President’s Report - April 2010
Board Retreat
Last month, I reported on a couple of the goals that resulted from our Board Retreat held on Saturday, February 13, a great day spent getting to know each other better and planning for the future. I would like to share more details, but first of all, the Board would like to thank Brenda Froese, your Vice President, for her leadership in initiating, organizing, facilitating, and documenting the results of the retreat. Well done, Brenda.
The focusing question for the retreat was “What does this Board need to do to be successful in leadership and governance?” This question helped us to identify and prioritize the following eight strategic goals, which will form the basis for an action plan to direct our energies for the next year.
- Set a long-term vision and goals (make it living and relevant).
- Establish a shared ministry model and team.
- Create an inclusive, whole church environment.
- Live and model right relations (Board and congregation).
- Continue to clarify church organizational structure and accountability.
- Sustain and connect committees.
- Improve board decision-making processes.
- Focus financial decision-making.
Stewardship - Finances and Feedback
We are now in the middle of our annual Financial Stewardship campaign, which was kicked off with a Wine and Cheese Party and a special Sunday Service. Many of you know this by its former name, the annual “Canvass”. Some of you have probably already met with your Stewardship representative to discuss your annual pledge for the 2010-11 church budget. Thank you very much for helping your Finance Committee and Board plan for the future.
Stewardship may be a new word for many Winnipeg UUs. These days, it is often used when referring to sustainability. In religious denominations, stewardship refers to the careful and responsible management of resources for which one has no ownership. I understand it as a holistic concept that connects our appreciation of our limited resources and assets with our management of these in accordance with our principles and values. As UUs, our stewardship programs and communications must be congruent with our core belief in the inherent worth and dignity of all people. In other words, we need to ensure that we engage in respectful discussions that open people’s hearts to a deeper understanding of their individual role and responsibility.
Another good example of Shared Ministry, Stewardship is about managing resources, both human and financial, and feedback is an integral part of our current campaign. Please be open and frank about the strengths and limitations of our church when your canvasser approaches you.
According to Dr. Wayne Clark, Director of Congregational Stewardship Services for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in the US, effective stewardship programs:
- Balance individual spiritual needs with the needs of the organization
- Respect each person as a repository of diverse resources
- Offer empowerment and choice
- Provide inspiration and leadership
- Are transparent and accountable
- Allow for an understanding of the individual definitions and challenges of generosity
- See giving and receiving as dynamically linked
I hope you take time to think about what the church means to you personally during the Financial Stewardship campaign. ~ Adapted from Dr. Wayne Clark’s Blog
In faith, Craig Edwards
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
