News: November 22, 2024
Dear Members and Friends,
Bad news and good news. These are the words that come to mind when I consider the last few weeks. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all experienced some terrible lows, but also some highs. Our congregation’s post-election fellowship events, and our record-breaking Annual Service Auction, were two points of light. (Thank you to all the organizers, donors and bidders who made the auction a success!) First Church continues to welcome first-time and returning visitors, as well as new members. We have many planned opportunities for togetherness during the upcoming holiday season. These bits of good news are reminders of the refuge we’ve built in uncertain times.
As we all reflect on the importance of this community in our lives, it’s important for us, your church leadership, to make sure that the church’s governance is transparent and responsive to your needs. In that vein, I’ll be devoting this month’s newsletter article to church governance. Specifically, to the work of the Board of Directors, how you can learn more about what we do, how you can contact us, and even how you can observe us up close in our natural habitat (i.e., Board meetings).
Here are some answers to some of the questions you might have about the Board:
Why do we have a Board?
As Unitarian Universalists, we’re committed to congregational polity, or the ability of each congregation to govern itself. Instead of answering to higher church authorities, we elect a Board of Directors, who, together with the called Senior Minister, govern the church according to the needs and wishes of our membership. First Church’s governance is based on 3 foundational documents that we as a congregation periodically update and amend: our Articles of Incorporation, our Bylaws, and Our Principles of Governance. Among other things, these documents outline the roles of the Senior Minister, the staff, and the Board; as well as procedures for electing and discharging Board members, for holding annual meetings, for amending said documents, and for using funds from our Endowment and Reserve Fund. Copies are available to all on the Governance portion of the church’s website.
How are Board members selected? Who is eligible?
Each year, prospective board members are identified, vetted, and then nominated by the Nominating Committee. Eligibility requirements for Board members include striking good looks and winning personality… OK, the actual requirement is to have been a member of the congregation for at least one year prior to the Board term. The slate of Board nominees is then put to a vote of the membership at the Annual Congregational meeting each June. At any given time, assuming no unexpected vacancies, there are 9 voting Board members. Each member serves a 3-year term; terms are staggered so that in any given year, 3 outgoing voting Board members are replaced by 3 new voting members. The Board members choose their President and Vice President each year from amongst the voting members- the general practice is for the Board VP to go on to become the President. Ex-officio, or non-voting, members of the Board are the Sr. Minister, the Director of Finance and Operations, the Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President. The Nominating Committee strives for diversity when recruiting Board candidates, but our congregation still has a ways to go in seeing congregational leadership that’s truly representative of our members.
What does the Board do?
As laid out in our Principles of Governance, the Board of Directors directs the overall vision of the church, in partnership with the Senior Minister, and based on feedback from the membership. Based on members’ input, the Board develops an annual set of Aspirations (formerly called Open Questions, and available on pages 7-8 of our 2023-24 Annual Report.) As an example, Aspiration 5 asks “How do we increase and deepen the spirituality of this Congregation and its members?” The Aspirations then form the basis for the Annual Vision of Ministry (pages 9-11 of the Annual Report).
Other duties of the Board include approving the congregation’s annual budget, approving expenditures above $10,000, overseeing the management of church finances, and chartering and liaising with Board committees as needed to oversee strategic planning, the Capital Campaign renovations, etc. It’s important to note that our church Board does NOT engage in day-to-day management of church operations, facilities or staff- these are the domain of the Senior Minister and the Director of Finance and Operations.
When does the Board meet? Can I attend a Board meeting? Are there snacks?
The Board of Directors meets in person once per month, on the third Wednesday, from 6:30-8:00 pm. These meetings are listed in the church calendar, along with a Zoom link, and are open to observers from the congregation. Observers are welcome to attend either in person or over Zoom. (And yes, there are snacks!) Please note that, while we’re happy to answer clarifying questions from observers, we’re usually on a tight agenda. We ask that anyone who wants to engage the Board in more detailed questions or discussion first consult with the Board President (board@firstuu.org). In the event that we need to discuss personnel or other sensitive matters, the Board will enter into Executive session, during which only Board members may be present. Church members can also receive copies of the Board minutes by emailing the Board clerk at minutes@firstuu.org.
Once per quarter, the Treasurer submits a financial report at the monthly Board meeting. These reports are typically made at the February, May, August and November Board meetings. Those interested in church finances are particularly welcome to attend and/or request Board minutes and handouts from these meetings. In addition to the monthly meetings, the Board President sometimes calls special meetings to vote on time-sensitive matters, either on Zoom, in person, or even via email. Such meetings may or may not be open to observers, depending on the matters at hand.
How do I contact the Board?
That depends! You can always email the President and Vice President at board@firstuu.org, with Board-related questions, or just to say “Hi”. 😉 For other concerns, since we don’t expect our members to have committed the Bylaws and Principles of Governance to memory, we also don’t expect you to know off the tops of your heads which issues come under the Board, vs. the Senior Minister or staff. If you have feedback but aren’t certain that your concern is a Board matter, it’s best to contact the Healthy Communications Team at hct@firstuu.org, or by writing in the HCT book on Sundays. The HCT will document your question, direct it to the right people, and make sure that you receive a response. If it is indeed a Board matter, it will come to us promptly, and the HCT will follow up with us to make sure that we’ve responded.
Thanks for sticking with me to the end! I wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season.
With love,
Sheryl
Sheryl Abrahams, Board President
Bad news and good news. These are the words that come to mind when I consider the last few weeks. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all experienced some terrible lows, but also some highs. Our congregation’s post-election fellowship events, and our record-breaking Annual Service Auction, were two points of light. (Thank you to all the organizers, donors and bidders who made the auction a success!) First Church continues to welcome first-time and returning visitors, as well as new members. We have many planned opportunities for togetherness during the upcoming holiday season. These bits of good news are reminders of the refuge we’ve built in uncertain times.
As we all reflect on the importance of this community in our lives, it’s important for us, your church leadership, to make sure that the church’s governance is transparent and responsive to your needs. In that vein, I’ll be devoting this month’s newsletter article to church governance. Specifically, to the work of the Board of Directors, how you can learn more about what we do, how you can contact us, and even how you can observe us up close in our natural habitat (i.e., Board meetings).
Here are some answers to some of the questions you might have about the Board:
Why do we have a Board?
As Unitarian Universalists, we’re committed to congregational polity, or the ability of each congregation to govern itself. Instead of answering to higher church authorities, we elect a Board of Directors, who, together with the called Senior Minister, govern the church according to the needs and wishes of our membership. First Church’s governance is based on 3 foundational documents that we as a congregation periodically update and amend: our Articles of Incorporation, our Bylaws, and Our Principles of Governance. Among other things, these documents outline the roles of the Senior Minister, the staff, and the Board; as well as procedures for electing and discharging Board members, for holding annual meetings, for amending said documents, and for using funds from our Endowment and Reserve Fund. Copies are available to all on the Governance portion of the church’s website.
How are Board members selected? Who is eligible?
Each year, prospective board members are identified, vetted, and then nominated by the Nominating Committee. Eligibility requirements for Board members include striking good looks and winning personality… OK, the actual requirement is to have been a member of the congregation for at least one year prior to the Board term. The slate of Board nominees is then put to a vote of the membership at the Annual Congregational meeting each June. At any given time, assuming no unexpected vacancies, there are 9 voting Board members. Each member serves a 3-year term; terms are staggered so that in any given year, 3 outgoing voting Board members are replaced by 3 new voting members. The Board members choose their President and Vice President each year from amongst the voting members- the general practice is for the Board VP to go on to become the President. Ex-officio, or non-voting, members of the Board are the Sr. Minister, the Director of Finance and Operations, the Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President. The Nominating Committee strives for diversity when recruiting Board candidates, but our congregation still has a ways to go in seeing congregational leadership that’s truly representative of our members.
What does the Board do?
As laid out in our Principles of Governance, the Board of Directors directs the overall vision of the church, in partnership with the Senior Minister, and based on feedback from the membership. Based on members’ input, the Board develops an annual set of Aspirations (formerly called Open Questions, and available on pages 7-8 of our 2023-24 Annual Report.) As an example, Aspiration 5 asks “How do we increase and deepen the spirituality of this Congregation and its members?” The Aspirations then form the basis for the Annual Vision of Ministry (pages 9-11 of the Annual Report).
Other duties of the Board include approving the congregation’s annual budget, approving expenditures above $10,000, overseeing the management of church finances, and chartering and liaising with Board committees as needed to oversee strategic planning, the Capital Campaign renovations, etc. It’s important to note that our church Board does NOT engage in day-to-day management of church operations, facilities or staff- these are the domain of the Senior Minister and the Director of Finance and Operations.
When does the Board meet? Can I attend a Board meeting? Are there snacks?
The Board of Directors meets in person once per month, on the third Wednesday, from 6:30-8:00 pm. These meetings are listed in the church calendar, along with a Zoom link, and are open to observers from the congregation. Observers are welcome to attend either in person or over Zoom. (And yes, there are snacks!) Please note that, while we’re happy to answer clarifying questions from observers, we’re usually on a tight agenda. We ask that anyone who wants to engage the Board in more detailed questions or discussion first consult with the Board President (board@firstuu.org). In the event that we need to discuss personnel or other sensitive matters, the Board will enter into Executive session, during which only Board members may be present. Church members can also receive copies of the Board minutes by emailing the Board clerk at minutes@firstuu.org.
Once per quarter, the Treasurer submits a financial report at the monthly Board meeting. These reports are typically made at the February, May, August and November Board meetings. Those interested in church finances are particularly welcome to attend and/or request Board minutes and handouts from these meetings. In addition to the monthly meetings, the Board President sometimes calls special meetings to vote on time-sensitive matters, either on Zoom, in person, or even via email. Such meetings may or may not be open to observers, depending on the matters at hand.
How do I contact the Board?
That depends! You can always email the President and Vice President at board@firstuu.org, with Board-related questions, or just to say “Hi”. 😉 For other concerns, since we don’t expect our members to have committed the Bylaws and Principles of Governance to memory, we also don’t expect you to know off the tops of your heads which issues come under the Board, vs. the Senior Minister or staff. If you have feedback but aren’t certain that your concern is a Board matter, it’s best to contact the Healthy Communications Team at hct@firstuu.org, or by writing in the HCT book on Sundays. The HCT will document your question, direct it to the right people, and make sure that you receive a response. If it is indeed a Board matter, it will come to us promptly, and the HCT will follow up with us to make sure that we’ve responded.
Thanks for sticking with me to the end! I wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season.
With love,
Sheryl
Sheryl Abrahams, Board President
