September 27, 2024

From the Parish Committee

Parish Committee Sets Goals for the Church Year

At our annual retreat on August 25, the Parish Committee (PC) welcomed Rev. Beau Rivers, renewed our vision for the church, and set goals for the coming year. Our vision has not changed: we see a church that reaches out to the larger community, welcomes and integrates newcomers, provides opportunities for spiritual exploration, and serves social justice. The most important goals for 2024 -25 are completing major building repairs and streamlining committee functions.

The retreat began in the church parlor with a warm welcome to Rev. Beau. Rev. Beau then led a “True Colors Personality Quiz,” an exercise designed to deepen our understanding of our personality types, how they affect our interactions with each other, and how they underlie our leadership and management styles.

Next, we examined our vision for the church – our individual and collective picture of what the church becomes as we follow our mission. We reviewed and reaffirmed a Vision Statement that was originally drafted at the 2022 PC retreat. We welcome your comments on the Vision Statement. Check here soon to see the revised Vision Statement. What do you see when you imagine our church 10 or 20 years from now?

After a stimulating morning, we moved to the Parish Hall where Tony Soares and a team of helpers (Susan Hotchkiss, Rick and Cindy Benard, Sue Curtiss, and Stephen Larrett) presented an exquisite luncheon in honor of the occasion. Tony prepared sandwiches to our individual specifications, which were served with a variety of fresh salads and delicious baked desserts and followed by warm conversation. Thanks to Tony and his team, the retreat luncheon set a high mark for hospitality by the congregation. (See photo below.)

During the afternoon the discussion moved on to goals for the coming year. We identified more than a dozen areas where efforts are needed, ranging from keeping a roof over our heads to “having fun!”

The three highest priority goals are:

Integrate Rev. Beau Rivers into our congregation;
Fund and complete needed building repairs;
Strengthen our committees by developing charters, streamlining organization, and encouraging volunteers.

We took a deeper look at the immediate challenge of critical building repairs and options for paying for them (estimated cost in FY24-25: $50,000). Work may need to begin this fall to avoid losing our building insurance or facing substantial increases in premiums next June. Funding options were discussed. While cutting staff, programs and routine expenses could generate some savings, all agreed these options are not consistent with our mission. However, a fund drive has a good chance of success, based on previous experience. If funds are needed before the fund drive gets underway, we believe that borrowing from our own investments is a feasible option, provided we treat it as a loan to ourselves and pay it back responsibly. The PC has asked the Finance Team to develop plans for a fund drive and to provide guidance on use of investments to bridge immediate needs. The Building & Grounds Committee will proceed with plans for the needed repairs.

Finally, the PC agreed to create a Committee on Ministry to support the minister, provide a forum for conflict resolution, and evaluate the overall ministry of the church. In consultation with Rev. Beau, it was agreed that Susan Curtiss, Dave Kraemer, and Vi Fairweather would be asked to serve on the Committee.

PC meetings take place in the Parish Hall on the third Wednesday of each month, 6:30-8:00 pm. PC meetings are open to all members of the congregation, and visitors are encouraged.