This blog is saved as an archive from our 2021-22 Search Committee’s work and updates.

Meg Hoke – Communications

July 27,2021

As promised, this blog will keep the congregation updated on the work of the New Minister Search Team.  This past weekend, we had our official retreat with the Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association representation, Developmental Minister Rev. Ann Marie Alderman.  Ann Marie has many years of experience which were evident as she took us through every step of the Search, offering advice, reassurance, tips, and challenging us to stretch our ideas of ministry.

 
The retreat was by Zoom, and took place over two days.  The entire team was present throughout. 
The first night, we developed a team covenant – our promise for how we will interact with each other as well as the congregation and applicants. 

• We will be honest, open and respectful, operating as a team.
• We will cherish each other’s gifts.
• We will maintain confidentiality.
• We will share work equitably, as best we can.
• We will engage each other and our congregation’s members with deep listening.
• We will ask for help when needed.

The next day, we thoroughly reviewed the search and selection process, and delved deeply into the work we are about to start as we get into Autumn.  Here is what is coming, and we hope you will participate fully as a congregation and individuals.

1. Congregational Survey – A detailed survey designed to acquire feedback from the entire congregation.  We have several examples of surveys available to us, which we will tweak to try to best fit our Fellowship.  This will be your first opportunity to give us formal feedback.  Please watch for it and complete it!

• Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop – Y’all, this is really exciting chance for us to learn, explore and grow as a congregation, as well as a way to help us consider ministry candidates in a non-discriminatory fashion.  You can learn more about it here: https://www.uua.org/careers/ministers/transitions/bct
  
  
• Cottage Meetings – These will provide a forum for much more personal and in-depth conversations about what folks in our congregation are hoping for and dreaming of for our Fellowship and incoming minister.  We’ll be offering some small, in person ones (safely), as well as by Zoom.  We want everyone to participate, even if you completed the survey. 

We will be reaching out to ask for help with some things.  For instance, you can offer to host a cottage meeting, provide snacks for the workshop, or provide some technical assistance (a big thanks to Wanda for all the help she has already provided.)

The team is excited, feels prepared for the size and complexity of the task, and impressed with the UUA’s resources and support.  Ann Marie assured us that there are many wonderful ministers out there ready for a new challenge and she felt our congregation will have strong appeal.  Your New Minister Search team is hopeful and energized and hope you are eager to get involved as we forge ahead!

Thank you for your confidence in our team, for your support, and, especially, thank you for YOUR commitment to and engagement in this process.

Meg Hoke – Communications

July20,2021

The Search Committee has already begun meeting and getting ourselves organized. Bill Elder has graciously agreed to chair our committee, Mary Highberger is our secretary, MC Gaylord is our treasurer. Ron Partin is our Scheduler, which will make more sense in a moment as I tell you about the plan. I am Communications, the one who will be writing notices, giving reports like this, and generally trying to make sure the congregation is aware of what’s going on so you all can be engaged.

Did you know that a Search Committee gets its own separate budget so that we can make arrangements for travel and interviews and it can all remain confidential? We do.

As our committee started discussing the year ahead, what became immediately clear to all of us is that we are all taking this responsibility very seriously, considering it to be an honor, but also with some trepidation and anxiety because we feel the weight of “getting this right”, wondering if we will be able to find the “perfect minister” and if the congregation will agree with and accept our choice.

Except, here’s the thing — and I want to be very clear about this:  We may be the committee, but YOU are the search congregation. We are responsible for the process, but the whole idea is that the entire congregation (that’s YOU) is responsible for communicating about who you want for a minister. We are absolutely relying on YOU to be engaged in this process. Also, I will tell you right now, we are not going to find the “perfect minister”.  Because, as it turns out, ministers are still just human beings. Our new minister will be good, or even great, at some things, and not as strong in other areas. If you are expecting us to find someone who is outstanding at everything, this will fail. Human beings, even ministers, are not great at everything.  Our work is about finding out what is most important to you, to this congregation, and the best fit for who we are and who we want to be. And we aren’t going to guess. YOU are going to tell US. 

And here’s how that is going to happen:
This summer, the committee will have a retreat with our UUA representative. There is a big booklet that outlines the suggested process, and one of the first steps is to have a retreat so we understand what we are doing and how we will do it.  

In early fall we will hold cottage meetings, focus groups, and a survey in which ALL of YOU will participate. This is paramount. You are going to hear a lot about this, because this is the way we will learn about who you want for a minister. We absolutely need and expect your engagement in this process for this effort to succeed. 

Also in the fall, the team will attend a training called “Beyond Categorical Thinking” offered by the UUA. 

By late autumn, the results of all of that congregational work will be compiled into a “Congregational Record” which will be shared with the UUA, and then, in December and January, the discernment process starts, leading to interviews, leading to candidating, leading to a “Notice of Call”, negotiation of contract, and, finally, the arrival of a Settled Minister in August of 2022. 

It’s a lot. And it should be. This is the life of our congregation. This is the time when we examine ourselves, come together, and dream for our future.  And, hopefully, find someone who can join with us in ministry.  

Thank you for your confidence in our team, for your support, and, especially, thank you for YOUR commitment to and engagement in this process.

Meg Hoke