The annual General Assembly (GA) of Unitarian Universalists from all across the United States takes place this month from the 24th through the 28th.  So far, twenty-one people from UCE will attend this year, which may set a record for an all-time high.  That number includes Rev. Eileen and Rev. K Mooney, Kathy Underwood, and eighteen members.  See the article in this newsletter from Denominational Affairs about registration and scholarships.  You too can attend!

Based on the size of our congregation, we are allowed nine voting delegates to represent us in the business meetings at GA.  Our Board-appointed delegates this year are Shirley Adams, Lee Bannor, Peggy Boccard, Andy Fisher, Martha Holman, Joe Romeo, Donna Schiller, Steve Serikaku, and Jessica Tomell-Presto.

One of the interesting topics to be voted on is a business proposal to base UUCEF investments on our UU values.  UUCEF is the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund.  Some of this kind of values guidance has been used in the past, and this proposal incrementally increases the level of care.  Some of the money in our UCE Endowment Fund is invested with the UUCEF.

Another example of something delegates will pay attention to are the proposed Actions of Immediate Witness.  One AIW proposed for this year is from UUJEC (UUs for a Just Economic Community).  It says that COVID-19 has revealed the economic and social injustice that shapes health and health care in the U.S., and calls for immediate action to create healing and health equity during a time of economic crisis, violence, climate change, and systemic oppression.

Besides paying attention to the very important social justice issues we face, delegates and other participants will attend some wonderful events including the Service of the Living Tradition and a grand Welcoming Celebration.  There are many excellent workshops from which to choose, and UCE attendees are working on assuring we spread out to get to most or all of the really good workshops relevant to UCE and our mission.  We look forward to sharing what we learn with all of you on our return.

Annual Meeting Notice

At its Thursday, April 16th Board of Trustees meeting, the Board approved a plan to hold the 2020 UCE Annual Meeting on May 17th online, as a virtual meeting using Zoom.  Given the current health crisis and the closure of our church building it was decided that it would not yet be appropriate for us to meet in person.

Members of the Board and staff have completed tests and trial runs, and are convinced that we will be able to take attendance and vote in a process that is secure and democratic. Congregants will have the opportunity to ask questions and comment before voting.

Board Policies and Church Bylaws will, of course be followed: members will be  notified of the date and time of the meeting, membership status will be verified, and members will be informed of the wording of any motions upon which there will be a vote. To assist in making sure that procedures are followed, the Board has secured the assistance of a Parliamentarian for the meeting.  More details about how to attend and participate in the meeting will be given in coming messages to the congregation.  Those messages will contain contact information for staff who can assist with technical support before the meeting.

If you have any questions, please send an email to the Board of Trustees at BOT@ucevanston.org.  Stay home! Stay safe! Join us for our virtual annual meeting on May 17th!

And A Special Thank You from Martha Holman and the Board of Trustees:

During this COVID-19 crisis, it has become so apparent how valuable our staff is; they are treasures!  Without a building, they have created an online church, coffee hour, weekly gathering for reflection and chatting, and even a spontaneous Caring Call following John LaPlante’s death.  We can “see” each other on Zoom calls, say “hello” to each other during Sunday service if we wish, and share in the inspirational and wise words of our ministers.  A lot of behind the scenes planning goes into all that.

On top of all that, the staff continues to work to maintain our expected communications, music, financial services, pastoral care, and reaching out.  Committee folks and others have technical support to get covenant groups and other meetings up and running online so our social networks and support groups (meditation, yoga, book groups, parent groups, high school youth meetings, etc.) can continue.  We have access to Religious Education materials and activities including virtual Easter egg hunts, Soul Matters curriculum, virtual Chalice circles, and Wednesday evening adult programming.  Through the staff’s efforts, we are able to continue participating in social justice initiatives like the Soup Kitchen and have been connected to online petitions.

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but I continue to be impressed and amazed at how smoothly it all goes most of the time.  Yet, I know it’s a lot of hard work and planning and attention.  UCE, in many ways, is leading in this effort.  Many churches are struggling to get anywhere near this level of cohesion and support for the congregation.  I’ve been on regular Presidents’ calls where we share information and I’m often surprised when other Presidents speak about how they are still working on how to keep offering services.

All this is to say that we on the board find our staff to be our greatest asset.  This bears thinking about as we head into budget time and make decisions for the congregation.  Praise and gratitude for the staff has been a recurring theme as we listen to congregants talk about the UCE experience during this pandemic.

🌻🌻   The Board and I wish to convey our heartfelt thanks to all the members of the UCE staff for their incredible efforts in keeping us safe, connected, comforted, and inspired!    🌻🌻

Dear Friends, 

One thing I know is true is that we are all in this together.  I am listening to Yo Yo Ma right now and our home feels peaceful.  But it wasn’t peaceful when we found out about the death of our dear friend and fellow congregant John.  And it wasn’t peaceful when our nephew Tyler called to say he had been exposed and had been tested for the corona virus.  It became more level and calm at our place when Tyler called back this morning to say his test was negative – great gratitude for that!  And this roller coaster way of life may continue for quite some time.  We are all adjusting, making different plans, working harder at staying grounded, centered. 

The Board of Trustees has been making some changes also.  We had to quickly change to meeting virtually for our March meeting.  It worked fairly well.  So we will meet virtually in April, and for as many times as needed.  We wanted all of you to know, because any member may attend a board meeting.  If you want to attend, you can join us on Zoom.  Just email Sandra Robinson at srobinson@ucevanston.org  for the April meeting link.  The link will be available during the week of April 13th.  The board meeting is always on the third Thursday of the month and the new link will be available that week. 

Meanwhile, I can tell you that the board and Integrated Stewardship Council (finance committee) members are looking at actual and potential changes to UCE finances as we all navigate this extraordinary pandemic.  Thank you to all for your thoughtfulness and generosity during this messy but loving time.  

We bring our hearts to each other through phone calls, emails, grocery drop-off,  mask-sewing, text, Zoom, 8×8, and online YouTube Sunday services.    

Blessings to all and stay home, stay safe!! 

Martha Holman, UCE Board President 

Prayer by Dr. Rita Capezzi 
Spirit of Life and Love, we realize that our particular vulnerability in this time is new for all of us, though vulnerability has always been the norm for too many of us. Our hands may not touch, so may our hearts vibrate with the clarity of reason and the vitality of compassion, sensing our interdependence now and in all times. 

A Letter from Your Acting Senior Minister and Your Board President

My dear fellow congregants,

The board has been considering adding a half time staff position to cover vital Social Justice and Membership responsibilities at UCE. This six-month position would be funded by an unexpected gift from a member. We discussed this possibility at our November meeting and will discuss it again at the December meeting before a final vote on the matter. As always, any member may attend board meetings and is welcome to attend for this discussion on December 19^th.

Please read about the need for this staff position in Rev. Eileen’s words:

In the past two and a half years, our ministry and staffing structure has gone through some major shifts. In previous years, UCE had become accustomed to two full time ministers who served the congregation in a variety of ways – to provide meaningful worship, pastoral care, lifespan religious education, and leadership of social justice and membership ministries. Later, we adapted to shifting ministries and roles by adding professional staff to cover some of these areas, including adding a Membership Director and Social Justice Coordinator (me) to reflect the growing value of these areas of our congregational life and shared mission.

Rev. Connie Grant’s departure in June 2017 meant that for the first time since the mid 1980’s, our second minister was not a religious educator. I took on the role of Assistant Minister focusing on Membership and Social Justice and we hired Dr. Mary Shelden as our Religious Educator. And as I’ve moved into the Senior Minister role with Rev. Karen focusing on interim work, we are left without a director of social justice and membership for the first time since 2007. As important as these areas of our shared ministry are, I have to turn my attention to other areas as your Senior Minister. We have strong leadership and participation by members on our social justice and membership teams and it is clear that both are critically important to our ability to live our mission and ends. Therefore, we need a dedicated staff leader to administer and support them.

The Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, and Integrated Stewardship Council have been engaged in conversation about the need for a part time Congregational Life Director to lead the Social Justice and Membership Engagement Councils. This person, hopefully a minister, will facilitate the councils, shape the membership process, and coordinate the many social justice efforts that are vital to our mission. This person would also help with the ongoing experience of belonging and engagement in the life of the church, helping newcomers to find their way and connect with the larger life of the congregation, supporting covenant groups, and assisting with pastoral care and preaching from time to time.

The challenge, unsurprisingly, is funding. Fortunately, we have received a small bequest from a member who died this past summer. This amount would cover a half time Congregational Life Director position for the remaining six months of this fiscal year. In order to maintain this position past the initial six months, it would need to be absorbed into our 2020/2021 budget, which means that it would need to be covered by pledge income.  The hope would be that this position could become a permanent part of the staffing model we could present to the next settled senior minister.

Rev. Eileen and I are encouraged by the many ways in which we see the congregation adapting to the numerous changes of the past several months and so appreciate the ways in which so many are engaging in the interim process. Part of this interim process is discerning how our staffing reflects our values and mission. Please contact the board if you have any questions or join us for the next board meeting.  UCE is our spiritual home and we are all in this together!

This plan envisions going from two ministers to 1 1/2 ministers plus some additional administrative support, and provides us some additional financial flexibility compared to our approved budget.

First, the difference between Reverend Eileen’s total compensation as Acting Senior Minister and Reverend Greg’s total compensation is sufficient to allow us to cover the one month of overlap (Rev Greg will be taking his allotted vacation from mid-June through the end of July), pulpit coverage for dates when neither Rev Eileen nor Rev Karen will be available, and the two “below-the-line” items in the budget approved by the congregation on Sunday.  Those items are additional raises for certain staff who are low in their salary ranges, and paying the full denominational dues set by the UUA.

Second, the difference between Rev Eileen’s current compensation as a full-time Assistant Minister and the cost of Rev Karen as Part-time Interim Minister is sufficient to hire a half-time Congregational Life Coordinator.  This assistant will manage coordination and administrative functions related to membership, social justice, worship and religious education, among other duties, that are currently performed by ministers and senior staff.

Compensation Detail:

Acting Senior Minister:  The board has agreed to a salary (including housing allowance) for Rev Eileen of $80,750 (total compensation package of $109,482), which is the minimum of the UUA lead or co-lead salary range for our geography and our size congregation.  This compares to Rev Eileen’s current Assistant Minister salary of $55,620 (total comp package of $77,320), which was well below the $72,500 midpoint of that range due to financial constraints in our budget. Rev Greg, with 25 years of ministerial experience, has a salary of $103,950 and total comp of approximately $146,000.  We believe that it is important to compensate Rev Eileen fairly for the senior minister work she will be assuming, but we also recognize that she has not had the length and breadth of experience that other ministers have had.

Part-time Interim Minister:  Compensation for Rev Karen is set at $4,000 per month for a planned 9 months plus a lesser amount for some planning work to occur in August.  Her expenses include travel and housing expenses, and we are estimating the total cost at $53,000.

Congregational Life Assistant:  To support Rev Eileen and the other program staff we plan to hire a half time assistant at a total cost of $22,000.

Financial questions?  Please email UCE Treasurer Susan Comstock at Susan.L.Comstock@gmail.com or come to one of the two open sessions described in Jeanne Kerl’s email.

Ways to Engage Electronically with UCE

Whether you are a new member or have been here for years, take some time to explore our website and acquaint yourself with the information there. This a centralized place for all the moving parts at UCE, and especially in this age of technology we are working to examine and deepen the ways that UCE is present online.

A few great pages on the website to start with: (click on the blue text to find the link)

1) Things to Know About Our Community – Especially relevant for newer members who might not be familiar with all of the details about the UCE community. Learn how you can light the chalice during a Sunday service, or how to access the Member Directory, or why you’ve been seeing all those rainbow stickers on people’s name tags.

2) All About Religious Education – For parents and non-parents alike, learn or review all the cool things that the children in this congregation are learning every Sunday, and why we explore those topics.

3) Church Calendar – Check out all the events that UCE has going on every day – try making a commitment to explore a new event you haven’t experienced before. Stay up to date on some of the most important events happening here, including the dates for the upcoming Rummage Sale.

4) Living In Our Covenant of Engagement – This was discussed and explored in the recent “No Agenda” meeting among a group of church leaders (see Jeanne’s article in the last newsletter). Read the Covenant online at this link. The goals and values written there are important for all of us to remind ourselves about, for the benefit of our relationship to ourselves and to others in the congregation.

Beyond the website:

1) Join us on Facebook – UCE has three pages on Facebook – the UCE page, the UCE Member to Member Group, and the UCE Social Action group (links to all of these can be found under the Things to Know About Our Community page, so read through that first!). These are great places to engage with members of UCE online and to share your thoughts as well as hear what others have to share.

2) Follow the UUA on Twitter – stay connected with Unitarian Universalists around the world and be informed about the latest news from the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association).

3) Check out what other UUs are doing: Second Unitarian Church (Chicago) reaches out to people via email with their monthly social justice newsletter, The Hammer. In the newsletter, they share stories of justice and ways to participate in social action within the Chicagoland area. It’s a great read. To subscribe to get their monthly email, click here.