SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Springfield UU Meetinghouse will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its sanctuary on Fairground Road with special worship events April 25 and May 2. Looking back with pride at those years, the Meetinghouse is also looking forward, by launching the Spiritual Makerspace. This new initiative convenes local community members whose passions or vocations align with the Meetinghouse’s mission to nurture the spirit and heal the world. Its goal is to build a network of community leaders who share practical and creative skills that strengthen community resilience.
The project launched last August, when the weekly Sunday 10 a.m. worship started offering a Spiritual Makerspace service once a month. Members of the Art Monastery, as well as local artist Toni Streeter and educator and herbalist Charis Boke, served as leaders for these gatherings.
Rev. Dr. Mellen Kennedy, minister of the UU Meetinghouse, envisions that the Spiritual Makerspace will both build community and serve community. She noted, “Many contemporary people are ‘spiritual but not religious.’ Although attendance at churches is declining, particularly among younger folks, the spirit of Love, the hunger for authentic connection, and passion for expression and service is rising. The Spiritual Makerspace provides an avenue for refining, expressing, and channeling that passion.”
This April, the Meetinghouse will host two Spiritual Makerspace services. On April 11, Raphael Sacks and Neva Cockrell from the Art Monastery in Springfield will present “Engaging Mind, Body and Heart,” a program of heart-centered music. On April 25, artist and teacher Angie Follensbee-Hall, based in Brownsville, will offer “Restore the Muse – Finding Your Way Back to Innate Creativity.” These services are for anyone and everyone who seeks to gather for inspiration and community. The online service April 25 will also honor the Meetinghouse’s 30th anniversary celebration of its sanctuary. All are welcome to attend. Go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6130779853.
The next step of the project is to convene members of the community for conversations, skill shares, and community service that imagine the Spiritual Makerspace into being. Rev. Kennedy will offer a storytelling skill share April 24, from 10 a.m. to noon, an essential skill for anyone who runs a business, works for a cause, or communicates online. To learn more and sign up, go to http://tiny.cc/apr24story.
The Springfield Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse is a warm, welcoming, and supportive community for people of all ages. It is a community that values the open mind and encourages each person to question and develop their own faith, seeking to create a more loving and just world, and to live sustainably on the Earth.