The UCM Governing Board warmly welcomes you all to another church year! We look forward to spending time with you this year and to hearing your ideas, questions, and concerns. Please look for us during Sunday morning coffee hour after the worship service, or contact us at ucm.govboard@gmail.com. 

After a brief summer pause, the Board met in late August for a day-long retreat to kick-off the new church year. With three new members joining the Board, we used this day to build and strengthen our team, as well as orient ourselves to the important role and responsibilities of the Board in the life of UCM. This day was also a time of reflection, of looking back on all that we experienced last year so that we can acknowledge our successes while also paying attention to the important lessons we learned that better prepare us to meet the many challenges ahead.

The day’s reflections prepared us to consider our most important priorities for the coming year. While we are still finalizing our goals for the year, there are several important areas we are considering:

• Beginning a long-term visioning and strategic planning process, with an emphasis on strengthening UCM’s resiliency in the face of accelerating impacts due to climate change.
• Continuing to define and broaden UCM’s role in Montpelier and central Vermont as an institutional force for reducing harm in our community.
• Ensuring UCM’s long-term financial health and re-invigorating our fundraising efforts.
• Developing lay leadership, assessing congregational capacity for participation, and evaluating our staffing model as they relate to our mission, vision, and values.
• Supporting the completion of the elevator and kitchen renovation projects.

 

We will continue to refine these Board priorities and their specific tasks at our September Board meeting. More information on this important work will be forthcoming, as well as opportunities for you, the congregation, to provide input and get involved.

Finally, we wish to express gratitude to those who recently completed their service on the UCM Governing Board: Claudia Clark, Hugo Liepmann, and Fran Dodd. We thank them for their commitment to our community and their generosity of spirit.

Onward!

Jeremy Beaudry (President), Ansel Ploog (Vice-President), Brenda Bean (Financial Officer), Jen Matthews (Secretary), Steve Gold (At Large), Emily A. Seiffert (At Large), Steve Grunewald (At Large)