Thanks to all who attended the Interim Town Hall meeting on Sunday. As promised, we’re sharing the full narrative interim report, the slides, and the summary of the listening sessions this past spring for your review. Updates are also shared on the Interim Ministry page on this website. If you didn’t make it to the meeting, we hope you’ll take the time to review the information. Rev. Lisa, the board, and the transition team are all happy to answer questions if you have them.
One of the most common questions we got leading up to the meeting was “How are we doing?” with this interim thing – even wondering what grade UUCC would get. The short answer is that all is well. You’re doing a good job! The longer answer is (predictably)… longer.
Overall, Rev. Lisa noted in the presentation on Sunday that there isn’t a single checklist or equation we can use to evaluate the transitional period. Engaging in the interim process together is the most important thing we can do – and the process of being in transition is non-linear and a bit messy, which can feel frustrating and disconcerting. Part of the process is starting with the five areas of focus (Heritage, Mission, Communication, Leadership, and Future) and as the interim progresses, refining those areas into more specific goals. Rest assured you’re on the right track, and as the board and the transition team continue to work with Rev. Lisa to break the refined goals into actionable steps, we’ll be sharing more updates and ways you can participate in the process.
For quick reference, UUCC’s current interim goals are:
- Engage more with grief/loss around recent events (including departure of ministers, pandemic changes, and recent conflict)
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Continue post-shutdown work of re-engaging and re-envisioning ways to build community and strengthen relationships
- Clarify roles, responsibilities, and accountability relationships throughout the organization
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Increase accessibility, clarity, and transparency of communications
- Prioritize implementation of congregational covenant
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Explore and implement shared ministry model
- Increase congregational awareness of and engagement with mission, vision and ends
- Revisit the vision statement and accompanying materials – particularly the appended list of “Vision Questions”