SFUU Pillars

The highest honor that SFUU gives each year is called “The Pillar of the Church Award.” The Board of Trustees has entrusted the selection of the awardee(s) to an ad hoc committee of the former Pillar award recipients. This Committee has established minimum criteria for the eligibility for the award as follows:

1. Must have been a member for at least 5 years

2. Must be a member in good standing per our by-laws

3. Has displayed a depth of service to SFUU

4. Has displayed a breadth of service to SFUU

5. Has demonstrated leadership in our congregation

Although all active pillars meet to discuss who most deserves this award, it is the most recent pillar who has the honor of presenting the award at our annual congregational meeting in June. The growing list of Pillars is displayed on a plaque in the SFUU foyer.

2023 Pillar Award

Award presented to Jennifer Warner by Vicky Jungers

The Pillar of the Church Award.” is the highest honor that SFUU gives each year.  A Pillar is a person who has proven quality reliable leadership and provides essential support to this beloved community.

The Pillar was originally selected by the Board of Trustees, but that honor is now entrusted to the group of former award recipients. The list of these past Pillars is displayed on a plaque in the Foyer and you are invited to peruse it, and even newer members will likely find familiar names there.

The criteria for eligibility for this award include: the nominated Pillar must have been a member for at least 5 years,  they must be a member in good standing per SFUU’s bylaws, they will have displayed a depth and breadth of service to SFUU, and lastly has demonstrated leadership in our congregation.  Traditionally, the prior year’s Pillar presents the award to the chosen recipient at the Congregational Meeting at the end of our church year. And here we are.

I feel a great deal of pride in being able to present the award to this year’s recipient.

This person joined SFUU in January of 2010 with their beloved partner, as they were seeking a spiritual home. One in which their growing family would never feel ostracized, for not being a typical “nuclear” family.  While that was the reason that brought them here, they stayed because they immediately felt support, love and care for their entire family.

When I reached out to the other Pillars for more information on this year’s recipient, one of them told me, “I remember that shortly after this person became a member,maybe a month or two,  I was scanning the congregation for ANYONE who might possibly be interested in serving on the board. I walked up to this person and tapped them on the shoulder, and they said sure, why not”

I loved hearing this as, what I know of this person, that is exactly who they are. When the work needs to be done, they are there.

This person has served on the board in various capacities. This person also served diligently not just once but 4 times on the Call Process steering committee when we searched for new ministers. So you can thank this person for their commitment and care for our quality of worship, in bringing the Rev’s Lynn and Wendy, interim Minister Rev. Walker and both Rev. AJ and Rev. Alex to SFUU. And if you do not know how much work is involved in being on the ministerial search committee, I can tell you it is a task that requires a great deal of time and commitment to the process.

And that is an area in which this person has always stepped up for SFUU. Their greatest commitment and time has been in the support, growth and development of our RE program. From day one of joining this church, this person has served on the RE committee, several times as the chairperson.

When I re-read all our annual reports for information, this name was on every report made by the RE committee since 2010.

This commitment to our children and our programming also included becoming a trained owl teacher, who’s no nonsense approach to sex ed has made her a favorite among students and parents. Their commitment to RE has also included teaching classes, leading field trips, helping select curriculum and a deep devotion to supporting our DRE’s.

During Covid, as we were in full on Zoom services this person encouraged their children to make chalices for anyone at church to buy, so that we could light our own chalices at home. This person also recognized a need for moms to have some support during the challenges of parenting during Covid. To that end, they implemented and held the social group UU Mamas, offering zoom and in person meetings so our Mamas could feel supported and heard and engaged in friendships, during those difficult times.

This person and their entire family continuously shows up for SFUU. They show up for meetings. They show up for parades. They show up for fundraisers and clean up days. They have shown up with love and care for this community more times than I can say.

Here at SFUU in the past three years, this person, while living their own life with a home full of teenagers, a child with a mysterious illness that needed to be discovered, a father who underwent a variety of medical challenges and full time job, they single-handedly kept curriculum running for our children and youth, not once but twice over the last year as we held space for the right new DRE.

I deeply admire this person. Their family is a shining example of what a family should be and I am so grateful they found a home here at SFUU. Their 3 daughters are amazing human beings, their marriage is one to admire and aspire to. They are kind and loving, compassionate and caring and deeply committed to SFUU and our youth and we are grateful beyond words to have them as a part of our community.

I am sure those of you who know her, know that it is my great honor and privilege to announce the 2023 Pillar of the Church to Jennifer Warner.

Below is a list of all the Pillars of the Church
Click on the Pillar’s name to read about each pillar’s contribution to SFUU at the time of their award

2022: Vicky Jungers
2021: Suzanne Borth
2020: Barb Munn
2019: Stevie Rea and Jim Robison
2018: Mary Piette
2017: Robert Archer and Janie Evans
2016: Marsha von Dessonneck
2015: Val and John Bowman
2014: Ken and Amy Evans
2013: Karen Morse and Bob Niblack
2012: Andy Cramer
2011: Ann Dennison
2010: Dan Dahl
2009: Joan Lacktis
2008: Maureen Bauman
2007: Laura Koerner
2006: Ceci Dalton
2005: Carol Arvay
2004: Anne Seeley
2003: Tom Ferrel
October 2001: Al Thym
November 2000: Linda Olsen
May 2000: Don Bowen
February 2000: Jacki Carr
October 1999: Don Kelly