Dear Members,
February is often a time of anticipation—we grow tired of the cold and start looking toward spring. As days start to grow longer, the return of the sun’s light and warmth inspires many to start planning for the future: gardens, travel, new projects. So much to plan for—so many adventures to embark upon!
So it is with our church. February and March mark the beginning of our budget planning cycles and our anticipation of the new church year. During this time last year, we, as a congregation, developed a set of shared goals to guide us as we moved into the second phase of our Developmental Ministry with Howell. One of those goals was to develop a strategic plan that would continue to move us forward—including preparing us for our next settled minister.
The Board of Trustees has been working with Howell throughout the year to make progress on those goals. As we worked through this process, Howell proposed to the Board that we start the search for our next settled minister during the 2014-15 church year. In his words, “The health evident now in the congregation makes the timing appropriate for the congregation to move into its next called ministry. The strong desire to move forward with the congregation’s developmental ministry goals will make a good foundation for the church’s continued future of growth and success.” The Board discussed the proposal and agreed unanimously to move forward.
The Board has asked the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) to nominate a seven-member slate for a Ministerial Search Committee. The slate will be presented to the congregation at our annual meeting in May for a vote. The LDC will be determining the process that they will follow to choose the slate during the next few weeks. When they have established the process, they will publicize it.
We understand that you will have many questions about this exciting decision and the process that we’ll be embarking upon. To address those questions, the Board of Trustees will hold informational forums on March 2 at 9:15 AM and March 11 at 7 PM. In addition, a Frequently Asked Questions document will be assembled and will be available for your review.
Thank you for your commitment to our church and we look forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming forums!
Sincerely,
Reverend Howell K. Lind
Whitney Wheeless, Church President,
on behalf of the UUCB Board of Trustees