The worship life at MLUC continues to flourish, shaped by a growing spirit of shared ministry and genuine community connection. Each Sunday service is a collaborative offering, thoughtfully created by Rev. John Morehouse, Congregational Life Coordinator and Ministerial Intern Yvette McDonnell, Director of Learning and Family Ministries Dawn Star Sarahs-Borchelt, Music Director David Brown, our youth, Worship Associates, and a wide range of guest speakers who bring their own gifts and perspectives to our community.
Over the past year, Rev. John has introduced moments of congregational sharing that have helped deepen relationships and create space for authentic connection. Sermons from Rev. John and others have brought warmth, honesty, and storytelling to the pulpit, inviting us to reflect on hope, inclusion, love, joy, and the importance of bearing witness to one another’s lives. This summer, Dawn Star returns from a three-month sabbatical and will continue nurturing the multigenerational and experiential worship experiences that have inspired such meaningful participation across all ages this year.
The role of our lay Worship Associates has also grown in exciting ways. This year, they have taken on expanded leadership in worship by leading services, offering readings, coordinating the offering, and guiding Candles of Community, which was recently updated with greater care for personal privacy and pastoral sensitivity.
And the energy is palpable. Our Sunday services continue to draw strong and growing participation, both in person and through our YouTube livestream. More than the numbers themselves, it is the enthusiasm, care, and shared spirit of so many people that continues to strengthen and enliven our beloved community.
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Media Services | Worship Visuals
Media Services
The Media Services team facilitated all Sunday worship services, illumine concerts, memorial services, the Transylvania Youth Choir performance, the Klezmer Band concert, the Valentine’s Day Barn Dance, the Celtic Music Jam, and social justice events this year. The team also worked with Spinnaker to resolve church internet and network issues, installed a new podium microphone, and reorganized the Media Services desk.
The team changed shape this year. Sam Levine joined as Media Services Manager; Jay Wiley stayed on as a volunteer and continues to cover the Tri-County Concert series. Brian Warren joined as a volunteer as well. A new rotating schedule distributes responsibilities across the team, cross-trains everyone in unfamiliar roles, and builds in flexibility for time off.
The livestreams of Sunday worship have become a genuine resource—for members who can’t be there in person, and for people outside the congregation who have found their way to MLUC through a screen and then showed up on a Sunday morning. Looking ahead, the Media Services team anticipates a busier year as illumine programming expands and Rev. Lisa joins as Social Justice Director.
Worship Visuals
Beth Rittenhouse’s quiet, consistent work transforming the worship space each week is easy to take for granted—until you notice it. This year the Main Meeting Room branches helped the Environmental Justice group present their native plant program, weaving the visual environment directly into the congregation’s justice work. The reward, as always, is simple: people notice, and the decorations make them smile.