MINISTER’S REPORT – February 12th 2008

Highlights:

Worship Calendar is filling out nicely; Charlie Grindle will be serving as our “interim” Music Director, and may be interested in remaining on permanently as our “Minister of Music.”

20 individuals have signed up for our “New UU” Explorer Classes.

Nominating Committee is meeting to improve our leadership development process, and also to recruit new leaders and volunteers in several key areas


Stewardship Campaign

We’ve known for some time that First Parish will be operating at a budgetary deficit for the next few fiscal years, and that the Trustees will be playing a “backstop” role to make certain we can continue to pay our bills (and specifically make our payroll!) in a timely fashion while we move toward a balanced budget. The questions that remain are just how far out of balance are we, and what can we do to make up the difference? Church Treasurer Carl Laws and Trustees Treasurer Ted Noyes are now in conversation about how best to manage the cash flow through their respective accounts in order to meet all of our obligations.

Finding the resources not only to bring our current budget into balance, but also to be able to afford to do all the other things we DREAM of doing, is an ongoing challenge…as it has been for every church I’ve served. It’s not a challenge we are going to overcome overnight. But if we continue to do the right things, if we continue to invite people into partnership with us, if we continue to provide the kind of service and ministry to the members of this community that we aspire to provide, I have faith that the resources will follow, somehow. So let’s not take our eyes off of the road ahead to stare too long at the gas gauge. We all know what’s in the tank. Let’s make the most of what we have, trusting that when the time comes we will figure out a way to “fill ‘er up.”


Special Fundraising Events

This obviously relates to the topic above as well. Linda Shary has a fantastic idea for a Spring festival, but still needs lots more help to make it happen.


Planned Giving

There is a committee, and it is indeed meeting. This is potentially a very important aspect of our long-term financial stability, but once again it’s not going to happen overnight.


“Next Step” – (415 Congress Street)
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[if there is anything new to report, it will be done verbally at the meeting]


Improved Policies and Standard Operation Procedures

Barbara is reviewing who has been issued keys, and has reissued all of the alarm access codes.


The Pathway to Membership

The “New UU” Explorer classes have begun. We have 20 people enrolled, and my hope is that at least that many people will be joining the church on Palm Sunday. The Membership Committee is also planning to re-contact all of the names on our list of recent visitors, in order to invite them to fill out an anonymous “Survey Monkey” regarding their impressions and experience of First Parish.


Volunteer Ministry Opportunities at First Parish

The Nominating Committee met last week, and will be meeting again tomorrow night. The Committee is looking to expand both its membership and its scope, and working to create a more comprehensive leadership development strategy as well as filling some of our currently vacant key leadership positions.


Children’s RE program

Rebecca Hinds has accepted the position of Director of Religious Education, and did indeed begin work on January 15th.


Worship & Music Program

Charlie Grindle begins as our regular substitute organist/choir director this coming Sunday, and has expressed some interest in continuing on permanently as a “Minister of Music,” with additional responsibilities to be determined. This will all be part of the discussion for the Search Committee, which I hope will consist of myself, Personnel Committee Chair Jeff Logan, at-large member Mary Bloch, and one representative each from both the Music Committee and the Worship Committee. The Worship Committee STILL needs to find a new Chair/Council Representative to replace Bob Greenlaw, who resigned from the position because of personal circumstances.


Public Relations/ Identity and “Branding” (walking briskly while chewing gum….)

A by-law amendment to resurrect the “Communications Council” (with Dennis Levasseur serving as Chair) was not ready in time for the special congregational meeting last month, but we are basically proceeding forward as if it had (with the intention of formally re-establishing the Council at the May Annual meeting), and allowing the “proto-Council” to function as it needs to in the meantime.


Small Group Ministry program

A district-sponsored Small Group Ministry Training workshop is scheduled for March 8th at A2U2 – a link to the event site can be found here. I hope we can find a group of interested people to attend this training, and help revitalize our own small group ministry program here at First Parish.


Chaplains/Pastoral Care Ring

If anything, we seem to be going backwards in this area. Sally Madore continues to serve as our “senior” chaplain, but more and more her ministry is evolving in a different direction. Bob Greenlaw and Johanna Spencer (who had both previously indicated interest in serving in this capacity) are essentially missing in action as their own lives move in new directions.


Articulating a Clear Vision and Long Range Plan for the Future of First Parish

The challenge/goal of “Becoming the Church People Think We Are” continues to call us to examine the “big picture” and set high goals for ourselves. The Committee on Ministry has accepted the task of coordinating much of this conversation, through their commitment to implementing the UUA’s “Assessing Our Leadership” evaluation and review process here at First Parish.