A Message from Rev. Kimberlee
I am so very grateful for Deb’s long commitment to our youth and First Church. Kaitlin’s presence this year has offered consistency and care to the RE Assistant position. They will both be greatly missed. We will be celebrating their contributions and saying goodbye in May.
This month, we will be posting a job position for an RE and Membership Assistant that will combine the hours of both positions into one job. The Staff Executive Team has chosen to make this change in this staff position in hopes of attracting quality candidates to a more substantial position. We will be conducting interviews in March. Our plan is to hire someone in early April so that they may have some overlap with our current RE staff to help with training transitions. If you know of someone who is not a member and might be interested in the position, it will be posted on our church website, or please refer them to me directly.
With gratitude for Deb and Kaitlin!
Rev. Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson, Minister of Religious Education
A message from Deb
March’s monthly church theme is transformation, and I will be undergoing a transformation of sorts as I announce to you at this time my intention to retire from my current staff position as Youth and Our Whole Lives (OWL) Program coordinator at the end of this church year.
I have had the privilege of serving in this position for the past ten years. I am so very grateful that this community has trusted me to practice meaningful, and sometimes life-changing, youth ministry with our youth.
I will remain an active church member spending more of my time sharing my movement discipline practice of T’ai Chi Chuan with all ages throughout the Greater Milwaukee community and traveling with my husband.
I cherish my ten years of youth ministry memories at First Church and look forward to seeing the thriving future of Religious Education take shape under Rev. Kimberlee’s exceptional leadership.
Blessings,
Deb Solis, Youth Program Coordinator
A message from Kaitlin
In line with our church’s theme this month, my partner Alex and I will both be undergoing big transformations this year. As Alex graduates in May and we begin preparation for his journey to medical school, we have both decided to take a step back from school and work to pursue a gap year. During this gap year, we plan to focus on travel, self-discovery, and enjoying some well-deserved rest before jumping into his psychiatry career. Our last Sunday at First Church will be May 12th.
While I am excited for the future, we are both sad to leave First Church and the great community we have found here. The connections we’ve made with the families and friends of First Church have transformed our hearts and minds, and we are grateful for all this community has done for us. It has been a privilege getting to teach your children, as well as having the opportunity to work so closely with an experienced educator like Rev. Kimberlee Carlson. I have learned so much from the wisdom she has shared during our work to transform the Religious Education program, and I am so blessed to have had First Church be the start of my teaching career.
Wishing you all the best,
Kaitlin Barron, RE Assistant