EOD January 10, 2020
From Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director
January 10, 2020
So much good is happening at UCE. Our interim work continues, our website is being refined and updated in a more user-friendly format, capital campaign projects are moving forward and much more.
There is very exciting news on the Capital Campaign. Our kitchen renovation began yesterday at 10 a.m. Crews have removed all cabinetry and fixtures. Our plan is on target in terms of timing and costs. You will notice on Sunday that the area is cordoned off with plastic. You will not be able to enter the work area, but you will be able to see that we are well underway. Coffee hour will still take place between services and after service at the back of the sanctuary.
The parking lot project planning is still underway with requests for pricing sent to out and due to be received by January 22. Greg Grabowski, John LaPlante and I (Capital Campaign Parking Lot Sub-Committee) will review bids for the lot, sewer drain replacement and electric to the lot. A report will be made to the CCIC at our early February meeting. Additional information will be communicated to the congregation as we move along on this project.
Please attend our upcoming Capital Campaign Town Hall Meetings – Sunday January 26 at 10:15 a.m. after the first service and Sunday January 26 at 12:30 p.m. after the second service. A timeline of upcoming and future projects will be shared with the congregation at that time. Much work on the part of the Capital Campaign Implementation Committee has been underway over the past few several months. Members of this team are Janelle Brittain, Chair; John LaPlante, Sandy Danforth, Vickie Doebele and myself.
You will notice beautiful new treads on the stairs going to the lower level from the lobby. These new treads have safety strips to improve visibility and reduce slipping. New tiles replace the severely worn, old and damaged tiles in the tunnel area, as well as the area just outside the furnace room adjacent to the hallway leading to lower level classrooms.
The Budget Working Group of the Integrated Stewardship Committee has met twice to begin the formation of our 2020-2021 budget. Many components go into this budget as there are moving parts that we must focus on, including future ministry plans. Members of the Budget Working Group are Susan Comstock, Treasurer; Rev. Eileen Wiviott; Tom Ticknor, ISC member-at-large, Martha Holman ex-officio as Board Chair and myself as Executive Operations Director and ISC Staff Lead.
A Budget Town Hall meeting is being planned and will take place in early February. An announcement will be in the newsletter, member-to-member and communication sources to the congregation.
Susan Comstock and I have been working with the Integrated Stewardship Team to update UCE Financial Procedures. This is a document written and implemented ten years ago and is revised every three years. This is an excellent document that serves as a guide on how we manage our financial processes and procedures.
January 12, 2020
“The Art and Arc of Worship”
Worship Arts Council and Karen Gustafson
What ARE we doing at UCE every Sunday morning? Remarkably each week we show up and, to no one’s surprise, there is something happening at 9:15 and again at 11:00 that some refer to as “worship” and others “Sunday service”, along with some other words or phrases that often reflect either an affinity or a rejection of past Sunday morning “religious” community gatherings. Each week what happens is planned and presented by individuals with intention and care to the quality of all aspects of the order and content to create a whole that might touch the heart or mind or spirit of anyone present. The intention is always an experience that has integrity, that creates a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Come and learn about the elements and the process of how that happens and experience a deepened understanding of the worth and value of Sunday morning, the time and space that hold us as one.
January 3, 2020
Dear ones,
A new year begins, as always, in the midst of so much already begun. I am so looking forward to our time together in January. It feels as though you as a congregation have made some significant strides through the “neutral zone of your ministerial transition.
I have so enjoyed hearing some of your stories and supporting your interactions among your selves as you have worked to integrate the lessons of UCE past into the wholeness of the future.
I have delighted in the openness with which you have discussed UCE organizational structure and envisioned ways to make your work inside the church and out in the world more efficient and accessible and inclusive.
I have been touched by your desire to live more fully into your covenant of engagement.
Everyone can become more involved and engaged in clarifying and defining the mission and vision of UCE that will provide an invitation for your next settled minister.
This month we will be offering opportunities to discuss and deepen your connection to your Mission Statement, “ Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole.”
In our Brown Bag Conversations (see schedule) and in committee meetings and one-on-one conversations and during coffee hour you will be encouraged to think and speak about what that statement means to you personally and what it looks like when it is promoted and shared among others in the life of UCE. You can call or e-mail me at kgustafson@ucevanston.org with your thoughts and ideas. You can invite me or a member of the Transition Team (see interim page on UCE website) to come to your group or activity to lead a discussion. This your chance to create 2020 Vision for UCE!
Also, watch for “Ten Things You Can Do to Be Involved in the Interim.”
Happy new year, indeed!
Karen