Communications Committee
The Communications Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Trustees. (4.10.3 GP, Article VII, Section 1 (a) (2) B). Its mission is to communicate actions of the Board of Trustees and to facilitate engagement (linkage) among the congregation, the Board, and the Church’s Executive Team. Specific duties include:
- Maintain church website pages and other public communications (e.g. bulletin boards) pertaining to the Board
- Conduct Cafe Conversations, Listening Projects, and other Board forums
- Maintain the Board’s FAQ page.
2023-2024 Communications Committee Membership:
- Julia Griffiths- Chair
- Robert Bonner
- David Livermore
Meetings of the Communications Committee are open to all. The committee generally meets the second Tuesday of every month. Meetings are generally held in the evening at the Church. Check out the Church’s calendar for upcoming committee meetings. Agendas for the meetings may be requested (or ideas for agenda items submitted) in advance by writing to board@firstunitarianportland.org. Minutes from Communications Committee meetings are included in the Board of Trustee meeting agenda packets.
Annual Congregational Surveys
Every year the Board strives to conduct a survey of the congregation. Common to each year’s survey are questions seeking feedback on how the Church is meeting its mission (ratings of mission elements) and demographic information. The survey has also address topics important to the congregation in the year it was given. No survey was conducted by the Board in 2019. It was expected that there would be a congregational survey conducted by the Ministerial Search Committee as part of the preparation of the Congregational Record. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the search was postponed to the 2021-2022 church year. Here are links to summaries of previous annual congregational surveys:
Board-Facilitated Forums
On behalf of the Board, the Communications Committee organizes periodic forums to engage in dialog with congregants on the Church’s mission and goals as well as to hear concerns. This is important work for the Board and provides linkage between the congregation and its leadership. The Board greatly values the perspective provided at these forums and the opportunity to engage with a diverse set of congregants. The following are the notes and presentations from the forums held during the 2017-2018 church year.
October 5, 2020 – Update on Evaluation of Ministry and 3-year Church Goals Process
The Board held its first congregational forum for the 2020-2021 church year on Sunday, October 25. The purpose of the forum was to review (1) the results of the 2019-2020 Evaluation of Ministry and (2) the process for congregational involvement in the develop of new 3-year church goals. The forum was well attended (on Zoom). Slides from the forum can be found here:
Additional Resources:
CommunicationsCommitteePlaybook
Guidelines for how to organize various communication forums.