Topeka Congregation Featured in News Article

Our congregation in Topeka, Kansas, got some very nice coverage in a recent article in the local newspaper. See it here:

http://www.cjonline.com/stories/071208/rel_303070483.shtml

I like the article because it is upbeat and begins by reporting the story of the young families currently being attracted to the congregation and then tells how the congregation is responding to this growth. Other aspects of congregational life — how to live sustainably, their welcoming of BGLT people, their selling of Fair Trade products, their excellent minister and staff – are highlighted. It will be easy for anyone reading the article to figure out just what Unitarian Unitarians are all about.

I also checked out the congregation’s Web site, and it’s very good. If people read the newspaper article and then look at the fellowship’s Web site, they’ll find current information about programming, and a visitor’s page that tells what to expect at a Sunday service; what resources are available for children, youth, and adults; details about their location, with directions; and suggestions for finding a convenient place to park. There’s also a section about the plans for their building expansion, which was referred to in the newspaper article. Find their Web site here: www.uuft.org

Well done, Topeka!

 

Why This Ministry Matters

I spoke on Sunday at the ordination of a new minister. Lyn will focus her ministry on small congregations. She sees her work as consulting ministry with small, mostly lay led fellowships and churches in our district, rather than to a specific congregation. In her internship, and in the work she’s done as a district consultant in the last few years, Lyn has encouraged small congregations’ lay leaders to focus on mission, vision, and planning.

After the service, two ministers who were there suggested that I post my remarks on “Why This Ministry Matters” on my blog. Here they are, excerpted.

We have many small congregations in our District and across the country. Some of them have part time Consulting Ministry, but many are too small to afford it, or too isolated geographically to be able to attract professional ministry. Some, because of their history or the preference of their members, are not interested in having a minister. These small congregations wax or wane from year to year, depending on the energy and vision of their current lay leadership. Almost all of them struggle. They struggle to provide programming that attracts or keeps newcomers.  They struggle with too few volunteers and not enough money. If they own a building, they struggle to maintain it; if they rent, they are challenged by not having space that’s adequate or, perhaps, by having to find a new space every few years. The people are dedicated Unitarian Universalists, committed to having a liberal religious presence in their communities. But with the need to focus on month-to-month and year-to-year survival, there can be little time to focus on the larger questions.

Unitarian Universalist minister and Alban Institute consultant Dan Hotchkiss recently wrote an article entitled, “Who Owns the Church?” In the article, Dan contends that the mission of the church owns the church — that leaders and congregants ought to feel accountable to the mission.

 

If congregations believed that the mission owns the church, defining that mission would be essential. It would be critical for them to ask, “If we were truly living out our mission, what would that look like? What programs would we offer? What social justice activities would we be engaged in? What would we need to offer to families with children? To teenagers? To our aging members?” These mission-based questions often go unasked, are not even thought of, in the struggle just to maintain. And so some congregations are content to go on, month after month, doing pretty much the same thing, year after year. Unless some crisis occurs, or some large issue that requires a lot of attention, the congregation marches in place, trying not to lose ground, but not moving forward in any significant way. Lyn sees the possibility for something more.

If our small congregations get clear about mission and vision, and if they agree to move forward with new ideas, they can be stronger presences in their communities. They can be strong and valuable influences in their towns and cities. They can make a difference in the world. That’s why this ministry matters.

 

This is the ministry Lyn feels called to do. This is a ministry that is needed by our District, by our Association, because so many of our congregations are small ones. We need Lyn, and we need many more Lyn’s, who see the value in our small congregations and in serving them.

 

 

 

 

 

Going Green in the North Country

Earlier this month, I was present for the Building Dedication for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth [MN].  UUA President Bill Sinkford spoke at the dedication.

Bill is pictured with Duluth’s Interim Minister, Rev. Sally Hamlin.

The congregation has worked for several years to undertake this large building project and are to be celebrated for their commitment to “green” principles. What a magnificent building! The building has an indoor garden, where plants, shrubs, and trees provide humidity and help purify the air.

It has a parking lot under the building, to reduce the size of the footprint on the site.

It has native grasses on the roof, which will capture the rain and let the water evaporate.

It has on-demand water heaters and a high temperature dishwasher [that uses hot water, rather than chemicals, to clean the dishes].

It has eleven air conditioners and eleven furnaces, so temperature can be controlled in different zones.

The designs in the high windows are reminiscent of the birch trees outside.

Here’s the sanctuary.

There’s more information about the building and photos of the Building Dedication on their Web site: http://www.uuduluth.org/index.htm

If you’re in Duluth, be sure to stop by to see this great new facility, which will serve their congregation and their community well, for many years to come.

 

Great Idea for Youth Groups

I was in Eau Claire over the weekend and, with someone who hadn’t been there before, had a tour of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s building in Eau Claire [WI]. I was so excited about their youth group’s latest project that I just had to tell you about it.

This project combines our Unitarian Universalist seventh principle - “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part” - with the adage ”Reduce, reuse, recycle” - and invites creativity and imagination and just plain fun. I haven’t spoken with the youth or their leaders, so I don’t know whether they thought of this themselves or read about it elsewhere.

What they did was this: they took used clothing and refashioned it into new items, using a variety of methods. Included in their display were several craft books where some of the ideas came from. I took a couple of  photos to show you the charming results!

 

Note the redesigned and decorated red shirt! Someone added polka dots and a decorative button to the yellow sweater. The knitted hat was created from the ribbing of an old sweater.

 

The mittens are made from old sweaters that were felted, cut out into a mitten shape, and sewed with a blanket stitch. A bag was created from another piece of felted sweater, and another bag was sewed from fleece. The white sweater has new, colorful buttons. The books on display were used to generate ideas.

I can just imagine how much fun they had with this! Great work, people!

 

 

Another Congregation Featured in Local Newspaper

Another of our congregations has received great coverage for their new “green” construction. The UU Congregation of Duluth, Minnesota, was featured in the Duluth News Tribune on Wednesday, April 30. Several photos and a list of the new building’s special “green” features, plus information about the church, is on the newspaper’s Web site at www.duluthnewstribune.com  Way to go, UUCD!

This building project was awarded a Chalice Lighters grant by Prairie Star District in 2006-07. Read more about the Chalice Lighters program here: www.psduua.org/chalicelighters/chalicelighters

Green Construction Garners Publicity for UU Congregation

The congregation in Wichita, Kansas, got some nice publicity when they moved into their new building this spring. A reporter from the local newspaper, the Wichita Eagle, did a feature article on the “green” elements of the building. The March 20 article included two large photos showing the energy-efficient windows and the ductwork placed inside the rooms, rather than beneath the roof. The accompanying text mentioned the recyclable carpet and the congregation’s plan to purchase chairs made from renewable plant-based materials.

Letting the local press know about new developments in your congregation is one way of inviting positive publicity for your church or fellowship. You can send this news out in the form of a press release, and it can feature a new program, a lecture series, a new class for children, or, in the case of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Wichita, the “green” aspects of their new construction.

The article didn’t mention the connection between the “green” construction and our seventh principle about “the interdependent web of all existence,” but we hope the average reader learned more about the values of Unitarian Universalists through the “green” choices that were made.

What is your congregation doing that could be announced to a wider audience?

No Scarcity of Good Ideas

When I have a few spare moments, I read newsletters from our congregations in Prairie Star District. We have fifty nine congregations that are affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association, and we have several more that are smaller, newer,  and working toward affiliation. Almost all put out a newsletter which gets mailed [or emailed] to their members and friends.

As I read, I’m always amazed by the great opportunities being provided to people in our congregations. Here are some examples from the latest bunch:

• In Duluth, MN, members can take part in two study groups — one is reading Class Matters: Cross-class Alliance Building for Middle Class Activists and the other is studying a Feminist Psychology of Men, using a book by Christopher Kilmartin. In addition, there’s a monthly book club reading Bel Canto by Ann Patchett for April. It’s amazing to me that anyone in Duluth even has the time to read, since they’re just moving into their new “green” church building, planting an Interiorscape garden, finishing a kitchen, and more. But they’re not ignoring the needs for interesting programming, even in the midst of the move.
• In Des Moines, nine “Provocative Propositions” were developed in a visioning weekend, and the nine teams are working up action steps to move in new directions for Communication, Community Building, Growth, Lifespan Religious Education, Social Justice, Financial, Arts and Music, Leadership Development, and Building and Grounds. In the meantime, there are classes in Buddhist meditation, two children’s choirs [on Sundays and on Wednesdays], a movie night, a parenting group, and much, much more.
• The Bloomington, MN, congregation is offering a free showing of “For the Bible Tells Me So,” a video about how people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child or family member. [I've seen this video mentioned in other newsletters, as well.] And members can sign up to be part of a Habitat for Humanity Work Camp this summer.
• Shawnee Mission UU Church in Overland Park, KS, is sponsoring a Moms Against the War event on Mother’s Day, May 11. See more about this here:  www.juliasvoice.org  They intend to “reclaim Mother’s Day as it was intended by Unitarian Julia Ward Howe — as a day to promote peace and show the impact of war.” In April, there’s a Saturday workshop on developing a strong and robust lay ministry program, with guest speaker Rev. Ken Sawyer.
• At Peoples Church in Cedar Rapids, they are providing a place to recycle old batteries and CFL light bulbs because of the mercury and toxins, and selling tote bags to use instead of the “plastic or paper?” ones at the grocery store. They’re also sponsoring a Poetry Night and a Movie Night and several social events this month.

This is just a small sample. If you are looking for new programming ideas for your congregation, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to read other churches’ newsletters to get some. If you go to our Web site www.psduua.org and click on Find a Congregation, you can go to a variety of congregations’ Web sites and read their newsletters there. There’s no scarcity - that’s for sure!

All Too Common and Totally Preventable

The headline was in today’s newspaper: Church Treasurer Charged in Theft: volunteer accused of pilfering $18,000. The story went on to tell of the story of a St. Paul man who’s been accused of stealing nearly $18,000 from the weekly collections of a Christian church. Imagine the distress of the church leaders – the betrayal of trust – the difficulty the church will have now that the money is gone. And the question they all must be asking themselves is “How could this happen!?!?”

Well, of course, we can guess how it happened. One person was put in charge of counting the money in the Sunday collection plate, and of taking the money to the bank, and of depositing the money, and of writing checks from the church’s account, and of signing those checks.  How many red flags do you see in that sentence?? The newspaper report says that over several months, the treasurer wrote a number of checks payable to “cash” and cashed them himself. Since the treasurer would have been the person receiving the bank statements, there was no one to sound the alarm. Again, red flags!

A congregation needs to be able to trust the people it empowers to act on its behalf. Safeguards need to be put into place so that temptation is minimized. Safeguards not only protect the assets; they also protect the volunteers from false accusations of misdeeds.

The Sunday offering should be counted by two people who are not related to one another. One of them could prepare the deposit slip, and the other could take the money to the bank if this is not a staff responsibility. If the church has staff doing financial work, the staff can check the deposit slip against what’s actually in the envelope handed over from the volunteers. The volunteers counting the money and taking the money to the bank should be someone other than the treasurer. The treasurer can check copies of the deposit slips against the deposit receipts and against the bank statement which comes back at the end of the month. Multiple checks and balances will go a long way to ensuring security for the assets.

If your congregation has someone who knows about good accounting and money handling practices, ask that person to go over your practices and give you advice on improving them.  www.amazon.com  lists several books available to assist congregations with accounting systems and cash control. One that I particularly like is Richard J. Vargo’s book Effective Church Accounting [now out of print]. Vargo lists 50 internal controls for churches.

The bottom line is this — leaders need to ensure that congregation members can trust that the money they give to the church will be used wisely, and that includes setting up safety policies and practices for handling it. Without those assurances, why should they give?

2nd in Web site series

Here’s the second in an occasional series about Web sites that I like, from among those of congregations in Prairie Star District. It’s the Web site for Blue Hills UU Fellowship in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Founded in 1981, this congregation has just over 50 adult members. The Web site can be found here: http://www.bluehillsuu.org/  I like their colorful logo, which dominates the page. I think the home page could be improved by adding the congregation’s location [city and state] right there, too.

Note that the vital information is all there — a place to click for the map and directions; a place for Visitors to find information about the congregation; a link to the current newsletter; and an implicit statement about UU values in the section called Green Living (Order a reusable bag here.) When you click on that link, it takes you to a very long list of ideas for sustainable living. It’s clear they are concerned about environmental issues, and they give practical ideas about how to work on those issues.

The religious education page has a list of the goals and objectives of the program, with a section about the Peace Pole, which you’re invited to look for when you drive to the Fellowship Building. My only complaint about this page is that it lists some possible youth projects — for 2004! This page needs an update!

The Blue Hills Fellowship attracts people from several small towns in northern Wisconsin. Some drive up to an hour to get to church on Sunday. I salute them for their Web site, which is welcoming and has a number of photos which give the flavor of their gatherings and services. Well done! Thanks for being a vital presence for religious liberals in northern Wisconsin!

It’s January, and a new series begins!

As a new, occasional feature of this blog, I’ll be sharing some favorite Web sites created for UU congregations in Prairie Star District. Here’s one to look at. It’s the web site of Minnesota Valley UU Fellowship in Bloomington, Minnesota.  You can find it here:    http://www.mnvalleyuu.org/     and here’s why I like it.

One – our UU values are stated right up front. “We are a Green Sanctuary candidate. We are a Peace Site. We are a Welcoming Congregation.” And those statements are links that take you to the explanations, with photos!

Two — right in the middle of the screen, you see “Welcome, Visitors” with a short explanation about the congregation being in transition and a statement welcoming newcomers, with a commitment to meeting their needs.

Three - as you scroll down, the next thing you see is the Sunday schedule, with links to the current Sunday service topics and other program information. Again, the heading is “Join Us on Sunday,” which is hospitable and inviting.

Four - there is a wealth of information on this site, including a section on the sidebar that says, “What’s the Latest [the newest information that's been added] and the Best” [archives]. There are photos of the staff members and sections written by the interim minister, the director of religious education, the minister of music, and so on.

By exploring this web site, you could learn much more about the congregation than you could just by visiting on Sunday morning. Indeed, that’s probably one of thoughts behind the web site – that the newcomer who looks over the web site will have the opportunity to do some self-selecting before getting in the car to drive to a Sunday service.

At the bottom of the page, there are links to directions and a calendar. I noticed that updates were made to the site just today.

This is very well done and represents a terrific commitment by the Webmaster and all who provide the information that goes on it. I’m impressed!