President's Column
President’s Message By Heather Speirs
July 2008
It’s shortly after the 4th of July and pouring. As I sit at home reflecting on my journey at First Unitarian Church, I realize that this is the third summer season I’ve attended. During the first, I remember feeling surprised and then delighted at the services led by lay ministers. I found myself attending more often than was my wont, even though I still knew very few people and spoke to even fewer. As he has been for so many, Steve Lynch had been the first to reach out and make me feel welcome. We’d often go to brunch after the service; for that first year at least, he was the church. I’d like to think that each of us has a similar kind of radical hospitality in us. I know that we could make such a difference in the visitor’s understanding of who we are as a community.
My first Sunday visit had happened on the Homecoming Sunday in September of ’05, the first Sunday that Rev Bill Metzger stood in the pulpit as Interim Minister. I didn’t know what to make of his funny-looking (at least to my Californian eyes) suit and haircut, but I loved how he referenced Jacques Derrida in a sermon. I also loved the strange new rituals I encountered as a pilgrim from the Episcopal Church: instead of Sacraments we had the Water Blessing, instead of incense or candles we had the Chalice. Some hymns had tunes I recognized set to different words, words decidedly less focused on the hereafter and more centered on the here and now. Jarring at first, they soon began to feel natural in my mouth because they more closely reflected what was on my heart.
By November, I felt ready to become a member. When I met with Rev. Metzger, I asked him if there was any doctrine I needed to affirm: when he said no, I felt overcome with joy. Then, I embraced Unitarianism-Universalism for what it was not; over time, I’ve come to affirm it for what it is. In my experience of the Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, as well as an academically strong if conservative evangelical college, I’ve noticed that even though we all profess (or in the case of the college, sign) a set of shared beliefs, individual members often privately disagree with one or more of them. Certain beliefs, particular objections, simply could not be shared aloud. At First U-U, we disagree publicly, yet still manage to respect one another as individuals. Personally, I’d like to see us engage in more dialogue, for I’d like to hear more of the stories and thinking that have led others to believe what they do. The Build-Your-Own-Theology Course I took that first year proved liberating indeed.
That Spring, I signed up to become an Usher, figuring that I would get to know people’s names that way. I still felt very resistant to any extensive commitment to church work; although new to the city, I was determined to build my life here carefully. That first year, I volunteered as a literacy tutor; the second as an ESL teacher. Who wants to be a “church lady” anyway, I thought. (Those of you who prefer your anonymity, I understand.) But I remember an Interweave brunch with Gerry Parchman and one or two others where he said, in reply to my question about getting to know more people, that the best way to make friends is to work on a common task. How right he was. The more involved I’ve become, the more people I’ve begun to know in a way deeper than Sunday coffee hour, or even Circle dinner, could allow.
So here I am, at the start of my year as President, wanting very much to inspire us all to commit ourselves more fully to one another and to the community in which we live. If you have ideas about how we might do that, please let me know. I’m all ears.
Heather Speirs
President, Board of Trustees
Cell Phone: 610-209-4751
Email: HmSpeirs[at]Gmail.com
President’s Commentary
By Debby Schultz
May 2008One of the Board goals for this year is ” Enhancing congregational knowledge of and accessibility to the Board … Who are we? What do we do? Underlying Governance Structure guiding the Board; Enhanced Accessibility to the Board?”
I must admit that we have not made a lot of progress on this particular goal this year so in the next months we will use the Beacon and other means to share with you various aspects of the Board. I also encourage you to come to a Board Meeting. Our meetings are open to all members and friends of the congregation, take place on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 and it delights us to have visitors. Thank you Jane Cox, Ann Adams, Thomas Hunter, David Melnicoff, Val Sandberg and Jennifer Hurley for delighting us so far this year with your presence.
If you came to a meeting, what would you see? I say “see,” but your engagement is also important to us as we discuss various topics so silence is not the rule. Our meetings start out with the lighting of a chalice and a few words, check-in by Board Members, Rev. Nate and visitors, the naming of folks to whom the Board and Rev. Nate express thanks and a discussion and vote on the minutes from the previous meeting. Our Treasurer Mark Peterson provides a financial report and Reverend Nate provides a minister’s report, both of which elicit discussion and frequently a few votes. Other topics for discussion and potentially votes vary each month and are generally from a perspective of oversight vs. the direct work that is taking place in the church which is the focus of the Ministry Leadership Team and various Ministry Teams. We review issues and opportunities looking at the overall impact on the church now and into the future. We reference the Ministry and Governance Policies and By-Laws with an eye to adherence and discuss the potential need for change in the policies. The Board currently is responsible for three Working Groups, Audit, Endowment/Investment and Development and thus receives reports and actions for votes from those groups with more actions from the first two as the Development Working Group is still forming. We end each meeting with two questions – What went well? What could have gone better? – as our process is very important to our success.
We also have one or two extra meetings a year to provide us greater time to focus exclusively on the monitoring and enhancement of the Ministry and Governance Policies and ends. One took place the end of February, a report of which is included in this Beacon.
As I wrote this article and went back and read the paragraph describing our meetings, I thought “Phew – our meetings sound boring.” Believe me they are not because mixed in with the objectivity which is important is a passion and love for the church now and into the future.
As president I have been blessed over the past two years with two terrific boards. Our membership is staggered so each year we have the opportunity to blend again. This year we had the added opportunity to blend with a new minister who is an ex-officio member of each Board. I use the term “blend” not because the Board is “mushy” but because it is a truly Unitarian and full of many perspectives, talents and history which makes for a lively and wonderful discussion and perspective.
Next month you’ll hear from the Board Members who will share their perspectives on two questions which I will ask them. What two or three phrases would describe the role you play on the Board? How has your experience on the Board enhanced your personal growth?
With love,
Debby Schultz
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