We are off and running with a new and dynamic church year. There is a lot going on, and we would like to update you with a few highlights.

Two Services – The ET has been focused on facilitating a smooth transition to two Sunday services. Thank you to everyone – staff and volunteers – who have been pitching in in different ways to implement this change to our Sunday morning programming and helping everything go smoothly.

New Membership Coordinator – We have welcomed a new staff member to the UCM staff team, Elaine Stehel. We are very excited to have additional support for our Membership Committee and to be able to more proactively engage newcomers as well as current members in the life of the congregation.

Spiritual Exploration – This year we are living into a new vision for Lifespan Spiritual Exploration with the leadership of Liza Earle-Centers. The adult and children/youth committees have been working more closely together each organizing their own programming and also finding points of connection and collaboration especially with multigenerational activities. Thank you to all the volunteers who make our spiritual exploration programs possible!

Our Executive/Management Team priorities for this year were developed in alignment the “2018-19 UCM Goals and Initiatives” developed by the UCM Governing Board.

These priorities are:

• Develop a long-term financial plan for operating and capital expenses, including:
  • A long-term staffing plan
  • Establish systems to become a teaching congregation and recruit a ministerial intern for the 2019-2020 church year
  • Plans for staff health insurance and other benefits.
• Implement shift to two Sunday services while maintaining their high quality and spiritually nourishing character and supporting sustainability for staff and volunteers
  • Evaluate the two service change (mid-year) and how it’s going for both the congregation and staff and volunteers and make plans for next year
• Support the congregation’s growth in our understanding of ourselves as people engaged in Spiritual exploration, both as individuals and as a community
• Support the new Membership Coordinator in their new role and developing/adapting systems of support for the coordinator and member/friend engagement

The ET and Staff also support other major initiatives taking place this church year including the work of the Growth and Facilities Task Force and the Covenant Task Force.

If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to members of the Executive Team:  Ron Cameron, Jeanne Richardson, John Turner and Rev. Joan Javier-Duval.