This is nominating season…when people ask of us “What role do you want to serve in our community?” I’m just finishing my first full year of being on the Board, and when people ask me about this experience, I am grateful for my past year of learning and excited for the next year of work. Oh, it is work. I’m a slow reader, and it takes me a long time to get through the documents I need to understand. And as liaison to a few committees, I’m attending many zoom meetings. But it is a privilege to do this work on the behalf of all of you and our mission.
The Board is doing two things simultaneously. The first is what the Board has always done…address ongoing tasks, issues and concerns. This last month we’ve touched base with LDNC, Renovators, Property, Endowment and Finance committees. We learned of an issue with our fire suppression system that needs to be addressed; you’ll hear more about that in the Forum next month. We’ve discussed budget (the topic of the second Forum), who is attending GA this year, wonderful work that CREE is doing, and how to make sure you all know what you need to for the annual meeting on the 19th. I invite you to attend the meetings to understand how much is involved in keeping this congregation healthy, and to share your ideas.
The second thing we’re doing is the “big picture” work of trying to build a stronger framework of governance to support the work that the congregation wants to do. This is what we’re calling our policy work. We have a wonderful Policy Work Group doing much of the detailed work. If you attend the Board meeting, you’ll hear us discuss these new policies. This work dovetails with the ministry work that Rev Margret is doing around building a covenanted community.
Why are we working so hard? It’s not to have the prettiest church on the block, though we do in my opinion. It’s to have a church that provides a place for someone who is heart-sick to come and hear a message of hope and healing. A church whose community understands that everyone’s journey is unique and everyone deserves to travel in peace. A church that when the world is imploding with hate stands for the love of this planet and all the people and creatures on it.
Why am I working so hard? It’s so that when it’s time to open this Time Capsule, people will look back with pride at how far we’ve come as a congregation. It’s so that when my grandchildren come here in another 50 years to see my memorial bench, or maybe memorial bird feeder(?), and to see the brick on the labyrinth honoring their great grandparents, there is a building still standing. A building that will house a community who will welcome them with open arms and say, “Look at this amazing church that your ancestor helped build.”
–Jennie Stone, Trustee
May 29, 2022