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IN MY HUMBLE OPINION
By Sunday afternoon, when I’d finally had my last bite of cookie, and maybe snuck one more bit of sandwich, and when I said my farewells to the folks still chatting and noshing, and went home, I was exhausted. It had been a full and exciting, and tiring, three days. Friday – getting ready for the Big Think, meeting till 10 that night with the Group Facilitators and other Board members and David Rickard, then all day Saturday at The Big Think congregational session, when so many of you
donated your lively and creative brains, and the afternoon session for Group Facilitators, then church Sunday morning, followed by the annual business meeting at which I had to seem like I actually knew what I was doing, followed by the delicious lunch and then– whew! -- it was all over and I could go home for a nap.
I think we took a major step that weekend, (see Page 10 for the results) – not completely firm yet, but maybe like Jell-O after an hour in the fridge. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see the amount, and the seriousness, of the participation by our members. David Rickard told us that over 40 people for a church whose membership is in the 70s is truly remarkable – he’d never seen anything like it.
The result? We have a new Vision Statement, a set of Mission Statements, and some very roughly
articulated goals. At our July meeting, the Board will finalize the Vision and Mission statements, and narrow the goals. But remember, these are YOUR statements. They were arrived at collectively by our congregation. They represent our best cooperative thinking – the best our combined brains could put together.
Now the next phase begins. We will be forming a small (3 or 5 people is what David Rickard recommends) committee to, over the next few months, develop a Strategic Plan for our church which will flow out of what we did at The Big Think. This will be our future – what we intend to accomplish in the next few years, and how we intend to do it.
In the meantime, we continue to worship together, to grow spiritually, to take our UU values into our community, and of course, to enjoy our fellowship, to have fun together.
George Dila, Board President
DRAFT VISION STATEMENT
People’s Church provides a loving religious home that welcomes all people, honors diversity, and celebrates common values. We support one another in our individual searches for spiritual truths that give meaning to life. Collectively, we seek to act on those truths in our community and in the world.
DRAFT MISSION STAEMENT
• We provide life-long religious education for children and adults.
• We cooperate with other faith and community organizations to increase justice and equity in the world.
• We act to assure justice, equity, peace and environmental protection.
• We incorporate fellowship, fun, food, and faith in our activities.
• We offer meaningful worship services and other opportunities for spiritual growth.
• We seek to create a caring community through compassion and understanding.
DRAFT GOALS
• Become a Green Sanctuary.
• Provide an adequate physical facility. Obtain new or enhanced building. Increased facilities with options for child care, weddings, commercial applications, and potential.
• Prepare for membership growth.
• Grow the membership. Grow membership to support quality religious education program. Increase youth membership. Increase membership by at least 10% a year.
• Establish a youth ministry.
• Adopt a highway.
• Maintain fiscal responsibility. Have a firm financial foundation. Financial stability through fund raising/fair share pledges.
• Establish a Financial Development Committee.
• Prioritize projects for year. Learn how to set specific goals rather than using a scatter-shot approach.
• Support outreach programs as a church. Allocate 15% of the annual budget to outreach activities within three years.
• Provide leadership training.
• Have a strong music program. Expand our music program.
• Start second service different from the current one. Diversify worship.
• Provide more funding for lifelong religious education.
• Establish shared leadership (term limits?).
• Have regular fun and satisfying social events starting next month.
• Establish an outreach program for gay and troubled youth within one year.
• Support interfaith programs and activities.
• Support our minister.
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KENT GAGE RETIRES, AGAIN
It seems that it was about 14 years ago that a couple came to visit the church, which was at that
time in the Hamlin Town Hall. They were pleasant, not pushy, and tended to listen more than to talk. When asked, they said they lived in Detroit, and were involved with the school system there. Some time later, they attended a winter choir concert at the Gazebo that used to be in the parking lot on North James Street. At that time, the gentleman said that, when they moved from Detroit to the wilderness beyond the miles-long mud run that is Nurnberg Road, he'd be happy to help our finance committee. The couple was, of course, Kent and Peg Gage.
Kent was good as his word. He had experience in the world of finance, and even seemed to enjoy it. He recognized that the congregation needed help in this if it were ever to amount to anything, a concept that few of us had recognized at that time. Indeed, we had dreams of a minister and a church, and a little money in the bank, but no real idea of how to make these dreams last long- term. We thought that the $25 we paid each week to rent the town hall was a major expense, and would have been delighted if we'd received wampum or beaver pelts in the collection basket.
Kent was able to show us that the exchange rate on wampum is not good, nor do beaver pelts last long term. We needed serious, modern accounting, and a responsible fiscal outlook.
Kent was able to offer us these things. With the help of Devon Hall, our new treasurer, our fiscal condition shaped up rapidly. We left behind the days when Devon had to beg someone to pay pledges early so we could pay the minister. Kent has served us well for twelve years, now, and has declared that to be enough. He's been committed to doing an excellent job of advising our board and treasurer over the years, and when we listen to him, things work well. After years in school administration he knew to present us with written recommendations, for those frequent times that we forgot what he'd said. Now we have no excuse, other than that we've lost his report, to ask repeatedly for the same advice.
With the loyal support of many members, and some good luck, we are now in the best financial condition we've ever been. Kent has decided to retire, allowing himself some free time to go to more concerts, and allowing us to continue our operations, using what we've learned from him. The church is able to consider different facilities, and a larger paid staff. With luck, we will remember Kent's advice over the years, and continue to offer exceptional services to our members and the community.
Even though we will begrudge him his freedom from guiding us, we will remain grateful for the help he has given us over the years.
Dave Hall
REPORT ON PEOPLE'S CHURCH BOARD MEETING OF 6/16/10 ON THE BUDGET
NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET-- Kent Gage presented the finance committee's recommended budget.
The philosophy of the budget is that it follows activities, not the other way around. The finance committee
increased funding for
1) music, as enhancing the program as well as purchasing music has been recommended, and
2) youth programming.
A sabbatical fund has been started, which will pay for Sunday speakers in Cathy's place when Cathy is
on sabbatical. The contingency fund is amply filled this year. Thanks largely to David Nixon, we have in
our reserved accounts — sabbatical, endowment and building funds — some $49,750. There is $132,900 in
endowment at this time. The prospective budget will be balanced.
Problems the finance committee would like to see the board address are: We depend on too few large
donors, the average pledge has declined, and our operating budget still exceeds pledge and fundraiser
income, as it has the last 10 years, and lastly we have some members subsidizing some expenses that are
not in the budget, and such activities so funded could not happen otherwise. The finance committee foresees
difficulty in meeting the goals we have for this next fiscal year, unless we increase our funding resources.
Discussion on the budget concerned support for building leadership and the importance of social action,
which Cathy remarked has informed UUs from the beginning and informed the creation of the United States.
Cathy urged increasing our funding for social action in her minister's report.
INVESTMENT CONCERNS-- Ed Dennison had further concerns about the management where our endowment funds are invested, namely that fees are high, so income is relatively low, as well as release of monies
is slow. Therefore, the board directs the Finance Committee to investigate alternatives by reviewing our
investment strategy so as to
1) determine our goals and
2) conduct a survey of 6-7 investment programs, with a report by the board's September meeting.
Respectfully yours, Josh Swenson, Board Secretary, 6/19/2010
MINUTES FOR PEOPLE'S CHURCH ANNUAL MEETING OF 6/20/10
Present: 45 members of the congregation, which constituted a quorum (20%x72) ~anything over 14.4 members
George Dila, president, called the meeting to order at 12:12 p.m. George announced we will be creating a strategic committee to implement the vision, missions and goals that forty-two involved
members and friends created yesterday during The Big Think /Search for the Future. The board will discuss and adopt that vision at its July meeting. The vision etc., will serve as the road map for the strategic plan. Suggesting modifications is fine, but without a compelling reason, changes will not be made. Kent Gage was recognized for 12 years of selfless labor chairing the Finance Committee. George said of Kent as chair, “He exhibited the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and the steely eyed honesty of . . . of well, himself.”
George also stated that some vital committees have “fallen asleep” and we need to breathe new life into them.
Carol Farley, Membership co-chair, reported that we have 96 members and friends attending People’s Church. Membership growth rose from 69 in 2008 to 72 in 2009 to 77 so far this year. “We are growing!” she stated. Her co-chair, Anne Pettigrew, described luncheons for new members and says another one is coming soon.
Ed Dennison, making his treasurer's report, appreciatively thanked Dave Koskey and Mary Wickwire, and all the canvassers, for this year's stewardship campaign, which brought in the highest amount of pledges ever. Ed thanked Marilyn Steiner for bringing up-to-date bookkeeping practices to our financial records. Ed pointed out that we have a hefty contingency fund as well as restricted funds for this fiscal year, amply endowed by David Nixon's generosity. They will be of great help as we increase the size of our space. The budget was accepted by a vote of 45 to 0.
Judith Dila for the nominating committee reported nominations for trustees for the coming year. There were no nominations from the floor. Dave Rodwell and Susan Scarfino were confirmed to continue in their posts. Both Meryl Smith and Julia Raddatz were nominated for our one vacancy. Julia was elected. Next year's nominating committee, proposed and confirmed, is George Kelen, Connie Grabois, Keith Crompton, Dick Puffer and Lynn Hoepfinger.
Cathy Harrington, in her state of People's Church address, cited many accomplishments for us and for herself. She has completed six years with us, serves on an international board for the reconciliation of murder victims and on the Heartland District Board. She cited the doubling of administrative staff hours to twenty, permitting much more work to get done, an exciting line-up of movies for the David Nixon Film Series, the members and friends who worked so hard doing Search for the Future (The Big Think), and her intentions to bring into being a second church service, different from our current one, as the strategic planning continues on developing programs and appropriately sized space for us to carry out our vision, missions and goals.
Sue Scarfino then called for healing the world, in our own church home, by becoming not only a Welcoming Congregation, but also an embracing one for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender persons. The resolution to become a Welcoming Congregation passed 43 to 1 with 1 abstention.
During the above voting, Lou Yock presented the RE report. Lou is very much appreciated by the participants in his programs.
Songs were sung, voting results were shared, as was lunch!
Respectfully yours, Josh Swenson, Board Secretary, 6/20/2010 |
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