Interim Working Report2020-04-21T19:07:18+00:00

Interim Working Report

Welcome to the interactive and working interim report. This report was originally generated in September 2019 and will be updated regularly by Rev. Karen Gustafson and the Transition Team. If you have any questions about the Interim work, please reach out or join one of Rev. Karen’s Brown Bag Conversations usually held 3 times a month.

# – indicates an event completed or planned for the Interim work.

Introduction

The following report represents input gathered in the following ways:

  • Board of Trustees Weekend Retreat

  • Day Long Staff Start Up

  • Elected Leaders Retreat – Friday evening, September 6, 2019; all day, Saturday, September 7, 2019

  • After service forum on September 8, 2019 with approximately 100 members and friends attending

  • Covenant Group Leaders

  • Three “Brown Bag” sessions involving approximately 30 participants

  • Membership Engagement Council

  • Three extended e-mail responses

  • Six meetings with individual congregants

Invitations to Brown Bag groups and to contact me directly appeared in newsletters and were announced at the September newsletters and announced at the September meeting.

# Brown Bag topic for October was the Interim Report. About 15 people in addition to the Transition Team attended the three meetings.  There were questions of clarification but no substantial changes in the plan.

UCE Core Assets

1. Core of dedicated and resilient leaders – This was evident in the overall and earnest participation in the Board Retreat and the Elected Leaders Retreat. There was a ready understanding of the value of the Interim Process and a willingness to engage. The diversity of ages and experience in the leadership core speaks to the potential for growth. Discussions were candid and constructive.

Challenges

  • Need for an intentional approach for succession planning and leadership development.

  • Need for clarity of Pathways to Leadership.

Strategies

  • Re-invigorate the leadership development team and charge them to create a leadership development plan.

  • Workshop to develop plans and tools. (# See Below)

  • Use Regional UUA resources.

## November 23, 2019 at 12-4 PM  First UCE Volunteer Workshop. Invitations were issued to volunteer leaders. Approximately 42 volunteered. The focus of this workshop was :

  1. Through the use of a questionnaire, to generate a conversation about the value of appropriate institutional structure that will support stability, inclusiveness and resilience.
  2. Motivate participants to return to their groups and consider issues of succession planning, expectations, evaluation and the relationship of groups’ missions to the larger mission of UCE.

By November 30, 2019, conversations were summarized.

In November, December and January: Leaders including those not present will be sent copies of the questionnaire and summaries of the conversation to encourage discussion among their groups during upcoming meetings. Karen and members of the Transition Team will be available to support conversations in small group settings.

March 14, 2020 (Rescheduled from January 18, 2020) – UCE Volunteer Workshop 2 – Focus

  1. Follow-up on structure discussion
  2. Conversation about UCE Mission and the relationship of program to Mission

Interim Task(s)

Clarifying the appropriate leadership roles of minister(s), church staff, and lay leaders, and navigating the shifts in leadership that may accompany times of transition.

2. Persistence of members loyal through transition, disappointment and personal hurt . Many of the people who attended the Small Group Question sessions as well as some of the leadership reported continued involvement inUCE in spite of disappointments, personal hurts and frustrations related to professional leadership of ministers and staff. Others were were concerned about particular theological orientations of ministers and other members. Some had taken some time away and returned because they value the sense of community and /or the social justice initiatives undertaken at UCE. They cared enough to show up and share their concerns.

Challenges

  • Unresolved hurts based upon both personal experience and reported experience of others.

  • Compromised trust by individuals based upon unclear expectations of ministers and others.

  • Unclear or unshared understanding of theological diversity as part of Unitarian Universalist identity.

  • Lack of articulated shared vision and purpose that transcends personal relationships.

Strategies

  • Appropriate and relevant information relative to departures of ministers. # Addressed during October and November Brown Bags

  • Healing circles or individual, appropriate pastoral care. #Ongoing

  • Ritual of release and renewal #New Story Sermon on November 17, 2019 #Gratitude and Healing on November 23, 2019 and Legacy Poster exercise.

  • Processing behavior of ministers and congregants through the lens of transition #September 15, 2019 Sermon

  • Clarification of the roles and expectations of ministers. #Spring 2020

  • Review and Claiming of past ministerial legacies. #Sermon on November 23, 2019

  • An overall move toward forgiveness and accessing the healing resource that is the life giving spirit of religious community. #Ongoing

  • Intentional review and application of Covenant of Engagement for congregation, ministers, and staff. #Addressed at November Brown Bag Meetings.

  • Creation of policies and structures that ensure safety. #Formation of Committee on Shared Ministry

  • Sermons and classes which emphasize the pluralist nature of UU. #Sermon on Pluralism October 20, 2019

  • Instate post-sermon conversations about content related to our mission, who we are, and why we are here.

Interim Task(s)

Claiming and honoring the past and engaging and honoring its griefs and conflicts.

3. Enduring tradition of quality music and worship – In spite of other concerns about ministers, expectation and appreciation of excellence in  preaching and music remains core for many.

Challenges

No Challenges Noted

4. Awareness of the value and importance of programming and inclusion of children and youth. In spite of some unevenness in this area the issues around this aspect of congregational life remains alive and moving to the forefront.

Challenges

  • Need for a congregational review and refresh of the Religious Education Program.

  • Need to support and retain stable professional Religious Education staff.

Strategies

  • Saturday morning workshop for parents with activities for children and childcare to reimagine UCE Religious Education. #RE-visioning RE Workshop on January 15, 2020.

  • Work with Nancy Coombs-Morgan of the MidAmerica region.

  • More money and support staff.

  • # Pending date in January or February 2020 with Nancy Coombs-Morgan to conduct an assessment of UCE’s RE program.

Interim Task(s)

Proudly coming into possession of a renewed vision and strong stewardship, prepared for new growth and new growth and new professional leadership, ready to embrace the future with anticipation and zest.

5. Strong and visible commitment to social justice reflected in a wide range and variety of ways to be involved and serve the wider community.

Challenges

  • The perception that Social Justice efforts are too scattered and that a greater impact would be possible with more focus.

  • The perception that more focus would cause division.

  • Need to articulate a shared vision.

Strategies

  • Social Justice mapping to find clusters of involvement within and outside the congregation that might lead to a possible focus. #Social Justice Mapping activity in January to provide more information about concentrations of interest that will support the possibility of focus.

  • Celebration and recognition of members’ efforts toward justice and equity.

Interim Task(s)

Recognizing UCE’s unique identity and strengths, needs, and challenges.

6. Commitment to Policy Governance – Although this is a fairly recent change to the governance of UCE, there is a growing understanding of its potential value and function at the Board and Staff levels.

Challenges

  • Clearer attention to balancing the need for action with congregational involvement, valuable programs, and outreach of UCE.

  • Unclear relationship to mission and ends statements as a source of institutional authority.

  • Unclear about process for involving and informing congregation about decisions that affect them.

  • Understood and well communicated common sense of what the congregation is trying to do together beyond the particulars.

  • Lack of Institutional priorities with mission as criteria

  • Process for creating, reviewing and evaluating ends statements.

Strategies

  • Intentional continuing education of congregation, leaders, and staff about the theory and practice of Policy Governance. #Form a Board task group to address this.

  • Increased communication and involvement of congregation in vetting policies and changes before they are voted on. #October process for considering the extension of the interim period.

  • Renewed vision of the process and practice of democracy as a principle of Unitarian Universalist faith.

  • Increased clarity about the congregation’s role. Emphasis upon being informed and being accountable.

Interim Task(s)

Recognizing UCE’s unique identity and strengths, needs, and challenges.

7. Existence of easily articulated Mission Statement and Ends Statements which express the ideals of the community and Unitarian Universalist Principles, which could serve as a basis for reinforcing community standards and setting community priorities for use of congregational resources.

Challenges

  • When asked to articulate Mission and Ends Statements, responses were sketchy at best. Without intention, it is difficult for such statements to inform the work of the congregation or its leadership.

Strategies

  • Discussion topic for small groups. #Brown Bag topic for January, February, and March 2020. #Introduce in January Sermon.

  • After church information session.

  • Information in the newsletter.

  • Board workshop to review, evaluate, and/or deepen commitment to mission and ends statements and bring them to life in the governance of UCE.

  • Provide Ends Statements study groups.

  • Encourage committees to talk annually about their relationship to UCE’s mission or Ends statements and share with the Board.

Interim Task(s)

Proudly coming into possession of a renewed vision and strong stewardship, prepared for new growth and new professional leadership, ready to embrace the future with anticipation and zest.

8. Existence of Relational Covenant and Congregational Relations Team in place as standards for behavior in UCE congregational life. This is a valuable resource that many in our discussions felt was underutilized as reflected in cultural patterns of communication, reactions to change, conflict and disappointment.

Challenges

  • Conflict ambivalence/ difficulty in addressing differences with civility

  • Lack of intention or understanding around  Covenant of Engagement

  • Inability or unwillingness to address patterns of uncivil communication

  • Reactivity to strongly expressed needs or opinions -“squeaky wheels” driving decisions

  • Willingness to accept and share superficial/partial stories that attribute motivations to others.

  • Desire to maintain the positive legacies of past ministers and to extend the exemplary and lasting contribution of the ministers

  • Divisive rhetoric relative to social justice

  • Congregation of divides

  • Incomplete integration of change

  • Awareness of the part that the congregational culture has played in conflicts with ministers (shared responsibility)

    Awkward patterns of communication between congregation and staff indicating unclarity about roles,  responsibilities and boundaries

  • Awkward patterns of communication between congregation and staff indicating unclarity about roles,  responsibilities and boundaries

Strategies

  • Addressed by education and practice.

  • Guided review of Relational Covenant for all UCE groups and meetings. #Brown Bag topic in November and December

  • Adult Education offerings on: Crucial Accountability, Compassionate Communication, Transition (#Workshop in October), and Civil Discourse. #Scheduling with Kathy Underwood for January, February, and March

  • Support the Congregational Relations Team (CRT) to help to resolve past grievances.

Interim Task(s)

Recognizing UCE’s unique identity and its strengths, needs, and challenges.

Claiming and honoring the past and engaging and honoring its griefs and conflicts.

9. A strong and committed professional support staff.

Challenges

  • Uneven staff appreciation

  • Unclear expectation of staff roles, responsibilities, and lines of authority.

Strategies

  • Establish and publicize a clear organizational chart that is easily accessed.

  • Publicize a directory of “Who to Contact about What.”

  • Have a semi-annual congregational staff appreciation event.

  • Publish regular and updated staff roles and responsibilities.

  • #Staff/Board Holiday Party

Interim Task(s)

Clarifying the appropriate leadership roles of minister(s), church staff, and lay leaders and navigating the shifts in leadership that may accompany times of transition.

10. A core of dedicated volunteers who show up to support the ongoing and special programming of the church.

Challenges

  • Uneven volunteer appreciation.

  • Lack of clarity about how to get involved.

Strategies

  • Have annual volunteer appreciation rituals and events.

  • Volunteer Fairs.

  • Sunday Q & A booth about volunteer opportunities.

  • Thank each other.

  • # Volunteer Leaders Workshop Part 1, November 23, 2019. Volunteer Leaders Workshop Part 2, March 14, 2020

Interim Task(s)

Clarifying the appropriate leadership roles of minister(s), church staff, and lay leaders and navigating the shifts in leadership that may accompany times of transition.

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