This is it—the very heart of East Shore’s Ministerial Transition. Some members and friends are excited, engaged, and enthusiastic. Some are disgruntled, anxious, and uncertain. Others are tired and ready to finish this work. Perfect. That is exactly where you are supposed to be at this juncture in our process. The next leg is your most essential.
Your excellent Minister Search Committee has launched their congregational profile and website. They are reviewing applications from potential candidates as we speak.
Your board has taken on their role of oversight with courage and clarity. They have walked you though the learning of how your policy based governance serves you. Now, they are ready to engage that governance process in making important strategic decisions with their Town Hall meetings each Saturday in January. Be sure to attend. Listen, learn, and lend a hand.
The Transition Team will record all of the questions, content, and conversation from those Town Hall meetings to create the process for answering the questions and making decision on what the meetings reveal. Our February All Church Summit, February 3–5 will complete the decision-making and create a mission for your future. You can sign up to attend Friday evening from 7:00–8:30 pm, Saturday from 9:30 am–4:00 pm, and or Sunday 10:00 am–2:00 pm. Sign up to attend all or any of these portions of the weekend. If you can only attend one portion, be present Friday night when we will be voting on what priorities to focus on for the weekend.
East Shore Unitarian Church has gone though much loss, and gains, in the past three years. Know that you are exactly where you need to be. Some of what is important does not feel comfortable. That is normal for the kind of transition you are engaging. Remember, just because it doesn’t feel good does not mean anyone did anything wrong. Everything ESUC is experiencing is important to our process. You are learning how to be in right relationship, ask tough questions, and make difficult decision together. Remember my words from last April when I arrived:
“… I will probably do things you do not appreciate. I may tell you things you do not really want to hear. When I do you can trust that I have no agenda other than your success and well-being. …. The most important things to remember about our interim middle are:
It absolutely feels like it will be like this forever.
It absolutely will not be like this forever.
We have to be in the middle until we are not.”
Well Done! … and Happy New Year!
Elaine