As we explore the journey of trust this month, I am reflecting on the adage: change moves at the speed of trust. That is one reason that changes in a church community happen more slowly than in other spaces you may move. Our church is not a building, it is a web of relationships.
These relationships are between and among congregants of all ages, between and among staff and congregants, between and among staff members, and between and among the various committees, programs, and teams. The health of these relationships and their ability to move things forward has everything to do with building trust between and among our people. Today, I’d like to take the time to share a glimpse of how our staff team is working to build trust together in order to better serve you and our mission.
First, I will name that I entered a system of low trust when I arrived. Let me share a few of the reasons. The staff team was siloed, which impacted our ability to understand what different parts of the team were experiencing and to collaborate effectively. The separation during the pandemic compounded this dynamic. There were also unresolved feelings of grief, anger, and broken trust still lingering in different parts of the staff team about how the process of unionization unfolded in 2014. Systems of accountability among the staff, from the staff to the congregation, and from the congregation to the staff were not fully in place, which meant that we didn’t have some of the checks and balances present – either because a system, policy, or procedure wasn’t in place or because people weren’t following some of the systems, policies, and procedures that were in place.
Second, change can be difficult, and people do not always welcome change. As a society and as a congregation, we had already been through a lot of unwelcome change because of the pandemic even as it brought some opportunities for innovation and experimenting with new ways of doing things. There was a need to rebuild and renew traditions. However, we were called to not just return to exactly the way things were, but to look forward, imagine, and emerge into the post-pandemic church.
When a new senior minister arrives, part of their work is to pay attention to which parts of the congregational system may need changes to move towards health. This is also the work of the Executive Team as a whole, which includes my partners, Tom Disrud and Kathryn Estey, and this is the work of the entire staff team all the time – to work together to notice and to act on where we may need to do things differently or to improve, as well as to celebrate together all that is going well. Again, this is especially true in a time of emerging from a pandemic.
Third, there is some good news to share: we have made positive changes that are beginning to bear fruit. Here are a couple of examples:
Beginning soon after my arrival, we embarked on conversations about having some right relations agreements in place about how we as the staff treat each other as we go about doing our work. This practice is common among staff teams in Unitarian Universalist congregations. Having a covenant or right relations promises in place is foundational to our core values and how we work together. I am delighted to share that this month, the staff team met to articulate what promises we would like to include to uphold each other’s work. A small group is meeting now to write the first draft.
In January 2024, we launched a Human Resources Advisory Committee to the Executive Team. Their initial work has been updating our Employee Handbook, policies and procedures to reflect current laws and maintain a system of best practices to attract and retain talented staff. The last time this was done was in 2009! A draft of the new Handbook is nearly complete. Now, the group is working with us to update current job descriptions where they exist and to write job descriptions where they don’t. Afterwards, we look forward to putting in place a feedback system that supports growth and learning for all.
There is so much more to share, and I look forward to doing that again soon. I invite you to join me at the Senior Minister Update and Q&A and the Finance Team Update on October 27th following the service.
The journey of trust and change are a continuous part of what it means to participate in congregational life together. May the road we are on lead us to a place where all the members of our staff team and our congregants are able to thrive as we fulfill the mission of our beloved community.
In faith,
Rev. Alison