The UCM Governing Board is so thrilled to be back at church with each of you this year. We are especially looking forward to coming together, in-person, in our newly ventilated building — to sing, listen, chat, learn, organize, share meals, and most of all, to re-connect.

It is the role of the Board to function as the congregation’s visionary leaders. With that in mind, we aim each year to revisit our shared mission and covenant, so that we might set some priorities for the year.

At our full day retreat on August 6th, we explored the church’s recent past before attempting to imagine what this coming church year might entail. You can see our agenda and some of the recent context that we explored here.

One question that we kept returning to throughout the retreat was, “Who are we?” We wondered, given the past 2 years, how can we even accurately set priorities when we aren’t sure who will walk through our actual and virtual doors this year?

So, we know that one of our tasks will be to simply pay attention, to notice how our church community has changed from our shared experience of the pandemic. We hope that, at whatever level of engagement feels right for you this year, you will show up to build a more beloved community with us at UCM.

And so, our final product of the Board Retreat . . .

Board Priorities 2022-23 (not in any order except how they emerged) 

The Great Reorganization OR How might we reorganize for sustainability and accountability?

• Strengthen Finance
• Build Leadership
• Governance (to make less burdensome for Minister, Board & ET)
• Staff Health/Sustainability

Embrace an openness to who we are through noticing, experimenting, sharing gifts, evolving, being fluid, adapting.

Inspire and Re-engage congregants (new, mid-range and long term members)

Create conditions for:

• Agency
• Welcome
• Community building