agenda introductions, hopes & concerns com overview umbrella exercise healthy congregations...

Agenda

•Introductions, Hopes & Concerns

•COM Overview

•Umbrella Exercise

•Healthy Congregations Overview

•Assessment Overview

Committees on Ministry An Overview

Rev. Renée RuchotzkeRegional Leadership Development Consultant

Central East Regional Group

Our congregational roots

Our congregational roots:

•Members have a high level of commitment

Our congregational roots:

•Members live in covenant

Our congregational roots:

•Members consent to constantly learn together

Our congregational roots:

•Ministry is shared by Clergy and Laity

Our congregational roots:

•Churches support and aid one another

Old Model:Ministerial Relations Committee

Old Model:

Ministerial Relations Committee

•Support for the Minister

Old Model:

Ministerial Relations Committee

•Support for the Minister

•Advocate for the Minister

Old Model:

Ministerial Relations Committee

•Support for the Minister

•Advocate for the Minister

•Only interest is the Ministry of the Minister

MinisterM R C

Congregation

Ministerial Relations Committee

Possibility of

TRIANGULATIONTRIANGULATION

Newer Model:

Committee on Ministry

Committee on Ministry•Looks at total ministry of the congregation

Committee on Ministry•Ministry = fulfilling the mission

Mission

“If a sailor has no destination – no clear idea of where to go – the sailboat meanders or stays adrift. The sailor needs a destination in order to adjust the sails in relation to winds. Communities are no different. Without a destination (mission), their responses are random, habitual, or meaningless. Congregations with a vision set their sails. Leaders are sailors.”

(Peter Steinke)

The Importance of Mission

Committee on Ministry•Assessment: How are we doing?

Committee on Ministry•Creates a culture of Adaptive Learning

Committee on Ministry•Encourages a community of faith and love

Committee on Ministry•Are we living our covenant?

Committee on Ministry•Help to lead congregation through conflict

Role of Committee on Ministry

within the congregation

Covenant

Wisdom

Trus

t Mission

Role of Committee on Ministry•Authority comes from stature

Role of Committee on Ministry

•Trustworthy

Role of Committee on Ministry

•Advisors offering wise recommendations

Role of Committee on Ministry•Accountable to Congregation (mission and covenant)

Role of Committee on Ministry

•Reports to the Board

Role of Committee on Ministry

•Partners with the Minister

COM Member Selection • Minister is non-voting Ex-Officio member

• Options for member selection

1. Minister nominates, Board chooses

2. Board nominates, Minister chooses

3. COM nominates, Board chooses

4. Board nominates, COM chooses

COM Member Rotation

1/3 of the Committee

should rotate off

every 3rd year

Questions?

Which Umbrella?

Which Umbrella?

MinisterMinisterCommittee on Committee on

MinistryMinistry

Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees Whole CongregationWhole Congregation

The mission of the congregation dates back to the late 1980’s.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

A covenant of right relations was adopted at a congregational meeting a couple of years ago, but no one has looked at it since.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

There have been problems with there being no coffee available at coffee hour.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

The minister is overwhelmed with home and hospital visits in your aging congregation.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

Two members are former business partners who had a falling out. They are involving other members in their conflict and it is starting to affect the life of the congregation.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

The minister’s sermons have become a little flat.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

A small group of members want the minister to keep a detailed timesheet of all of her activities.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

The beloved church treasurer has been caught embezzling from the endowment.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

A member of the congregation has a habit of hitting on visitors

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

A member of the Board of Trustees has a habit of hitting on visitors

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

Your congregation prides itself on being like a family, but members are so busy visiting with one another that newcomers are being ignored.

MinisterMinister Committee Committee on Ministryon Ministry

Board of Board of TrusteesTrustees

Whole Whole CongregationCongregation

Questions?

Healthy CongregationsA brief overview

• Institutions tend to institutionalize the pathology, or the genius, of the founders.

What Systems Thinking Tells UsAbout Congregations

• Emotional processes in a church can cause the system to get stuck for years and years.

What Systems Thinking Tells UsAbout Congregations

• Patterns of behavior resist being changed

What Systems Thinking Tells UsAbout Congregations

• No emotional system will change unless people change how they behave and function with one another.

What Systems Thinking Tells UsAbout Congregations

• Healthy congregations are more attractive to new people who sense the feeling level in the congregation as healthy.

What Systems Thinking Tells UsAbout Congregations

Congregational health is linked to: .

What Systems Thinking Tells UsAbout Congregations

growth in mission and spiritual depth

growth in numbers.

Weakness hopelessness pathologyblame deficits

Healthy Congregations Focus on Strength and Mission

Weakness hopelessness pathologyblame deficits

Strength

future creativitypotentialenergy

Healthy Congregations Focus on Strength and Mission

Questions?

Congregational Assessment Another brief overview

•Looks at total ministry of the congregation

What Do We Assess?• Worship and identity as a faith community• Location and facilities (sometimes)• Internal and outreach oriented programs• Religious education for adults, youth and children• Leadership & organizational dynamics• Member characteristics• Stewardship and giving• Attitudes and right relations• System health

Assessment Loop

Assessment is not Evaluation• Listening

• Awareness

•  A culture of accepting imperfection while striving for improvement

• Involves everybody in congregation

• Expect and be open to criticism

• “Dig for the Diamond”

Assessment vs Evaluation

•Guard against blaming individuals for weaknesses discovered

Assessment vs Evaluation

•If you get unsatisfactory results, need to change the system, not lay blame

Questions?

Resources

• Congregational Fitness by Denise Goodman• Moving on from Church Folly Lane by Robert

Latham (p. 224)• Churchworks by Anne Odin Heller (p. 124)• Learning While Leading by Anita Farber-

Robinson• Assessing Our Leadership (p. 26) • CoMs at UU Kent, OH and West Shore UU

Church, Rocky River, OH

Resources• Upcoming Webinars• The Challenge of Assessment, Part 1 - Clergy Assessment by Rev. Joan

Van Becelaere ~ November 11, 2010, 7:00 pm . To register....• The Challenge of Assessment, Part 2 - Congregational Assessment by Rev.

Joan Van Becelaere ~ December 2, 2010, 7:00 pm To register...• The Safe Congregations Series - Beginning in January, a six webinar series

on various aspects of safety in our congregations will be offered. • Basic Safety Policies and Tips by Beth Casebolt ~ January 6, 2011, 7:00

pm.. To register...• January 27 - Behavioral Covenants and Right Relations (also offered April

2, 2011)• February 17 - Basic Safety with Children and Youth• March 10 - Disruptive Persons Policies and Practices• Being Prepared When the Unthinkable Happens by Beth Casebolt • ~ March 31, 2011, 7:00 pm.. To register...• April 28 - Creating Healthy Sexual Boundries in Congregation• Healthy Congregations Resources

Resources

• Healthy Congregations Resources• Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times by

Peter Steinke• Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach by

Peter Steinke• Generation to Generation: Family Process in

Church and Synagogue by Edwin Friedman• A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the

Quick Fix by Edwin Friedman• Healthy Congregations Training March 4-6.

Rocky River, OH

Resources• Assessment tools• UUMA website page with full list:• https://uuma.site-ym.com/?

page=assessmenttools&hhSearchTerms=assessment&#rescol_171680

• https://uuma.site-ym.com/resource/collection/9D85448E-AE71-4EB1-B5B0-8C537C052ADF/Assessment_BestPractices.pdf

• https://uuma.site-ym.com/resource/collection/9D85448E-AE71-4EB1-B5B0-8C537C052ADF/Assessment_ComprehensiveCong.pdf

• Retreat Format: https://uuma.site-ym.com/resource/collection/9D85448E-AE71-4EB1-B5B0-8C537C052ADF/Assessment_CongSelf-Assessment.pdf