Dear Friends,
Tuesday, October 14 is an important day for our congregation. On that day, we will embark on an experiment to have committees meet on the same night to share basic information, build relationships and do some of their individual committee work. This committee collaborative will take place in lieu of Trustee meetings on the second Tuesday in October, January, March, and May. On the off months of September, November, December, February, April and June, all of the committees, including Trustees, would have their stand alone meetings. We think these bi-monthly collaborative gatherings will improve communication while cutting down on the number of weeknights devoted to church meetings. These collaboratives are an experiment and will be modified over time as we see what works and what does not. In addition to committee members, we strongly urge people who are not on a committee to join us and participate if you would like to learn more about the church or would like to try on a ministry. All are welcome.
On Tuesday, October 14, we will gather from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The meeting format is as follows:
• 6:00 – 7:00: Potluck supper. At that time committees can meet individually or together as they wish.
• 7:00 – 8:15: Work with our consultant on ways in which we can build relationships with one another, identify each other’s gifts for ministry, and identify common points where committees can work together.
• 8:15 to 9:00: Engage in conversation about how to proceed with the Associate Minister Search. For background on the conversation about the Associate Minister, please see the discussion document from the Board of Trustees.
After consulting with the congregation in October, the Trustees will decide whether to form a search committee for the settled associate minister. While our collective discernment process is underway, we encourage anyone who has the intention and can commit a significant amount of time to submit their name, or that of another congregant which they feel would serve the congregation well on the Associate Minister Search Committee, to the Board of Trustees for consideration. Each name submitted will be prayerfully considered as the Trustees make the final decisions about who will be on the committee. No decisions about the composition of the committee will be made until after the October 14 meeting.
In addition to appointing a search committee, the Trustees will also be considering people who would like to serve on the ReVision task group. Please email Louise Brewster if you wish to nominate someone (or yourself) for either of these groups.
This is an exciting time for our church and we invite your faithful participation.
May the peace of Christ be with you!
Louise Brewster and Peter Cook