Ms. Alexis Lovell

The UU Marin Board of Trustees is very happy to announce that we have found our next Director of Family Ministries. Alexis Lovell has accepted our offer to start this job beginning August 1.

We are excited about the enthusiasm she brings to this position, her deep caring and commitment to needs of children and families, and her rich arts and music background.

I am so honored to be your new Director of Family Ministries!

I come into this position with immeasurable gratitude for the vibrant program Rev. Lynne and our Family Ministries staff and volunteers have helped build. I enthusiastically approach this role with a sincere desire to help our families deepen their sense of spiritual growth and connectivity within our congregational and broader denominational Unitarian Universalist movement.

I am passionate about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where every family can feel heard, seen, and valued.

Unitarian Universalism is something that I am committed to for life. To deepening my foundation in UU history and theology, remaining in right relationship with others, and pulling my weight to help our congregation become a more thriving, healthy, and vibrant community for our Children, Youth, Parents, and Caretakers. As DFM it will be my cornerstone to deepen the connections between our children and youth and the rest of congregational life in order to foster multi-generational spiritual growth even more profoundly than we do now. Pastoral care, hospitality, stewardship, social justice, even facilities maintenance, these are all areas where we can find ways for our children to engage in multigenerational activities, learn new skills, and act to make a difference.

One particularly exciting program I’d like to engage our children and youth in is a lovely Lego based curriculum that explores the Article 2 revision in a really fun way targeted for 1-5th graders. Who doesn’t love Legos?

Social justice is woven into my spiritual formation. Despite how insurmountable some current challenges to basic human rights seem, when we’re facing issues like healthcare for women in need, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, and anti-racism, it’s not hard to persevere. It does take courage though. I’ve had to learn to walk through fear and understand that once one is on the side of justice and love, whatever the outcome, it will be okay because we carry a light and fire of commitment within us. I’ve never felt anything like it. Inspiring our children and youth to carry that flame within them as well is fundamental to my philosophy of religious education.

Music is vital to my life and spiritual expression and I plan to use it whenever possible in this program. From singing songs with our babies, toddlers, and children… to using popular music that our youth relate to and connecting them to UU values and social justice contexts. Music transcends so many cultural, class, gender, and generational barriers and can be a great way to communicate complicated spiritual topics.

Another goal for the Family Ministries program would be to inspire a sense of home, engagement, comfort, and ownership of our congregational grounds themselves. The rooms in which our children learn are in need of some fun, creative and kid friendly touches. I know that we care about our kids and our space. But I commit to responsibly stretching the resources we do have and being an advocate for the further resources we’ll need to create colorful and engaging spaces that will make kids feel excited about attending our programming here.

Ultimately, I want to commit my time and energies to inspiring our youth. To provide the confidence needed to be open and vulnerable in faith and passions that will lead to a better world. To create a space for each individual person to grow up in this program and want to return to our faith throughout their whole lives. To ask questions of our youth that will keep them engaged and committed to being seen and heard. To treat them each as people first while protecting the children they are. I want to offer our youth in this program the respect, kindness and eternal understanding and patience they deserve.

I see Family Ministry as a garden. The children are the little seeds, their parents are the soil and everyone that surrounds them are the sunshine, nutrients and water. We all have different roles and talents but we are all needed to make this growth process work so our youth can mature into adults who may leave for college or go explore the big world, but will continue to hold their UU values dear and act from a sacred place in their hearts.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to serve UU Marin! I come to this sacred responsibility with a full and grateful heart!