July Message From the Board

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With the apologies of staff, this item did not make it into the newsletter this month.

Each summer, our program year at UUCG transitions to the next program year.  In the thick of the heat and lushness of the season, as families lounge on pool chairs and beach blankets, or stay up late with the lightning bugs and campfires, as the longest stretch of daylight peaks and begins to recede, as folks slow down just so that they can cool off, our Leadership at UUCG does the important work of transition. The Board of Trustees, Shared Ministry Council and Staff invest time and energy in welcoming new opportunities for growth while preserving continuity of the important work that’s been done before.

The 2023-24 program year saw big changes for our congregation!  We welcomed a part-time minister to our pulpit; we replaced the HVAC in our building; we updated our bylaws to reflect our Shared Ministry model; we developed Safety and Security practices; we held monthly Congregational Conversations to increase open dialogue; we hosted an Auction that was fun and a financial success; and we warmly embraced new members to our congregation. Thank you for the leadership of those who are stepping down from the Board in this transition: Candice Currier Carver (President); Chris Shull (Treasurer); and Jen Garrison (Secretary).

This transition truly is a magical process to watch. The love and care that each of our lay leaders brings to this passing of roles and responsibilities reminds me:

We are all the leaders of this congregation.

With a foundation based on democratic and equitable Unitarian Universalist principles, this congregation emphasizes the importance of every voice, the value of every individual, in covenant with one another.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our monthly Congregational Conversations, who have provided input to our annual Open Questions, who have brought their friends to events like Trunk or Treat or Film Screenings, who have helped in Property Beautification, who attended our Auction, who volunteered for Childcare or Hospitality, and all who have joined us online and in person for worship. You have been leading already!

We encourage you to stay involved in a way that is comfortable and provides meaning to your own spiritual quest. What opportunity of leadership can you embrace?

On behalf of the Board, I cordially invite you to consider serving on one of the following Committees:

  • Buildings and Grounds
  • Safety and Security
  • Pledge Drive
  • Bylaws or Policies
  • Tenant Relations
  • Giveaway the Plate

Participation in a Committee focuses on recommendations to the Board for policies or actions that will benefit the congregation’s mission.  Committees should meet once every two months.

UUCG offers many other ways to engage in leadership, as well, working with the Shared Ministry Council on the Teams that present programs that serve our community.  Of course, all are welcome to any of our volunteer events!  Join us in our mission: Curiosity. Courage. Compassion.

~ Dan Kelly
President, UUCG Board of Trustees