I am very pleased to announce that Evelyn Smith has agreed to serve our open Board position through the end of our current church year. Particular thanks to Connie Hirnle and the nominating committee for their support in screening candidates and making recommendations. Welcome Evelyn!
During January, the Board held a Saturday morning workshop with Rev. Tandi Rogers, who is our UUA contact. This is a workshop commonly held shortly after the arrival of a new minister. Sometimes, it includes both the Board and the membership. Rev. Rogers will be in our pulpit February 3, and she will be available after the services to meet with members and explore our developmental ministry goals and our relations to the greater denomination.
We will be kicking off our annual fund campaign in March with Stewardship Sunday on March 3. We are changing this task title to Mission Fund Drive (MFD) recognizing this is a commitment to support our mission and not just the operations. The mission and vision are why we are here as a church. One of the key tasks of the Mission Fund Drive is establishing a budget. In the past this has appeared as pie charts or tables in some neglected corner of our brochure. This year I hope to make this process a bit more visionary. Rather than just meeting our operational expenses we can use this time to envision what we want our church to be. This is about collectively defining what it is we want to be and what resources we need to achieve our vision. Fundraising is not about making cold calls to people who do not want to receive cold calls. It can be a spiritual experience that requires thinking about what churches are supposed to do and why they are important. Please contact Nicole Duff or me if you are interested in fulfilling any role in this endeavor. In particular we could use some help from someone with experience making videos.
As part of our kickoff to fundraising, the Board is planning a major town hall on our finances. This will look at trends in membership and giving over the past two decades. We are fortunate to be a church that is wealthy in property and endowment. Our discussion will be open to considering how to best use all of our resources including our donations to create beloved community and fulfill our mission and vision. When a date is selected it will be announced, please keep an eye out for updates in the bulletin and weekly emails.