Sunny Notes: 10.08.25 - Getting to Know You

Hello BUF! 

It was wonderful to join you all this past weekend on October 5 for my first official Sunday service at BUF. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome I received from so many people AND for the carrot cake during coffee hour—holy wow, that was delicious! After spending much of last week meeting with various committees and folks in leadership, attending the Wednesday Community Night Dinner, dropping in to watch the choir practice with Ben, attending the auction on Saturday night, and now having participated in a Sunday service, I already am feeling right at home at BUF. 

I am writing to you today from a flight bound for Montgomery, Alabama, where I will be spending the next few days participating in the in-person component of my Year-Long Transitional Ministry Training course. This course is required for UU ministers who engage in interim or transitional ministry, and this week we are doing a deep dive into the work of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and visiting EJI's Legacy Sites in Montgomery—all part of the anti-racist/anti-oppressive educational components of the course. I imagine I will have many meaningful experiences to share following this trip. 

I look forward to seeing you all upon my return this weekend, when I will be back at BUF on October 12 to preach my first sermon. In the meantime, I encourage you to sign up for a "Getting to Know You" small-group meeting with me. These are listening sessions designed for me to hear from you, and what I learn in these sessions will help guide our work together at BUF. You may use the link below to access my online calendar to grab a spot; or feel free to use one of the paper sign-up sheets currently in the hanging box outside my office door. 

https://sunnyjoymcmillanscheduling.as.me/?appointmentType=83784886

I look forward to meeting as many folks as I can in these first couple months with you all! See you Sunday... 

— Sunny Joy McMillan, J.D., M.Div.