May 1, 2005 Interim Task Force announces Rev. Richard A. Nugent as new interim minister. Announcement presented to the congregation on May 1, 2005. April 3, 2005 Ministerial Search Committee Update Final report was presented to the congregation. For the full text of the presentation made to the congregation on April 3, please click link to view Report to the Congregation from the Ministerial Search Committee . |
February 15, 2005 Ministerial Search Committee Update The Ministerial Search Committee is still reviewing candidate information packets and interviewing candidates. We are abiding by the UUA guidelines for confidentiality for ministerial search committees and will not be offering any more information about the progress of the search until we are ready to announce the name of a candidate. A copy of our Congregational Packet, which was sent to ministers with whom we decided to exchange packets,is available for viewing in the Library. Lee Bory, Sally Determan, Renee Foltz, Lavona Grow, Chair, Steve Owen, Chris Ritthaler, Doug Warnecke |
| February 1, 2005 Update from the Ministerial Search Committee We have a list of candidates! We have reviewed all of the Ministerial Records and are now in the process of contacting those candidates with whom we would like to exchange information packets. Our Congregational Packet is available for viewing in the church library. After each service on February 20, a member of the search committee will be at a table in Fellowship Hall to answer your questions. MSC articles and other information are posted on our webpage which you can link to from the UUCA home page. Please send us your questions or ideas by email to search@uucava.org or leave a message at the MSC Kiosk in Fellowship Hall. --- Thank you for your help and trust. Lee Bory, Sally Determan, Renee Foltz, Lavona Grow, Chair, Steve Owen, Chris Ritthaler, Doug Warnecke |
| January 15, 2005 Update from the Ministerial Search Committee Now that our Congregational Record is posted online for ministers to view, we are entering a new phase of our search committee work. This is probably a good time to remind everyone of the importance of confidentiality in our search process. We have shared information about the search at each step in the process, but now as we begin to receive the names of applicants, we enter the phase where we must maintain strict confidentiality. It’s not that we are unnecessarily keeping secrets from anyone, including the Board, but many ministers who are currently in search have not yet notified their congregations that they are searching. We must respect their wishes that their search remain confidential. To protect these ministers, and the feelings of the members of their congregations, the MSC cannot discuss the names or details about the applicants under consideration until we decide on a final candidate. In addition, there are other congregations in our area that are in search, and revealing the identities of the applicants may harm collegial feelings among ministers, or result in hard feelings among congregations. Confidentiality also includes search committee business. It is important that as members of a team we are able to communicate openly and resolve issues among ourselves. Please be understanding if a search committee member is unable to answer your questions because of a commitment to confidentiality. Thank you. Lavona Grow, Chair |
January 1, 2005 Update from the Ministerial Search Committee Our Congregational Record (CR) was officially posted by UUA last month. Our next big task will be preparing the Congregational Packet which we will give to the most promising candidates as a record of who we are. If you have any pictures (digitized images are preferred) of social events, retreats, plays, etc. please share them with us. Send your digital pictures to Lee Bory at leebory@juno.com. In early February, we will start preparing for our phone and in person interviews with prospective candidates. We invite your ideas for questions to ask the candidates and questions for us to ask references. We don’t promise to use all of them but we do promise to consider all of them and choose the best mix. You can drop off your questions at our kiosk in Fellowship Hall or in our MSC folder. After each service on the third Sunday of the month, a member of the MSC is in the Fellowship Hall to answer your questions. On January 16, you can drop off your pictures or questions for the interviews and references. We hope to announce soon a MSC link on our UUCA website to help you keep track of what’s happening in the search process. Thank you for your help and trust. Lee Bory, Sally Determan, Renee Foltz, Lavona Grow, Chair, Steve Owen, Chris Ritthaler, Doug Warnecke |
December 15, 2004 Update from the Ministerial Search Committee Our Congregational Record (CR), the comprehensive description of our church, has been reviewed by the Board and the Professional Leadership Team and it is on its way to being posted on the UUA online search website. The CR serves as our official announcement that we are seeking a Team Minister. We are grateful to all of you who shared your thoughts, concerns and dreams about UUCA over the past 18 months of our committees’ search process. We hope that our CR reflects who we are as a congregation, our hopes, dreams and struggles. Although our CR can not include everything about our church, the MSC will be mindful of what we continue to hear and learn as we move forward. Once interested ministers submit their Ministerial Records (MRs), like a resume, to the UUA, we will then start narrowing the field to the most promising applicants that we will interview over the phone in February. In preparation for the phone interviews, we will conduct practice interviews to help us hone our list of questions and be prepared for questions from applicants. After the phone interviews, we will identify three or four “pre-candidates” who we will interview in person. In preparation for the phone and in person interviews, we invite your ideas for questions to ask applicants. We have a kiosk in the Fellowship Hall and space on the bulletin board outside the Board Room where we will post information about our progress and you can drop off your suggested interview questions or other comments at the kiosk or in our MSC folder. Our next big task will be preparing our Congregational Packet which we will give to minister candidates as a record of who we are. If you have any pictures, digitized images are preferred, of social events, retreats, plays… please share them with us. Thank you for your help. Lavona Grow, MSC Chair (Lee Bory, Sally Determan, Renee Foltz, Steve Owen, Chris Ritthaler, Doug Warnecke) |
December 1, 2004 newsletter update Update from the Ministerial Search Committee The MSC has resumed the search for a minister on a slightly modified timeline. The next major step is the posting of our Congregational Record (CR), the comprehensive description of our church and surrounding community. Soon we expect our CR to be in the final review process by the Board and the Professional Leadership Team and on its way to being posted on the UUA online search website by December 20, 2004. The CR serves as our official announcement that we are seeking a Minister. Once the CR is posted by UUA, interested ministers may submit their Ministerial Records (MRs) to the UUA. The standard practice is to wait 30 days after the CR is posted before sending the MRs on to the our committee. When we receive the MRs we will start the difficult task of narrowing the field to three or four “pre-candidates” from which we will recommend a minister to the Congregation. We hope to hold a congregational vote in May or June and have a settled minister by September 1, 2005. |
| TO: The Board of Trustees FROM: Lavona Grow, on behalf of the Ministerial Search Committee RE: Search Committee Update DATE: November 14, 2004 Following is an update since my last meeting with the Board on October 19, 2004. · The Ministerial Search Committee is now preparing the Congregational Record (CR) and Congregational Packet. We have provided a copy of the CR form to Bill Peters and have asked him to provide the MSC with all relevant information at his disposal and to complete the total cost of ministry (TCM) expenses based on the outcome of the joint meeting of the MSC and the board in May when the range of the TCM was determined. The CR includes information about the congregational history, congregational survey results, operating expenses, sources of operating income, membership, attendance, pledging information, lay leadership, committees, congregational life, ministerial profile and congregational profile. This process will require the review of the Professional Leadership Team, Board of Trustees, Ministerial Settlement Representative (John Hansman) and the UUA Ministerial Settlement Director (Rev. John Weston). In order to facilitate the timely review of the CR, the MSC asks that the Board appoint two members to work with the MSC in the ongoing development of the CR. Attendance at part of the MSC meetings on Tuesday nights may be required. · The MSC is assembling the Congregational Packet. Pictures will be taken ASAP of the Board members and the full Board no later than the December Board meeting. Lee Bory and Renee Foltz are coordinating this task. · On Tuesday, November 2, 2004 Lavona gave a presentation to the Day Alliance to provide an update on the search process. · Lavona talked with ten members of the Humanist group (after their regular meeting) about Marta meeting with them. I introduced the idea with the full group the possibility of developing a “Beyond Categorical Theology Thinking” workshop. · Chris Ritthaler attended the first COM feedback session and Lavona Grow attended the second feedback session on Sunday, November 14, 2004. · Lee Bory will attend the COM on Monday, November 15, 2004. · Regrettably I have not followed through on the request of the Board for Q&A’s regarding the search process. I’m attaching my talking points for my presentation to the Day Alliance which I hope addresses some of the bigger questions. It was not distributed. · The Congregational Survey has been copied and will be distributed through the 225+ folders to church leaders. · I have been going to the office for a few hours one day a week to meet with ministers and staff and conduct other search committee business. The MSC now has a corner of the bulletin board outside the Board room. |
October 15, 2005 Message from the Minister Search Committee The work of the Search Committee continues. However, under the applicable – and reasonable, we believe – UUA rules, because our interim team minister, Marta Valentin Chase, is a potential “inside candidate,” your Committee cannot consider other candidates until Marta decides whether or not to submit her name for consideration as the settled team minister. If she becomes a candidate, the Search Committee must then decide whether or not to recommend her to the congregation before other possible candidates may be considered. We are sure that the congregation shares the Search Committee’s view that Marta should have several months with UUCA before she can be asked to make such an important life decision. Thus, for now, we’re in a “hold” position, but UUA has assured us that we will be able to participate fully in the 2005 search process should Marta choose not to be a candidate or if she is not offered the settled team minister position. Feel free to talk with any of us about these UUA rules or anything else concerning our search that may be on your mind. |