Greetings;
Last Sunday was Celebration Sunday when we offered gratitude for the support of members and friends who sustain the work of the church. As of last Sunday, we have reached 75% of our budget goal so there is still some work to be done. We celebrated with ice cream bars and lemonade provided by the Church Board of Trustees in Fuller Hall after the worship service. Thank you to all of you who have made your pledge or gift. If you haven’t done so yet, there is still time. (https://tinyurl.com/firstupdx2023)
Following our celebration last Sunday, Rev. Alison and the Board collaborated on an informational meeting about the draft of proposed changes to Article II of the UUA bylaws. This is the section that lists our purposes, principles, and sources. The new language is being reviewed by congregations across the country and we encourage everyone to visit the Article II webpage by November 28 to provide your feedback. There will be another round of reviews beginning in January. We will be holding additional sessions on the changes and our congregation’s response to them. There will be a preliminary vote at General Assembly 2023.
The Trans Day of Remembrance, which marks the lives of trans people who have died in the previous year will be held on Nov. 19 at 4:00 PM in Eliot Chapel. First Unitarian is honored to have been asked to become the permanent host for this annual gathering.
The Board held its first Forum of the year in October. We reviewed how policy-based governance works, what a covenant means with our minister, our financial status, and what the Board is working on this year. There were several good questions from attendees. Here’s an overview of some highlights. Full recording available here.
Size of Learning Community
The Learning Community seems much smaller now. The survey performed during the Ministerial Search found that only 13% of respondents had children in the Learning Community, which seems low.
Responses:
- Respondents to our surveys tend to skew older, so they are not a representative sample of the whole congregation.
- Children and youth could not be vaccinated and so did not meet at the church, preventing the building of connection through relationships, which is key to growing the Learning Community.
- Reverend Alison shared that there are currently 120 children and youth in the Learning Community, compared to 300+ before the pandemic, and close to 600 in our peak years.
Plans for the Block
Before the pandemic, Reverend Bill Sinkford formed a Real Estate Development Task Force to explore options for the buildings and property we own. The Task Force found that doing nothing is not an option. Buildings need to be upgraded or replaced. Replacing buildings will be expensive and will require a capital campaign to support it. Work was paused until we have a clearer sense of the emerging church and what it means for the space we need now and in the future. We will be watching what happens over the coming church year.
Board Structure, Including Possibility of Youth Member
The Board is looking at its size and structure and is considering changes. Our Board is larger than is common for churches of our size. One suggestion from the Forum is to consider having a youth member on the Board.
Contact the Board
You don’t have to attend a Forum to communicate with the Board! You can attend a Board meeting on, the first Thursday of each month, check the website for information (https://www.firstunitarianportland.org/about-us/board/ ), or, email us at: board@firstunitarianportland.org. Or spot us on Sunday wearing our stylish blue and white name tags.
In service,
Your Board of Trustees
November 2022