At its Oct. 4 meeting, the UNMC Board of Trustees approved a proposal to spend $6,500 to repair the roof, considered a timeline for calling a new settled minister, and approved the charter for the new Worship Committee. The Board also heard a consultant’s report on UNMC’s strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities along with recommendations on how to build on its strengths and overcome its weaknesses.
The Board granted the Building & Grounds Committee the authority to have roof repairs done in accordance with a $6,500 proposal from Samuel C. Boyd & Son, Inc. and encouraged the Committee to explore the possibility of a warranty for the repair work. The Board also approved the Committee’s current membership (Jorn Dakin – Chair, Kathy Desmond, Richard Zierdt, Shanon Loring, Donna Simonton, Brian Pepper, Paula Harrison, Perry King) and postponed consideration of revisions to the Committee’s charter.
Sue Mosher presented a proposed timeline with month-by-month steps that would result in the congregation calling a settled minister by April 2006. She explained that the proposal incorporates several of the recommendations made by Joseph Priestly District ministerial settlement representative John Hansman at his meeting with the board Sept. 14 and by consultant Denise Byrne at the Board’s Sept. 11 session with her on board governance. Board members discussed procedures for electing or appointing search committee members and, to get the process under way, approved Sue Mosher as chair of the Nominating Committee for a one-year term. She agreed to report back to the Board at its November meeting with additional Nominating Committee members and a committee charter.
The Board heard the draft report from organizational development consultant Denise Byrne, who posed two critical questions to the board, along with many recommendations:
1. What do we need to do right now to overcome our current problems and survive in the short term?
2. Are we committed to do what it takes to grow the church now?
As a next step, the Board asked Ms. Byrne to prepare an executive summary that could be distributed to the congregation before the semi-annual meeting in November.
The Board approved Rev. Morn’s proposal that Amy DeBeck, an intern minister at the Sterling UU congregation who preached at UNMC Oct. 3, be authorized for one year to perform weddings on UNMC’s behalf, when Rev. Morn herself is not available.
The Board approved the charter for the new Worship Committee. Rev. Morn and Rob Bertram will take the next steps in organizing the committee.
Consideration of the Organ Committee charter and proposal were postponed for future consideration. Moderator Greg Wigle reported that another church is interested in purchasing the Gottfried organ and that Kirk Denton is holding discussions with them.
Welcome & Membership Committee chair Sue Mosher invited anyone interested in how hospitality teams might be formed to handle hospitality hour and ushering duties to attend the W&M Committee meeting October 31 at 12:45 p.m. She also noted that in taking up the duties of Nominating Committee chair, she will resign as chair of the W&M Committee.
Vicki Pepper announced that she plans to step down from the Board no later than the semi-annual meeting November 14, for personal reasons.
The Board also set the dates and discussed the agendas for several upcoming meetings:
Sat. Oct. 23 - Board retreat at the Peppers to discuss the annual canvass, the semi-annual meeting agenda, and how the board works together
Fri. Nov. 5 - Congregational pot luck dinner to discuss how to further the “greater sense of peace” goal that arose from the Sept. 11 Quick Start meeting. Social hour at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 10 - Board of Trustees meeting, 7 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 14 - Semi-annual congregational meeting, 12:30 p.m.
In attendance were Rob Bertram, Kathryn Desmond, Clint McCully, Sue Mosher, Vicki Pepper, Brian Pepper, Greg Wigle, and Rev. Morn, along with invited guest Denise Byrne, an organizational development consultant.
Posted by Sue Mosher at October 20, 2004 10:04 AM