My goals are: (1) Assure worship services are meaningful and challenging; (2) Oversee financial stewardship; (3) Administer Chapel business (including staff); (4) regular social & pastoral contact.
The Personnel Committee and I have come up with the specifics for this year’s implementation.
Worship Services.
Although the Personnel Committee and I didn’t discuss this, I am meeting monthly with Jan and Leon to more thoroughly integrate musical coherence with sermon and service content.
As you know, I am in with the Senior High youth most Sundays for the first part of the second service, and they are in with me once per month. Although attendance was light a couple weeks ago, last Sunday there were more than 30 youth, plus the 3 advisors, plus me– and we are getting too big for the room. A couple other Sundays have been similarly full. I made a variety of suggestions about the Youth Program over the summer, most of which the advisors and youth accepted, but splitting up into multiple groups was politely declined. I think we have a great program. I am concerned that we will lose some kids due to overcrowding.
Our sanctuary attendance has been down a little this fall as compared to last year. Also, the service attendance is much more balanced than previously– I attribute this to the changed service times.
I found at the Fall district ministers meeting, that FUS Milwaukee (711 members) has added a 3rd service (8:30, 11, 5 pm) with a 7 sermon series in the fall asking big questions (“what do you believe,” “what is the meaning of life,” etc). Also, Appleton, WI (513 listed, but now larger than our 550), has added a 4th service (4:30 Saturday, 3 on Sunday). Both ministers report increased attendance of 20-40 right away at the new service. The new services are expected to generate increase attendance, membership, and pledging. So, I will be in the discernment process (and I’m reading a book on the subject) of adding a 3rd service. A 3rd service would probably have a different format or feel to it than the 2 we have now. Again, a discernment process is needed. Ideally, we’d have this figured out for roll out in September 2008, but that may be overly ambitious.
Oversee financial stewardship
Establish a legacy gifts and bequests program to help ensure Eliot's financial future. I am have asked Bill Miller (who has been brought on as a contractor at $5 per month), to get us moving in this direction.
By January 2, 2008, provide more complete detail to the Personnel Committee regarding all compensation and benefits, current and proposed, so they are fully informed and can counsel the board and congregation at large. I am asking JoAnn Stephan, our business administrator to prepare for board presentation, the spreadsheet she and I usually use in preparing the budget.
Develop a written procedure (including a possible board policy) for responding to member inquiries concerning salaries, contracts, and other sensitive financial matters, in order to provide more transparency while retaining a degree of confidentiality. I have asked Ian Evison, our Central Midwest District Services Director, to get me copies of board and congregational budget documents from several large churches so we can see what others are using, and get some ideas for ourselves.
Provide quarterly budget updates for the next fiscal year, so the board is more fully informed of likely directions of the discretionary portion of the budget. I hope to have a rough, draft budget for the November board meeting. JoAnn has prepared something but I have yet to get to it.
I attended a “generosity” meeting arranged by our Canvass Co-Chairs, Mary Quinn & Jan Erdman. There were some interesting ideas, and I think there may be another focus group to generate more. I and most of the rest of the staff will be working with them more on Celebration Sunday, our big canvass event.
Administer Chapel business.
We will announce Joy’s 65th birthday at the three Bread Communion services, along with her projected retirement date of September 1, 2008. Through private fund-raising– mostly consisting of donors who are no longer affiliated with the church– we have raised a rather large sum of money. This money will be used to hire Joy’s replacement sooner rather than later, and to pay for some of her medical costs, and add to an annuity set up for her. Joy was not in a pension plan until a few years ago, and we want to do what we can to help. We may provide an opportunity for congregational members and friends to make a parting financial gift for Joy at a convenient time in the spring of 2008. We will need special accounting for the money raised and spent in order to be able to show the donors the money was spent in a manner consistent to which it was received.
Complete the employee succession project (this is rather large, and some of it is confidential) to more fully comply with the governance policies. I have asked Bill Miller to help with this. He is interviewing all of us to ask two questions, and then suggest procedures based on how the answers turn out: (1) If you were going to be gone for a few days or weeks, how would we ‘cover’ for you? (2) If you were to be gone for months or to be gone altogether, what would the rest of the staff do to compensate?
Update, post, and provide to the board, a complete employee and church procedures manual. This would include converting all job descriptions to a standardized Position Description and Memorandum of Understanding to ensure equitable treatment to more fully comply with the governance policies. The target date for this is May 1, 2008. I probably won’t really get started on this until early March.
Improve church communications and outreach by an updated and more functional church web site, calendar, and electronic communications. While we have a volunteer working on moving us to a content management system, I am concerned we are not moving fast enough to make measurable progress. I will put a call in to the district web master to discuss our overall site and plan. If it seems right, I may engage her on a contract basis to move us forward.
Continue to implement KEB recommendations regarding financial administration, and report progress to the board. JoAnn reported last month, and I believe has an updated report this month on progress or comment.
Assist the Treasurer and Business Administrator in improving financial administration by development of a "dashboard financials" document or procedures as determined by the Treasurer to show the congregation that the church finances are in order and are being well managed. Our Treasurer is taking the lead on this. He has met with JoAnn to (among other things) get the information flow set up.
We are considering another photo directory. The business has changed a little. Now some companies are offering to do the shoot without the extensive volunteer help that was previously required.
Regular social & pastoral contact.
A monthly visit (e.g., lunch) with a large donor, or past or current lay leader, in order to more fully cover some pastoral needs. This last month, I met with a couple in their home in Chesterfield.
Two pastoral outreach calls per week. I made a hospital visit to St. Luke’s and an evening phone call of significance.
The above is in addition to the regularly scheduled meetings, visits, and calls requested by parishioners.
Other
I presented a paper entitled “What is Commonly Believed Among Us Today” to the Prairie Group, a ministers study group I belong to. I am leading the District Board Meeting at the First Unitarian Church of Alton, IL Friday 11-16-07 through Saturday.
The 2008 UUA directory is out, and our flag (with 14 others) is on the cover.
Friday, November 16, 2007
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