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Your 2011-2012 Board has been busy! Read on to see what we’ve been up to. You can also read a summary of the special congregational meeting conducted by Rev. Barbara Child, who is advising us on our search for a settled minister. You can find the complete minutes of recent Board and congregational meetings on a bulletin board outside the main church office. October and November Board Meetings Much of the discussion at these meetings focused on the process of selecting the Ministerial Search Team (MST). On the advice of Rev. Barbara Child, our UUA Ministerial Settlement Representative, this process has involved three main steps: Asking the members of St. John’s to nominate people for the team (these nominations took place after the Nov. 13 and Nov. 20 services and also by email). Tallying the votes, creating a ballot, and having the members vote for their top four choices on this list (at the congregational meeting on Dec. 4). Preparing a final seven-member slate of candidates and asking the congregation to approve it (at the congregational meeting on Dec. 11).
We hope all members have found a way to be active in this important collaborative process. Meanwhile, the Board has been conducting a church-wide visioning process, which it will take up again once the work of the MST is under way. The Board has also developed a policy and procedures for the distribution of church keys. If you would like to learn more about these new guidelines, talk with a Board member or see Josie Arens in the church office. September Board Meeting The Board made final preparations for Rev. Barbara Child’s visit and continued its discussion of conducting a church-wide visioning process in prepration for calling a new settled minister. Kathleen Smythe and Jim McDonough were asked to proceed with this process, with input as needed from the rest of the Board. The congregation will continue to receive announcements in the Reporter and elsewhere about how to participate in this important process. The Mission Council’s proposal to conduct a special plate collection for the UUSC’s work in Eastern Africa (Somalia) led to a lengthy discussion of the pros and cons of special plate collections. The Board voted to ask Mission Council to seek a different method for garnering support for this cause and others. The Board also addressed some housekeeping topics, such as asking Administrative Council to set a procedure for distribution of church door keys. In addition, the Board is taking steps to ensure that someone officially trained on the use of the church’s defibrillator be in attendance each Sunday. If you’re AED certified, please let someone on the Board know. August Board Meeting At its meeting on August 17, the Board welcomed Interim Minister Helen Carroll, who was joining us for the first time. After completing its planning for the retreat, the Board heard from Howard Tolley, co-chair of the Service and Action Coordinating Committee (SACC), who explained the committee’s proposal to reinstate a budget line for outreach awards. In response to the proposal, the Board voted to (1) pay last year’s dues to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to maintain its James Luther Adams Award as a supporter of the UUSC and (2) make the $461.26 in the Outreach Contingent Liability account available for an outreach award this year. It also expressed its strong support of outreach awards and advised that the Mission Council include outreach awards in its proposed budget for next year. On Rev. Carroll’s advice, the Board also discussed the desirability of conducting an 18-month as opposed to a 12-month search for a settled minister. It was agreed that time was too short to conduct a 12-month search at this point, so the Board agreed by consensus to conduct an 18-month search. Rev. Carroll was given the go-ahead to schedule a visit from Rev. Barbara Child, our district’s Ministerial Settlement Representative. Rev. Child’s sermon was planned for Sept. 25, after which she would conduct a congregational meeting and then a meeting with the Board. Special Congregational Meeting On Sunday, September 25, after the service and a brief lunch, the church had a special congregational meeting for the purpose of launching its renewed search for a settled minister. Rev. Barbara Child, Ministerial Settlement Representative for the Heartland District, conducted the meeting, having just delivered a sermon on the importance of “living in the meantime” and not rushing to closure. Rev. Child described the search process and her role in the process. She also advised the congregation on several search-related issues and emphasized the transition support offered by the UUA. After the meeting, Rev. Child met with the Board, primarily to discuss the 18-month search calendar, which the Board has chosen to follow for this search, and to advise them on the process of constituting the Search Committee. |
