UCM Board Winter Newsletter 2024
Dear Members and Friends of UCM,
The winter season is already upon us, and the UCM Governing Board has much to share since our last update in September. As the congregation’s visionary leaders, the Board is responsible for revisiting our shared mission and covenant so that we might set our priorities for the year. At our full day retreat in August, we reflected on the many successes and challenges during the past year, imagined what this coming church year might entail, and determined how we might best guide UCM toward the future. We have worked to refine the retreat outcomes into a set of Board goals for the 2024-25 church year – and have begun taking action to reach these goals.
The UCM Board Goals for 2024-25 include:
Initiate and lead a strategic long-term visioning and planning process.
The last time UCM created a strategic plan was in 2016 (although an addendum to the vision expressed in that document was created in 2021). The Board needs to establish and direct a multi-year strategic planning process in close collaboration with the congregation. We will look to the congregation to share their needs and desires for UCM so that we can collectively envision our future and how to achieve it.
Create a process and study group to identify and examine options for UCM’s climate resiliency.
The catastrophic flooding of the past two years in our community has made even more palpable the urgency of the changing climate’s impact on us and our beloved building. Continuing from discussions that began last spring, in November the Board empowered the Climate Resiliency Study Group to objectively research a range of possibilities for how UCM may respond to the threat of increasing climate disruptions.
Support UCM’s financial health and long-term sustainability.
UCM’s long-term financial health is top of mind for the Board. We need to assess the congregation’s expectations and capacity for giving, lead a successful pledge drive, explore alternative fundraising models, and support a more efficient budgeting process for our staff and lay leadership.
Clarify UCM’s role and relationship to our local community.
Our mission calls us to build a loving community, serve human need, and protect the earth. UCM has an important public role to play to uphold these values in our community, as well as speaking out to address any harm that would contradict these values. This year, the Board will establish a process to expedite and clarify our ability – Rev. Joan’s and the Board’s – to speak publicly in support of our mission and values.
In addition to these four goals, the Board will support and guide a number of other UCM priorities this year, and we are already engaged in this work:
- Assisting the renovation of UCM’s kitchen with advice and decision-making as needed;
- Advising the Executive Team on the emergency response plan;
- Maintaining clear and consistent communication with the UCM community;
- Supporting a successful fundraising year; and
- Revising both the By-Laws and policy monitoring language to make them more accessible.
This is an ambitious agenda, one which the Board understands will require all of us, Board and congregation, to work together as a community to accomplish. Many members of the congregation have already stepped up to join in achieving these goals and tasks. The Board is very appreciative of that and looks forward to continuing our work together throughout this church year.
As a reminder, Board meetings are typically held in-person on the first Sunday of every month from 12:00 – 2:00 PM at UCM and are open to any members of the Congregation. Look for us during Sunday morning coffee hour. Board members have a blue ribbon attached to their name tags. We very much want you to share your ideas, questions, and concerns.
With love and gratitude,
The UCM Governing Board: Jeremy Beaudry (President), Ansel Ploog (Vice-President), Brenda Bean (Financial Officer), Jen Matthews (Secretary), Steve Gold (At Large), Steve Grunewald (At Large), Emily Seiffert (At Large)
