Holy Covenant,

If someone were to ask you “How is your well-being?” what would you say? I’m not asking because it’s a nice thing for a pastor to do, but because I believe the answer to that question is something to be explored. You see, since I arrived, I’ve learned Holy Covenant has been faced with many changes. Changes that have pushed it to stretch and grow, and others it has had to find ways to work together to survive. Some of these changes include:

• Saying goodbye to longtime pastor Nancy Allison, who retired in 2019.
• Working with two intentional interim ministers, Fred Robinson and Cheri Dennis.
• Inventing new ways to worship during the global COVID pandemic.
• Losing cherished members who have died or moved away.
• Launching a search process for a new settled pastor that took longer than expected.
• Receiving new members and visitors who now call us their spiritual home.
• Responding to changes in our personal health, career, or financial situation.
• Navigating the loss of loved ones, joy of new partners, or becoming empty nesters.
• Advocating for new ways of being “the church” in the face of racial injustice.
• Finding ourselves caught in an ever-growing divided country and political climate.

Whew! That’s a lot of change. Changes that have certainly had an impact on aspects of well-being in our church and personal lives.

As the church we are called to care for God’s people, and as followers of Christ, we are to model his life and live by his example. One of the healthiest ways to do this is by first creating a solid foundation of wellness for ourselves, so we can in turn be there for others in the ways God calls us to.

While wellness is commonly thought of as only being about health, it is much broader than that. It’s an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence. It includes health, but also includes dimensions such spiritual, emotional, and financial well-being. When these dimensions are integrated together, they can support a more holistic approach to living well.

This upcoming year, I’d like our church to focus on a theme for 2025 that I’ve titled “A Year of Wellness”. I’d like for us to ask the question, “What does wellness look like through the lens of our church’s ministries?” “How can wellness enhance not only our health, but how we function and live?” “How can paying attention to wellness, in its different aspects, contribute to our sense of faith, how we serve the community, and how we follow Christ?”

Friends, I am excited to share with you my plans for A Year of Wellness at Holy Covenant UCC, and the sense of wholeness in 2025 I hope it will bring.

Peace and Blessings,

Rev. Christopher Czarnecki
Holy Covenant UCC
Senior Pastor