News: May 29, 2026
Dear Beloved Community,
May is usually the month of evaluating things. We look over the proposed budget before the Annual Meeting and begin the Board self-assessment process. This year we are also considering proposals from a variety of consultants to help us evaluate and strengthen our administrative operations.
Budget
Yeiglin Escalante, our wonderful new treasurer, presented the proposed 2026-27 budget to the board at our May meeting, and will present it to the congregation at the Annual Meeting. She will provide more specific information and answer questions at that time. However, I want to highlight an important issue in advance.
Here’s the thing: Our operating cash flow comes in surges, but over 80% of our expenses (payroll, utilities, etc.) do not fluctuate. Turning in pledge commitments in a timely manner has been improving recently - Thank you for that! But pledge payments tend to come in waves, with a surge in July at the beginning of the calendar year, and another in December as people consider tax implications. When pledge payments are not consistent from month to month, the cash on hand needed to cover standard expenses decreases, and that creates unnecessary stress for the staff, especially if a major maintenance expense arises. These things do not show in the annual budget, or even in quarterly reports, because monthly cash flow is not shown there. So while the books may balance when we reach year’s end, that doesn’t mean that our finances are as healthy as they need to be.
The Board has begun discussion of ways to address this ongoing problem. The simplest solution is for members to make pledge payments consistently, or to pre-pay them. These options are not feasible for all members, but if one is for you, I invite you to consider it. Setting up a monthly direct draw from your bank account not only assures consistent income, but also reduces processing fees.
Self-Evaluation
Our Principles of Governance stipulate that the Board is to produce “an annual mutual Assessment of the Senior Minister’s and Board’s effectiveness in their respective roles and achievements of the prior year’s Vision of Ministry…” Board members are completing a self-evaluation questionnaire, which the Governance Committee helped to create, and will
have results at the June Board meeting. We will consider them in conjunction with Rev. Colin’s reflections on the year as we think about what went well and lessons learned.
Administrative Consultant Proposals
In consideration of the turnover in three staff positions this year, the Board and Rev. Colin agreed to hire a professional consultant to help determine if there are identifiable factors that contributed to the changes, and if so, how we can remedy them. Thus far, Rev. Colin has interviewed several consultants and has received or is expecting proposals from three of them. He will bring proposals to the Executive Committee meeting for consideration, and we will proceed from there. Interestingly enough, while there are several individuals and organizations that specialize in consulting with churches, many of them only work with churches of a specific religion, so finding potential options has required more time and effort than we expected. We hope to make a selection soon.
What’s Next?
Finally, as we walk into a new church year together and my term as Board President ends, I must express my deep gratitude to the community for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the board over the past eight months. At a time when nothing was normal, many of you made a point of encouraging me and thanking me for being willing to help, once again reminding me of the many reasons that I love this community. It has been an honor and a blessing to serve as president. I owe a tremendous dept to the indomitable Carolyn Cleary, who stepped in as a new board member to serve as Vice President and has truly been my right hand. Carolyn deserves at least as much credit as I have been given for the successes of the past year, but the shortcomings are all mine.
If the congregation votes to approve it, I will continue to serve another year on the board, so I will have the opportunity to continue working with the other members – each of them talented, thoughtful, and committed to First UU. I look forward to our next year with optimism, gratitude, and hope. Despite the many challenges we face together as we strive to widen love’s circle while so many in power continue to act cruelly, the past year has shown us to be resilient, resourceful, and persistent. We circled the wagons and came out with arms open, rather than armed. Amen and blessed be.
Ruth Hoffman-Lach
May is usually the month of evaluating things. We look over the proposed budget before the Annual Meeting and begin the Board self-assessment process. This year we are also considering proposals from a variety of consultants to help us evaluate and strengthen our administrative operations.
Budget
Yeiglin Escalante, our wonderful new treasurer, presented the proposed 2026-27 budget to the board at our May meeting, and will present it to the congregation at the Annual Meeting. She will provide more specific information and answer questions at that time. However, I want to highlight an important issue in advance.
Here’s the thing: Our operating cash flow comes in surges, but over 80% of our expenses (payroll, utilities, etc.) do not fluctuate. Turning in pledge commitments in a timely manner has been improving recently - Thank you for that! But pledge payments tend to come in waves, with a surge in July at the beginning of the calendar year, and another in December as people consider tax implications. When pledge payments are not consistent from month to month, the cash on hand needed to cover standard expenses decreases, and that creates unnecessary stress for the staff, especially if a major maintenance expense arises. These things do not show in the annual budget, or even in quarterly reports, because monthly cash flow is not shown there. So while the books may balance when we reach year’s end, that doesn’t mean that our finances are as healthy as they need to be.
The Board has begun discussion of ways to address this ongoing problem. The simplest solution is for members to make pledge payments consistently, or to pre-pay them. These options are not feasible for all members, but if one is for you, I invite you to consider it. Setting up a monthly direct draw from your bank account not only assures consistent income, but also reduces processing fees.
Self-Evaluation
Our Principles of Governance stipulate that the Board is to produce “an annual mutual Assessment of the Senior Minister’s and Board’s effectiveness in their respective roles and achievements of the prior year’s Vision of Ministry…” Board members are completing a self-evaluation questionnaire, which the Governance Committee helped to create, and will
have results at the June Board meeting. We will consider them in conjunction with Rev. Colin’s reflections on the year as we think about what went well and lessons learned.
Administrative Consultant Proposals
In consideration of the turnover in three staff positions this year, the Board and Rev. Colin agreed to hire a professional consultant to help determine if there are identifiable factors that contributed to the changes, and if so, how we can remedy them. Thus far, Rev. Colin has interviewed several consultants and has received or is expecting proposals from three of them. He will bring proposals to the Executive Committee meeting for consideration, and we will proceed from there. Interestingly enough, while there are several individuals and organizations that specialize in consulting with churches, many of them only work with churches of a specific religion, so finding potential options has required more time and effort than we expected. We hope to make a selection soon.
What’s Next?
Finally, as we walk into a new church year together and my term as Board President ends, I must express my deep gratitude to the community for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the board over the past eight months. At a time when nothing was normal, many of you made a point of encouraging me and thanking me for being willing to help, once again reminding me of the many reasons that I love this community. It has been an honor and a blessing to serve as president. I owe a tremendous dept to the indomitable Carolyn Cleary, who stepped in as a new board member to serve as Vice President and has truly been my right hand. Carolyn deserves at least as much credit as I have been given for the successes of the past year, but the shortcomings are all mine.
If the congregation votes to approve it, I will continue to serve another year on the board, so I will have the opportunity to continue working with the other members – each of them talented, thoughtful, and committed to First UU. I look forward to our next year with optimism, gratitude, and hope. Despite the many challenges we face together as we strive to widen love’s circle while so many in power continue to act cruelly, the past year has shown us to be resilient, resourceful, and persistent. We circled the wagons and came out with arms open, rather than armed. Amen and blessed be.
Ruth Hoffman-Lach
