Thoreau Coffeehouse October 15

Michael Crouch

Mark your calendars for our next Thoreau Coffeehouse on Saturday, October 15, featuring 2005 Texas Music Awards Singer Songwriter of the Year Ken Gaines. Ken is a Houston area singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer who writes and performs great songs in just about every genre and style. You won\'t be able to categorize what he does, as he moves from sweet lyrical ballads to double entendre blues to swingin\' jazz to redneck rock. Ken’s wide vocal range delivers all of these styles skillfully, and his guitar work expresses complex musical arrangements. His powerful lyrics highlight his skills as a storyteller and observer of life. He has written songs for film, stage, and commercials and regularly performs original songs of his own.

Ken says, "Live performance for me is the culmination of all my thinking and practice. It\'s like a religious experience. I want you to laugh and cry on the same night and I hope you go home feeling like you\'ve fallen in love all over again with someone or something you hold dear.”  More info including past and upcoming performances, YouTube videos, and recorded music can be found at www.kengaines.com.

Our Upcoming Year of Interim Ministry

As we prepare for the next interim year, look for opportunities to work with the interim minister and your fellow Thoreauvians on what the UUA calls "The 5 Interim Tasks":

1. Claiming and honoring its past and engaging and acknowledging its griefs and conflicts; 

2. Recognizing its unique identity and its strengths, needs, and challenges; 

3. Understanding the appropriate leadership roles of minister(s), church staff, and lay leaders while navigating the shifts in leadership that may accompany times of transition; 

4. Making appropriate use of District, UUA, and other outside resources; and 

5. Renewing its vision, strengthening its stewardship, preparing for new growth and new professional leadership, ready to embrace the future with anticipation and zest.