Board Meeting – Monday, December 15, 2008 (7-8:30 p.m.)

Present: Rev JE, Deb Rice, Eric Uhl, David Kennedy, Jane Cleaves, Anne Turner, Roger Comstock, Jeff O’Brien, Marge Titcomb, DRE Jenn

Absent: Judy Cormier, Will Trusdale

Visioning with Rev JE – The Role of Liaisons

Discussion Thread:

Will T. will continue as Liaison for B&G realm. We need liaisons for People realm (Denominational Affairs, Leadership Development, Welcoming) and Stewardship realm (Canvass, Finance). Can one liaison cover all the committees in one section?

Liaisons are NOT members of the committees. It is important not to be too involved in the committee. David is interested in leadership development and denominational affairs. Anne is interested in welcoming. The role of the liaison is to make sure that there is a good chair and communicate with that chair. Leadership development is a tough one because there is no committee (yet). People realm is the tough too because it a big one.

The board is well represented on the money side. Liaison is someone to go to when “I need help.” Even though the stewardship realm doesn’t really need one at this point, it is important to set up the structure. Jane is willing to be liaison for the stewardship realm. Liaison can have objectiveness that a member of a committee will not have. The people realm is different from the other two realms. The committees in the people realm (denominational affairs, welcoming and leadership dev.) are more different, with different goals. The stewardship realm (finance and canvass) and B&G (aesthetics, buildings, grounds) committees are more similar within their realms. Our church does produce leaders, but it is more serendipitous, not part of a plan. The people realm should welcome new members, get them involved in denominational affairs, and train them to be leaders in our community. The people realm is connected. The people realm will still get a lot of ministerial support.

Rev JE’s report:

Ministry is strong, preaching practicum, adult spirit play, senior youth, (Portland and Romania this summer), teaching OWL, weekly elder visits with several elders. Frustration with the last 18 months – choices out of seminary were family, pastoral, program, corporate, interim ministries; family church not for Rev JE nor is corporate church. Attendance indicates that we are not a pastoral church anymore. We have people in our church who are “family” church people (e.g. want unlimited candles of Joy and Concern), people in our church who are “pastoral” church people and people in our church who are “program” church people. Rev JE is having as tough time trying to meet the needs of these three diverse groups of people. Rev JE recommends that the board read “Moving on from Church Folly Lane” and work with her to be the type of church we want to be.

Discussion Thread on Rev JE’s Report:

The board feels that we have already decided to be a program size church. Maybe the board is not doing its job supporting Rev JE in implementing this change. We haven’t done a very good job educating our congregation about this. The church leadership is well educated on this but the rank and file congregants are not. The book is in many ways a “How to….”. As we transition, the character of the church will change and so some members may choose to leave. Can the lay leadership of the church fulfill some of the ministerial needs of the church? Do we really have some members who feel that we don’t need a minister (i.e. family church model)? We all want this church to thrive and we all want our open liberal spirituality to extend to as many people who need it. We need to be a place for those who need it or want it and they will find it, so growth is the only option, but we can’t be all things to all people. We should all read “the in-between church”. This is significant. We need to listen to Rev JE and take her concerns seriously. People left when we shifted from Peter to Erik; people will leave as we shift from Erik to Rev JE; others will come and come back. A program-sized church needs a mission to rally around. You can’t just rally around community.

Action Items:

Endorsing Peter Morales – Anne moves to endorse Peter. Jeff seconds. The motion passes. All in favor. Roger Comstock abstains.

Canvass planning – tomorrow night is the first planning meeting. Jeff would like to see canvassing for volunteer hours as well as money.

Banner policy – we have a commitment to have a banner policy before spring. David has agreed to “carry the banner” on this.

Facility use policy. – Draft is ready for a vote. Roger moves to accept. Eric seconds. Motion passes (unanimous). Rental prices have yet to be determined. Roger will be working on this.

Treasurer’s report is not ready (copier is down). Cash situation has eased thanks to holiday fair and miracle Sunday.

Mission Statement Task Force group still has not been able make contact with a UUA rep to help with it.

Evening Alliance CD is due. Cash is sitting. Possible table for common room. Aesthetics committee will participate in the selection.

B&G – furnaces have been inspected, new toilet in Kitty Corner bathroom, four volunteers for snow angels, plowing for parsonage and church has been secured (Frank Hilton).

Get your evaluations for Rev JE into Deb.

Mid-Year meeting on Feb 1st.