[printprofilepic]“Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve… You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love…” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A heart full of grace… I love that sentiment. I understand that grace is a word that some UU’s are uncomfortable with, but I cannot think of a better word to describe the feeling that all is right with the decisions I make and the actions I take.
This column is generally one of looking forward, but I want to give you a recap so that I can give you an insight to some of the changes you might see as the board continues to discuss how we function as your leadership. Early in the year we repeatedly discussed whether the makeup of the board could be better. The Religious Education Committee and Building and Grounds Committee are two large parts of the overall health of our congregation. Being the chair of either of these two committees requires a significant investment of time and attention. The RE chair is also a Council member (translation here, another monthly meeting). Would the church be better served by replacing these two positions with trustees at large whose focus would be solely board business, leaving the RE and B&G chairs more energy to focus on their respective tasks?
Another topic of discussion has been how will we continue to meet our fiduciary responsibility? The manual states a finance committee, consisting of the steward, assistant steward, the treasurer, and may include additional members, exists to prepare the budget, conduct the stewardship campaign and canvass, and monitor pledges. The board is aware that we have not had an official assistant steward for some years, and recently the Finance Committee has consisted only of a few members. Should the assistant steward be an elected position? The board understands that a finance committee functioning most optimally should be populated with people who are detail-oriented, have an interest in finance, and also who have a larger view of the mission of the church and why we do what we do and what is the best way to be stewards of our resources. Would having an assistant steward always in place help us with continuity?
A third repeating theme for the board is the acknowledgement that for several years, the Hospitality Committee has not functioned as described in the church manual and it has been hard to recruit and maintain a chair for this committee. Is hospitality an outdated word? What do we want and need from the Hospitality Committee? Should the description of the Hospitality Committee be changed in the constitution?
It was hoped and expected that some guidance toward the answers to these questions would come from the Searching for the Future workshop and I believe we are still working toward that goal. The answers need to be considered carefully and the decisions should not be made lightly, but the questions should be considered. While it is tempting to put church business on hold for the summer, I don’t believe we should do that. This year has taught me many things and one of them is that being prepared and looking ahead helps us to be proactive rather than reactive to the things that come our way. Certainly sometimes we must react to the things we don’t expect, but being ready helps us react in the best way possible.
The above questions relate to the stewardship of our volunteer resources and to a request I am making. I realize that time is a resource for which there is competition. Just as we do not have unlimited funds, volunteer hours are also finite. Our volunteers are one of our most valuable assets. Please talk to any board member, committee chair, Reverend John, our DRE, or anyone you feel comfortable speaking with and offer your service to the church. From the “Small Ways to Serve” to being a church leader, I find that being an active part of this church community fulfills me in ways I could never have imagined. You all have given me the opportunity to stretch my wings and be a leader. It is a role I am not totally comfortable with, but one I see that I can assume and I thank you for allowing me the opportunity.
Finally, I want to say that we have an excellent, dedicated board of trustees who work hard and care deeply about the well-being of our church. Thank you for your support of the board and the congregation as we work to fulfill our vision and mission.
With love in my soul, I wish you a heart full of grace,
Rebecca Howard
2009-2010 Church President
