Reflect on Christmas traditions

United Methodist Communications chief exec Dan Krause shares pictures of him enjoying Christmas lights both on his trip to Moscow and while visiting the Nashville Zoo with his family in 2019. (Photos courtesy of Dan Krause.)
United Methodist Communications chief exec Dan Krause shares pictures of him enjoying Christmas lights both on his trip to Moscow and while visiting the Nashville Zoo with his family in 2019. (Photos courtesy of Dan Krause.)

Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition? One of mine is going to look at Christmas lights with my family. For me, the lights just bring the magic of the season to life.

The cherished memories of past Christmases are often a part of our ongoing celebrations, providing some continuity from year to year. In 2020, things may look a little different than in years past, but we at UMCom want to make your Christmas as merry and bright as possible. We’ve continued our tradition of an annual gift, but we’ve increased the amount as we won’t be able to have an in-person gathering to say thanks for your hard work this year in a difficult situation. Hopefully, you have already received an email concerning your gift card. If not, please email HR this week.

I know many of you may have questions concerning the possibility of salary increases for 2021. Given the current financial realities impacting our agency and the church at large, we are continuing to evaluate and identify if or when financial compensations can be issued in the new year.  More information about increases will be provided after the holidays. For now, we are going to begin the performance review process.

As I mentioned during the recent town hall meeting, we’re running ahead of budget as expenses have not been as high as anticipated, so we’ve also tried to ease any financial burdens brought about by the forced shift to working from home due to the pandemic by putting in place a reimbursement plan for COVID-related expenses you may have incurred during the past months.

As we look toward a new year, I feel encouraged by what we’ve been able to achieve together as a team despite the challenges imposed by COVID-19 and confident in our ability to move forward in the future.

Blessings,
Dan

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