November 2023 Splinters
The Board held two meetings in November, one after the Senior Minister and Finance Team’s town hall where a draft of the 2024 financial plan and budget were discussed, and the second after the church’s annual meeting of November 19th. At the first meeting, the Board accepted a revised Financial Plan from the Finance Team. The Finance Team made revisions to this financial plan after hearing concerns from several congregants regarding the future of the church’s programs for youth during the town hall and previous Board meeting. We accepted a revised budget plan that included provision for a part-time Youth Faith Development manager. The Board continued to emphasize the need to increase income, specifically pledges. Using income from restricted funds was acknowledged as an unreliable long-term solution. This revised plan was ultimately approved by a vote of the congregation at our November annual meeting.
On other matters, we set the agenda for the annual meeting and began discussion on the results of the April 2023 congregational survey on how we, as a congregation and church, are meeting the Ends to achieve the goals that we set for ourselves in 2021.
At our November 29th Board meeting, we began the meeting in closed session to review Senior Minister’s year-end performance appraisal. This comprised a cumulative summary of monitoring assessments conducted through the year. We continued our discussion of the congregational survey and how to interpret the results in terms of how the congregation is meeting its Ends (outcome goals).
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
October 2023 Splinters
At our October meeting, several visitors attended, three of whom voiced their concerns about the Lifespan Faith Development program, emphasizing the importance of religious education in the church and the need for adequate funding and support. The Board heard these concerns and indicated that they would be discussed.
Following the visitor comments, several reports were discussed, including the compensation and benefits compliance monitoring report from Rev. Neal, the Board’s proposed policy on treatment of volunteers, and a draft of the 2024 financial plan from Rev. Neal and the Finance team. We approved the monitoring report and the policy on treatment of volunteers, and the Board Policy document will be updated accordingly.
A discussion ensued over the proposed financial plan, which faces a deficit of $16,773. The budget included increased payroll for staff, director hours, and building insurance. To balance the budget, income from restricted funds would be added, although this was acknowledged as an unreliable long-term solution. The need to increase income, specifically pledges, was emphasized. Additionally, funding for a lifespan faith development director was discussed, and the Board was reminded about its role in church governance, particularly regarding how the Lifespan Faith Development program is operationalized and funded. Board members voted 8 to 1 to recommend the financial plan to the congregation as presented, and also scheduled an additional meeting for November 15 at 6:30 p.m. to review any updates in the financial plan, set the annual meeting agenda, and discuss the congregational survey results from April 2023.
Lastly, the date and time for our next regular monthly meeting was decided as Wednesday, November 29 at 6:30 pm.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
August-September 2023 Splinters
The Board of Trustees took a meeting break during July to work in small groups to prepare for upcoming meetings. At our August meeting, we heard from Sonya Norris, who stepped up to lead the Stewardship Team. She outlined for us the plans for this fall’s pledge drive. We accepted the Senior Minister’s compliance plan for Treatment of Members, Friends, and Visitors. We also discussed the results of an internal survey of the Board and Senior Minister relationship.
At our September meeting, we accepted the Senior Minister’s Operational Policies on Gift Acceptance and Living Our Values Team (LOV), which includes a Process for Feedback on Congregational Relationships and Congregational Operations. An updated Safe Church Policy is forthcoming; however, the current one is here. We also accepted three compliance monitoring reports from Rev. Neal: an emergency Senior Minister succession plan, an asset protection plan, and communication and support of the Board. Monitoring the operational limitations of the Senor Minister that the Board has defined as unacceptable (such as unethical or imprudent behavior) is an important part of the Board’s responsibility. The Board evaluates progress, made by the Senior Minister, toward UU Lansing’s desired outcomes within the constraints of these operational limitations.
We were updated on possible candidates for elected positions for 2024 for the Board, the Leadership Development Committee, and the Investment Committee. The Board evaluated its own policy on Board-Senior Minister relationship and agreed that the Board’s assessment of each monitoring report forms the SM’s performance appraisal. The cumulative summary of these assessments conducted through the year form the year-end appraisal of the Senior Minister.
Lastly, we reviewed the Next Steps report of UUA consultant Mark Ewert’s presentation on stewardship and how the Board might help the Stewardship Team in moving forward.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our Next Board meeting is scheduled for October 25, 2023.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
June 2023 Splinters
The Board of Trustees invited the Investment Committee to our June meeting for a discussion of their needs for candidates to serve on the Investment Committee in the next term and listen to their ideas and concerns.
In other business, the Board approved two monitoring reports of the Senior Minister (there are eight total): Treatment of Staff and Treatment of Congregant Members, Friends, and Visitors. Monitoring the operational limitations of the Senor Minister that the Board has defined as unacceptable (such as unethical or imprudent behavior) is an important part of the Board’s responsibility. The Board evaluates progress, made by the Senior Minister, toward UU Lansing’s desired outcomes within the constraints of these operational limitations.
Additionally, as part of the Board’s accountability to communicate with the congregation, we approved a process for congregational members to attend Board meetings.
Lastly, we approved the date for the Annual Meeting of the UU Lansing congregation, which will be November 19, 2023.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. We will not meet in July. Our next Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
May 2023 Splinters
At our May Board meeting, the Board of Trustees invited the Leadership Development Committee to discuss our needs for board candidates to serve in the next term. We are looking for members who are willing to make decisions in the best interests of our congregation as a whole; who enjoy dealing with values, an outward vision, and our long-term future; and who wish to cultivate a sense of group responsibility. If you are interested in representing our congregation as a trustee, please contact us; we are happy to hear from you.
In other business, the Board has divided into two work groups: one to oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the Board’s governing processes and Senior Minister limitation policies and the other group to plan the Board’s linkages with our congregation. As part of the Board’s accountability to communicate with the congregation, we are drafting a description of how congregational members can respond to our open invitation to attend Board meetings. Look for this process to be posted on our website.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
April 2023 Splinters
During April, your Board of Trustees surveyed our congregation to discern how well we, as a congregation and church, believe that we are meeting the Ends to achieve our desired outcomes. Ends are our church’s destination, and these Ends statements, listed here, define what the Board is holding itself and the Senior Minister accountable for producing.
As congregants of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs, we:
• Travel our life and spiritual journeys with integrity.
• Articulate our Unitarian Universalist faith identity, share it with succeeding generations, and live it courageously in the world.
• Practice gracious hospitality, reaching across all manner of differences.
• Connect in loving relationship and cultivate belonging and inclusion.
• Work for peace, justice, and sustainability, in partnership with the larger community.
We hope to share our analysis of the 92 responses later this summer.
Other actions by the Board included appointing Margo Smith to fill a vacancy on our Board, appointing John-Marc Ormechea to fill a vacancy on the Leadership Development Committee, and continuing with our review of Shared Governance accountability and policy limitations.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics.
Deb Feltz, President president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect president-elect@uulansing.org
March 2023 Splinters
In our progress on Board policies, we reached another milestone in finalizing and approving our complaint process. The Board put this process in place because we realize that there are times when disagreements and complaints with the Board’s governing policies occur. In those such cases, direct communication is encouraged among the people involved, in the spirit of our Congregational Covenant. If individual conversations can’t fully resolve the problem, a person can refer to the Board’s process in 1.10 of the UU Lansing Board Policy Document.
Other actions by the Board included appointing Ralph Putnam to fill a vacancy on our Board and approving a congregational survey to discern how well we, as a congregation and church, are meeting the Ends to achieve our desired outcomes. The first section of this survey asks how you think we are meeting each of the Ends. The second section has some questions about your connections with the church. You can expect this survey to reach your email or postal mailboxes sometime in early April.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our Next Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
Deb Feltz, President president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect president-elect@uulansing.org
February 2023 Splinters
The Board has been in transition to a new governing calendar that will now synchronize with the church’s financial plan. As part of that transition, we held our first retreat on February 25th to plan our work for the year.
In addition to our retreat, we held our February Board meeting, where two congregants presented a letter they drafted to Governor Whitmer in which the Governor was asked to work with Michigan Department of Corrections Director, Heidi Washington, to end the use of segregation in our prisons and assure that rehabilitation is occurring for all individuals from the onset of their time in prison. The Board approved the letter and moved that the President and Senior Minister sign it. The signed letter was sent on February 27th.
Other actions taken by the Board included approval of Walt Wheeler to the Investment Committee and approval of a frequently asked questions document regarding how our shared leadership governance works.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our Next Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
January 2023 Splinters
Since our last report, we had the first Board meeting of 2023 and our Congregational Budget/Delegate approval meeting on January 29th. The congregational members approved the 2023 Financial Plan for the operating budget. The plan calls for the Church to support programs but reduce amounts; reduce, as we did last year, our contribution to UUA; avoid staff layoffs, but freeze staff salaries (despite inflation), and reduce the Church Administrator’s time; and use most of the remaining COVID relief funds. This will bring us to a balanced budget.
The membership also approved delegates to General and Regional Assembly. This year, both Assemblies will be held in the same location: Pittsburgh, PA. The following slates of delegates will represent UU Lansing:
General Assembly – Deb Feltz, Wendy Hamilton, Tammy Lemmer, Kathy Lovell, Karl Paananen, Barbara Stoddard, Gale Strasburg
Regional Assembly – Rocky Beckett, Deb Feltz, Judy Goth-Owens, Wendy Hamilton, Bob Lovell, Kathy Lovell, Gale Strasburg
Beginning this year, we will hold one Annual Meeting of the Congregation in November (based on our newly approved By-Laws), where we will present the church’s annual financial plan for 2024 and slates of candidates for all appropriate positions on the Board of Trustees and Congregational Committees instead of separating our financial plan and slates of candidates in different meetings.
In terms of Board work for 2023, we continue our review of Shared Governance accountability and policy limitations and begin our monitoring process of comparing performance data against a reasonable interpretation of Ends policies and Senior Minister limitations policies. We have begun work on developing a baseline congregational survey on the Ends (an “understanding” survey) and establishing written governance policies for Congregational committees.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our Next Board meeting is scheduled for February 22, 2023.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
November 2022 Splinters
Now that our new Bylaws have been approved by the congregation, to take effect January 1, 2023, your Board of Trustees has resumed its work on Shared Governance accountability and policy limitations. We continue our work with Rev. Neal on interpretations of Ends policies and policy limitation interpretations. We are on schedule to finish this process by the end of February 2023. We also hope to have a Shared Governance FAQs on our website by early next year.
We will have another Congregational Meeting on Sunday, January 29 to vote on approval of the church’s financial plan and a slate of General Assembly and Regional Assembly delegates.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our next Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 28.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
October 2022 Splinters
Our biggest news is that we have new By-laws! The By-laws of The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Greater Lansing were approved by its members with amendments on November 6, 2022 to take effect January 1, 2023.
The Board hosted two town halls in October (one on Zoom and one in person) to inform our members of the proposed changes to our By-laws, which had not been updated since 2015, and to answer any questions. We also provided a form using Breeze where congregants could provide feedback and ask questions. The questions, comments, and feedback we received were very helpful to the Board in making additional changes to our proposal before presenting them to the voting members of the Congregation for discussion and final vote.
The membership also approved that term limits for Congregational Committees will be refreshed starting January 1, 2023. This means that if a committee member is finishing their third, two-year term in 2023 (that is, they are term-limited), they may still run again for election to that committee for two more two-year terms if they are nominated by the Leadership Development Committee.
We are excited by the possibilities in these changes and look forward to moving ahead toward building and supporting Beloved Community.
If you have any questions regarding “Splinters from the Board” or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our next Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 22, 2022.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
September 2022 Splinters
Splinters from the September 28, 2022 Board Meeting
During the months of September and October, your Board of Trustees continues its focus on Shared Governance in the areas of accountability, bylaws, finance, and policy limitations. Specifically, we have constructed and formally adopted an Administrative Governance Chart at our September meeting. This chart shows the structure of our accountability to our Mission and Values.
We discussed plans for our two town halls (October 5 and October 16) to provide information regarding our proposed revision of UU-Lansing’s bylaws and hear feedback. We will hold a Special Congregational Meeting in November, when the Bylaws revisions will be put to a vote. This meeting will be in person.
We discussed a financial report indicating that our recurring utilities will be over budget, driven mainly by increased electricity usage.
We continued to make progress on working with Rev. Neal on interpretations of Ends policies and policies limitation interpretations. We are on schedule to finish this process by the end of February 2023.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics. Our next Board meeting is scheduled for October 26, 2022.
Deb Feltz, President
president@uulansing.org
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
president-elect@uulansing.org
Spring/Summer 2022 Splinters
Your Board of Trustees has been busy trying to advance the best interests of UU Lansing. These efforts span a wide spectrum, from recommending the Regional and General Assembly delegate registration fees be paid from the Church’s reserve account, to holding our Annual Congregation Meeting in April, where slates of candidates for various Board and Committee positions were approved.
A significant amount of time has been devoted to implementing our Board policies and to the review of our Constitution and Bylaws. After adopting our Board Policy on shared-leadership governance in February of this year, your Board began setting up a thoughtful implementation of our governance strategy. We started with a “Making it Happen” retreat in April to:
· Set up a process for responding to Rev. Neal’s policy interpretations (there are eight Limitation policies and five Ends policies in our shared-leadership governance) to ensure the Board understands what its policies will mean operationally and how the Board will know there is compliance with its policies. For instance, under the policy of financial planning, the Senior Minister must establish, maintain, and communicate an appropriate gift acceptance policy for both unrestricted and restricted gifts that includes provisions for donor-designated purposes and allows for the acceptance or rejection of gifts.
· Establish a calendar for receiving and reviewing policy interpretations. We are on schedule to finish this process by the end of February.
· Establish a perpetual calendar for assessing policy compliance to help the Board stay aligned with its governance system into the future.
Review of Rev. Neals’ interpretations of Ends policies and limitations policies has started. We have reviewed the first two Ends interpretations and the two Financial interpretations. We are on schedule to finish this process by the end of February 2023.
In addition to reviewing policy interpretations, the Board has been carefully reviewing, discussing, and approving the proposed revised bylaws, article by article. We formally approved the proposed revisions to the Bylaws at our August meeting. We intend to make these proposed revisions available to the congregation for review, with an invitation to provide written feedback, and an invitation to attend one or both townhall-style meetings prior to a congregational meeting in November, when the Bylaws revisions will be put to a vote. This meeting will be in person.
If you have any questions regarding Splinters from the Board or the work of your Board, please reach out to us. We look forward to future engagement on these and other topics.
Deb Feltz, President
Tom Nicholas, President-Elect
February 2022 Splinters
With a sigh of relief at the February 24 meeting, the Board reached a significant milestone in our multi-year project to modernize UU Lansing’s governance. We voted unanimously to adopt a comprehensive set of Board policies. One of Congregational Administrator Kathy McWilliams’ favorite sayings is “things move at the speed of church.” These policies will speed up many things by simplifying our (virtual) org chart. In addition, these policies will:
· Lean more heavily on the leadership, experience, and expertise of our talented staff.
· Provide latitude and limits to encourage innovation.
· Encourage a shared-leadership process that involves the congregation in creating a strategic plan.
· Establish regular performance reviews for all of our programs.
· Establish a clear process to receive and address concerns.
The Board remains your voice between congregational meetings. We retain and take seriously our fiduciary responsibility, always seeking to act in UU Lansing’s best interests. We’ll be creating opportunities to discuss these policies with you, and we look forward to those conversations. This project is not yet done; reviewing our Constitution and Bylaws is the next big step, and preliminary work has begun to create a proposal. Unlike these policies, which focus on how the Board operates, the Constitution and Bylaws affect the whole church, and changes will come from a future congregational meeting.
November 2021 Splinters
At the Board’s November 23, 2021 Meeting:
Deb Feltz was appointed as President-Elect of the Church. She will serve a second term as President of the Church for 2022-2023.
Tom Nicholas was appointed to the Board, replacing Joe Stuart, who has moved to take a new job.
Lisa Huberty was appointed to the Finance Committee.
An initial discussion on how the Finance Team might work under policy governance was held; decisions will be made at a later date.
Folks interested in solar panels at UU Lansing will hold a townhall later this winter.
Recruitment for General Assembly and Regional Assembly delegates is underway. (Contact Gale Strasburg if you are interested.)
Rob Mack, Treasurer, reported that a $10,000 LEAP grant was added to income for October. Budget vs Actual shows a net income, as of October 31, of $41,868 (including the LEAP grant and $66,767 PPP grant. Pledge income appears to be on track to reach the budgeted amount of $501,599.
October 2021 Splinters
At the October 27, 2021 meeting, the Board asked the Secretary to send thank-you notes to:
○ Jennifer Castner, retiring as Stewardship Chair
○ Lynn Scott, retiring as Social Justice Chair
○ The Installation Committee, who created a fabulous installation ceremony for Rev. Neal - Deb Mosher, Jann and Mike Nestell, Carol and Tom Nicholas, and Susan Rothfuss
Kathy Lovell provided information about solar panels for the church on several detailed documents and gave a summary of work done to date. She described how an LLC can be used to capture tax advantages unavailable to churches. Step-by-step instructions for how to do this are available. She reprised the history of work at UU Lansing to date. Kathy answered questions, and a Board conversation followed.
The Board then asked Kathy Lovell and her team to hold a church-wide Zoom meeting on solar panels for the church. The meeting should begin with a broad discussion of solar panels, competing church priorities, and options for purchasing panels. It should include an invitation to take part in an online survey designed to test congregational interest.
Past President Judy Goth-Owens reported that the Nominations Committee has begun to look for Regional Assembly and General Assembly Delegates.
Jenny Olson reported that the summer slump in pledge payments is over, and income has picked up. The Dart Bank mortgage loan is on track for renewal.
The Board has changed its next meeting time from the fourth Wednesday of November to Tuesday, November 23 at its regular time of 7:00 p.m., to accommodate those who are traveling for Thanksgiving.
August 2021 Splinters
Splinters from the Board of Trustees Meeting August 25, 2021
Sarah Matteo, our new Director of Lifespan Faith Development, was introduced by Rev. Neal Anderson. She spoke briefly, and Board members introduced themselves.
The Board’s only action item was to approve a motion to release $4,800 in the Thornton Peace Fund for use by the Community Organizer project.
The Board has continued to meet monthly with Laura Park, our hired consultant, to transition into Policy Governance from our modified Program Board system. We recognize the need to have a congregational conversation about what this means, and planning for this conversation will be a focus of our retreat as part of our theme: dealing with change and how to re-engage. The retreat is planned for September 24 and 25.
In other business, the Board approved Julia Tarsa as appointee to the Nominations Committee. Outcomes of Access and Inclusion Ministries Plan Workshop for Board (and Program Chairs) were discussed. Deb Feltz reported that she and a few members of the Board will meet with Board members of UU-Nashua to learn about their experience in moving toward policy governance.
Rev. Neal Anderson reported on childcare, technology upgrades, Covid opening plans including mask requirement, and nearly-finished kitchen remodeling. The Southside Community Kitchen looks to begin soon. Rev. Neal is hopeful that congregants will volunteer to work in the kitchen. Installation planning continues for October 23.
Judy Goth-Owens reported the Stewardship Committee will be needing a new chair as Jennifer Castner steps down. The Nominations Committee is looking for suggested qualities and skills needed for Board nominees.
Jenny Olson provided highlights from the Finance Committee report: Pledges have come in better than expected, so some of the PPE funds planned for this year may be available next year.
May 2021 Splinters
New Board Officers were elected:
Secretary – Bob Lovell
Vice President for Finance – Rob Mack
Incoming President Deb Feltz thanked Outgoing President Judy Goth-Owens for her service in a difficult year.
Walt Wheeler and Stephanie Fleming of the Covid Task Force presented their Reopening Plan. Board members thanked the Task Force for their work this year, and the Board approved a motion of support for the plan.
Jennifer Castner of the Stewardship Committee reported that the May 2021 Auction raised about $4500. A second auction is planned for fall.
A family within the congregation has offered a matching gift of $5,000 and is inviting members of the congregation to make gifts totaling an equal amount for use in paying down the congregation’s mortgage. That match has been met by our congregants.
The "Spring Ask" launched by the Stewardship Committee last month, to fund the purchase of hardware and software to enable worship to be livestreamed and recorded in perpetuity, has raised $12,585 to date of the goal $16,000. [By the end of May, the goal was nearly reached.]
Pat Quinn will continue as one of the Board-appointed Nominations Committee members.
Rev. Neal reported that Ice Cream Sunday will be held to celebrate Teresa Putnam, retiring Director of Lifespan Faith Development, on Sunday, June 27 between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. An offer has been made to a new Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Development.
Michael McClellan reminded the Board of the upcoming meeting with consultant Laura Park in June to continue to the process of adopting a policy governance model.
The Boardʼs next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Prepared by Bob Lovell, Board Secretary
March 2021 Splinters
During its March 2021 meeting, the Board reviewed and discussed the proposed by-law revisions. The Board focused on specific revisions for which individual Board members had questions or wished to seek further clarification regarding the proposed change or new addition to the by-laws document. Particular areas addressed included the role and structure of the Finance Committee, the renaming of the Nominations Committee to Leadership Development Committee, composition of the Board, and ability/authority to take a public position or public statement on behalf of the church.
Judy Goth-Owens reported that she attended a session for congregations from the Mid-America Region that addressed plans for reopening congregations. There is not a specific plan or recommendation from the UAA with regard to reopening. The Board passed a motion charging Rev. Neal to work with the church’s existing COVID-19 Task Force to develop a plan for reopening and returning to in-person worship.
Michael McClellan reminded the Board of the meetings with consultant Laura Park on April 6 and April 8 to continue the process of adopting a policy governance model. The individual Board member work assignments need to be completed ahead of those planned sessions.
The Board was informed by the Stewardship Committee that a family within the congregation has offered a matching gift of $5,000 and is inviting members of the congregation to make gifts totaling an equal amount for use in paying down the congregation’s mortgage. In addition, the Stewardship Committee is planning to do a special spring ask to reach a goal of $15k to support work needed to upgrade the floor in the kitchen and to support the church’s ability to live stream services. Stewardship is also reviewing proposals for a variety of other small fundraising events to be conducted over the course of the year.
The Finance Committee reported to the Board that it appeared the church would be able to close the 2020 financials in March. The Committee estimates there will be a $43k budget surplus for the 2020 fiscal year. The Committee shared that it is also exploring ways in which it can better clarify the documentation and tracking of the reserve fund accounts.
The Nominations Committee requested some additional time to develop the slate of candidates prior to the congregational meeting. Given the current schedule and acknowledging the ordination of congregant Kristy Stuart scheduled for April 24, the Board is recommending the congregational meeting be held on Sunday, May 2, 2021. The Nominations Committee will be prepared to present a slate of candidates to fill the anticipated vacancies on all congregational committees and the Board.
Bill Arnold shared that he will be resigning his position on the Board as he is unable to completely fulfill his obligations as a Board member. He will remain in his position until a replacement is appointed to fulfill the remainder of his term.
February 2021 Splinters
Following the congregational meeting presentation by Michael McClellan regarding the Mapping our Future initiative, two separate online gatherings were hosted for congregants to ask questions and offer feedback. The Board members who facilitated those sessions updated the entire Board on the questions and concerns raised by those who participated. Participants were particularly interested in getting greater clarity regarding the ends statements and how those relate to goals for the congregation. In addition, there was interest in receiving additional details about the Board’s efforts to move the church toward use of policy governance. The Board agreed to continue to work on informing and involving members of the congregation in living into the identified values, mission, and ends as well as the policy governance process. On February 11, the Board conducted another 90-minute facilitated policy governance transition session with our consultant. Throughout March, Board members will engage in individual study and work in preparation for another 90-minute work session with the consultant in April.
The Board received a draft revision of the church bylaws from the committee appointed by the Board to conduct a review and revision process. Joe Stuart, Deb Feltz, and Jessica Martin, who comprised the committee, updated the Board on the process they used over the last six months to review and identify necessary revisions. During that time, the committee met with numerous individuals involved with church committees as well as with church staff. The overall goal of the review and revision process was to create a more streamlined document that is easier to read and understand. In addition, the revised bylaws are intended to better reflect the church’s movement toward policy governance. It has been approximately five years since the last significant bylaws review. The Board is currently reviewing the proposed revisions and will, at its next meeting, engage in further discussion of the proposed revisions.
The Board received the monthly Budget/Finance Committee Report, noting that the committee is currently working to close the 2020 financials and hopes to complete that process by the end of April. The Board received notice from the Investment Committee that there will be a $30k payout from the endowment available as a spendable allocation. The Board will request that Rev. Neal work with staff and volunteers to identify from the existing “wish list” of special projects as well as other emergent needs a proposal on where those funds will be allocated.
The Nominations Committee informed the Board that they anticipate there will be two seats on the Board, two seats on the Finance Committee, and two seats on the Nominations Committee to be filled this spring. The committee will put out information in the church newsletter and seek additional opportunities to inform the congregation and to invite people to recommend names of those who might be interested.
The Board is partnering with the AIM team (Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry) to schedule a two-hour workshop for lay ministers and congregation leaders for sometime this spring.
-Bill Arnold