By Nancy Kosseff
The First Unitarian Society (FUS) has been a MOSES member since 2013, following a vote at our annual parish meeting. Carol Rubin and James Morgan had stirred interest through a presentation they had made previously at FUS.
At the time, our congregation was moving from a standing-committee structure to a ministry-team structure. Small groups of members could form a team focusing on a particular justice issue or parish need. The idea was that these teams would be flexible in responding to current needs, and that they would disband when no longer needed.
Several of us organized the MOSES ministry team shortly after hearing Carol and James. We attended MOSES organizational meetings and worked to put MOSES membership on our next parish meeting agenda.
FUS is a large congregation, with dozens of new people joining and others moving on from one year to the next. Keeping everyone aware of the work of MOSES is a continuing challenge. Our team members have also come and gone. We currently have about six active members, who meet monthly to brainstorm, plan, and evaluate our efforts at engaging the broader membership. Kathy Luker is our current facilitator.
We have sponsored two or three First Friday Films each year, which have included a pre-film potluck dinner or snack and a post-film discussion. Our team has also hosted several forums on local and state justice-related issues, which are presented between the two Sunday services. Once or twice a month, we host a table during the coffee hour between services. On the table we have MOSES brochures, newsletters, and yearbooks; half-size sheets explaining the work of our ministry team, and sign-up sheets for people wanting to join the team or to learn more. A trifold on the table highlights current and upcoming MOSES and WISDOM news and events. A lending library of relevant books fills one end of the table.
This spring, the congregation designated a weekend offering for the Dane County Deferred Prosecution Program (DPP). The DPP offers selected people who have committed an offense the chance to attend classes and set up a restitution plan. When they complete all their requirements, the offense is deleted from their record. Donations collected that weekend went to a DPP fund that helps low-income participants with bus fare, court fees, class costs, and other requirements, such as restitution payments, for remaining in the program. Two people spoke about the DPP’s impact on real lives at all three of our weekend services.
One of our co-ministers, Rev. Kelly Asprooth-Jackson, has attended several MOSES and WISDOM events, including the MOSES Gala, WISDOM’s Madison Action Day, and a protest action against lockdowns at Waupun Correctional Facility. Rev. Kelly also provides regular staff support to our ministry team. Most recently, we have brainstormed together about ways to add younger FUS members to our team. We have also been exploring the idea of writing letters to incarcerated individuals, a project organized by our national denomination. We are hopeful that this type of undertaking will have broad appeal to our membership.