A Warm & Welcoming Place

THE STATE OF THE CHURCH (2008)

2008-06-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

Over the years I’ve become accustomed to the practice of preparing my annual report in the form of a “State of the Church” sermon, which I generally deliver at the Sunday worship service on the morning of the Annual Meeting. This year, for a variety of reasons, that is not going to happen; but I thought that I would at least try to preserve a little of the tradition by retaining a more “inspirational” tone to my report, rather than merely recounting a lot of events and statistics.

Obviously, this has been a very unusual year -- certainly not something that any of us anticipated or planned for. And yet it has also turned out to be a remarkable year, and has led this congregation in new directions and to develop new competencies that have both stretched us, and also revealed the underlying strength and resilience and creativity of this community as a whole. We ARE the church people believe we are. And having seen this now with our own eyes, it is much easier to believe it ourselves.

We began this past program year with four broad themes that were to be our priorities for the past 12 months. These areas have all evolved and been more carefully defined in that time; here is my sense of where we have come, and where we are headed now.

“A WARM & WELCOMING PLACE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY”

I want this idea so closely associated with First Parish that people can’t think of one without immediately thinking of the other. Every good thing that we want to happen in our church follows from greater attendance and participation, and these in turn are driven by the effectiveness of our “Ministry of Hospitality” -- the manner in which we both welcome visiting newcomers into our “church home,” and also our ability to inspire our current members to attend more frequently and participate more deeply than perhaps they have in the recent past. We’ve made a fantastic start in the right direction (and of course we will never achieve perfection), but we also still have a pretty long way to go before I’m satisfied. The good news is that now we are in a position of building on strength rather than trying to overcome our shortcomings. But I’m told the change is palpable. People have noticed the difference: in our greeting, in our worship, in our general level of excitement and enthusiasm and activity on Sunday morning. So, let’s keep up the good work and do a lot more of the same!

I saw in the newspaper the other day that we are a congregation of 140 members, 100 or so of which tend to show up in church on any given Sunday. The point I would like to make is that we can double this number, and still double it again, and probably again, without losing that personal known-by-name sensibility that makes membership in a faith community so significantly fulfilling. When it comes to “marketing” the church, we are NOT looking for better techniques of appearing personal while being impersonal! We are looking for more effective ways of creating and nurturing authentic relationships one person at a time, within a broad and diverse network of shared values and activities. And it all begins with our attendance and experience at Public Worship, and grows from there. It is driven by participation, and face-to-face interaction, and our willingness to take a genuine interest in other people, and to open ourselves and our lives to them as well.

It’s important to understand that membership in a church means different things to different people at different points in their lives. It means one thing when you are a child, and quite another when you have children of your own. You might be a young single person living in the city and trying to establish yourself in a career, or empty nesters looking for meaningful and fulfilling ways to fill your time now that you have a little time for yourselves. Perhaps you are recently married, or recently divorced; starting a new job or retiring from one. You or a loved one could be facing a serious illness, and suddenly in need of a faith community again after a long time away. Or perhaps you are a longtime member of the church whose circumstances prevent you from being as “active” as you once were able to be in the past, but who still appreciates being connected though visits from friends and written copies of the sermons.

If it seems to you that we are focusing a lot of our attention on Newcomers, it’s because the needs of Newcomers often tend to drive the development of new programs, which everyone else is then obviously free to benefit from as well. But we need to achieve “A” grades in all these areas if we want to fulfill our full potential as a church. Show up, get involved, bring your friends. That’s the way to grow a church, and it’s also the best path for growing our own individual spiritual lives as well.

BUILDING A RAINBOW 2.0

I’ve written a lot more about this topic on April 29, so I won’t try to repeat all that information here. But just like every other church I’ve ever served, this church has budget challenges, and we are working hard to meet them in ways that are responsible, sustainable, and allow us to effectively carry out our mission as a faith community. I am VERY pleased by the reorganization and emergence of a truly broad-based Finance Council charged with the responsibility of figuring out how we can achieve our dreams and still live within our means. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to happen overnight. But I have faith that it will happen, because I have a LOT of confidence in the members of this church; and am truly delighted that the Trustees have agreed (at least for the time being) NOT to replace the patch in the Meetinghouse ceiling until we have accomplished our goal. Sometimes it’s nice to have a tangible reminder of the distance we have to travel. And a specific event to celebrate at the end of the journey.

In its more than 300 years of existence, First Parish has worked through a variety of different financial models in order to pay its bills and balance its budget. Until 1820, when the Maine Constitutional Convention meeting at First Parish voted to disestablish civil religion and create a separation of Church and State, First Parish was a tax-supported part of the Standing Order of Churches in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Local taxpayers set the budgets and paid their own assessments both for the upkeep of the Meetinghouse and the support of the minister. Shortly after disestablishment, the Meetinghouse was privatized (essentially the pews were sold as condominiums) and a Religious Society was organized to handle the business affairs of the congregation itself; while in the early part of the 20th century the so-called “Proprietors of the Pews” placed their financial interests in a Trust for the benefit of the congregation as a whole, and especially the preservation and maintenance of the Meetinghouse itself.

Since that time, First Parish has essentially supported itself through the same four broad sources of revenue. The first, obviously, is income from the Endowment Funds, which over the years have increased considerably both through additional bequests and normal growth in the financial markets. The second source of revenue has been rental of our building to outside groups in need of the kind of public space we can offer. Providing this space to others is also part of our mission as a public institution, so in many instances this particular revenue stream is pretty much a break-even proposition. A third source of revenue are public fun(d)raising activities like fairs, concerts, and the like -- which again serve multiple purposes in regard to creating deeper connections among ourselves, and developing important outreach links into our larger community, but provide a relatively small percentage of our overall operating budget. Far and away our most important source of revenue is direct financial contributions by our members and friends, which we solicit from one another in the form of pledges during our annual Stewardship Campaign.

A pledge is basically just a promise -- as well as a planning tool which the church uses to estimate how much money we will have to spend on salaries, utilities and various other church programs over the course of our fiscal year. And yes, we are literally counting on people to keep their promises in order to meet our obligations; in fact, we are hoping they will exceed them. But we also understand that circumstances sometimes change, and that no single individual’s pledge, no matter how large or small, will ultimately make or break our budget. Rather, it requires the generosity of us all, each of us doing what we can, to allow us together to achieve what we dream of as a faith community.

Our pledges are not just promises we make to one another; they are promises we make to ourselves. They are the tangible expression of our gratitude for the many gifts the Universe has given to us, and our desire to become more generous souls in our own right. Finally, they represent the direct "hands on" voluntary financial support of our shared belief that this church and its work are important. They reflect our willingness to trust and count on one another, even though we can’t always predict or control every little circumstance of life.

It’s been my experience that churches never really seem to have enough money to do everything they dream of doing, but that in a pinch they always seem to come up with what they need to do what they must. And it may well be that First Parish will never again enjoy a truly “balanced” budget -- that we will always be living just a little beyond our means, in the hope and with faith in one another that we will somehow manage to catch up before the bill collectors catch up with us. But my desire is that the approach outlined in Rainbow 2.0 will help us all to think carefully about our mission and budget priorities as a congregation, while working together to cut those ‘dark red’ expenses that keep us from funding the pink, the green, and the blue. This will also help us to think about new ways to maximize EACH of our revenue streams (and perhaps even create some new ones), by building on that same sense of trust, mission and shared purpose cultivated during the development of our spending plan.

“PORTLAND’S ORIGINAL FAITH COMMUNITY”

I like this phrase because of its overlapping connotations:

We were the First -- the Original.

We stand at the Historic Center of this Community, and continue to embody that public heritage today.

We are Innovative: we stand out as community leaders by courageously embracing the new and the progressive.

But mostly I like it because it expresses a good reputation I’d like us to live up to. It expresses the responsibility of “becoming the Church people believe we are.”

If becoming “A Warm & Welcoming Place in the Heart of the City” expresses our desire for greater attendance and numerical growth, then owning the identity of “Portland’s Original Faith Community” reflects what might be thought of as “Incarnational Growth” -- a growth in our effectiveness to deliver on what we promise by developing greater skills and a trained team of leaders who have the ability to bring us together to achieve a common purpose. It also reflects the all-important paradigm shift from “finding enough people to fill all the jobs” to finding an appropriate job for every person. Again, I’ve written about this extensively elsewhere and won’t try to repeat it all here. But I hope that in the coming year we can continue to build upon this aspect of our ministry as well, by recruiting and training more Small Group Ministry facilitators, by expanding our Care-Ring Circle and teams of Parish Visitors, by growing our Faith in Action Program and Life Long Learning opportunities, and of course continuing to build our Religious Education and Music programs. These things are not going to happen overnight. But if we are deliberate and intentional about making them happen, by “matching our own deep yearning to the worlds deep need,” we will make continuous improvement and progress toward our goal.

"NEXT STEP"

Notwithstanding everything else that has happened in my life these past 12 months, perhaps my greatest single institutional disappointment is that we were not able to execute our “Next Step” option this past Spring. I’m still not certain how much detail I am allowed to disclose in public, since we still have other options open to us and are actively exploring them. But I also continue to believe that this was and is the correct vision for the future of First Parish, and want to both thank and congratulate the Next Step team who have worked so hard these past few years to bring this project to fruition. One of the great things about being a 334 year old institution is that we can afford to be patient and take our time. And in the meantime, we continue to move forward by building a solid foundation beneath our "castle in the air."

One very serendipitous step forward in this regard was the collaboration between the Trustees and the Society in creating a new fully-ADA standard handicapped-accessible bathroom on the main floor of the Parish House. Not was this project long overdue, but it came (for me at least) at just the right time. One next step now might be to look at making similar modifications in the basement of the Parish House -- both to increase the ease of wheelchair access through the side alley door, and also the general attractiveness of Freshman Alley in general. By working with the city and our neighbors at 415 Congress, we can at least attempt to transform that very visible and public space into something that we can feel proud of, rather than the current eyesore of dumpsters, concrete barriers, cigarette butts and graffiti. It's not everything we'd hoped for. But at least it is a start.

CONCLUDING THOUGHT(S)

One of the most important lessons my illness is trying to teach me is that the goal is always "Progress, not Perfection." Although many of the things we are attempting to achieve together are relatively simple and straightforward, that doesn't necessarily mean we will automatically accomplish what we set out to do without a few twists and turns along the way. But if we can stay focused on these four core areas: community outreach, fiscal accountability, leadership development, and a clear long range vision, we can avoid the temptation of being distracted by the merely "urgent," and maintain our essential focus on the truly important. This is especially true, at least for the moment, in the leadership development area. For various reasons, we have a lot of vacancies to fill right now, both on the staff and in key volunteer positions. These are both aspects of the same challenge -- and in both situations, the solution is to FIND THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT JOB, rather than merely trying to fill an empty chair with a warm body. I also believe that the right talent we need is already in this congregation, and that much of this matching process is simply a matter of helping our current leadership team figure out how their current skills, interests, and personal availability match up to the perceived institutional needs of the church itself. This process of discernment is not going to happen overnight, nor are we likely to find the leaders we most need now among people who are relatively new to the church and Unitarian Universalism themselves. But we do need to create

THE ECLECTIC CLERIC - "I Will, With God's Help"

2008-05-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine writing my column this month about anything other than my illness, my Installation, and the amazing outpouring of encouragement and affection and support I've received, not just from the people of First Parish, but from people all over the world as word of my condition spreads through the vast network of friends, colleagues, and former parishioners whose lives I have touched and whose lives have touched mine in the three decades I have practiced this strange and wonderful vocation of ministry.

And likewise, it is hard to imagine writing anything new that I haven't already written again and again in my blog, One Day Isle, or expressed in person on more occasions than I can recount. My profound feelings of gratitude, and amazement, and humility and blessing.... Words fail me, and I am reduced to a sense of silent astonishment and overwhelming emotion. I feel so fortunate -- which you might think would be strange for someone who has been afflicted with a potentially fatal illness. But I can't describe it any other way. Can't really explain it either. Death seems very distant to me now. I just feel so lucky to be alive.

The occasion of my formal Installation as the Minister at First Parish would have been a monumental milestone in the course of my ministry under any circumstance. But under these particular circumstances it is profoundly awe-inspiring. Awesome. An expression of faith and hope and trust and confidence in the promise of the future, which recognizes that life is uncertain and nothing can be known for sure, yet which empowers us all to believe in ourselves, to believe in one another, and to trust that whatever the future may bring we will be equal to the task and able to meet the challenge.

A faith which affirms the power of a loving "community of memory and hope" to embrace a vision of its future and step confidently in the direction of its dreams: transcending doubt, transcending uncertainty, transcending all of the cynical, skeptical attitudes of modernity which hedge themselves in the sophisticated "wisdom" of the aloof observer, and calls us instead to take a stand and to make a commitment -- to express our convictions without reservation, hesitation, or fear.

And perhaps most importantly, a faith which understands that we can not do this work alone, and that each of us is here neither one moment less nor one moment more than God needs us to be, however vaguely we ourselves may understand that need, or the sacred/holy/spiritual/divine Truth beyond "truth" that gives that purpose meaning and makes our lives meaningful.

This is why it is with both humility and gratitude that I willingly accept this charge to serve as your Parish Minister, and will continue to do so to the best of my abilities come what may. Not only with God's help, but with the help of all of you as well.......twj

MINISTER'S REPORT (April/May 2008)

2008-04-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

I suppose it was unavoidable that my April report should be so tardy -- but perhaps it will work just as well as an early report for May. The unexpected change in the course of my illness, which left me hospitalized for most of the past month, was certainly not anything any of us had planned for. But I'm very pleased by the way that so many people have stepped up to fill in. I'm especially grateful for the way that Darrell Goodwin has taken on the role of Installation Marshal, along with the overwhelming task of organizing the details of that event. As I have tried to say on so many occasions and in so many different ways this past month, I feel so proud and so fortunate to be your pastor. And I'm looking forward very much to this coming weekend, and my physical return to First Parish to celebrate my formal installation as the settled Parish Minister of this congregation.

Even though I've pretty much been out of the loop this past month, this is where I see us right now.

• Leadership Team. The biggest challenges facing the Governing Board at the moment are simply finding the right officers to fill out next years vacancies, and pulling together a workable Finance Council in order to address our on-going budget challenge. At the moment these tasks probably seem a lot more daunting than they really are. We have the talent, and we have the resources too; we simply need to find the time, the commitment, and the shared sense of purpose to pull them all together. We have all these things as well, of course -- and when they DO come together, we're all going to feel a lot more relaxed.

• Worship Team. The way that our short-handed Worship Committee has come together to fill out the remainder of the program year, and to segue seamlessly into our summer service schedule is admirable. I know that behind the scenes not all has always gone smoothly, but the impression of people in the pews on Sunday morning is that we haven't missed a beat.

• Pastoral Care Team. The team of caregivers that has come together around helping me and my family during my illness is truly impressive. And one of my greatest concerns about being ill is the way it has effectively prevented me from meeting my own responsibilities as a pastoral caregiver. So my great hope is that we can in some way utilize some of the momentum that has been generated around my illness in order to offer these same services to other members of the congregation who require them.

I envision our "Pastoral Care-Ring" as a set of concentric circles, or perhaps a pyramid with a solid foundation (or outer circle) of volunteers willing to offer specific services (like providing transportation or preparing a meal), a smaller group of Care-Ring Coordinators who match these services to the people who need them, and finally a more highly-trained group of Pastoral Visitors who work with me and our chaplain(s) to provide the kind of one-to-one Pastoral ministry that even the members of a very large congregation should be able to count on from their faith community.

• Staff Support. One very obvious problem that has emerged during my illness has to do with communications. Because I routinely attend meetings of the Governing Board, the Trustees, and various other key committees, I am also typically in the position of being able to answer questions Barbara or other staff members may have about those activities. But once I became ill, not only was I not around in the office to answer those questions, I no longer had the information either!

There's no quick and easy fix to this problem, but something I think might help would implementing the practice of sending "Quick Minutes" by e-mail immediately following key church committee meetings. These Group e-mails should be clearly identified as such, follow a standard format, and contain the following information: 1) decisions on any "Action" items. 2) the name of the Contact Person responsible for carrying out that particular activity 3) any building use implications (i.e. date/time/room). They should be sent to every member of the Committee itself, along with ccs to office@firstparishportland.org and minister@firstparishportland.org. I don't think this will solve the problem entirely, but it may mitigate it somewhat.

I likewise want to commend Barbara, Rebecca, Charlie and Moe for all going the extra mile during my illness. We are a small staff as it is, with way more to do than time to do it. Seeing how they have all continued to do their own jobs well, while at the same time pitching in to cover for me, is both gratifying and a cause of concern. I'm certain whatever additional assistance we can provide for them would be very appreciated.

• Music Director Search. This is something that has basically come to a standstill while I've been out of commission. My hope is that once I am released from Rehab and have begun my Chemotherapy, that the Search Committee will convene and put together a process to have a permanent Music Director in place to begin in the Fall.

• My Timetable. Clearly, this is proving to be a little unpredictable. But given my current understanding, I expect to be in Rehab for another week or two following Sunday's Installation, and then to be discharged into some form of Assisted/Independent living situation, most likely at Seventy Five State Street, where I will be able to receive prepared meals and transportation to my medical appointments as well as enjoying accessible living quarters. Depending upon how much mobility I recover, at some point I may be moving to my study at the Eastland Park Hotel, or to an accessible guest room in a private home. Likewise, in July I will have to make up my mind about whether or not to give up my apartment on Carleton Street at the end of my lease and find more accessible permanent living quarters.

The chemotherapy itself is scheduled to last for approximately 12-18 weeks, and consists of 4 to 6 three-week cycles of two weeks treatment and a week of rest. At the end of that period, there is very little statistical advantage in continuing the same treatment, so another assessment is conducted and a decision made about whether to: a) wait, watch, and do nothing until the cancer recurs; b) begin an alternate form of follow-up treatment; c) begin palliative care. Obviously, nobody can predict what kind of outcome I will receive as a result of my treatment, but my hope is that I will be at the high end of the bell curve, and feeling healthy enough to return to work full time in September.

BALANCING A BUDGET: BUILDING A RAINBOW

2008-04-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

Rainbows aren’t typically the first thing to spring to mind when one thinks about balancing a budget. Budgets are generally about getting out of the Red and into the Black, and it doesn’t really matter how you get there. But the options are generally pretty simple: increase revenues, cut expenses, differenciate between the things you merely want and the things you really need, and get rid of the former while preserving as many of the latter as you can. And when revenues match expenses, the budget is balanced and we can all sleep easier at night.

None of this has really changed. But it’s also important to remind ourselves that “balancing the budget” is not the primary mission of a church. Obviously, we need to learn how to live within our means, and to do so in a sustainable way that also reflects the values and principles of our faith community.

But not all Red Ink is Created Equal. It’s been my experience that churches never have enough money to do all the things they dream of doing, but they always seem to come up with the resources to do the things they know they NEED to do.

My hope for First Parish is that we will use this Opportunity to have a serious conversation about the importance of the on-going ministry of our congregation to this community in the 21st century, what our actual priorities are, and how we can best fulfill this mission given the resources available to us.

When I say that not all Red Ink is Created Equal, I mean to suggest that our expenditures can actually be divided into several different categories depending upon our level of control over them and their relative importance to the success of our overall mission.

DARK RED expenditures are for things that might be thought of as Necessaries. These are often “fixed” expenses (like electricity and heating oil) which are provided by outside venders, are required (or necessary) for our on-going operations, and over which we have very little direct control other than to use less.

BRIGHT RED expenses represent our Obligations -- responsibilities which we have voluntarily chosen to take on, but are now obligated in good faith to pay. Most Personnel expenses tend to fall into this catagory.

PINK represents our Commitments. These might be thought of as expenses which we would like to take on (such as adequate health insurance benefits and regular Cost of Living Adjustments for our staff) because they reflect our values, but which we just aren’t certain we can really afford.

If all this Red Ink isn’t complicated enough, there are also VARIOUS SHADES OF GREEN. These respresent expenditures to fund the Healthy Practices that will help us better fulfill our mission, grow the church, and either save money or generate additional revenues in the long run. We all know “it isn’t easy being green.” But most of our program and committee expenses tend to fall into this catagory, as do expenses like the storm windows and

And then finally, there are our SKY BLUE DREAMS-- our vision of what First Parish might look like when we lift our eyes skyward and look to the horizon, and see our church as if money were no object, and at its best and highest potential. This is our “Castle in the Air” -- the church we WISH we could create if only we felt we could afford to build the foundations under it.

The point of this whole exersize is not to spend a lot of time arguing over whether a particular catagory of expense is Blue or Green or Red, or to try to identify and eliminate all of the “superfluous” Green and Red expenses in order to concetrate our limited resources on meeting our essential Red obligations. Rather, the goal is to give us a common language with which to talk about our historical expenditures (and how we might better manage and control them), as well as our future aspirations and priorities going forward.

We don’t often talk about our current financial situation in these terms, but First Parish actually has a balanced budget right now. It’s just not a budget that is balanced in a sustainable way, or one that adequately reflects our mission, values and priorities as a faith community. It requires us to defer important on-going maintenence to the Meeting House by drawing upon money that would otherwise be set aside for that purpuse, and is also dangerously vulnerable to inflation and the dangers of a recession. Likewise it fails to fund adequately the kinds of new inititives we might undertake in order to better serve the larger Portland community, and (in the words of Bob Greenlaw) “become the kind of church people think we are.”

In order for us to live up to our reputation as Portland’s Original Faith Community, and fulfill our mission of being “A Warm and Welcoming Place in the Heart of the City,” we need to continue to offer excellent services in the traditional areas of ministry like Worship, Education, Fellowship, Hospitality, Pastoral Care, Community Outreach and Social Justice Advocacy that First Parish has historically provided to the Portland Community for over three centuries now. And we also need to be exploring new avenues of ministry, and new revenue sources that will allow us to better serve the community as it changes and evolves in response to changes in the large culture.

Finally, if we look First Parish specifically in fiduciary terms, we might think of the church as a legacy which we have received from our ancestors and hold in trust as a bequest to our descendants. It is likewise a gift which we give to the wider Portland community, and in particular a gift we give to one another. Our individual levels of participation may vary from time to time as the circumstances of our own lives change, but the shared desire that First Parish will always be here for those who need it is at the heart of the Covenental responsibilities that hold us all together as both “people of faith” and “a community of memory and hope.”

GOING FORWARD

I. The First Step might be to bring together a “Financial Summit” this Spring in order to better define the problem and identify the tasks ahead of us, as well as fleshing out the details of the plan and the direction outlined below. The specific objectives of this/these Spring meeting(s) are:

• to bring together the people in the church who have both the institutional memory and the financial expertise to accomplish these objectives. (ad hoc Finance Council)

• to get a good handle on our actual historical expenditures, as well as our current revenue sources.

• to draft a preliminary “spending plan” (in multiple colors) which reflects both our historical actuals, and also our future aspirations, while:

a) cutting as much of the “Dark Red” as possible.
b) honoring our “Bright Red” obligations.
c) identifiying our “Pink” commitments as future goals.
d) prioritizing the various “Green” inititives we would like to begin.
e) lifting up the “Blue” aspirations we’re working for.

• to identify honestly and accurately our present and potential future revenue sources, and to begin to explore ways of improving, increasing, and expanding them.

II. “The Patch in the Ceiling”

• Following up the work of the Spring summit, we need to develop a more permanent Finance Council that includes the Treasurer, the Stewardship Team, the Planned Giving Team, a representative of the Trustees, etc. We all need to do what everyone else is trying to do, and we to do it together!

• The Campaign Begins Today to promote the vision of what we hope to accomplish, and what we will need to do in order to pay for it. We need to share the dream and recruit more partners!

• ºLiving Within Our Means” means paying as we go. Once we have identified our fixed expenses and our reliable revenue sources, we need to manage our cash flow in such a way as to pay our essential bills on time while deferring as many of our discretionary expenses for as long as we can. “Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do or Do Without.”

III. “The On-Going Appeal”

• Use the enthusiasm of the start of a new church year to publicize the Rainbow Spending Plan, and how it reflects the mission and ministry of the church.

• Create some sort of Autumn “signature” outreach/fun(d)raising event in order to raise visibility and good feeling as well as additional money.

• Send sincere, year-end “Thank Yous” to ALL of our current contributors, along with annual statements reflecting their total contributions for the previous tax year. Let them know how much we appreciate their generosity and partnership.

• Make a general year-end appeal for individuals to remember the church at the holidays.

• Make personal, one-on-one Stewardship Visits to our “Annual Givers” -- individuals who prefer to contribute to the church in one lump sum at the end of the tax year.

• Spring 2009: Every Member Stewardship Campaign to kick-off fiscal 2009-10 and “Rainbow 2.0.”

IV. Next Steps

First Parish has utilized a lot of different methods for paying the bills in its 335 year history, and it may well be that we are in a period where the paradigm is once again changing. It may well be, for example, that we DO want to be in the Real Estate business right now, simply because it provides us both with additional revenue and a tangible asset that helps us fulfill our core mission. The “four pillars” of our revenue stream will no doubt continue to be income from invested funds, member giving, fundraising activities, and building rentals for quite some time. But we can and should continue to explore alternative means of generating revenue, while at the same time attempting to enhance the sources we currently rely on.

Likewise, our Budget (Spending Plan) equals our Mission equals our Ministry. Wealth = Worth = Value(s). It’s what we do (and try to do as well as we can) in order to be who we say we are, and to become what we dream of being. The goal is NOT simply to reduce our expenses to the bare minimum. The goal is to be as responsible about ALL our expenditures as we can be, while getting as far into the Blue as we can afford to.

THE ECLECTIC CLERIC

2008-04-01T04:58:00.001-07:00

Dancing with my daughter Stephenie

News travels quickly by word of mouth, especially in a church community. After sharing during the Candles of Joy and Sorrow a few Sundays ago the news of my illness,. I was both amazed and gratified by the outpouring of sympathy and support I have received from friends, family, colleagues, former parishioners, and of course all of you here at First Parish. I feel as though I am seeing blossoming before my very eyes the living proof of the truths I've been attempting to learn, practice, and preach with love for the past thirty years: about the values of Gratitude, Generosity, Humility and Service; and the importance of Compassion, Community, and Common Sense; and especially the power of an authentic Ministry of Hospitality to bring out the best in people, and to empower them to do good in the world, while walking together in a covenantal relationship of mutual trust, accountability, and support.

Facing a potentially life-threatening cancer diagnosis is obviously an emotionally intense experience, so I am actually a little surprised by how calm I feel. Perhaps this is simply evidence that all this expensive theological education was actually worth the money after all, but I am also well aware of the fact that I am not the first person in this congregation, nor even its first minister, to receive this kind of news from their physician, and the knowledge that I am not alone gives me great comfort. So I want to repeat my request that those of you who have had some experience with this sort of thing in your own lives will help reassure others in the congregation that it is indeed a normal part of living, that doubtlessly almost every one of us will at some point receive news like this from our own physicians, and that we simply have to have the courage and the trust to take things in stride, without worrying too much about the things we can't control, and concentrating our attention on the things we can.

By the time this newsletter arrives in your mailbox, I will have doubtlessly already started my treatments for this illness. Obviously I can't predict now how I will be feeling then, but I imagine that I will be either on medical leave or at the very least on some form of "light duty" for much of the foreseeable future. I have started keeping a "cancer blog" http://onedayisle.blogspot.com which you are welcome to read as you wish for updates on my progress. And, of course, the plans for my formal installation as the fifteenth settled minister of this congregation, on Sunday May 4th, continue to move forward on schedule.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support and encouragement during my time of trial, and especially for calling me here to Portland to serve as your minister. Although this is certainly not the start of a new ministry that any of us would have anticipated or hoped for, I have great faith that our journey together will indeed lead us to a place of deeper spiritual insight and wisdom, and that we will emerge on the other side both stronger souls and a stronger community as a result..........twj

****

>From the President
Sue Veligor: Susan@cornerstoneplanning.com

I expect at this point that most of you are aware of Tim Jensen's health issue. Surprise, fear, sadness and worry are some of the many emotions/reactions that spring forth for me. One of the characteristics I recognized (and admired) immediately about Tim, when we first began our relationship, is his philosophy of identifying opportunities in all situations, including those where others tend to only see problems. Thus, as you might imagine, he already has discovered the silver lining that envelops his lung cancer. At first, it was in the context of discussing Rebecca Hines' (our new RE Director) request for financial help to pay health insurance premiums. For Tim, this request hit close to home; he knows how fortunate he is to have coverage. Perhaps this might lead the church to set a goal of providing health insurance to all staff?

An opportunity for us as a congregation, which also may stem from Tim's illness, is not unlike that which we've witnessed around such serious events as 911, whereby people truly come together, united in a mission, and in the process have expanded the bounds of selflessness. This morning when I asked Tim how he was doing he confessed to being pleasingly overwhelmed by the many offers of support he's received and went on to observe that "we need a coordinator to manage the people who want to help." Jackie Oliveri has offered to take on the role of coordinating Tim's care committee during his treatment. Jackie will send out an e-mail and include information in the Sunday Bulletin as soon as possible as to what Tim's needs are.

This month I attended a Membership meeting, a Stewardship meeting, and a Pathways to Leadership team meeting. In these meetings, the discussion has been around helping members become more near to their church: to offer regular occasions for socializing and connecting; to find opportunities for folks to develop and grow personally; and to build a society that reflects everyone's best effort.

To that end, I am excited to tell you that on April 6th and 13th you are invited, at coffee hour, to examine the many possibilities for enrichment that exist within our structure. I have asked each committee or council chair to provide a brief description of the opportunities under their purview and an estimate of time commitment. These volunteer positions will be posted in the Parish Hall with chairpersons from the respective committees nearby to answer questions and sign you up to fill one of these important roles at First Parish.

Will you join me, please, in being part of "the three legs: Time, Treasure and Talents," which Rev. Jensen often refers to when honoring the diverse contributions that define our "whole" church experience.

Four Simple Rules

2008-03-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting post from another UU blogger about an alternative way of "doing church." Making Chutney

MINISTER'S REPORT - March 11, 2008

2008-03-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday during the Candles of Joy and Sorrow I shared with the congregation the news that a few weeks ago I visited my doctor after waking up in the night and discovering that I was coughing up blood. A subsequent chest X-Ray and CT scan indicated a mass in my right lung the shape of a good-sized Jalapeño pepper, which of course triggered a whole series of other diagnostic tests now scheduled over the next couple of weeks. I also mentioned that I knew I wasn't the first person in the congregation (or even the first minister) to receive this kind of news from their doctor, and that I certainly wouldn't be last; and asked if those who had experienced this sort of thing in their own lives would reassure the others that it is indeed a common and natural part of ordinary human existence, which needs simply to be taken in stride, one step at a time.

Personally, I'm much less concerned about the course my treatment will take over the next few weeks or months than I am the ways that receiving treatment for this illness (whatever it turns out to be) will effect my ability to conduct my ministry here at First Parish. It's still too early to tell exactly how much time I may need off, but I think it would be a good idea to begin discussing some of the options for covering my most essential duties when the time eventually comes that I am not really capable of easily and effectively handling them myself.

Always one to see opportunity, in this regard my becoming ill at this time may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise, since it also creates a certain degree of urgency around tasks like revitalizing our lay pastoral "Care-Ring" and recruiting new volunteer leaders for other key positions, and also pretty much insures that I won't just try to do it all myself.

Recruiting additional Care-Ring Volunteers and Coordinators would normally fall under the jurisdiction of the Membership Committee, but we may want to appoint some additional folks to assist with this task. Ordinarily, a good first step would be to distribute some sort of "helping hands" sign-up sheet on which people could indicate their availablity, and the kinds of things they are willing to do. We then need to identify people who would be willing to volunteer to coordinate matching services to individual needs, and also create some sort of training for Pastoral Care Associates who are willing to serve as Parish Visitors. Finally, we need to identify and appoint a new Chaplain or Chaplains, to take over for Sally Madore (who has already effectively resigned from that post in order to focus on her hospital ministry, although she has agreed to remain on our letterhead).

We also need additional support for the Worship Committee, both in terms of planning for services when I can not be in the pulpit, and also to help me with the Installation Service on May 4th. The good news is that a lot of these services are close to being covered; but someone is going to have to take charge of wrapping up the details and shepherding them through.

I also want to remind people about the rescheduled "Path to Leadership" dinner this Friday, and our plans to hold some sort of "Volunteer Fair" later in the Spring.

There are still three pre-paid spaces for the District Small Group Ministry facilitator training, which has been rescheduled for this Saturday at A2U2. Neither Linda Blue nor Rebecca Hinds (who is now back in Minnesota to see her dying grandmother and attend the funeral) are available this weekend...and if there is interest someone is welcome to attend in my place as well. The training runs from 9 am to 1 pm, with lunch on your own; my advice if you're interested (or know of someone who is) is to just show up. The first three will be free, and I'm pretty sure they'll take your money at the door. I will try to pin this down with Helen Zidowecki as soon as I can.

Shortly after I first learned that my health was not all that it should be, my friend Elizabeth Leavitt offered to come here to Portland to be with me and help out however she could during this time. We're now trying to figure out some of the financial and other details that would make this possible. I've known Elizabeth since Divinity School; she is also an ordained UU minister with a strong background in dealing with the medical care system. If Elizabeth is able to come, I would propose that the Governing Board sponsor her as what is known as an "Affiliated Community Minister," and also that we appoint her to serve as one of our Chaplains.

Next Steps -- once I have a formal diagnosis and treatment plan, I plan to share that additional information more formally with the entire extended congregation: possibly through a Newsletter Column, or some sort of letter or e-mail blast, or possibly all of the above. I would also hope to be able to provide some of the additional details of how we plan to cover my absence in the likelihood that I will be forced to take some sort of medial leave for treatment this spring.

Finally, I can't begin to tell you how gratifying it is to me personally to experience the love and support so many individual members of this congregation have offered me now that I have shared this news. I am so very proud to be your minister.

THE ECLECTIC CLERIC - “Springing Forward”

2008-03-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

I know it’s hard to imagine, with four-foot tall snowbanks still lining the sidewalks, and winter storm warnings every other day, but better days are just around the corner. And I, for one, can hardly wait. “March Fo(u)rth” is the only date on the calendar that is also a command. And soon we’ll all be marching forward, toward warmer weather and longer days, and the long-awaited rebirth of new life in Spring.

A recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life indicates that approximately one-half of Americans have changed religious affiliation over the course of their lifetimes, either from one faith community to another, or from no faith community to a new faith community, or even from their original faith community to no faith community whatsoever. And buried deep within the footnotes of the report is the information that approximately seven-tenths of one percent of Americans identify themselves as “Unitarian or other liberal faiths,” and that approximately half of those identify specifically as “Unitarian (Universalist).”

Three-tenths of one percent is approximately 600,000 souls…not a whole lot of folks in a general population measured in the hundreds of millions, but approximately four times as many as the number of UUs who are currently listed on the membership rolls of the 1,042 congregations that make up the Unitarian Universalist Association. So, where are all these missing Unitarians? Out meditating in the woods? At home drinking espresso and reading the Sunday New York Times? Or perhaps spending time at a playground with their families, or doing volunteer work for a progressive social service agency, or even just enjoying a leisurely brunch at a cozy, local restaurant?

The fact is, they could be just about anywhere. But they’re NOT in church…and I’m curious why. What is it that we need to be doing better or differently that will make our congregation a more attractive option for these “phantom” UUs? How can we best serve the people who ALREADY know they belong here, but for some reason don’t feel like hanging out with the rest of us?

I’m a firm believer that people have different needs for spiritual connection at different times in their lives. Sometimes you just want to sit quietly for an hour on Sunday morning, enjoy the music and listen to what the preacher has to say. Sometimes you want to be involved up to your eyebrows, with classes and small groups and social events, and volunteering for every activity and committee you can find. And sometimes it’s enough simply to walk by the front door and glance at the message in the Wayside Pulpit, and know that if you choose to you can walk up the steps and through the front door any time you like.

But sometimes people just get out of the habit. This is why I would like to suggest that in addition to “Bring a Friend to Church” Sunday, we ought to have a “Bring a Friend BACK to Church” Sunday. Easter, or the Jim Scott concert on April 6th, or my Installation Service on May 4th – these would all be great opportunities to invite someone you know to visit our congregation and worship with us…either for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. Who knows? – they may be missing us just as much as we’ve been missing them. The only way to find out is to ask…….twj

(ALMOST) EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM (FOR BEGINNERS)

2008-02-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

The Unitarian Universalist Association was formed in 1961 as the result of the consolidation of two existing religious organizations: the American Unitarian Association (founded in Boston in 1825), and the Universalist Church in America (c. 1785, leading to the eventual creation of the “Philadelphia Convention of Universalists” in 1790). Both these institutions in turn represented still earlier ecclesiastical organizations and theological traditions which, in some cases, can be traces back to the earliest days of Christianity.

• Unitarianism: the belief that God is One. (i.e. Jesus is not God).

• Universalism: the belief that ultimately All Souls shall be reconciled with their Creator (i.e. “no hell” or Universal Salvation).

Nowadays there is some question about how “UUism” is best understood:

1. is it a form of “liberal Christianity,” and the historical successor of these two earlier ecclesiastical bodies?

2. is it a “post-Christian” Protestant heresy, embracing wisdom and inspiration from ALL of the world’s great faith traditions?

3. is Unitarian Universalism its own “New Religion?”

Of course it is also possible that we may be all of the above, or even NONE of the above but something entirely different instead (such as “secular Humanism in religious clothing,” or “the Democratic party at prayer”).

But however one chooses to understand “Our Liberal Movement in Theology,” it’s important to acknowledge that Unitarian Universalism’s most direct, powerful and immediate historical roots are Biblical, and are derived from a certain method for reading the Bible, which was eloquently articulated by William Ellery Channing in his 1819 Baltimore Sermon entitled “Unitarian Christianity.”

“Our leading principle in interpreting Scripture is this, that the Bible is a book written for men, in the language of men, and that its meaning is to be sought in the same manner as that of other books...[through] the constant exercise of reason.”

Channing and his fellow Unitarians were accused at the time of elevating human reason above the word of God. Nowadays, this method of interpreting Scripture is basically universal throughout the academic community; the Fundamentalist doctrine of “verbal inerrancy” (“God said it, I believe it, that settles it”) is an early 20th century backlash against what is now known as the “historical-critical” method of Biblical scholarship.

What Channing REALLY did was privilege the authority of what was known as “Natural Theology” over that of Supernatural Revelation. In other words, Scripture (ALL Scripture) is best understood as a testimony of human experience, which may contain or reflect a “revelation” of the Divine, but which is always mediated through the personality and peculiarities of the authors, and their own particular historical and cultural context and assumptions.

In a subsequent generation, this principle led to a notion called “Absolute Religion,” which was believed to be true regardless of whether or not human beings believed or understood it, but which was to some degree or another reflected by every authentic “historical” religion. In other words, what is True is True whether we believe it or not, and is true for everyone regardless of our differing levels of understanding. But Absolute Truth is also ultimately mysterious and unknowable, since (after all) we’re only human, and not God. The task of religion is one of “Self-Culture” -- a growing understanding of “the Truth” in the context of our own lives, through a humble and disciplined, free and responsible search not just for “Truth,” but even more importantly for “Meaning.”

THREE VERY IMPORTANT AND CLOSELY RELATED CONCEPTS:

FREEDOM: we are “a Church Without a Creed.” Rather than organizing ourselves around a shared confession of belief, members of UU congregations enter into a Covenant to “walk together” in a relationship of mutual trust and support.

REASON: UUs are not free to believe whatever we wish; we are COMPELLED to believe what our reason and our experience tell us to be true.

TOLERANCE: UU churches are governed by Congregational Polity, which means that local church members retain the right to elect their own leaders and select their own ministers, and to manage their own affairs through both consensus and “majority rule,” with the rights and opinions of “dissenters” honored for the integrity of their different point of view. We can agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

The ATTITUDES that accompany Freedom, Reason, and Tolerance are Integrity, Humility, and Respect. And together they create the environment through which we work to bring out the best in one another, and make the world a better place for everyone.

MINISTER’S REPORT – February 12th 2008

2008-02-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Highlights:

Worship Calendar is filling out nicely; Charlie Grindle will be serving as our “interim” Music Director, and may be interested in remaining on permanently as our “Minister of Music.”

20 individuals have signed up for our “New UU” Explorer Classes.

Nominating Committee is meeting to improve our leadership development process, and also to recruit new leaders and volunteers in several key areas

Stewardship Campaign

We’ve known for some time that First Parish will be operating at a budgetary deficit for the next few fiscal years, and that the Trustees will be playing a “backstop” role to make certain we can continue to pay our bills (and specifically make our payroll!) in a timely fashion while we move toward a balanced budget. The questions that remain are just how far out of balance are we, and what can we do to make up the difference? Church Treasurer Carl Laws and Trustees Treasurer Ted Noyes are now in conversation about how best to manage the cash flow through their respective accounts in order to meet all of our obligations.

Finding the resources not only to bring our current budget into balance, but also to be able to afford to do all the other things we DREAM of doing, is an ongoing challenge…as it has been for every church I’ve served. It’s not a challenge we are going to overcome overnight. But if we continue to do the right things, if we continue to invite people into partnership with us, if we continue to provide the kind of service and ministry to the members of this community that we aspire to provide, I have faith that the resources will follow, somehow. So let’s not take our eyes off of the road ahead to stare too long at the gas gauge. We all know what’s in the tank. Let’s make the most of what we have, trusting that when the time comes we will figure out a way to “fill ‘er up.”

Special Fundraising Events

This obviously relates to the topic above as well. Linda Shary has a fantastic idea for a Spring festival, but still needs lots more help to make it happen.

Planned Giving

There is a committee, and it is indeed meeting. This is potentially a very important aspect of our long-term financial stability, but once again it’s not going to happen overnight.

“Next Step” – (415 Congress Street)
.
[if there is anything new to report, it will be done verbally at the meeting]

Improved Policies and Standard Operation Procedures

Barbara is reviewing who has been issued keys, and has reissued all of the alarm access codes.

The Pathway to Membership

The “New UU” Explorer classes have begun. We have 20 people enrolled, and my hope is that at least that many people will be joining the church on Palm Sunday. The Membership Committee is also planning to re-contact all of the names on our list of recent visitors, in order to invite them to fill out an anonymous “Survey Monkey” regarding their impressions and experience of First Parish.

Volunteer Ministry Opportunities at First Parish

The Nominating Committee met last week, and will be meeting again tomorrow night. The Committee is looking to expand both its membership and its scope, and working to create a more comprehensive leadership development strategy as well as filling some of our currently vacant key leadership positions.

Children’s RE program

Rebecca Hinds has accepted the position of Director of Religious Education, and did indeed begin work on January 15th.

Worship & Music Program

Charlie Grindle begins as our regular substitute organist/choir director this coming Sunday, and has expressed some interest in continuing on permanently as a “Minister of Music,” with additional responsibilities to be determined. This will all be part of the discussion for the Search Committee, which I hope will consist of myself, Personnel Committee Chair Jeff Logan, at-large member Mary Bloch, and one representative each from both the Music Committee and the Worship Committee. The Worship Committee STILL needs to find a new Chair/Council Representative to replace Bob Greenlaw, who resigned from the position because of personal circumstances.

Public Relations/ Identity and “Branding” (walking briskly while chewing gum….)

A by-law amendment to resurrect the “Communications Council” (with Dennis Levasseur serving as Chair) was not ready in time for the special congregational meeting last month, but we are basically proceeding forward as if it had (with the intention of formally re-establishing the Council at the May Annual meeting), and allowing the “proto-Council” to function as it needs to in the meantime.

Small Group Ministry program

A district-sponsored Small Group Ministry Training workshop is scheduled for March 8th at A2U2 – a link to the event site can be found here. I hope we can find a group of interested people to attend this training, and help revitalize our own small group ministry program here at First Parish.

Chaplains/Pastoral Care Ring

If anything, we seem to be going backwards in this area. Sally Madore continues to serve as our “senior” chaplain, but more and more her ministry is evolving in a different direction. Bob Greenlaw and Johanna Spencer (who had both previously indicated interest in serving in this capacity) are essentially missing in action as their own lives move in new directions.

Articulating a Clear Vision and Long Range Plan for the Future of First Parish

The challenge/goal of “Becoming the Church People Think We Are” continues to call us to examine the “big picture” and set high goals for ourselves. The Committee on Ministry has accepted the task of coordinating much of this conversation, through their commitment to implementing the UUA’s “Assessing Our Leadership” evaluation and review process here at First Parish.

THE ECLECTIC CLERIC - “What’s for Lent?”

2008-02-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

The season of Lent isn’t something that Unitarian Universalists generally pay a lot of attention to. We tend to think of it (when we think of it as all) as six dreary weeks separating school vacations, the period of time between Mardi Gras and Easter where nothing really happens, and nobody really expects to have much fun anyway.

But within the traditional Christian liturgical calendar, the 40 day period between Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday is a season of renewal: a time for prayer and fasting, study and sacrifice (which means, literally, “to make sacred”) during which new “converts to the faith” would prepare themselves (like Jesus in the Wilderness) for their own “rebirth” (through baptism) at the beginning of Holy Week.

Personally I’ve always been attracted to the idea of a disciplined season of religious growth and learning. Lent isn’t about giving something up; it’s about trying something new, and learning more about the life of faith in the process. In that spirit, I always try to do something a little special for the churches I serve, which usually turns out to be a great experience for me as well.

Those last few weeks before Easter are also a great time to bring a friend to church. On February 10th UU musician Jim Scott will be leading our worship service, so if you know of someone you think might enjoy being part of First Parish, and have been looking for an excuse to invite them to one of our services, this is your big chance. Feel free to reassure them that accompanying you to church one time is not a lifetime commitment, even though it might just turn out to be a life-changing experience.

When you aren’t in the habit, stepping through the doors of a place like this can feel pretty intimidating. It’s nice to have someone you know there by your side to show you the ropes. So I encourage everyone to think carefully about who you care enough about to share this meaningful part of YOUR life, and then to offer them the hospitality of our community. It might just turn out to be the most amazing gift you ever give them.

Finally, this year on Palm Sunday (which comes early this year on March 16th) we will be formally welcoming new members into our congregation here at First Parish. No immersion in water will be required (other than your usual bath or shower); all you really have to do is show up and sign the book, receive the accolades of your new co-religionists, and enjoy the delicious food afterwards. But we are also offering a series of classes during Lent that you can take beforehand in order to learn more about our faith tradition, and how to get the most out of your membership here. Please look for more information elsewhere in this newsletter, or call or e-mail me if you have any questions.

OK, so maybe Lent really IS a dreary time of year. But that’s no reason to take it personally. Rather, take advantage of this opportunity to renew your spirit and refresh your soul. And let’s enjoy one another’s company in the process.

Planning to Grow

2008-02-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

My friend and Divinity School classmate, Dan Hotchkiss, who now works as a consultant for the Alban Institute, has written a very excellent article about planning for church growth, which includes the observation: "With the possible exception of rich, repentant criminals, nobody visits a church in the hope of being asked to pay some of its bills. But a lot of people visit with vague hopes of friendship, intimacy, spiritual succor, and support in living a more useful life...." Dan's point is that by planning to create the kinds of activities which nurture these things, rather than setting numerical goals for membership growth per se, churches actually have a much better chance of achieving the growth they desire.

The complete text of Dan's article can be read here

Small Group Ministry Training

2008-01-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to a training opportunity for individuals interested in becoming Covenant Group facilitators: Gathering the Power of Small Group Ministry. The sessions are scheduled for March 8th at the Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church (A2U2) and March 15th at the First Universalist Church in Pittsfield. I'm not really sure whether these are simply two opportunities to do the same workshops, or two different sets of workshops -- but I think it would be a good idea if First Parish could send a team of people. Any volunteers?

JANUARY MINISTER'S REPORT

2008-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

This report follows the same format as December’s with updates as appropriate in each of the underlined areas. In more general terms, the Pageant and Christmas Eve services went forward despite the severe weather, Sunday attendance continues to be good, we have selected a new DRE candidate and offered her the position, and our Silent Auction for handicapped accessibility was a great success.

Stewardship Campaign

The follow-up to the Annual Budget Drive continues, following the predictable holiday hiatus. Look for a more complete report from the folks who are actually more familiar with the numbers.

Special Fundraising Events

The silent auction for handicapped accessibility exceeded its stated goal of $5000 by over 50%. Actual construction (I believe) is scheduled to being in February, utilizing both volunteer labor (supervised by B&G chair Vinnie Veligor) and materials donated at cost. We still need to be thinking about scheduling additional fun(d)raising events for later this spring, and we still need to begin developing a more formal Planned Giving program

“Next Step” – (415 Congress Street)

The clock keeps ticking as the deadline for us to execute our option approaches; and right now everyone seems to be playing their cards pretty close to the chest. Paula, Steve and Ted have all done magnificent work to try to bring this all together, but at the end of the day either the numbers will add up or they won’t.

Develop Improved Policies and Standard Operation Procedures

The process of simplifying our Standard Operating Procedures and developing consistent Building Use Policies is constant and on-going. Barbara is basically driving this process, with help from anyone she can enlist.

Articulating a Clear Vision and Long Range Plan

The challenge/goal of “Becoming the Church People Think We Are” continues to call us to keep our eyes on the Big Picture and set high goals for ourselves. The Committee on Ministry has accepted the task of coordinating much of this conversation, through their commitment to implementing the UUA’s “Assessing Our Leadership” evaluation and review process here at First Parish.

Keep Enhancing the Pathway to Membership

This all still seems to be going very well. The “New UU” Explorer classes begin later this month, with options to participate on either Sundays after church or Wednesday Evenings.

Volunteer Ministry Opportunities at First Parish

This has really evolved into an identified need to create a “Pathway to Leadership” to parallel our Pathway to Membership. Working with the Nominating Committee to create a more comprehensive leadership development strategy is probably the top priority at this time.

Children’s RE program

We have offered the position of Director of Religious Education to Rebecca Hinds, and are waiting to receive her signed letter of acceptance. Assuming she does accept, she is slated to begin work on January 15th. There is still a need for on-going training, team-building and program development. Now that we have hired a new DRE, the natural tendency will be to want to pause and catch our breath…but actually now is the time when she will need our help and participation the most.

Worship & Music Program

Charlie Grindle will be working as our regular substitute organist/choir director through the end of the current program year in June. Meanwhile, the Worship Committee needs a new chair to replace Bob Greenlaw, who has resigned from the position because of personal circumstances.

Public Relations/ Identity and “Branding” (walking briskly while chewing gum….)

The one big step forward in this area was the decision to resurrect the “Communications Council,” with Dennis Levasseur taking the point.

Small Group Ministry program

The plan remains to indentify and nurture our existing groups, while offering some sort of SGM facilitator training in the spring, along with the creation of some additional groups at that time.

Chaplains/Pastoral Care Ring

Sally Madore continues to serve as our “senior” chaplain, but more and more her ministry is evolving in a different direction. Bob Greenlaw and Johanna Spencer have both indicated an interest in serving as chaplains, but we are basically no further along in this arena than we were a month ago.

THE ECLECTIC CLERIC - “Meditation on a New Year”

2008-01-02T06:49:00.001-08:00

The beginning of a new year is a natural time to begin thinking as well about making fresh starts: turning over a new leaf, breaking bad habits, stepping up to the next level. Traditionally, on New Year’s Eve we ring out the old and ring in the new, and set forth with great resolve to change our lives for the better. And yet, we are wise to remember that the Roman deity Janus (for whom January is named) was a two-faced god: retrospective as well as forward-thinking, nostalgic as much as progressive. Similarly, sometimes the way ahead is best discerned by a good, hard look at the past. And sometimes the most effective way of changing for the better is to keep doing more of what we already do well.

The plain truth is that big, dramatic changes rarely take root and thrive right from the start. Major change is generally grounded in an extensive foundation of smaller, incremental changes, interspersed with numerous false starts and failures. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know. And even though the Emperor Nero was able to burn it to the ground overnight, it wasn’t rebuilt in a day either.

I’m not suggesting that it’s wrong to dream big dreams, or to make big plans, or even to harbor grandiose ambitions. But the great thing about starting small as that at least you’ve started. Envisioning the big picture is an important first step. But generally it’s patience, persistence, and tenacity that gets us through to the final one. And in between, it’s one foot in front of the other, step-by-step until we reach at least reach our goal.

Here’s one small step I hope every member of First Parish will take this year. You’ve heard me speak before about the “Ministry of Hospitality,” and how important it is to welcome newcomers into our faith community just as we would welcome guests into our homes. But why stop there? What about reaching out to our friends in the larger community, and inviting them to experience for themselves what First Parish has to offer? Many UU congregations around the country host an annual “Bring a Friend” Sunday, when current church members are encouraged to – you guessed it – bring their friends. But here at First Parish, I would like to make EVERY Sunday “bring a friend” Sunday. Because this is how communities grow: one friendship at a time.

The beginning of a New Year is a natural time for people who wish to deepen their own spiritual lives to start thinking about attending church again. If you have a friend who you think might appreciate and benefit from what we do here at First Parish day in and day out, there’s no better time than the present to invite them to accompany you to a Sunday Service. And if each of us will resolve to do this at least once this year…well, you can just imagine how many more of us will be members of this congregation next year at this time....

May you all be abundantly blessed in the year to come……………twj

DECEMBER MINISTER'S REPORT

2007-12-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

We’re four months into this new ministry now, with six months left to go until the end of the program year. We’ve identified our on-going priorities for the year as Stewardship, Membership, and Outreach, and are working to make meaningful advances in each of these three areas. Energy and enthusiasm are high, Sunday attendance is good, and although money is always an issue in churches so far we seem to be paying our bills.

Now, here’s an evolving checklist of things I would like for us to try to address before the end of the program year in June. If it all seems a little overwhelming, DON’T PANIC! The job of the Governing Board is simply to help define the desirable outcomes and necessary tasks, to identify and recruit the appropriate people to carry them out, and to make certain they have the training and the resources they need to be able to get the job done. Obviously, we won’t accomplish everything we hope to right away. But at least we can get things moving in the right direction

Wrap-up the Stewardship Campaign [Stephanie, Carl, Stewardship Team]

* Follow-up with the last of the folks we have not heard from yet.
* Add up the total number of pledges and the amount pledged
* Calculate the average & median pledges
* Do the analysis
* Thank the donors and volunteers
* Begin planning and recruiting for next year.

Special Fundraising Events [Bill, Carl, Linda, others?]

* The silent auction for handicapped accessibility is off to a great start!
* Now we need to start thinking about scheduling other events for later this spring (Jim Scott concert? Linda’s Spring Festival idea?)
* First steps toward a more formalized planned giving program.

“Next Step” – Trustees: especially Paula, Steve, Ted]

* We should know in another month or so whether or not this is going to fly.
* If it DOES fly, we will be entering into a whole new era of space utilization, program development, community footprint, etc. Be Prepared!
* If it doesn’t fly, we will need to move on to Plan B – what will we have to do in order to be able to accommodate all the things we want to do here in the space available?

Develop More Explicit Administrative Policies and Standard Operation Procedures [Tim, Barbara, Sue, others?]

* Identify more realistic deadlines for routine office work
* Predictable meeting schedules!
* Policies/Procedures in place: simplify, simplify

Articulate a Clear Vision and Long Range Plan for the Future of First Parish [Tim, COM, entire leadership team]

* “Becoming the Church People Think We Are.”
* “Roles, not Goals” – what part should First Parish play in the larger Portland community? How do we step up and fill those shoes?

Keep Enhancing the Pathway to Membership [Tim, Val, Sylvia, Membership Committee]

* (See Previous Handout – “The Path to Membership”)
* Benchmarking Measurements – what percentage of 1st time visitors
visit again? become formal members?
* Keep tweaking the materials and practices
* Hire a paid, part-time Membership Coordinator (?)

Volunteer Ministry Opportunities at First Parish [Tim and Nominating Committee, Governing Board]

* (See Previous Handout – “Volunteer Ministry Opportunities at First Parish”)
* Work with the Nominating Committee: “a ministry for every person”
* Develop better job descriptions
* Refine recruitment procedures.

Children’s RE program [RE Committee, new DRE, Tim]

* get the new DRE up to speed ASAP
* on-going Training and Team-building, program development

Worship & Music Program [Tim, Music Committee, Personnel Committee, Worship Council]

* Chip’s decision to resign actually puts us in a position to rethink (and expand) our entire music program: Organist, Accompanist(s), Choir Director, “Artist(s) in Residence,” guest performers
* Work with the Worship Council to better define the kind of worship experience we hope to create -- Order of Service Changes, Sept 2008?

Public Relations/Identity and “Branding” (walking briskly while chewing gum….)

* (See Previous Handout – “Thinking About Outreach”)
* Two new slogans: “Portland’s Original Faith Community (gathered in 1674)” and “A Warm & Welcoming Place in the Heart of the City”
* Some upcoming events we may wish to publicize:

January
Arrival of the new DRE
“New UU” Explorer Classes

February
10 Jim Scott Service (and Concert?)
Rev Tim’s Semi-Vegetarian Potluck and Lenten Study Series

March
16 New Members Reception on Palm Sunday
23 Easter Sunday
29 First "Greater Portland Community Forum @ 1st Parish" (?)
30 UUA Social Justice Sunday

April
16 Music Sunday
20 Earth Day

May
5 Installation Service
11 Mother’s Day/Spring Child Dedications
18 Spring Festival (?)

Small Group Ministry program [Tim, Bill, existing SGM participants]

* Identify existing groups – support and coach
* Spring facilitator training
* Open enrollment: form new Covenant Groups

Chaplains/Pastoral Care Ring [Tim, Membership Committee, Chaplains]

* Sally Madore, Bob Greenlaw, Johanna Spencer, more?
* Identify, Recruit and Train additional Pastoral Visitors, Care Ring Volunteers
* BTS Field Education Student?

BECOMING THE CHURCH PEOPLE THINK WE ARE (AND EXPECT US TO BE)

2007-12-06T08:10:00.001-08:00

When church leaders begin to reflect about what it means to be a “successful” church, they are often tempted to look first at the things that are easy to measure: Attendance, Membership, the size of the Church Budget, the results of the Annual Stewardship Campaign, and the amount of the Average Pledge. These are all good benchmarks of institutional growth, but if they become the ONLY benchmarks they also tend to start driving the entire organization, and in the process the less tangible things that make churches authentic faith communities sometimes get lost or fall by the wayside.

This is why it is also important to consider what some church consultants call “Incarnational Growth” – how effectively does our congregation embody our Mission as a community of faith, and how can we grow in both maturity and expertise as people of faith in order to make our vision real? At the risk of oversimplifying the process, the challenge of Incarnational Growth essentially involves thinking about "roles, not goals," while examining three successive questions regarding the seven core areas of our church program.

• What is our definition of excellence in this area?
• What would that look and feel like if we actually achieved it?
• What do we need to learn and do in order to make that happen?

Just as a reminder, the seven core areas are:

• Worship
• Lifespan Religious Education
• Fellowship
• Hospitality
• Faith in Action
• Community Outreach
• Pastoral Care

This is an invitation to avoid impatience, and to dream big dreams. We are in this for the long haul, and planning for an era, not just a year or two down the road. If we know where we want to go, with persistence and tenacity we will eventually get there. Or to paraphrase Thoreau, until we draw the blueprints for our “Castles in the Air,” we will never be able to put the foundations under them.

THE ECLECTIC CLERIC - “Portland’s Original Faith Community”

2007-12-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking an awful lot of late about the complex relationship between innovation and tradition. Between roots and wings. Between memory and hope. It’s a fairly ubiquitous topic in my line of work, with its constant challenge to be out there in the vanguard and on the cutting edge, while still remaining solidly grounded in the values and principles of our liberal religious heritage. The latter connect us to the wisdom of the ages. The former evoke our creative imaginations, that portion of our life-spirit which “maketh all things new,” and that Scripture tells us was created in the image of God.

When properly aligned, tradition provides the stable foundation which allows innovation to flourish. When they become out of alignment, it can sometimes start to feel like that age-old struggle between the irresistible force and the immovable object. Thomas Jefferson once advised: “In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, flow with the current.” I prefer a more pedestrian metaphor. So long as our feet remain planted solidly on the ground, our heads are free to soar as high among the clouds as they wish.

Tradition teaches us not to fear change, because we know that we have faced change in the past, changed, and still endured. The knowledge of who we are and where we have come from can also show us where we need to go, and how best to get there. A heritage of innovation challenges us to live up to the legacy of our ancestors, and to carry forward the spirit of their vision here in our own time, in ways that they might never have imagined. This “living tradition” is what gives our faith community the continuing power to transform people’s lives for the better, while at the same time connecting us all to that long line of people – some living, some dead, some not yet born – who share this journey with us, and whose lives also have been (or will be) transformed by our dynamic, on-going relationship with one another here in this place.

I personally am delighted by the knowledge that the First Parish Church is indeed Portland’s Original Faith Community: gathered in 1674, and still going strong 333 years later. In this holiday season, as we celebrate so many of the traditions of our past, and with the approaching the New Year, and its many associations with fresh starts and new beginnings, let us call to mind once again the familiar words of the 19th century hymn composer William DeWitt Hyde: “Since what we choose is what we are, and what we love we yet shall be, the goal may ever shine afar, the will to reach it makes us free.”

WORSHIP THAT WORKS

2007-11-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

A group of us have been enjoying a regular "conversation" about the experience of Worship and what it means, in part guided by an excellent new book by two UU ministers called Worship That Works. Here are some key concepts worthy of even more discussion.

Four Dynamic Forces that influence worship “norms”

What is the “Founding Culture?”

What are the Worship Traditions?

What is the Musical Baseline?

What is the Physical Space?

These four factors combine to create the "personality" of a particular congregation. They may change and evolve over time, but are ignored at one's peril. Meanwhile, one important purpose of worship is to change people's lives for the better: to instruct them, inspire them, and to send them out again into the world renewed, rejuvinated, and ready to face the world for another week. According to the authors,

Transformative Worship…

· invites the congregation into holy time and creates sacred space from the very beginning of the service

· includes an affirmation of the congregation’s central mission, values, and promises

· uses powerful symbols that are familiar to the congregations and are rooted in the community’s history and tradition

· is culturally sensitive, honoring and interpreting the context and setting of ritual elements and service content drawn from the world’s diverse cultures

· finds ways to invite and include people at all ages and stages of life

· skillfully uses the arts, particularly music, to express the ineffable in ways that are culturally accessible to the congregation

· recognizes inclusive singing as a way of opening the heart to the presence of the holy and to the mission, vision, and values of the congregation

· uses any announcements as a reminder of the mission, vision, and values of the congregation, and as a bridge from the service to personal actions and commitments

· invites and creates congregations of generosity and abundance

· finds ways to recognize individual lives within the body of the community, holding the personal and the collective in dynamic tension

· includes silence and words that remind us of our dependency on the mystery of life and each other

· honors traditional and contemporary sources for the congregation’s faith journey and helps place this journey in time, through the framework of the liturgical year

· can happen without a sermon, but the power of the word through excellent preaching is the key that unlocks the possibility of transformation in most of our congregations

· sends people out into the world with a personal sense of mission, with their highest values reinforced.

From Worship That Works: Theory and Practice for Unitarian Universalists, by Wayne Arnason and Kathleen Rolenz (Boston: Skinner House, 2008)