church website or watch the video recording that will be posted.

Attend at least one of the events planned during the week, so you can introduce yourself and participate in an informal and smaller group setting.

Be gracious and hospitable
Does the congregation have a mission, a “glowing coal” at its center? This is one of the questions posed by the UUA to each congregation seeking a new minister. Our answer to this question, which was read by all interested ministers, began

The heart of our congregation is the love and support we offer to each other in times of joy, sorrow, and need – and also in the search for our individual and collective truth, meaning, and purpose.

We want to show that love and support to Allison and Tristan during their time with us.

In parallel with your discernment during Candidating Week, Allison will be deciding whether to accept a call from us, whether this is the congregation to — in her words — “partner with ... in this sacred work of building the beloved community both within the walls of the congregation and in the larger world.”

Ask questions, raise concerns
If you have questions, ask them. Allison and members of the Search Committee want to ensure everyone is informed.

If you have concerns, raise them. In the spirit of our Covenant of Right Relationships, the best way is to talk with Allison.

Our goal is to answer all questions and address any concerns before the congregational meeting on May 10.

Be open
A Buddhist scholar traveled to Tibet to visit a Zen master. While the scholar had long studied Buddhism, he wanted to meet with the master to learn more about Zen. As the master prepared tea to welcome the scholar, the scholar began to talk about his studies and expertise in Buddhism.

When the tea was ready, the master poured the tea into the scholar's cup until it began to overflow and spill onto the floor. The scholar saw what was happening and shouted, “Stop, stop! The cup is full!”

The master stopped pouring and said “You are like this cup. You are so full of your own ideas that your cup is full. I can't put anything in. Before I can teach you, you'll have to empty your cup.”

We stand at the threshold of an enlightening journey, individually and as a congregation. We'll have to empty our cups some to be fully open to the experiences, learning, and growth before us.

The Search Committee is excited for you to meet Allison and see the same potential for a shared ministry that led us to ask her to be our candidate. If you have questions about the search process or Candidating Week, just ask one of us.

— Laurie Goodman, Kathy Grossman, Steve Hedges, Carol Houde, Donna LaRue, Gary Lerude