Our summertime tradition at WellSprings returns… our annual “Neighbors & Helpers” message series is back, starting August 4th!
We see the world through our own eyes – and sometimes we assume that’s just “the way it is” for everyone. But when we engage with our neighbors, we start to realize how much our own limited perspectives never showed us. There are so many shades and colors of what it means to be “us” – to live in Chester County, or to be a Unitarian Universalist – beyond our own experiences. Once again this August, we’ll bring members of the community outside WellSprings’ doors to help open that conversation, and get to know more of the “people in our neighborhood.”
Read below for the schedule of guests you’ll see in our pulpit, this Summer – and remember, this is a great series to invite a friend to! Bring along a neighbor of your own: someone who might want to learn more about our local community, or who has an interest in one of the topics below.
All of our guests are planning to join us in-person this year, and will be available to take questions both during the service, and afterwards during our coffee hour.
August 4
Peter Urscheler, Mayor of Phoenixville
Peter began his term as Mayor of nearby Phoenixville in 2018, and is a constant presence at community events in the borough. In an election year where so much of our focus is on “the top of the ticket,” Peter will talk with Rev. Lee, sharing what motivated his interest in local government, what kinds of decisions are made at that level, and how folks can equip and empower themselves to make change in their own communities.
August 11
Teddi Stark, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Teddi manages the Watershed Forestry Program for the PA Bureau of Forestry, creating opportunities for people all across the state to plant trees on their property and protect our rivers and streams. She’ll talk with our Ministerial Intern, Nick Sanchez, about the state of natural resources in PA, and about ways that all of us can take some time to care for the earth – often, literally, in our own backyards.
August 18
Lilia Weber, Eastern PA Trans Equity Project
Lilia is a Board member with the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project, an organization supporting and empowering transgender residents of PA through direct services like legal name-change assistance, financial grants, support groups, education, and outreach. Lilia also happens to be a Unitarian Universalist – she is a member of our neighboring congregation in Devon, the Main Line Unitarian Church. Lilia will talk with Rev. Lee about her work with the Trans Equity Project, and offer her thoughts on how all of us can show up for and support the local trans community.
August 25
Rania Larsen & Jacqui Busch, Community Mental Health
Rania is the Director of Cornerstone Clubhouse, a community of people working together to support mental health recovery that gathers in nearby Phoenixville; and Jacqui is a member of the Cornerstone community. Together, they will speak with Rev. Lee about the landscape of community mental health resources that exist alongside medical resources for people in mental health recovery, what kind of support is available to folks in our area, and how to get connected to the community mental health supports you need.
September 1
Jessica Keogh, Autism & Disability Advocate
Jessica is a Special Education & Emotional Support Teacher at Fugett Middle School, part of the nearby West Chester Area School District. She was a huge support for our own Heichel family at WellSprings, when members Jessica & Dan Heichel were navigating their daughter’s autism diagnosis. Jessica will join Rev. Lee to share bit about her own story as a disability advocate, and offer some advice for communities seeking to be more welcoming and inclusive for autistic children and adults.
We hope you can join us each Sunday morning at 10am to hear these speakers, either in-person at Bell Hall, or online at our YouTube Channel.