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Hi friends,
One of the Board’s goals this year is to create more transparency between our work and the congregation. With that in mind, each month I’ll be sending you a letter to let you know what we’ve been working on and talking about. The Board generally meets on the last Monday of each month from 6:45 – 8:45pm and visitors are welcome! Just reach out to me (president@uucgl.org) if you’d like to attend or if you’d like to bring something to our attention.
Our October 27 meeting was focused on laying the groundwork for the year ahead. We finalized our goals, discussed a couple new policies, reviewed the church’s finances, and heard an update from the church’s new task force. (If you haven’t yet responded to the survey the task force sent out, please do by November 12! It can be anonymous and will give you a voice in how we reimage our building/grounds usage.) We also talked about organizing our Board Policies and perhaps revising our By-Laws to make it easier for people to understand the inner workings of UUCGL and to get involved in ways that are meaningful but not overwhelming.
How we involve new people, get new members, and attract and retain a diverse demographic are huge issues we’re grappling with and our church isn’t alone in this. Sarah Cecil and I attended a regional retreat for UU leaders in September where we spoke with many other church board members who are having similar discussions in their congregations. Church life has shifted dramatically in recent years. Sunday mornings don’t look the way they used to. People are stretched thin for both money and time, and that’s especially true for families with young children. Churches that follow a “this is how we’ve always done it” model, have committees or ministry teams that ask for multi-year commitments and/or frequent in-person meetings, are going to face huge challenges in getting new people involved.
So what do we do? Rather than trying to look years into the future with a strategic plan, the UUA recommends taking small, strategic steps. Focus on the church’s mission and the resources we can draw on to carry out whatever it is we want to do. Try one thing, reflect on it, adapt and try something new. I hope that’s something our church can embrace – small steps, taken with strategic intention, that move us toward the vision we have for making our church a vibrant spiritual community. I’m excited about the work that we have ahead of us and I hope you will think about how you can be part of it. What keeps you from being more involved? How can we remove those obstacles? I want to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Mary Gatlin, president@uucgl.org
President, UUCGL Board of Trustees
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