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I have been a Board member since July, 2017. What does it mean to me and how does it enhance my life? In a nutshell: “commitment.”
Three years ago, if you had asked me whether I would consider serving a term on the Board of Trustees, I would have told you “no way.” In fact, I was asked that question twice that year and gave an answer along those lines. I cited many reasons for my “no” : I had too many commitments. I already serve on two other boards in our community. I did not want to dilute my efforts working with the Environmental Ministry. In short, my plate was full. But the third request to serve came at a coffee meet-up with Scott Dyer, who explained to me how serving could enhance my other commitments. And this time, I said “Yes.” I have not regretted that decision. The Board has given me the opportunity to grow spiritually, as I work with my fellow members in our commitment to sustain, support and grow our congregation. There’s that word again: “commitment.” I have come to recognize that working with the Board is a serious dedication. But my reservations about serving that I had, came to fruition in a positive way. Yes it has divided my time more, but I feel that I am dedicating a portion of my life to a good cause: working with my fellow Board members to enhance our congregational community. Working with the Board and other ministries has opened my eyes to the wonderful family that we are blessed with in our congregation. We are “doers.” We are activists. We are kind people dedicated to making the world a little better place. I never realized the full breadth of those values until I made the commitment and devoted my time and efforts to being a steward of our congregation’s welfare, that has enhanced my commitment to the core values of Unitarian Universalism. It has also enhanced other core values in my life that I hold dear. It has made me a better person. Six years ago when I first set foot in the doors of UUFNW, I was immediately struck by how much Unitarian values coincided with my own beliefs. There was an instant chemistry with our congregation. I have since enjoyed the spirituality of everything that UUNFNW has given to me. UUFNW generously provides all these benefits to all of us. And yes we take these benefits. And sometimes, we give back. Committing myself to work with the Board in sustaining the physical and spiritual infrastructure of our congregation has been my way of giving something back and has been an honor. And this commitment has allowed me to grow in other arenas of my busy life.
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When I was growing up, the word congregation didn’t have full meaning for me. Those who were members of the First Baptist Church of Lumberton, those people were “the congregation”, and it included a lot of warbling “old” ladies who referred to me as “the baby” and “old” men who passed the plate; and they all stood fast in their view of proper dress and proper behavior. Thus, a child’s and then a teenager’s view. In much later years, this place made me revisit the word, and I came to understand a greater depth to the word. It is the gathering together, the being in each other’s company to support, protect, grow.
How can we feed this flock with support and protection? How can I contribute to that, as a mere member of this congregation? The basis of the mission of the Lay Pastoral Care Team is to be on the alert and respond by making sure the minister knows about needs, by stepping in to assist the minister providing some of the support, by making sure that each person knows that their presence is valued, that they are part of the web of support. And that is what makes participation on this Ministry Team valuable to me. This is part of what helps knit me ever more warmly into this community. For that I am grateful. It feeds my soul. On the third Sunday of each month, the Lay Pastoral Care Team provides a bit of time – which we call a Caring Circle – right after the service for those who wish to gather and talk about things that are on their hearts, that perhaps they have not wanted to light a candle in the service for but do wish some support or some time to develop their thoughts. Please join the member who is hosting the Circle in Rev. Michael’s office for some quiet conversation between the end of the service and noon.
JOY OVADEK, REMT CHAIR: Being a part of RE feeds my soul by allowing me to be a part of that village. It takes a UU village to raise UU children! LORI McQUADE: As an adult who didn’t grow up as a Unitarian Universalist, being involved in RE has allowed me to engage in the religious exploration process as well, and learn more about our faith and what I personally believe in. It’s feeding my “spiritual growth”. It takes a UU village to raise UU children! SHEILA BERNSON: Working with the youth of our fellowship feeds my spirit and nourishes my soul. I think about our service learning trips to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Our youth made me so proud: their maturity, willingness to work hard, and ability to express in words the impact that week had on their lives. It takes a UU village to raise UU children! SUZI NOVAK: It is so great to be on a team of people who care about kids – and to watch our children learn how to be kind to kids who are not like them. I am so proud of our UU kids!   Dear Ones,
I hope the start of this new year has been a good one and the year brings each of you many blessings. My initial instinct was to just wish each of you a happy new year yet, that sentiment while sincere, felt insufficient and shallow given these times. We need each other more than ever and I am very grateful to have this community. I hit the ground running (mostly in a good way but also had a few bumps) and hope to settle into a bit of a slower pace over the next few months. It is my relationships with you all and felt sense of community that sustains and inspires me. I am so excited about starting this blog. We are wanting to have a place to share more personally and more in-depth than what a newsletter can offer. Over the course of the next few months you will be hearing from members of our Ministry Teams about their work and their inspiration. What about UUFNW inspires you? One aspect of my Board Ministry that calls me is the opportunity to help shape culture to ensure we live our mission. Perhaps you may recall my mentioning that the Board of Trustees (Steffani Brandenburg, Greg Goett, Kathryn Ward, Jack Kozuchowski, Suzi Novak, Vicki Bloom, and Stuart Marcus) had taken on the task of developing a three-year Rolling Strategic Plan. This is a living, ever-evolving document and tool that is designed to assist all of us towards growth and fulfilling our mission. I am pleased to announce that this initial work has been completed. What is a Rolling 3-year strategic Plan? A rolling strategic plan is a living document that is designed to guide us and our Ministry Teams to help fulfill and live OUR MISSION. “Rolling” refers to how it will be utilized. Year two goals (will become year one (2021-2022); year three goals will become year two (2022-2023) and new year three goals will be developed for 2023-2024, etc. Additionally, all goals will continue to be reviewed for their relevance. What is special about our plan is that it was created by the congregation. During 2019 our congregation hired a UUA consultant to assist in developing our mission and vision statement. All congregants were invited to participate in the process which resulted in our current Mission Statement along with more detailed broad-brush goals that outlined our vision as to how this would be carried out. In May 2019 we voted to formally accept our Mission and Vision at our annual meeting. The Board used these documents as the basis for the strategic plan. While the categories of “Gather, Engage, and Create” are not noted specifically in the Plan, each and every one of the goals identified in 2019 is incorporated. We began the process at the Board retreat and worked closely with our current Ministry Teams. In December 2019 we were able to complete our work and in doing so (drum roll) we are now eligible to apply for a Chalice Lighter Grant from the UUA for a Membership Coordinator. In order to be eligible, we need to meet a threshold for chalice lighter supporters so if you have not done so, I hope you will consider becoming a supporter. As we continue to gather, engage, and create, we have so much to look forward to! In peace and fellowship, Steffani Steffani Brandenburg Board of Trustees, President |
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