Unitarian Church of Sharon
4 N. Main St.
Sharon, MA 02067

781-784-3652
E-mail UCS

Ministerial Search

See also Interim Ministry FAQ & Cottage Meetings Report

June 2010

Ministerial Search Wrap-up

The work of the Ministerial Search Committee is complete. It has been an intense year, but the near-unanimous approval expressed in the vote to call Jim Robinson has made our work very rewarding.

Our successful search was the work of many people. I would like to thank them, beginning with the hardworking Committee members, who all gave according to their available time and talents. We all helped each other, of course, but everyone assumed responsibility for some key tasks. Aidan planned the Search Committee retreat, created the Information Packet, and pinch hit for me at meetings. Ellen planned all the details of the Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop and three pre-candidating weekends. Liz took responsibility for the Cottage Meetings and involvement of our youth; and Alison kept track of our finances, was our connection to RE, and coordinated babysitting. David designed and tabulated the Congregational and Youth Surveys and helped to draft the Minister’s Agreement. And everyone provided food for the many meetings, wrote Chalice articles, made phone calls, interviewed candidates, did reference checks, and worked to make Candidating Week a success.

We had lots of help. The Committee is grateful to the Board of Trustees for their ongoing support; to Boon Ooi for handling the CORI check; to the Nelsons, the McGregors and Lucy Bailey for their generous hospitality; and to Rick Dumont for his quick response to our numerous IT requests. The UUA’s Transition Office and Judith Downing, our Ministerial Settlement Representative, were always there to answer questions and provide expertise. I am especially appreciative to Tricia for her sympathetic ear, good suggestions and prayers – as well as her warm praise when candidates called doing their reference checks.

Finally, thank you to all who attended Cottage Meetings, completed the Congregational Survey, participated in Candidating Week functions, and attended the Special Congregational Meeting. Our reputation for being a “healthy church” attracted many ministerial candidates and made us an appealing congregation for Jim. We look forward with excitement as we move together into the next chapter of our church’s story.

Colleen Tuck, Chair, Ministerial Search Committee

April 2010

Meet the Rev. Jim Robinson, Our Ministerial Candidate

The Ministerial Search Committee held its breath while Colleen called Rev. Jim Robinson and asked him to be our candidate.  They were ecstatic when the answer was a prompt “yes!”  We are enormously pleased to bring Jim to Sharon during Candidating Week, certain that you will like him as much as we do. We know that Jim’s experience in two growing churches will be valued in our congregation as we move into the future.

In 2004, after more than 20 years of successful ministry at First Parish in Brewster, Jim looked for a new challenge – and found it at Rosslyn Hill Chapel in London, England.  Now, he and his wife Mary (known by all as "Appleseed”) are moving back to the United States to be closer to friends and family – especially their first grandchild, expected this month.

Jim, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, is also accredited as a Director of Religious Education. After serving as Assistant Minister in Concord, MA (a time warmly remembered by Alison Reid, then a member of the Youth Group), he was called as Senior Minister to Brewster, where the congregation thrived.  Jim feels he actually “served three churches without ever moving: a small church, a mid-sized church, and a large church.”

Jim believes “a strong and visible social action witness is important for every UUA church.” During his ministry in Brewster, he and the congregation were recognized for their work on many Social Justice issues, including sheltering refugees from Central America; becoming the first officially recognized "Welcoming Congregation" in the UUA; working to end racism; establishing a shelter for women facing violence; working as an ally with Wampanoag Tribe; and becoming one of the first UUA Partner Churches.

In London, Rosslyn Hill Chapel has grown during Jim’s ministry and, in a country where UU congregations are small, now has the largest RE program in England. As he was when in Brewster, Jim is seen as a resource by his ministerial colleagues in Great Britain. Jim has continued his interest in social justice in London, providing overnight shelter for "rough sleepers" (homeless); bringing Unitarians, Muslims, and others together during the year following the 2007 tube bombings in London; providing on-going support for the local safe shelter for women; and working to make the chapel a green church.

Jim believes “One of the primary reasons people come to a UU church is to belong to a community of caring people. This is everyone's responsibility to create. The Minister has an important role to play.” Members of his congregations and professional colleagues all attest to his warmth and sensitivity.

The Search Committee is delighted that Jim has accepted our offer of candidacy.  We look forward eagerly to introducing him to all of you, knowing that you will quickly share our enthusiasm.

Your Ministerial Search Committee: Aidan, Ellen, Liz, Alison, David and Colleen

March 2010

Ministerial Search: Crunch Time

Excitement and anticipation grow as Search Committee members spend weekends with three ministerial candidates. Each weekend involves several meetings, a tour of the church, and a visit to an area church to hear the candidate preach. By mid-March, the Committee will decide whom we will ask to be our candidate and we hope that our church will be the congregation of choice for our preferred candidate. By mid-to-late March, we will know the candidate whom you will meet during Candidating Week, April 24 to May 2.

Working with the Board of Trustees, the Committee Chairs and staff, we are developing a full week of activities. Though there aren’t enough days for every committee to have a separate meeting, we hope the schedule will allow as many people as possible to meet the minister. Among the activities planned for members, committees and friends are:

• on Sat, April 24 a social gathering at the McGregors’ home for the Board of Trustees, Search Committee, Committee Chairs, and their spouses/partners;

• hearing the minister preach twice, on April 25 and May 2;

• a forum with the minister after the April 25 service, with child care provided;

• pizza with the Jr & Sr youth on Sunday, April 25;

• as many committee meetings with the minister as March 2010 can fit into the week;

• a mid-week meeting and lunch with staff;

• on Friday, April 30 a Family Potluck Supper followed by a forum for adults, with child care provided; and

• on Saturday, May 1 a social gathering for adults in Lucy Bailey’s home, with child care at the church.

The Search Committee hopes you will be able to help when we ask for volunteers to assist in coordinating the social events on April 24 & 30 and May 1.

The Board of Trustees will call a Special Congregational Meeting after coffee on Sunday, May 2, for members to vote on whether to “call” the candidate as our settled minister. It’s especially important to plan on attending this meeting, because our church bylaws require a quorum of 50% of our members. Child care will be provided.

An introduction to the candidate and a more detailed Candidating Week schedule will be in the April Chalice. We hope you will review the above events and plan to attend both services, at least one of the social events and, of course, the Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 2, when we will decide whether the minister whom you have been meeting during the week is the one who will move with us into the future.

February 2010

Ministerial Search Committee: Looking Back… and Ahead

January is the month named for the Roman god with two faces, who looked into both the past and the future. It’s a good month to reflect on what we have accomplished and what tasks lie ahead.

After our election last March, we organized, attended a weekend retreat and then got down to work. To guide us in our search, we needed to know who we are as a congregation and what we hope to become. Cottage Meetings and a Congregational Survey gave us the critical information we needed to complete our Congregational Record and create an Information Packet. The former, an extensive document, is completed by all churches seeking settled ministers – it’s the UUA’s “application form.” Our Packet was like a marketing tool that tells ministers all about us – our programs, what we’re proud of, who we are, and what we hope to become. We sponsored the Beyond Categorical Thinking Sunday service and workshop to identify our concerns and help make our thinking more inclusive in our search.

In early November, the UUA approved our CR to be “unveiled.” Ministers could now read about us and let us know if they were interested; and their Ministerial Records – a form as extensive as our CR – became available to us. We carefully reviewed the MRs of 21 ministers and exchanged Information Packets with 13. Following review of those ministers’ packets, we interviewed 8 in conference phone calls. Our final deliberation focused on 5 ministers. After many reference checks, we felt any one of the five could be a good minister for our congregation, so the final deliberation to select just 3 pre-candidates was extensive and deep.

As we move into the new year, Committee members will meet each of the pre-candidates during 3 weekends when we will have several meetings, a few meals, and hear each preach in a “neutral” pulpit. In early March, we will have met all three and can make our final decision about the one minister who seems to have the interests, skills and vision to best serve our congregation. You will meet this final candidate at the end of April. On April 24, the minister will come to Sharon for a week of meetings with the Board of Trustees and church committees as well as some less structured social events for everyone. S/he will preach the sermon on two consecutive Sundays and, after the service on May 2, we will hold a Special Congregational Meeting to vote on whether to call the minister.

As we move closer to our final decision our excitement grows, and we hope that, in April, you will be as pleased with our candidate as we. It is clear from the ministers’ interest in us and their comments to us that we have a bright future. We look forward to moving into that future with our new minister, who will join us in August.

January 2010

Ministerial Search Committee: Beyond Categorical Thinking

Our congregation has participated in a number of activities to provide input to the Ministerial Search Committee and to prepare us for a new settled minister. In addition to attending cottage meetings and completing surveys, we participated in a worship service and three hour workshop known as “Beyond Categorical Thinking”. The BCT, offered by the UUA, is designed to promote inclusive thinking and help prevent unfair discrimination in the ministerial search process.

On November 22nd, two volunteer UUA facilitators, Jacqui Williams and Diane Shipp, travelled to Sharon from upstate New York and North Carolina to spend the day with us exploring how issues of how race, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation affect the ministerial search process. During a lively and inspiring worship service and a thought-provoking interactive workshop attended by about 38 members and friends, Jacqui and Diane shared personal stories and raised important questions to help us learn more about the ministerial search process, consider the hopes, expectations, and concerns we have for a new minister, and explore how thinking categorically about people sometimes interferes with choosing the best candidate.

Participants formed small groups and reacted to a number of possible scenarios and individually filled out anonymous questionnaires. Specific topics discussed included the benefits and concerns the congregation has about choosing a minister who is a person of color; who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender; or who has a disability. Participants felt that the benefits of such a choice included having our congregation “live our values” as a welcoming congregation that is working to improve accessibility through the AIM project; being a role model for the wider community; educating ourselves about race, disability and GBLT issues; and increasing the diversity of our congregation. Some people also expressed concerns that left some participants surprised and others hurt. There was general feeling that we were only able to touch the surface of what being truly inclusive would mean in a three hour workshop. In response, the Transitions Committee is discussing how to explore in more depth the issues brought out in the BCT service and workshop. This may include a series of follow up workshops in the coming months.

The Ministerial Search Committee is pleased that the Transitions Committee is taking the lead to explore BCT issues in more depth. We greatly appreciate all of the UCS members and friends who attended the BCT service and participated candidly in the workshop. Finally, we are grateful to the UUA facilitators, Jacqui and Diane, for their dedication and time spent with our congregation to explore these important issues as we move forward to choose the very best minister for our congregation.

December 2009

Nearly 90 adults completed the Congregational Survey and 22 youths filled out a survey designed for them. This very response indicates a keen interest in the search for a new minister.

And we’re involved! 61% of the adults attend church three or more times per month; 55% list community as an extremely important reason that they first attended church. They continue to attend because of children’s RE, spiritual growth and UU beliefs. Among the respondents, 49% meet in a committee or task force at least monthly, 46% participate in church activities for 3-5 hours, and 19% for 6 or more hours a week. However, only a few congregants (12%) had attended a cluster or district meeting in the past year.

The overwhelming majority of the respondents approve of the congregational lay leadership and 84% were positive about congregational growth and the current construction project.

Our members are religiously diverse. 32% self-described as humanists; another 17% as atheists or agnostics. However, 15% described their beliefs as either theists or UU Christians; another 7% considered themselves pantheists. Buddhism is an important faith tradition to 47% of the respondents, Theological Christianity to 42%, Religious Humanism to 36%, and Judaism to 27%.

Asked about Sunday services, 64% said they would occasionally like a guest minister and 35% said once a month. Sermons and sharing joys and concerns were either extremely or very important. Somewhat or not important were Celebrating Religious holidays (50%), Prayer ( 63%) and responsive readings (68). The sermon topics that were extremely important for the largest number were spiritual growth and inspiring social action. Also very important were coping with life, current political events, defining UUism, personal growth, philosophical ideas, psychological perspectives, and values and perspectives on social issues. Somewhat important were Christian traditions, creative and artistic abilities, earth centered traditions, Jewish traditions, Non-western religions, theological values, UU denominational issues and UU history.

84% of respondents said that stimulating, challenging Sunday services are one of the most important duties of a minister. Also important were fostering a sense of fellowship and community in the church (61.7%) and caring for and counseling individuals (57%). 89% agreed with the policy of freedom of the pulpit, but 24% did not feel that this extended to the expression of partisan political views and 27% where unsure on this issue.

Who would be an acceptable minister? The overwhelming majority (94%) were comfortable with the UUA General Assembly’s equal opportunity policy, although a minority of the respondents would be uncomfortable with a gay or bisexual minister (14%) or a transgender minister (33%). Political conservatism would be a much more serious stumbling block: 57% said that would make them uncomfortable.

Describing the minister’s administrative role, 49% felt that the minister has a role in operations; 28% felt that s/he should be primarily involved in the religious life of the congregation; 22% said that s/he should be actively involved in many of the committees; and only 1 respondent said that s/he should administer the daily operations of the congregation. Most of the administrative roles were either extremely or very important to nearly half of the respondents except campus ministry, facilities design and management, finance, fundraising events, and stewardship canvassing.

Most of the respondents have been in the congregation more than three years, and 24% have been here 21 years or more. Of those who had experienced health issues, 63% had felt support from the congregation that they rated as a fair amount or more. The number of years that respondents had been UUs paralleled the number of years that they had been in the congregation. Only 7.8% have been UUs since childhood. 76% said that their affiliation with this congregation is a source of strength and comfort .

Demographically, 63% of the respondents were female; 92% heterosexual; 89% married or living with a partner; 76% had their spouse/partner affiliated with the congregation; most (96%) described themselves as white (not of Hispanic origin); 62% had an advanced degree (Masters or beyond) and the rest had a bachelors degree (33%) or some college(5%). The respondents reported having 6 children in preschool, 15 in K-3, 11 in grades 4-6, 9 in grades 7-8, 26 in grades 9-12 and 23 in college. 60% of the children are currently enrolled in the church R.E. program. 10% of the households had income greater than $200,000, and the median family income was in the $100,000 to $150,000 range. 15% of the families pledged $4000 or greater, with the median pledge between $1000 and $1999.

Among the narrative questions, fifty four people said they would like to see the following either maintained or developed; 23 responses stressed community, 7 tolerance for divergent views, 7 praised the tradition of lay leadership and 7 were positive about the social action program. Asked what the congregation should accomplish in the next three to five years, 45 answered the question, stressing finances and growth, expanding the church’s social action program, and adult RE. Fifty four described the skills they looked in for a new minister, most often mentioning the ability to lead services, compassion, and intellectual rigor. Forty nine respondents described their expectation about the minister’s family life; the most common response was none, although some listed a stable family life and thought it would be nice if their family participated in the church. Among the youth surveyed, 55% said that they had been coming to church as long as they could remember and 79% came almost every week. Asked to choose four things they liked most about coming to church, 59% choose friends. Other answers Revels (50%), Time for Children (41%), Senior Youth Group discussions (23%) and classes (27%). Among other activities, 43% chose Social Action, 38% snack, 38% Pysanky, 38% Bean Supper and 33% Easter Can Hunt. 91% of the youth respondents felt that the minister should lead a discussion with the youth group and 82% said the minister should be available for individual discussions. Asked for three words to describe what they wanted in a new minister, qualities that were frequently described were caring, funny, friendly and thoughtful. 60% of the respondents were female and the median age was 10 years old.

Thank you all for your participation and thoughtful responses to the survey. This is a critical tool in enabling the Ministerial Search Committee to find a minister with the skills and enthusiasm that fit our congregation – and for ministerial candidates to decide if we are the church for them!

Aidan Cunningham, Ellen Davey-Fleming, Liz Moore, Alison Reid, David Schoenfeld & Colleen Tuck

November 2009

The MSC has two important updates to share with the congregation:

BEYOND CATEGORICAL THINKING

“Will the new minister hear me? Will my concerns and needs be met? Will the minister understand what I’m living with? How will the community respond to our minister?’

In answering these questions, a picture of the “ideal minister” (categorized by age, gender, gender identity, nationality, physical ability, race, and sexual orientation) comes to mind. With this picture in place, it can be easy to unintentionally exclude ministers who fall into certain categories. At times, as we get caught up in comparing candidates to our “picture,” we can even forget what it is we hoped for in a minister.

On the weekend of November 22, 2009, our church will participate in the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop offered by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) for congregations involved in the search for a new minister. The Ministerial Search Committee invites all congregational leaders, members, and friends to participate in this workshop.

The Beyond Categorical Thinking program is designed to promote inclusive thinking and help prevent unfair discrimination in the search process for a new minister. This program includes a Sunday morning service with BCT workshop facilitators followed by a three-hour interactive workshop. In the workshop, our members will:

• Consider the hopes, expectations, and concerns they have for a new minister

• Learn more about the ministerial search process, and explore how thinking categorically about people sometimes interferes with choosing the best candidate.

So please come on November 22, 2009 to participate in a special Sunday morning worship and workshop led by UUA facilitators Jacqui Williams and Diane Shipp.

This promises to be a very exciting and informative event for our congregation. The Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop is a very important way for everyone in our congregation to be part of the process. This experience will provide valuable guidance for the Ministerial Search Committee as we move towards our goal of hiring an awesome and inspiring minister during this exciting period of transition for our church.

The BCT worship service will take place in our sanctuary at the normal worship time of 10:15 AM. This will be followed by the BCT workshop, which will be held after the worship service from 12:30 to 3:30 PM. A potluck lunch will be provided at noon between the church service and the BCT workshop for all who participate. Childcare will also be provided. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Ellen Davey-Fleming at daveyfleming@comcast.net (781-784- 3661) or Alison Reid at agreid2@verizon.net (781-784- 4472) no later than November 15th. The Ministerial Search Committee looks forward to hearing seeing you there on November 22nd.

COTTAGE MEETINGS FOR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YOUTH

Last month, the MSC provided summaries of four cottage meetings for adults that were held in September. In addition to those meetings, the MSC held cottage meetings with the Senior and Junior Youth Groups on September 27th. We thank the 18 members who attended and gave us much to consider. We were delighted with the thoughtful and candid responses of our youth and provide a summary below. If you have any comments or questions, please feel to approach any committee member or send us an email -searchcommittee@uusharon.org.

What qualities in a minister are most important to you?

The Senior and Junior Youth are seeking a minister who is approachable, friendly, easy to talk to, and can relate to people of all ages. They want a minister who is a good listener, compassionate, and respectful of their thoughts and ideas. They think it is important for the minister to know about the world, be well-travelled, adventurous, enthusiastic, and have a good sense of humor. The minister should be interested in working with kids and adolescents. They hope the new minister will come to youth meetings and get to know them. They would like the minister to participate in church activities such as pot lucks, the bean supper, protests and community service. He or she should give inspiring, creative and interesting sermons that are understandable to their age group. They would like someone who will make them excited to come to church and hear what he or she has to say. They would like the minister to value diversity of religions and beliefs and also to interpret and explain to the youth what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. They want the new minister to accept the UU traditions of our church, but also to bring in fresh ideas and be accepting of change. The youth feel comfortable with our interim minister and would like someone similar. At least one person expressed a preference for a woman minister.

What would you like a minister to know about our congregation?

Our church is a small and close-knit community. However, the congregation is a fun group that is outgoing, accepting and open to everyone. Our church enjoys new people and welcomes diversity. There are a lot of children and youth in the church who participate in the religious education program. Revels are particularly important to the church. The congregation does fun social activities together such as first Friday potlucks, the bean supper, the father’s day picnic, and the pancake breakfast. The youth groups also do things together outside of church, including hikes, retreats and community service projects. They want to be active in the community and are interested in social justice. Our church watches out for and helps others. Our outdoor space is really important to the youth – they love climbing trees and playing football in front of the church during coffee hour. They really enjoy having fun, but can also be serious. The youth is proud that the congregation raised money to build our AIM addition during this hard economy.

Where would you like to be as a church in five years?

The youth would like the church to grow to have more people and families, but they still want to know everyone and stay close to one another like we are now. They would like the church to be more active in our community and participate in more social justice work.

October 2009

Ministerial Search Committee Update

Over the past month the MSC held four adult cottage meetings. Thanks go out to the 45 members who attended giving us much to consider.  Here is summary of what you told us: 
 
What qualities in a minister are most important to you?
 
Members who attended the cottage meetings expressed a strong  for an experienced “seasoned” minister who is able to focus both “inward and outward” and achieve a “balance between head and heart”. They want someone to develop a “shared ministry” with lay leaders, not someone who wants to “be the boss”.  Members want someone who will develop more adult RE programs and maintain our strong RE program for children.  Members want the minister to have a strong presence in the Interfaith Coalition and to continue to promote us as a Welcoming Congregation. Members want a minister with strong pastoral skills to serve the immediate needs of our congregation.  They want a minister with compassion and good counseling skills. The minister should be approachable, non-judgmental, value diversity, and be a good listener.  They want a minister who is warm and caring, has a good sense of humor and genuinely enjoys interacting with people, including children and youth. Members expressed a desire for high-quality, inspiring and meaningful worship services. They want a dynamic speaker who will give thought-provoking sermons. Several members wanted more focus on humanism, but who would not forget the theists, agnostics and atheists in the congregation.   Members would like a minister with an open-minded and holistic perspective who is comfortable with and excited by the combination of humanists, theists, agnostics and atheists in our congregation.  Members want a minister who will stimulate and challenge the congregation intellectually and spiritually. Several members commented on desire for a minister who had experience with growing congregations, moving from a small to larger congregation and managing related issues.
 
What would you like a minister to know about our congregation?
 
We are a regional church with a close congregation of about 120 members living in Sharon and surrounding towns. We are very family-oriented and have a large number of youth and children.  The majority of the congregation is white, middle class, and highly educated, with a goal of increasing our racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity.  We are proud to be a Welcoming Congregation for persons of all sexual orientations.  We are a largely humanist congregation, but feel it is important to respect our spiritual diversity, including the theists, agnostics and atheists in the congregation.  We are mostly a liberal group, but need to be mindful of other political beliefs.  We can be opinionated and outspoken, but we respect one another and are a very supportive community.   We want inspiring worship services and hope to grow in social action.  Music is an integral part of our worship service, and we have an exceptional Music Director and Choir Director.  Religious education is extremely important and has been strengthened by the hiring of a part-time Director of RE and a Youth Group Advisor.  Our children’s RE program is very strong, but we need more adult RE programs.  We have a strong and committed lay leadership, but we can overly rely on certain individuals who risk getting burnt out.
 
Where do we want to be as a church in five years?
 
Members have an optimistic outlook and vision about where the church will be in five years.  Consistent with the expansion and improved accessibility of our physical space, the congregation hopes that our church will grow in the number and diversity of our members and expand the variety of programs we offer to ourselves and to the community.  Members want a stable settled ministry and more solid financial situation so that we can maintain high-quality programs and provide fair compensation to our staff.  Some members would like two worship services on Sunday to accommodate a larger membership and allow adults to both attend worship and participate in RE classes.  Members envision small group ministries and activities under a larger group “umbrella”, including more adult RE classes, more youth and young adult programs, a meditation group, more music programs, a children’s choir, and a social action project identified with our church such as a food bank. Members want to make our larger, more accessible space available to the outside community.   People want the church to be a community “hub”, a meeting place for scout groups, community ed classes, 12 step programs, etc…  This would allow us to be more visible to the Sharon community and provide rental income to become financially more secure. In addition to increasing our numbers, members also want to increase our diversity to welcome more persons of different races, ethnic backgrounds, economic classes, and sexual orientations.  Members would like to promote intergenerational services – to have our older members and teenagers attend Sunday services regularly.  Members hope that the church will be a place for their children to return and worship as young adults. In general, members want our church to be a place where no one is marginalized and new people feel welcomed– that we maintain that “wonderful UU feeling” as a “progressive light” for the community. 
 
The committee will be holding one last cottage meeting for the youth of the church on September 27th.  The results will be in the November Chalice.  In the mean time, please feel free to approach any committee member or send an email using our new direct address searchcommittee@uusharon.org.

July 2009

Ministerial Search Committee Update

Your Ministerial Search Committee has met twice since last month’s Chalice. In our first monthly meeting we determined where to have our retreat as well as the retreat’s facilitator. In a previous meeting with our District Ministerial Settlement Representative (MSR) we had established the importance of this retreat. Being frugal Yankees we had originally thought that this retreat might not be necessary and could be by-passed. Upon hearing from the MSR that committees that skip this crucial retreat not always, but frequently as in almost always disband prior to completing their task of recruiting a candidate, we humbly determined it would be money well spent. We will be using this retreat to get deeply acquainted and establish our guidelines for decision making. We concluded that meeting with brain storming ideas for the retreat’s agenda as well as sites for Neutral pulpits for next spring’s Pre-candidating weekends, (What’s that you ask? Stay tuned for future updates!). We also proposed dates, sites and questions for the fall’s Cottage Meetings. We take seriously your charge of recruiting an incredible candidate for our awesome church!

In our second monthly meeting, we appointed Colleen Tuck our – and your - committee chair was unanimously appointed within the first fifteen minutes! We are proud to announce that Colleen Tuck is your, and our, chair of the Ministerial Search Committee. That task accomplished we finalized the date, location and agenda of the retreat, confirmed sites and times of the Cottage Meetings and began narrowing down the questions for the CMs.

That being said we request that you please mark your calendars with one of the following Cottage Meeting dates: Church Retreat Weekend (8/29 and 8/30) at Ferry Beach (time and location to be determined by retreat participants), Sunday, September 6, 10:00 am at the home of the Nelson’s, Tuesday, September 8, 7:00 pm church vestry, or Sunday, September 20, 12:30 pm church vestry. A special Cottage Meeting will be held for the Junior and Senior Youth Groups on Sunday, September 27, 4:00 pm church vestry. Naturally, light refreshments and drinks will be served at all of these meetings. (Youth: you can expect pizza!)

These CMs will have a different theme from the recent transition team’s CMs. While the September Congregational Survey will offer members an opportunity to voice their individual needs and wishes for our future minister as well as present information on who were are, it like all surveys has limitations. The Cottage Meetings are crucial in that they provide an opportunity for members to voice their opinions in the company of others. Often new information arises when in the community of others, so please mark those calendars! We will finalize the CM questions in our next meeting and will provide them in next month’s Chalice.

As was mentioned in last month’s Chalice we, similar to business recruitment committees, must keep confidential certain aspects of our search. That being said we welcome and need your input and look forward to meeting with you as we travel this journey together.

June 2009

Ministerial Search Committee Update

It will be a busy summer for your Ministerial Search Committee as we plan the recruitment of a permanently settled minister for our congregation. Here is what’s on our calendar:

Our first task is information gathering. In late August and early September, we’ll be scheduling Cottage Meetings, which will give those who participate an opportunity to talk about what they value most in our congregation, their vision for our future, and what they hope for in our new minister.

Also this summer, we will be preparing the Congregational Survey. This survey will give your Search Committee a clearer idea of the qualities we seek in a minister and of the essential strengths and interests we seek candidates. Just as important, it will give perspective ministers a clear understanding of who we are and what we seek. In early September, after the Cottage Meetings, we will email the web link for the survey (with paper copies to those who request them). Given the survey’s importance for attracting the right candidates and our ability to determine their fit for our congregation, you may expect that we will be cajoling, pleading, and otherwise pestering to get as many responses as possible.

The Committee will also begin working on our Congregational Record and Informational Packet. Ministers seeking congregations access the CR on the UUA’s website. The same form is used for all churches in search and gives candidates a basic, comparative description of the congregations. If they are interested, the ministers request our IP – a comprehensive packet that provides an in-depth description of who we are, what our hopes are, and what we hope for in our new minister. It includes much information, including recent budgets and Chalices, a history of the church, the tabulation of that Very Important Congregational Survey, and much more.

We’re quite excited (and more than a little intimidated) by the important task you’ve entrusted to us. Although we must keep confidential some aspects of the search (especially any information about the candidates) we welcome your thoughts and are happy to discuss the process with you. We’ll be keeping you informed throughout the year and plan to have a terrific candidate for your approval next spring. This is a journey we will all be taking together. Ministerial Search Committee: Aiden Cunningham, Ellen Davey-Fleming, Liz Moore, Alison Reid, David Schoenfeld and Colleen Tuck.

May 2009

Cottage Meetings

The Transition Team will be holding a series of Cottage Meetings this month. These meetings are structured conversations, often held in people’s homes, where approximately 8-10 people gather to ponder and respond to a few previously established questions. The responses are compiled, and given back to the congregation to reflect upon. Good information is obtained and those who gather enjoy stimulating conversation and each other’s company.

The questions, still in formation, will aim to touch upon what is most important to people about this congregation and help propel the congregation forward with focus and zest. The meetings will be facilitated by Rev. Brennan, a lay leader and the hosts.

The May dates are:

• Sunday May 17, 3pm at the home of Raquel Ramos (tea)
• Friday May 22, 7pm at the home of Sylvia Mignon (dinner)
• Sat. May 23, 7pm, at the home of Ken Zaniewski (refreshments)
• Thurs, May 28, 7pm, at the home of Ray Wallace (refreshments)
• Sun, May 31, 12p at church, hosted by Raquel Ramos (light lunch)

Please sign up for these great opportunities by emailing the hosts or by signing the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board inside the door. We anticipate further cottage meetings in June.

Please come! Your best thinking will benefit us all!

April 2009

Interim Ministry Transition Team

A Transition Team consisting of Raquel Ripley, Ken Zaniewski, Sylvia Mignon and Ray Wallace has been formed to worked closely with and advise the Interim Minister during the congregation’s interim ministry period. The tasks of the Transition Team are to:

• serve as a sounding board for the Interim Minister
• with the Interim Minister, plan for the implementation of the five tasks of interim ministry
• be visible “ambassadors” in the congregation for the interim process through newsletter articles, public speaking in the congregation, leading sessions relating to interim work, and being available to talk with congregants individually
• educate themselves about interim life
• with the Interim Minister, ensure that the congregation stays on track with its tasks and goals
• provide an upbeat reassuring presence in the congregation with regards to the Interim period
• share their vision of what can happen during the interim journey of the congregation.

The committee has met once and is determining where its primary focus will be. It will exist for the duration of the Interim Ministry period. Any member of the congregation should feel free to talk with them about any ideas, concerns or hopes for the church during this unique period.

September 2008

In Search… For a Settled Minister

We are about to be “in search”. Isn’t that expression pregnant with possibility? To be “in search” is to seek a settled minister.

Beginning now, the nominating committee will be soliciting information from interested members to put together a committee representative of the various constituencies within our community: longtime and more recent members, men and women, people of differing racial and ethnic heritages and sexual orientations, young and old, single and partnered, parents and non-parents, humanists and theists.

Our bylaws provide that we must hold a special congregational meeting with a supersized quorum of 50% of the membership to vote on the search committee. (At the moment we expect that meeting to be in January or early February.) Currently, the bylaws also provide that the nominating committee must provide a slate of 50% more nominees than there are seats on the search committee, which is “at least 5”.

The board has been advised that this procedure is not a “best practice” according to current thinking in the denomination. It requires the nominating committee to find 8 candidates when only 5 are to be chosen, and it means that three people will leave that meeting publicly disappointed. On the other hand, the search committee is so important that the more democratic selection procedure we currently have may be desirable.

The board has not decided whether to propose an amendment to the bylaws. If there is a bylaw meeting, it will take place before the election meeting, so the nominating committee will know what they must do in advance of the actual search committee congregational meeting.

After the election of the search committee, it will go on retreat. They will meet with denominational officials. They will circulate a questionnaire among the membership to garner information which will help them decide what we want in a permanent settled minister. They will give a form to the denomination, describing us and indicating our desire for a minister.

The search committee will receive some 15 names and will winnow them down to 5 or so, with whom they will exchange “packets”. Then the search committee will arrange to see each of these ministers, “precandidates”, lead an actual service in a “neutral” pulpit. All this is done in strictest confidentiality. They will pick one minister to “candidate”.

Candidating involves a potential minister visiting our church for 9 days, providing 2 Sunday services and spending the week with us. After the second service, the minister will leave, and we will vote on whether to call him or her. Candidating week will probably be in April or May of 2010. If the candidate is called, we have a new minister.

Please do let Blair Weidig or Lisa Yeransian know if you are interested in serving on this vital committee.

September 2008

What Is Interim Ministry?
by the Rev. Tricia Brennan

The time between one settled minister and the next settled minister in a congregation is referred to as, not surprisingly “the interim”. In the not too distant past, interim times were understood simply as the word indicates, a time inbetween settled ministers. Churches wisely did not rush to call their next settled minister, and hired interim ministers to “fill the gap”. These ministers were asked to hold things together till the next settled minister was called. More placeholders than change agents, they were disinclined to provoke any change or upset the status quo.

The thinking on interim ministry has changed 360 degrees in the past 20 years. It is now seen as a marvelous time of self-examination and change for a congregation. Going through such a process enables a church to be clearer about who it is and who it wants to be in the future, thus making it more capable of searching for a minister best suited to support the church’s ministry.

When minister leaves, his or her departure unsettles things, and the system is more amenable to making changes than at other times when things are chugging along more or less as usual. Note that I said “more amenable”. There still is resistance to change, but because change is in the air, things are more open for consideration. There is more energy available for self- examination, for considering other ways of doing things, for planning and for questioning. Interim periods are ripe with possibilities. They are rich times indeed, and exciting.

Here in Sharon two big things are happening. Deb Cayer’s departure and the accessibility project. If it were just Deb’s leaving the congregation has to absorb, that would be a lot. She was your minister for 12 years, and she and you had a fruitful faithful partnership. For many, her leaving is a big loss and you do and will miss her. As you go through the seasons of the year, and all the various rituals of your church she will be missed, for she had been at the center of the worship life and other activities for so long.

But your work in the next two years is not just about grieving the loss of a fine minister and preparing yourself to engage with new minister. You also are actually changing the shape of your building, make it larger and opening it up to people who previously could not easily enter. This too is a huge change. If you have been through a home renovation you know how stressful and disorienting that can be, even as it is exciting and ever so satisfying once it is done. Your interim period also will be marked by walls coming down and new space created, new entryways and doors, new light and color, and all the possibilities of growth, community engagement and renewal that comes with a space that better suits your current and future needs.

Whew! A lot is going on!

To guide us during this interim period, there are five tasks established to which we will attend together. They are:

• Coming to terms with the past
• Glimpsing a new identity/ forging a new identity
• Allowing for needed leadership changes/ developing new leadership
• Strengthening ties to the denomination and the wider world
• Preparing for new professional leadership/ sealing the new identity

There are lots of different ways to accomplish these five tasks, and every church does it differently depending on choices made, and its own challenges and gifts. On September 28, I invite you to join in an activity that will support the first task: coming to terms with the past. Together in the vestry after worship, we will create a visual timeline of the history of the Unitarian Church of Sharon. This is a fun and meaningful activity, interactive and open to all.

All my work with you is done in partnership. A Transition Team is being formed now to work closely with me. Though change is in the air, any changes made are ones you choose to make. It is your church now and your church to shape for the future. I am honored to be your guide and midwife, your interim minister.

Tricia

August 2008

From the Rev. Tricia Brennan:

Greetings good people of UCS.

I write to you in an “in-between” time: still July, when church life lulls, on-board as your new interim minister yet unknown to most of you, writing a newsletter column to an congregation with whom I soon will be deeply engaged, yet at this very moment am sort of in the “batter’s box”, waiting to step up to the plate.

I am getting to know you by reading lots of the material Deb Cayer passed along to me, and by meeting with leaders and staff. My home office, a small cluttered space, is undergoing a radical re-organizing process in preparation for my work with you. I’ve started planning for the year and look forward to more planning with the board at our early August board retreat. And my spiritual bond with you deepens as the church, the institution and each one of you, has found your way into my morning meditations.

Back before I was even sure how to get from Jamaica Plain (my home) to Sharon, my family and I planned a vacation for the last two weeks in August. So sadly I cannot join you at the Ferry Beach retreat- that would have been a nice way to spend time together. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Please know that you are most welcome to call me these first two weeks in August; I can be reached at the church phone at 781-784-3652. I welcome your calls and opportunities to get together. Your questions, suggestions, ideas, worries, stories and dreams are all of interest to me.

I happen to love where I live. When someone I know moves into my neighborhood, I offer to give them my 25 cent tour. Sometimes on foot, sometimes on bike, sometimes in car, the newcomer and I travel the 4.4 square miles that make up Jamaica Plain- and he or she gets to hear what I think is important about this place’s history and current life. I’d love a similar tour of Sharon, if any of you have time and inclination. Yours is a church with a long history in this community; more than many churches, I think, you are woven into the fabric of this place. To serve you well I need to know something about Sharon’s stories. Please let me know if you’d like to tour me around your neck of the woods!

Now that I think about it, I guess my request for a tour says something about how I view our work together. I am here to learn as much as to lead. I do believe I have something to offer the UCS during this time of change and upheaval and I will give you the best of what I have. At the same time I come eager to learn from you, your ways of doing things, your history, your hopes for the AIM project, what you love about your church and what you might like to change, who your heroes are, what sort of presence you’d like to be in the world, what makes you laugh, (I hear you laugh a lot.)

I am so looking forward to our work together.

Be well,
Tricia

Rev. Tricia Brennan spent two weeks in Romania in early July as part of a Habitat for Humanity build. She went with a group from Kings Chapel, the congregation she most recently served, and they visited with their partner church, the First Unitarian Church of Kolasvar. Tricia spent one day visiting with Erika Demeter and her family and visiting UCS partner church in Gyulakuta. She looks forward to sharing her experiences with our congregation.

July 2008

Deborah wanted an intentional good-bye. One that would celebrate what we had become together as congregation and minister. OK, I thought. We can do this. I hope. So how exactly? I thought it might be fun to document what unfolded:

The leaving of our twelve year minister was made a little easier by the involvement of so many in so much. Activity and celebration kept our moods on the positive side as we planned our goodbye events: Deborah with the Children’s Tea Party planned by DRE Louise; Conversations with the Minister; making congregational Prayer Flags; countless hours of loving creation on the absolutely glorious Memory Book that included personal notes from the congregation and tons of pictures; Choir singing special selections; Mel making extra-special lastservice surprise music; a lively, HOT, floral-filled Farewell Open House with cold punch and nibblies (a new word creation!) and a program complete with parody created by Valerie, sung and “choreographed” by Rory and stunningly Emceed by Gare and simply perfect from-the-heart words from many who have come to know Deborah over the years from our congregation and the wider community; quietly sending out invitations (would you believe Deborah ACTUALLY HELPED!?) and collecting Memory Book mementos and monetary gifts totaling $1345 — presented to Deborah with a yellow rose at the Open House. How did all this come off smoothly? Because behind the scenes so many people were sadly/happily involved in preparation and carrying out: Cindy, Raquel, Liz, Mia, Alison and Gare, Pam, Vickie, Lisa, Rebecca and Gare Reid, Mare, Valerie, Louise, Mel and Jennifer.

Yes, I think we did it!

Our journey with Deborah has come to an end. Our Goodbyes have come to an end. We have given our Best Wishes to Deborah as she walks forward toward North Carolina. And Best Wishes go to us too. As a Congregation we also walk forward. With our new interim minister we walk into a future wellgroomed with hope and strength. Over the last twelve years Deborah grew as a minister, thanks in part to us (at times, in spite of us!). But also, we grew as a congregation, better understanding our own ministry to one another. Minister and Congregation have walked together. Thank you, Deborah. This is a lasting gift. Namaste.

Ellen Schoenfeld-Beeks

June 2008

The Interim Search Task Force is delighted to announce that we have reached preliminary agreement with our new minister, subject only to a few contractual tweaks and Board approval.

Edele Panessidi, Chair

May 2008

By the time you read this, we anticipate being well into the process of interviewing candidates for the position of Interim Minister.

Recently, the Interim Task Force met with the Ballou Channing District’s Transitions Consultant, Rev. Judith Downing, to discuss the interviewing process. A former Interim Minister herself, Judith helped us understand more about the process and suggested questions to consider in thinking about what we will want to accomplish during the period when we’re working with the Interim Minister.

Our transition is not just the standard one of taking time to review our congregation’s general goals, processes, procedures and objectives in preparing for the next step in full-time permanent ministry. Rev. Deborah Cayer is the only minister many members of our congregation have ever known here, certainly the only full-time minister most of us have known here. Now is the time to celebrate our joint past as we prepare for our separate futures.

Additionally, we’ll be coming out of a capital campaign and into the reality of physical growth and displacement (perhaps mirroring the emotional/ psychological displacement of the ministerial transition). Our move into the brave new world of achieving our accessibility dreams will necessitate some months of dislocation—where will our church offices, meetings, classes and (at times) services be held? Our Interim Minister will be working with us to handle the upheavals and learn new and/or improved ways of being together.

It’s a tall order for all of us—Interim Minister, staff, leadership and congregation members alike. As we acknowledge our bittersweet present, let’s savor our past accomplishments and look forward to our new relationships.

Edele Panessidi, Chair

April 2008

Planning continues for formalizing our application for an interim minister. Bill Zelazny, Ballou Channing District (BCD) Executive, has provided us with an updated timeline for the interim application/selection process. Task force members are being assisted by members of the church Board and other good-hearted volunteers to pull together our packet of information and to answer the questions on the interim application. We plan to meet with the BCD's transition representative (date/time TBD) to be sure to put our best face forward in the process. We'll keep you posted.…

March 2008

Ballou Channing District (BCD) Executive Bill Zelazny met with a group of interested congregation members after the service on Feb. 10 to discuss the interim process. Here’s a recap of what was discussed.

Our interim process will be a time for members and friends to discuss who we are and where we’re going as a congregation. While the building is expanding, we’ll need to think about what types of programs we’d like to add, how we’d like to expand our role in the community, etc. We’ll also be going through a period when, at least temporarily, some of our familiar activities need to be handled differently, or perhaps even suspended, due to construction.

In addition to working with the Worship Committee and the Board, our interim will help us work out how to handle pastoral needs, how our staff functions with a new minister, what level of interaction with the greater community we’d like to see, how we might work to strengthen our systems, how to expand outreach, etc.

While we anticipate a two-year interim period, the interim will be hired for one year with the possibility of a second. Even if the first year goes well, we might decide to select a different minister for the second year to get some experience with another type of minister.

Interim Ministers are specially trained to assist congregations going through transitions. There are three types of interim ministers. An Accredited Interim Ministers (AIM) has gone through two years of special curricula and training and is certified. S/he typically feels that this type of ministry is a calling, and the minister has likely served three or four congregations in this capacity. An AIM in Training (AIMIT) is just that, someone who’s had at least one previous ministry and has completed some of the preliminary AIM training. A Minister in Transition may be a retiree or someone between congregations. Such a minister will be given some specialized training prior to moving into an interim position.

AIMs and AIMITs meet during the third week of April and choose among the available positions the three or four in which they’re most interested. (Ministers in Transition make their choices after the AIMs and AIMITs.) The ministers’ selections are made on the basis of packets submitted by the congregations, along with any other explanatory information the congregation provides.

Bill suggested that our congregational packet include the following: a description of what the congregation’s looking for in an interim minister (feel free to make suggestions); a history of the congregation; sample orders of service; photos; the budget; the last annual reports; a description of our AIM project; demographics; and three to four years of pledging history.

The Board will be requested to authorize an expenditure of about $200 to bring in the BCD’s Transitions Consultant, Rev. Judith Downing, to speak with the Board and to meet with the Search Task Force. Judith will help us consider what additional information would be useful to submit with our packet (e.g., a description of some of our regularly-occurring activities like MainSpring House lunches, Rainbow Sunday and community concerts) and make suggestions for conducting the interviews.

Our application will be due in April and just a few weeks later, the Interim Search Task Force will review packets from three candidates and conduct interviews. (If there are any that immediately don’t appear to be a good match, we may receive replacements.) If the candidates are local, we may go to hear them preach. Within two to three weeks, we will make a recommendation to the Board.

By mid- to late August, our Interim Minister will join us to begin the next phase in the life of the congregation, eventually leading to the selection of a called minister who will join us in 2010. There’s a lot of work ahead as we step out into our future.

Edele Pannessidi, Chair

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