Ministerial Settlement System
  Congregational Record

The Unitarian Universalist Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member congregations and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin.

Congregation name: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington

City: Arlington    State/Province: VA

Website address: www.uucava.org

Ministry title: Team Minister for Community Building

Congregation Size: V
Congregation Wage Rate Area: 4
Salary plus Housing: $70,500

Are you a Fair Compensation congregation? Yes
For a description of how to qualify, see the Settlement Office publication, Fair Compensation Guidelines for Ministers
The S&H code of a congregation which does not qualify as a Fair Compensation Congregation will receive an asterisk.

If there is a range in the S&H, describe the objective, measurable criteria you will use in categorizing a potential candidate.
N/A

Is the minister expected to occupy a parsonage? No
How much of the S&H is attributable to rental value? None.  To utilities? None

Number of adult members: 1036           Average Sunday attendance: 485

Children & youth enrollment: 422          Average children & youth attendance: 217

Total operating expenditures:     $1,409,000 plus $750,000 voted Sept 11, 2005 for building repair and renovation

Total operating pledge income: $1,069,500       Number of pledge units: 709

How many Sunday services? 2  Others during the week? 1
How many months per year is the church at full operating capacity? 12

UUA District: Joseph Priestley District Executive: Dr. Richard Speck

APF contribution: $44,150   Fair Share? No

Ministerial settlement rep.: John Hansman   Compensation Consultant: Peter Liveright

Describe the character of the surrounding community:
Arlington is just across the river from Washington D.C., enabling its residents to work in the city and enjoy its many cultural attractions. Arlington shares in the region’s excellent public transportation system. Our church is about a ten-minute drive from the national mall.

Arlington is an urban county of about 26 square miles. Its population of nearly 200,000 is racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse. About 40 percent are Hispanic, African-American, Asian, or multi-racial.

Residents are among the best educated in the nation. More than 60 percent of adults who are 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, and 30 percent have a graduate degree.

Arlington has a long tradition of excellent public schools, with high test scores and a wealth of services for students with special needs, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). County residents consistently approve school bond initiatives.

Arlington has well funded public libraries, parks, and recreation facilities. Cultural institutions include concert groups, theatres, and art galleries. 

The county involves thousands of citizens in commissions and committees.  Major initiatives include neighborhood conservation, preservation of green space, economic development, and public-private partnerships. More information about Arlington is available online at www.co.arlington.va.us.

Our church is in the center of the county. The closest Metro subway station is at Ballston, about a mile away. Five bus routes serve the area of the church. A network of bike paths connects the county to neighboring jurisdictions.

Several public elementary schools are near the church. We have a long-standing relationship with Barrett Elementary School, to which we provide after-school and classroom assistance.

Provide your profile of the minister you seek:
We seek an empathetic, wise, warm, strong leader with a sense of humor to join our Professional Leadership Team (PLT) as our new Team Minister for Community Building.  The team also consists of a Lead Team Minister, a Minister for Religious Education, the Director of Music & Creative Arts, and the Church Administrator.

The PLT works with the Board of Trustees through "policy governance": the Board sets policies, and the PLT implements them by consensus.  PLT members have a wide range of duties, but each is responsible for overseeing particular areas.

The Team Minister for Community Building will have leadership responsibilities in three areas: social justice and social action, membership, and pastoral care.  She or he will participate in the worship life of the congregation, typically leading Sunday worship at least once a month.

Our new minister will thrive in the give-and-take of these responsibilities, while working with volunteers. The participation of the congregation is a hallmark of UUCA, and the PLT values that participation. Our new minister must be confident enough to seek advice and accept and offer guidance in a mutually respectful way.

We seek someone with a track record (in or out of the ministry) of demonstrated leadership, who will inspire us toward effective social justice/social action and outreach to our community. We want UUCA to become a more visible and powerful public voice for social and economic justice in our community and across the globe.

We seek someone with strong human relations skills, who can help UUCA attract new members, strengthen involvement of existing members, and lead our pastoral care teams.

The candidate we select will enjoy special challenges inherent in our large and varied congregation.  Our members span ages, religious beliefs, spiritual practices, political philosophies, and artistic endeavors. We take pride in being a "Welcoming Congregation" and have an active GLBT group, the Virginia Rainbow UU Ministry.  Our new minister will appreciate and encourage our differences.  She or he will help us grow into a more racially and ethnically diverse membership

As our congregation seeks greater participation from under-represented groups, we welcome applications from ministers who are of different races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations.

Our Team Minister for Community Building will participate in our Sunday worship services and will prepare and deliver sermons that speak to our hearts and our minds. Our new minister will challenge, educate, and explore with us our thoughts and beliefs, thereby contributing to our spiritual growth.   

We seek a candidate who can combine many of the attributes described in this profile of the ideal candidate. Given its range, we recognize that no one can be expected to encompass all its attributes. So we ask potential candidates to identify their strengths and experiences that match our needs.

Provide your profile of your congregation:

Demographics
UUCA has a diverse membership of 1,036 members, including singles, families with children, empty nesters, and elderly. In addition, we have 436 friends and 123 inquiring friends. We are predominantly white.

We are highly educated. In our 2004 congregational survey, 67 percent of respondents reported having a graduate degree. Most come to and stay with UUCA because of our beliefs in UU principles. Families are drawn by a vibrant Religious Education (RE) program. Though we are in the midst of a transient community, we are proud that a sizeable number of us have been members for at least 10 years.

Worship
Our Sunday worship services are at 9:15 and 11:15 a.m.; during the summer we offer one service at 10 a.m. Year round, children join in the worship services for the first 15 minutes. According to our survey, the most important aspects of the Sunday service are the sermon, choir singing, and instrumental music.

Under the guidance of our minister of religious education, volunteers lead RE classes for about 400 children. Fellowship X (people born in the 60’s and 70’s) and Young Adults (people born in the mid-70’s to the mid-80’s) hold worship services on Friday evenings.  These groups have other events and activities, including an annual retreat.

Religious Viewpoints
In our 2004 survey, 57 % identified as humanist. 36% chose Judeo/Christian, 38% personal spirituality, 27% mystical, 28% earth-centered, and 7% feminist. (Respondents could select up to three categories.) Regarding belief in god, 42% described themselves as agnostic, 35% as theist, and 16% as atheist.

The religious backgrounds of members include: Protestant (50%), Roman Catholic (18%), and Jewish (4%). Eleven percent of members were raised as UUs. A significant segment (25%) had no experience with organized religion.

UUCA initiated a Labyrinth Project almost ten years ago. The project provides opportunities for meditative walks on three labyrinths, two made of canvas and one located on an outdoor terrace. Other active groups are the hUUmanists, the Buddhist Fellowship, and MoonFire, a community of people believing the sacred is in all earth elements and in one another.

Leadership
Seven years ago UUCA adopted Team Ministry, a method of sharing ministerial duties. UUCA has a lead minister accountable to the Board and membership but committed to collective decision-making. Team Ministry has adjusted from time to time to take advantage of the strengths of its members.

With the Board’s adoption of policy governance in 2004, the Professional Leadership Team was expanded to three team ministers, the director of music, and the church administrator.

In recent years, UUCA has been a training ground for new ministers serving yearlong internships. Thirteen members of our congregation, primarily women, have entered seminary or divinity school to become UU ministers.

Talented and committed lay leaders are involved in more than 80 committees, task forces, social and spiritual groups. Of our survey respondents, nearly half said they commit three to 15 hours per week to UUCA activities.

Diversity and Social Justice
The congregation has a strong desire to increase its commitment to social justice and service to the broader community. We have historically addressed important social issues. One challenge is to find a balance between providing social services and leading efforts to bring about systemic social and economic reform.

In 1992 our congregation became a “Welcoming Congregation,” the first in the Washington area and in the UUA's Joseph Priestley District.  In 2004 the Virginia Rainbow UU Ministry (VARUUM) began an information table after Sunday services, and it plans to modify the Welcoming Congregation program next year.

In response to the enthusiasm generated by Jubilee II in 2001, the Board of Trustees established the Journey Toward Wholeness Anti-Racism Transformation Team (ARTT). ARTT is charged with helping us become a more inclusive, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multicultural institution. In 2004 we began a monthly Dialogue On Race and Ethnicity (ADORE) with an anti-oppression consultant from the UUA Congregational Services Division to learn how our large congregation can engage more deeply in anti-racism/anti-oppression work.  Jubilee II was repeated in the summer of 2005.  In September the Board of Trustees and the Ministerial Search Committee joined with ARTT and VARUUM to present our third Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop.

Thirty years ago, UUCA members founded Culpepper Garden, a non-profit retirement and assisted-living community for low-income senior citizens. The church remains Culpepper’s formal sponsor. UU members comprise a majority of the board of directors and contribute as volunteers and financial supporters. 

Our Social Action Council sponsors many social justice programs. At our annual Working Together Week, 500 adults and children work on over 30 community service projects, such as stocking food banks and thrift stores, cleaning streams, and refurbishing apartments and bicycles for refugees. Our English for Speakers of Other Languages program provides intermediate English conversation classes four nights a week for immigrants.  Volunteers deliver Meals on Wheels to the elderly two days a month.  The Housing Task Force repairs homes, and volunteers fill three shifts at the county winter shelter one night each month.  Peace Camp is a weeklong program that brings together children of different cultures, ethnicities, and faiths. UUCA volunteers have long tutored reading and other programs in our schools.

For the past two years, UUCA ministers have taken a leadership role with a large group of local interfaith clergy who are exploring with the Industrial Areas Foundation the formation of a community-based organization that will promote economic justice in Northern Virginia.

Our church is one of 22 in the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice in the Baltimore-Washington area (www.uusj.org).  UUCA members are leaders and volunteers of local and regional UU organizations, such as Beacon House Community Ministry in Washington and the UU Affordable Housing Corporation, a fund of nearly $5 million that makes loans for affordable housing and childcare.

Community Building

Members and friends participate in 24 covenant groups that meet monthly to deepen personal and spiritual connections. This year many of the groups will focus on the sermon series “Making a Difference.” Affinity groups include VARUUM, Singletarians, Fellowship X, book groups, writing groups, and poker and bridge groups. The Day Alliance sponsors monthly lunches that combine conversation and education. 

The ministers, a volunteer parish nurse, and trained teams provide pastoral care. Activities include hospital and home visits, counseling, referrals, health programs, and support groups. The parish nurse offers flu immunizations and bi-weekly blood pressure checks.

Describe the expected role and functions of the minister being sought among the paid staff:

The Team Minister for Community Building is a member of the Professional Leadership Team (PLT).   The Minister for Community Building will have primary responsibility for ensuring the success of social justice/social action, membership, and pastoral care.  The minister will participate in the worship life of the congregation and work cooperatively with the other members of the PLT.

Primary Responsibilities:

1.  Social Justice and Social Action

The minister shall provide leadership to the social justice and social action programs of the congregation.  The minister will work closely with the leadership of the Social Action Council, Anti-Racist Transformation Team, Virginia Rainbow UU Ministry, and other justice-focused groups.  Working with lay leaders, the minister will work to ensure that Unitarian Universalist values are voiced in the broader community. The minister will seek opportunities for members to be of service outside UUCA and bring to UUCA programs and events that serve the broader community.  To accomplish these tasks, the minister shall network with local, regional, state, national, and international advocacy organizations, service providers, nonprofit organizations, coalitions, and other faith communities.

2.   Membership

The minister shall take the lead in developing membership programs, including in-reach and outreach.  The minister, working closely with the Membership Assistant, other UUCA staff, and appropriate lay leaders, shall be responsible for a comprehensive program to attract new members: greeting visitors, helping them assimilate into the worship and program life of the congregation, fostering stewardship, and retaining them and their families. The minister shall develop a plan to reach those in Northern Virginia who have never heard of Unitarian Universalism but who might be attracted to the values embodied in our principles.

3.  Pastoral Care

The minister shall lead the congregation's pastoral care program.  The minister shall work closely with the parish nurse and the leadership of the pastoral care teams to ensure that the ministers and trained lay members provide services to the congregation.   Responsibilities include meeting with the parish nurse, assisting in training lay volunteers, and supporting groups that meet the needs of individuals of all ages within our congregation.

Additional Responsibilities:

4.   Worship

The minister shall participate in the worship life of the congregation, including leading the Sunday worship service at least monthly.  The minister will work with the PLT to support and enrich the worship experience of the congregation.   In collaboration with the PLT, the Minister for Community Building will preside over rites of passage (dedications, weddings/unions, funerals, and memorial services).

5.  Membership in the PLT

The minister shall serve on the PLT, working with its members to ensure the development and oversight of programs that reflect the vision, mission, and goals of UUCA, as well as the implementation of the policies of the Board.  The minister will serve as liaison to specified program areas and activities, including social justice and social action, membership and pastoral care. The minister will promote programs, advocate for the allocation of resources to support them, and supervise UUCA staff as appropriate.

6.  General Duties

The Minister for Community Building shall participate in congregational life by attending congregational meetings, forums, retreats, potlucks, dances, and other events.  The minister will participate in denominational activities including ministerial groups and district and national gatherings.  Finally, the minister shall undertake appropriate continuing education and other professional development and in general nurture her/his own spiritual development.

 
 Congregational history:
How and when was the congregation founded?
Before World War II, All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington was the only Unitarian congregation accessible to Northern Virginia residents. Because of wartime rationing, some All Souls members in Arlington began meeting in each other’s homes. All Souls sponsored the fellowship.  In 1948 the Unitarian Church of Arlington adopted a constitution. In 1994 it changed its name to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington.

Note the three or four most important events in the congregation's history:
In the 1950s, under the Rev. Ross Weston, the congregation was active in the civil rights movement and opposed Virginia’s segregation laws.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the congregation became active on behalf of low-income elderly persons, culminating in 1975 in the creation of nearby Culpepper Garden, a retirement community for persons with low incomes. In 2000, with support from Arlington County, Culpepper Garden opened the first HUD-subsidized assisted living facility for low-income elders in the county.

In the 1980s, the church was a sanctuary for undocumented refugees from Central America, and until the county took over, served as one of the area’s homeless shelters. 

In 1990 the church began a $3.7 million building program to facilitate church growth. The new facility was dedicated in 1994.

During the 1990s, under the leadership of the Rev. Joan Gelbein, our church became a Welcoming Congregation, inviting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons.  Rev. Gelbein also initiated the Labyrinth Project, which offers members and friends opportunities for regular walking meditation.

List, most recent first, all clergy who have served since 1950 and earlier ministers of great importance, and interim ministers since 1980 (minister name, date arrived, date departed, reason for departure):


Michael McGee, 1999-present
Linda Olson-Peebles (MRE), 2001-present
Joan R. Gelbein, 1989-2003, retired
George Kimmich Beach, 1978-1996, negotiated resignation


Robert C. Clarke, 1967-1977, resigned and took a position at another church
Edward H. Redman, 1960-1966, congregational vote
Ross Allen Weston, 1950-1960, resigned and took a position at another church
Gilbert A. Phillips, 1948-1949, resigned

Paul H. L’Herrou, Interim Minister 1997-1999
Sarah York, Interim Minister 2003-2004
Marta Valentin Chase, Interim Minister 2004-2005

Richard Nugent, Interim Minister 2005-

Current clergy and staff (include all paid staff):

Position

Date of hire/call

F/T or hrs. per week

Covered by Health Plan?

Covered by Retire Plan?

Annualized Compensation (S&H for clergy)

Supervised by/ reports to:

Member?

Administrator 

10/1998 

F/T 

yes 

yes 

72545 

Board 

no 

Lead Team Minister 

8/1999 

F/T 

yes 

yes 

99497 

Congregation 

yes 

Team Minister-MRE 

7/2001 

F/T 

yes 

yes 

75449 

Congregation 

yes 

Music Director 

8/2002 

F/T 

yes 

yes 

68033 

Board 

no 

Dance Director 

8/2002 

P/T 

no 

no 

12548 

Lead Team Minister 

no 

Children & Youth Choir Director 

Vacant 

P/T 

no 

no 

5532 

Music Director 

 

Handbell Choir Director 

9/2002 

P/T 

no 

no 

7234 

Music Director 

yes 

Music Assistant 

9/2004 

P/T 

no 

no 

2000

Music Director 

yes 

Youth Program Coordinator 

8/2004 

P/T 

no 

no 

16640 

MRE 

no 

RE Summer Coordinator 

2-month position 

P/T 

no 

no 

1292 

MRE 

 

Administrative Assistant 

6/1988 

34 

yes 

yes 

33834 

Administrator 

no 

Publications Assistant 

5/2000 

30 

yes 

yes 

25880 

Administrator 

no 

RE Coordinator 

4/1997 

20 

yes 

yes 

17619 

Administrator 

yes 

Membership

Coordinator 

1/1995 

30 

yes 

yes 

25880 

Administrator 

yes 

Facilities Manager 

7/2001 

F/T 

yes 

yes 

36837 

Administrator 

yes 

Custodian 

4/1995 

F/T 

yes 

yes 

29120 

Administrator 

no 

RE Assistant 2 

8/2004 

17 

no 

no 

11700 

Administrator 

no 

Assistant Custodian 

9/2003 

32 

yes 

yes 

21632 

Administrator 

no 

Financial Secretary 

5/1999 

14 

no 

no 

16574 

Administrator 

no 

Interim Team Minister 

9/2005 

F/T 

yes 

yes 

65051 

Board 

no 

Intern

8/2005

P/T

no

no

5400

Board

no

Table I   Membership, Attendance, and Pledging

Year Ending

Data Represents

Months

Adult Members

Average Adult Sunday Attendance

Children & Youth Enrollment

Average Children & Youth Attendance

No. of Pledge Units

Total Operating Pledges

Operating Pledge per pledge Unit (col 6/col 5)

2005

a twelve-month year

12

1036

485

422

217

709

1076200

1518

2004

a twelve-month year

12

1040

507

404

237

743

1076676

1449

2003

a twelve-month year

12

1103

629

410

213

620

933725

1506

2002

a twelve-month year

12

1034

613

418

230

777

961542

1238

2001

a twelve-month year

12

1013

491

403

214

825

785461

1066

2000

a twelve-month year

12

954

487

397

192

768

759140

1117

1995

a twelve-month year

12

764

Not available

454

0

0

474800

0

1990

a twelve-month year

12

691

Not available

365

0

0

330700

0

1985

a twelve-month year

12

635

Not available

235

0

0

212400

0

1980

a twelve-month year

12

631

Not available

213

0

0

138900

0

1975

a twelve-month year

12

713

Not available

247

0

0

114600

0

Table II   Sources of Operating Income

Year Ending

Total Operating Pledges

Other Contributions

Fundraising Events

Endowment Invesment Income

Building Rentals

Other Income

Total Income (sum of 1...6)

Total Endowment

2005

$ 1033000

$ 64200

$ 67200

$ 0

$ 117300

$39400

1320000

$ 600300

2004

$ 1023000

$ 91900

$ 41400

$ 0

$ 120300

$ 31500

$ 1308000

$ 499500

2003

$ 897037

$ 44064

$ 45729

$ 0

$ 124544

$ 45080

$ 1156454

$ 243095

2002

$ 961542

$ 137155

$ 87119

$ 0

$ 134783

$ 89179

$ 1409778

$ 222876

2001

$ 785461

$ 41040

$ 72781

$ 0

$ 102964

$ 66105

$ 1068351

$ 229135

2000

$ 759140

$ 25538

$ 75632

$ 0

$ 99541

$ 123373

$ 1083224

$ 212440

1995

$ 474800

$ 24800

$ 40629

$ 0

$ 20100

$ 32723

$ 593052

$ 0

1990

$ 330700

$ 38813

$ 21525

$ 0

$ 25655

$ 14871

$ 431564

$ 76477

1985

$ 212400

$ 11700

$ 9750

$ 0

$ 21016

$ 6834

$ 261700

$ 24546

1980

$ 138900

$ 8980

$ 6450

$ 0

$ 8118

$ 11637

$ 174085

$ 0

1975

$ 114600

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 114600

$ 0

Table III   Operating Expenses

Year Ending

Building & Grounds & Utilities

Minister(s) S&H

Ministers’ Benefits & Professional Expenses

Other Staff Compensation

Religious Education

Social Justice & Service

Debt Service

Other Current Expenses

Total Expenses

Total Debt

2005

$ 156000

$ 232716

$ 69391

$ 504478

$ 12133

$ 79050

$ 169473

$ 100860

$ 1324100

$ 1730000

2004

$ 136320

$ 286212

$ 0

$ 457564

$ 10104

$ 80087

$ 178222

$ 107913

$ 1256422

$ 1799487

2003

$ 132507

$ 276103

$ 0

$ 404222

$ 23136

$ 70396

$ 176629

$ 108416

$ 1191409

$ 1860569

2002

$ 140065

$ 245040

$ 0

$ 426614

$ 141587

$ 88350

$ 245644

$ 147444

$ 1434744

$ 1914380

2001

$ 108972

$ 177499

$ 0

$ 276898

$ 101338

$ 69885

$ 197547

$ 108613

$ 1040752

$ 1969737

2000

$ 186437

$ 181489

$ 0

$ 244169

$ 103923

$ 60623

$ 197747

$ 87723

$ 1062111

$ 2017000

1995

$ 56807

$ 120454

$ 0

$ 141011

$ 84952

$ 34748

$ 70607

$ 91638

$ 600217

$ 0

1990

$ 55652

$ 96400

$ 0

$ 91674

$ 45193

$ 29957

$ 33288

$ 60676

$ 412840

$ 0

1985

$ 29300

$ 46985

$ 0

$ 49041

$ 26633

$ 16400

$ 32007

$ 53468

$ 253834

$ 176564

1980

$ 18500

$ 35880

$ 0

$ 33740

$ 18948

$ 15827

$ 27567

$ 31245

$ 181707

$ 243489

1975

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

$ 0

Explanation of any anomalies:
1. Fiscal 2002 was 15 months, preceding a shift to a July 1-June 30 year.
2. Building rentals include the old church building, the newer building,
and the parsonage.
3. Total debt reflects the mortgage for the addition to the new
building in 1993.

Current congregational life

Does the congregation have a mission -- not a mission statement, but a glowing coal at its center -- and if so, what is it?

Vision: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington is a diverse community united by its commitment to justice, compassion, and spiritual and ethical growth.

Mission: We seek to foster and celebrate diversity; to create a more just world and a caring community; to provide sacred space for worship and the arts; to support lifelong learning; and to nurture a spirit of generosity in all that we do.

In May 2005, over 180 members and friends in small groups developed these vision and mission statements.  Group leaders wrote the final versions, which were approved at the congregation’s annual meeting in June.  We seek a new team minister who will help us fulfill these statements.

Congregational strengths:

Congregational challenges:

What congregational issues are likely to be most pressing within the next couple of years:


What congregational issues are likely to be most pressing over the next ten years:

What congregational issues may never be resolved?

Determining how large we want to be and reaching a consensus on the appropriate balance between social justice outreach and ministering to the needs of our congregation.

To what degree does the congregation possess a dominant theology?

In our 2004 survey, 57 % identified as humanist. 36% chose Judeo/Christian, 38% personal spirituality, 27% mystical, 28%earth-centered, and 7% feminist. (Respondents could select up to three categories.) Regarding belief in god, 42% described themselves as agnostic, 35% as theist, and 16% as atheist. All of us are seekers and respect each other’s paths.


Describe the role of music and the arts in the life of the congregation:
Music and the arts are vital to UUCA, where we express our personal creativity through a range of activities. The music director (a PLT member) oversees the Ministry of Creative Arts, which includes music, theater, creative writing, and visual arts. The director plays piano and organ for services and conducts the adult choir and the a cappella chamber choir Second Street Singers. The church’s 70-member adult choir performs for Sunday services and two annual choral concerts.  It presents an annual fundraising cabaret and performs at outside venues. In 2004 the choir toured Europe, singing for Unitarian congregations in the Romanian province of Transylvania.

The hand bell program has five ensembles and a busy schedule at church and in the community.

The UUCA Recital Series offers three concerts each year with a range of musical styles. The Solstice Celebration in December is an intergenerational music presentation with food, poetry, dancers, and readings. The intergenerational Chalice Theatre’s recent productions include The Sound of Music and Into the Woods.  The Coffee House series presents music, poetry, humor, and “open mike” sessions. Other musical events include plays, skits, and performances.

The UUCA Dancers perform at Sunday services six to eight times a year and at other events. The dance director offers modern dance classes for adults and children.

Describe the religious education programs for children, youth and adults:
The Program of Lifespan Faith Development continues to grow.  Our programs are guided by a Religious Education Council and served by a minister of RE, coordinator, and youth programs coordinator.

Sunday services offer education classes for over 400 children from nursery to high school. Curriculums for first through seventh grades focus on Unitarian Universalist principles, religions of the world, and the connection between values and action.

Our Whole Lives, a comprehensive sexuality education program, is offered to 1st, 4th, and 8th-graders on Sundays and to high-schoolers and adults in weekend workshops. An OWL committee of veteran teachers oversees the curriculum and the training and selection of instructors.
 
The Religious Education Council, supported by the minister of RE and staff, oversees the curriculum. Four-member teacher teams consist of volunteer parents and non-parents.

Families are encouraged to participate in activities that occur at least monthly: service projects, potlucks, concerts and sing-alongs, games nights, picnics, and a June camp-out.

We offer increasing choices to young people in middle and high school, guided by the Youth Action Council. A 6th-to-8th grade group, Unitarian Universalist Tweens (UUTs), designs its own worship and sharing circles, selects social service projects, and establishes guidelines for appropriate activities and behavior. The 8th Grade OWL class is a yearlong curriculum. Other programs are Coming of Age (grades 8-9) and Affirmations (grades 11-12). Youth Group (grades 9-12) culminates with its annual student-led worship service in the spring. 

Adult RE last year involved 700 adults in classes, workshops, forums, and 24 covenant groups.

Lay leadership
In practice, are responsibilities for governance widely shared or confined among relatively few members? Give some examples:
Our many lay leaders are essential to the vibrancy of our church.

The Board of Trustees sets policy and oversees staff. Its nine members serve single, staggered three-year terms. Election by the congregation takes place in June.

The RE Council sets policy and curriculum development for our lifetime religious learning program.  The Social Action Council coordinates myriad social justice and community service activities. The Anti-Racism Transformation Team has taken an active leadership role.

Experienced former trustees and officers lend their judgment and advice to their successors and to the ministerial leadership. Because the group is large, no “clique” of any size dominates the church lay leadership over time.

Describe the process you used to complete this form:
The Congregational Record reflects the work of two Ministerial Search Committees (MSC), the PLT, the Board of Trustees, and members of the congregation who responded to a survey and participated in a forum, focus group, or other meeting.

Committees
Name the committees that have recently had the greatest success:
Covenant groups, Social Action Council, Anti-Racism Transformation Team, Virginia Rainbow UU Ministry, RE Council, Finance, Music Committee, Labyrinth Project, Peace Camp (an annual one week summer program for children), and English as a Second Language program are examples, but there are others.
Name the committees that have recently had the least success:
Membership, Denominational Affairs

Major financial support
List the dollar amounts of the ten largest operating pledges received in the most recently completed fiscal year:
1. $16,500
2. $15,600
3. $14,400
4. $12,000
5. $12,000
6. $12,000
7. $10,800
8. $10,400
9. $10,000
10. $10,000

Give the dates of the last two capital fund drives, and the funds raised (a) by contribution and (b) by debt:

1991-94 (a) Contribution $1.1 million; (b) Debt $1.9 million

What is the condition of the church buildings, and what funds may need to be raised in the future?

Our main building was built in 1963, with a major expansion in 1994. Mold was discovered in August 2005 in the lower level of the 1994 building addition, which houses many of the RE classrooms.  The congregation has authorized the Board to spend $750,000 on remediation and renovation. Fundraising is underway to raise the funds, and the work is expected to be completed by June 2006.

Ministry
Describe the process by which the minister will be called:
The MSC will recommend the candidate to the congregation. After an eight-day candidating week, the congregation will meet to vote on whether to call the candidate as a settled minister.

Describe the process by which the Ministerial Search Committee (or its equivalent) was chosen:

The Nominating Committee placed the names of nine members of the congregation on the ballot for election at the congregation’s annual meeting in June 2005.

Ministerial skills and enthusiasms most needed by the congregation:
4 -Crucial   3 -Significant   2 -Modest  1 -Of little consequence. Put in list in number order.

4 Community building
4 Social action
4 Membership growth
4 Leadership
3 Worship
3 Preaching
3 Personal counseling
3 Staff relations
3 Spiritual guidance
3 Scholarship
3 Home visitation
3 Hospital calling
3 Committee work
2 Denominational activities
2 Administration
2 Stewardship
1 Facilitation
1 Youth work
1 Adult religious education
1 Children’s religious education
1 Music & liturgical arts

Assess the capacity of the congregation to exercise forbearance and nurture in assisting a minister's development:
We anticipate creating a support committee for a new minister. Just as we know that our ministers must support us as we stumble, we expect to provide forbearance for the ministers, recognizing that none of us can be as good as we want to be all the time. We are a healthy and forgiving community.

What expectations, however silent, may there be about the minister's family and personal life?
Our minister’s partner, spouse, children or other family members will be welcome in our church. As long as the minister’s personal life reflects integrity and respect and does not interfere with his/her ministry, it is not our concern.

Describe the worst mistake your new minister could make:
To commit financial, sexual, or other abuses of power and trust invested in the office of minister.

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