Annual Meeting & Report 2011

Transcription

1 Annual Meeting & Report 2011 Massachusetts Bay District of Unitarian Universalist Congregations April 10, 2011 First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist Belmont, MA

2 Board of Directors for (alphabetical order by last name) Directors Rev. Frank Clarkson, Director (2011)...UU Church in Haverhill Laura Graham, Director (2012)... First Parish in Concord, UU John Laurenson, Vice-President and CGO (2013)...First Parish Church in Arlington, UU Pat Manley, President and Chair (2013)... UU Area Church in Sherborn Jacki Rohan, Director (2011)...First Unitarian Society in Newton Jeanette Ruyle, Director (2012)...First Parish UU of Medfield Rev. Kate Wilkinson, Director (2013)...First Universalist Church of Essex Adjunct Officers Rev. Sheldon Bennett, Moderator ( )... United First Parish Church, Quincy Dennis Brown, Nominating Committee (2012)... Follen Church Society in Lexington Rev. Mark Caggiano, Nominating Committee (2012)...First Church in Chestnut Hill Lorraine Dennis, Nominating Committee (2012)...UU Church of Reading Mark Richards, Nominating Committee Chair (2012)... First Parish in Concord, UU Rev. Megan Lynes, Nominating Committee (2013)...First Parish in Bedford, UU Paul Rickter, UUA Trustee ( )...Arlington Street Church, Boston Appointed Jim Staton, Treasurer (2011)... First Church in Belmont, UU

3 Table of Contents Board of Directors... Inside Front Cover MBD Growth Leaders... 3 Annual Meeting Agenda Annual Meeting Minutes Annual Report from the President CBD-MBD District Executive CBD-MBD Director of Leadership Development CBD-MBD Social Justice Coordinator MBD Trustee to the UUA Board Ministerial Settlement Representative Financials Current FY Budget and Forecast, FY12 Proposed Budget Balance Sheet Woburn Grants Panel Report Nominating Committee Report MBD Fair Share Congregations UUA APF Awards UU Service Committee Awards Metrics from This Year s Programs and Services Upcoming District Programs in Litany of Installation Page 2

4 Mass Bay District Congregational Growth Leaders Highest Numerical Growth, Highest percentage growth, Rank Congregation Members Growth Rank Congregation Members % Growth First Parish Brookline UU Church of Haverhill % 2 First Parish Arlington First Parish in Brookline % 3 First Unitarian Society Newton First Universalist Church Essex 80 14% 4 First Church Boston UU Congregation in Andover 58 14% 5 UU Church of Haverhill First Church Dedham % 6 Arlington Street Church First Church in Boston 229 9% 7 First Church Dedham First Parish Arlington 358 9% 8 North Parish of North Andover First Church Jamaica Plain 112 8% 9 UU Area Church Sherborn First Parish in Cambridge 255 8% 10 First Universalist Essex First Parish in Malden 60 7% Highest Numerical Growth, Highest percentage growth, Rank Congregation Members Rank Congregation Members Growth UU Area Church Sherborn First Parish in Malden % 2 First Parish in Brookline The Eliot Church S. Natick % 3 First Parish in Needham UU First Universalist Church Essex % 4 First Religious Society Nwbrypt UU Area Church Sherborn % 5 First Parish in Bedford First Parish in Brookline % 6 UU Church of Reading First Parish in Needham UU % 7 First Parish in Malden Theodore Parker UU Church % 8 First Universalist Church Essex Salem Unitarian % 9 The Eliot Church S. Natick First Parish of Watertown % 10 First Parish in Cambridge First Religious Society Nwbprt % 10 Salem Unitarian Page 3

5 Massachusetts Bay District of Unitarian Universalist Congregations Annual Meeting The First Church in Belmont, Belmont, MA April 10, 2011 Agenda Worship Rev. David Bryce officiating, Rev. Gary Smith preaching Music with Alfa Radford, Music Minister of First Church Belmont Welcome! Call to Order...Rev. Sheldon W. Bennett, MBD Moderator Dinner Report on Delegate Representation...Judy Murray, MBD Administrator Approve Minutes from 2010 Annual Meeting Reports President s Report...Patricia Manley, MBD President District Executive s Report...Rev. Sue Phillips, District Executive Report from UUA Trustee to the UUA...Paul Rickter, UUA Trustee from the MBD Financial Report...Rev. Sue Phillips Election and Installation of Officers and Directors Report of the Nominating Committee...Mark Richards, Nominating Committee Chair Leadership Recognition...Patricia Manley, MBD President Remarks by Candidate for UUA Trustee...Introduction by Rev. Sheldon Bennett Conversation Closing Closing Comments...Pat Manley, MBD President Adjournment Page 4

6 Minutes of the Massachusetts Bay District Annual Meeting Held at the First Parish of Needham April 11, 2010 Meeting commences at 5:50 PM with Opening Words provided by Moderator Sheldon Bennett. MBD Administrator, Judy Murray, announces that 68 delegates from 31 congregations are present. MBD Board President, Patricia Manley, welcomes everyone. o Pat shares story and introduces theme: Many of us start out in our UU path feeling connected only to our individual congregation, but there may be a moment or experience that awakens us to our connection to the larger Unitarian Universalist community and movement. Pat asks delegates to share their own stories together at their tables. Conversation continues for 20 minutes. Pat invites feedback. Report of the District Executive, Rev. Dr. Teresa Cooley Report of the Director of Program Development, Rev. Sue Phillips Report of the MBD Trustee to the UUA Board of Trustees, Paul Rickter Teresa Cooley and Pat Manley challenge all delegates to make a date with someone sitting near them to visit each other s congregation. Pat Manley and Teresa Cooley recognize outgoing MBD Board member Rev. Lilli Nye for 3 years service. Motion to accept minutes from 2009 Annual Meeting. Minutes are accepted unanimously. Teresa Cooley presents the budget expenditures. Mark Richards, Chair of the Nominating Committee, introduces slate. Officers: o Pat Manley - President one year term o John Laurenson Vice President one year term o Jeanette Ruyle Secretary one year term o Sheldon Bennett Moderator one year term Board of Directors: o Pat Manley 2 nd three year term o John Laurenson 2 nd three year term o Rev. Kate Wilkinson Director 1 st three year term Nominating Committee: o Rev. Megan Lynes 1 st three year term Recommend: Jim Staton Treasurer, one year. Page 5

7 Motion to accept the slate of MBD Board members and officers. Motion passes unanimously. Charge to the new Board Members and Officers. Address by Key Note Speaker, Rev. Terry Sweetser, VP, UUA Stewardship and Development. o Rev. Terry Sweetser speaks on covenant and how we re better together. In a contractual relationship, when contract is fulfilled, the relationship falls away. A covenant endures. o Tells story of congregations in the Minneapolis region. All area congregations were trying to be all things to all people. Realized they should figure out what the gifts (and limitations) were for each congregation. Created a brochure together that spelled out these differences to help newcomers to find the right congregation for them. All the churches grew. Congregations lived more fully into their covenant with one another. o Change is very difficult. Begins with taking deep and honest stock of reality. Requires correct diagnosis of the current status. Requires a sense of urgency, but also the correct understanding of what the urgency is. o Gives credit to the Mass Bay District and Clara Barton District for joining forces, acknowledging how visionary this shift is. o History of UU advertising campaigns that occurred in the 50s-70s, then again recently. These campaigns were ultimately ineffectual. Congregations may get plenty of visitors but don t retain them. Although national UU membership numbers are fairly steady, in proportion to overall population growth, we have been declining for years. We have greater influence than we should have given our numbers, but that cannot be sustained. This is what our urgency is. Terry uses story of disciples going fishing after the death of Jesus. Christ appears and tells them to fish on the other side of the boat. o Questions and comments from the floor. Terry emphasizes that a congregational mission statement that is out of touch with the local community is not meaningful. First assess your situation, your reality. Being in relation to the larger community is crucial to that assessment. Pat Manley provides closing remarks. Reinforces the idea of linkage Board is accountable to our district congregations and their members. Encourages congregational boards to bring a member of the MBD Board of Directors to their church for a Board meeting or for a Sunday service and discussion. Sue Phillips makes announcement about the Spring Conference, May 1, 2010, which will focus on the use of social media to share the word of Unitarian Universalism. Sheldon Bennett delivers a closing blessing. Motion to adjourn, passes unanimously at 7:39 PM. Respectfully submitted by outgoing Secretary, Rev. Lilli Nye Page 6

8 From the President Patricia Manley It has been both an honor and a privilege serving our Massachusetts Bay District of Unitarian Universalist Congregations for the past four years, as your president for the last two years. When I was asked to be President, I was mentally prepared for the tasks at hand, things seemed pretty stable, and I knew that there was great promise that our district would grow and thrive. Being President hasn t been exactly what I thought it would be because The times, they are a-changing The first inkling that change was on the horizon happened about a year and a half ago, when the Clara Barton District Executive announced her retirement, and without going into a long involved story, suddenly there was an opportunity to rethink how we did things in New England. The second clue that all wasn t going to be business as usual occurred at the annual meeting of Presidents of all 19 districts of the UUA in November We heard a proposal that we think and act regionally. The challenge was and is to act knowing that Unitarian Universalism exists beyond our district boundaries while cherishing the cultural and historical differences that make our district distinct. And, third hint, at the same meeting of District Presidents, our UUA Board of Trustees asked all districts to consider adopting the UUA Ends 1. I assure you that these three items provided your district board with plenty to think about, and more than enough to do. To ensure that even more change was coming, we learned about a year ago that Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley had accepted a position as the prime interface between Districts like ours and the headquarters staff, and we would be searching for a new District Executive in conjunction with the Clara Barton District, with whom we had decided to share staff. (As an aside to this story, I am delighted to report to you something that you most likely suspected, that the national search that was conducted affirmed the suspicion that we had a truly talented, gifted and experienced person among us, and Rev. Sue Phillips was selected as our new District Executive). 1 Ends in Policy Governance define the human needs that are to be met, for whom and at what cost or benefit. Page 7

9 More changes here and around the country In June, 2010 the Boards of Directors of the four New England Districts gathered in Nashua, NH, and held their first ever joint meeting we discovered that we had much in common and that we were all struggling with linkage - the formal process that connects a Policy Governance board (like ours, and like the UUA Board of Trustees) with its sources of authority and accountability (in our case, our fifty-four member congregations). As a region, we decided that we would be better served if we worked on the process of linkage together. In the fall of 2010, there began to be murmurings about co-employment, a vestigial structure whereby some, but not all, of our district staff are employed both by our districts and by the UUA with portions of their salaries paid by each co-employer. In October, the Thomas Jefferson District of the UUA (63 congregations in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia) decided to end co-employment, (saying in essence, that the UUA is the sole employer of their District Executive), to adopt UUA ends and to get out of the business of governance. They were first; several other districts, including the Clara Barton District, have followed their lead. What s next? As I complete my term as President of the Massachusetts Bay District, the District board recognizes that the task ahead is large, the Board of Directors has a lot to do, specifically discernment about our future as a district: should we be co-employers of staff? do we need to govern, and if not, what should be the role of a district Board? do we have our own ends, or should we adopt the ends of the UUA? We take this work seriously, with the intent of insuring that our congregations have the local resources that they need to grow and to thrive, to insure our future. We begin at our 2011 Annual Meeting with linkage dialogs with representatives and members of our congregations. Stay tuned Together, we will be the Unitarian Universalism that our world so desperately needs. Faithfully, Pat Manley Page 8

10 From the District Executive Rev. Sue Phillips Expansion, experiment, and change: so sums up this year in the Mass Bay District. We are expanding our ability to serve congregations and their missions through innovative collaboration with the Clara Barton District. We are exploring the District s mission and experimenting with new, multi-event program series to deepen leaders engagement with issues of congregational vitality. And we are adapting to unfolding opportunities for ministry with new leadership and new staff. This has been a dynamic, exciting and sometimes breathless year! Of course the District is not our staff or office, but YOU the 54 congregations of the Mass Bay District and the 15,000 men, women, and children who are members of our congregations. Despite this report s focus on the ministries of the MBD-CBD staff, we never forget that everything we do has only one goal: to help congregations live into the extraordinary promise of Unitarian Universalism in metropolitan Boston. Consultation & Facilitation Ministry District staff are often the first and primary source of support, counsel, and information for lay and professional leaders, and the vast majority of program staff time is devoted to Individual and group consultations (countless) Board/leadership retreat facilitation (staff and consultants facilitated 25 retreats this year) Conflict intervention Support for ministers and congregations in ministerial transition Search and settlement support for interim, part-time and consulting ministries Program & Training Ministry Congregational leaders have responded enthusiastically to this year s District programs with unprecedented attendance and excellent evaluations. Not only has attendance at District workshops increased but so has the number and size of congregational teams present, suggesting that congregations are more equipped than ever to take back and use what they have learned. A recap of District programs this year: Congregational Staff Team Startup OWL training of trainers (gr 7-HS) x 5 Collegial Conversation for Ministers & DREs OWL training of trainers (elem grades) Learning Congregation: Lay Pastoral Care DRE-RE Committee Startup Learning Congregation: Who s in Charge with Larry Peers Youth Advisor Training 101 Learning Congregation: Creating Lay-Led Worship Youth Advisor Training 202 Learning Congregation: Got Purpose Rooting Ourselves in Certainty Renaissance Module: Administration Learning Congregation: Got Purpose Turning Ourselves Inside Out Renaissance Module: Multicultural Religious Education Learning Congregation: Got Purpose Getting it into our DNA Spring Conference: Governance & Ministry with Dan Hotchkiss Page 9

11 Administry is our favorite new word, coined by District Administrator Judy Murray in her compelling newsletter article on the subject. The year has been full of administrative work geared toward serving our congregations better, including Redesigning our website ( to reflect our dualdistrict identity, highlight congregational work and offer more timely updates Reworking the District s budget and employing more sophisticated financial management Sharpening the focus and quality of program/event announcements and newsletters Expanding the District s Facebook presence Staff Ministry in our Wider Movement The MBD-CBD District staff takes seriously our commitment to contribute to our wider Unitarian Universalist movement. Each of us has been involved in serving our faith outside of MBD-CBD. Meck Groot is working with staff from three other districts to expand our social justice mission, and facilitated a retreat for the newly merged Ministries and Faith Development staff group at the UUA. She will lead a workshop at GA on resources for cross-cultural engagement. Doug Zelinski chairs the General Assembly Program Development Committee, which plans all GA workshops. He will lead two workshops at GA this year based on his Got Purpose Learning Congregation series. Doug also offered leadership development training in the Ohio-Meadville and Metro New York districts, and at the UULTI leadership school. Judy Murray is an active participant in the MBD chapter of the UU Administrators Network. I am on the national program team for the UUA s Leap of Faith pilot project. I also served on the Stewardship FORTH task force, which helped develop a new model of year-round stewardship for UU congregations, and taught adaptive leadership at the UUA s first-year ministers seminar. Looking Ahead We will be fully staffed in the coming program year, giving us new capacity for innovation. We will adjust fees for our programs to support participation from smaller congregations. We will consider launching a special program for congregations on the cusp of numeric and maturational growth. And all the while we will continue to serve the Districts mission, and help your congregation to serve yours. What a genuine joy it is to do this good work together! Page 10

12 From the Director of Leadership Development Doug Zelinski It has been a pleasure to begin knowing and working with you, the lay and professional leaders of our District. Not only have you made me feel welcome during this first year of my service, but also you have shared wisdom that has shaped our District s approach to leadership development. Thank you. Because you will find details of all district programs and consultations elsewhere in this report, I will use this opportunity to share the fundamental goal that underlies all of our leadership development. Whether delivering day-long programming or answering your phone inquiries, our goal is to foster spiritual leaders who can inspire powerful missions within their congregations and who can convert congregational problems into opportunities for healthy change and transformation. Participants in this year s Learning Congregation events have flat-out told us that imagining themselves as spiritual leaders is next to impossible. Yet I can tell you that in my short time here I have already seen this happen lay leaders making decisions that reflect a new sense of their call to live and lead as Unitarian Universalists. This change in how they feel about themselves is usually the result of one of the following realizations: filling a leadership role can be a part of their own faith development, being mindful of their conduct as a leader can be a spiritual practice and serving as a leader can connect them to a UU legacy that inspires and guides them. These are the realizations District staff fosters in its work with congregational leaders. And what is the District strategy to help leaders inspire powerful missions? This year s 3-part program Got Purpose asserts that it requires a people already inspired and empowered by their Unitarian Universalist faith to create missions that reflect the same. To fire up some powerful inspiration, or some inspiring power, District staff now challenge our lay and professional leaders to define what it means and feels to be Unitarian Universalist, to invigorate a sense of call, to link accountability to faith development and to appreciate the successes and failures of the liberal legacy. We believe that the fastest way to powerful missions is for leaders to meet these challenges for themselves and for their congregations. When it comes to converting congregational problems into opportunities for healthy change and transformation, you might think this would be the most challenging part of the District s leadership development goal. But actually, there is a lot known about this conversion. There are useful theories and tools about change dynamics, adaptive challenges vs. technical fixes, congregations as emotional systems, polarity management and more. These theories and tools help leaders detect and address root causes of congregational distress rather than just treat symptoms of that distress. These are the tools District staff members carry in their back pockets. I look forward to passing tools onto you our congregations spiritual leaders working to inspire powerful missions and converting what seem to be problems into opportunities for healthy change and transformation. Page 11

13 From the Social Justice Coordinator Meck Groot Social Justice Coordinator is a new staff role in Clara Barton and Massachusetts Bay Districts that I have happily stepped into this year and to which I am able to devote about 20% of my time. In this capacity, the bulk of my work this year has been in four areas: 1. Clarifying the District s mission and capacity regarding social justice work: As reflected in my feature article in the February issue of the District newsletter, District staff has clarified that our capacity for doing social justice work at this time invites us to concentrate on working with congregations (not individuals) engaging (or learning to engage) in social justice work as Unitarian Universalist ministry. As a staff team, we seek ways to weave together considerations of UU identity, congregational purpose, lifespan faith formation, leadership development and social justice. 2. Getting to know organizations engaged in UU social justice ministries within and beyond the District and the individuals working within them in order to learn more about what social justice opportunities exist for UU congregations and how the Districts might partner with them. This exploration has included conversations with representatives of the UUA s Multicultural Growth and Witness staff group, UU Mass Action, the UU United Nations Office, and others. I have also participated in the creation of a learning community among a small but growing number of social justice coordinators from other districts. Our purpose is to support each other and to learn how other districts support congregationally based social justice ministry. I also had the chance to attend the Beloved Community Conference of the Mountain Desert District as a presenter and participant, allowing me to experience how one District uses an annual program promote and support congregationally based social justice ministry. 3. Working with the CBD Antiracism/Anti Oppression/Multicultural Team to plan an annual gathering for congregations interested in expanding their capacity to engage in multicultural ministry. 4. Gathering information about the types of social justice projects, programs, and processes that District congregations are engaged in and to consider future programs and services the District might offer to support and inspire congregationally based social justice ministries. Though there are patterns to how congregations engage, it is also clear to me that each congregation has a unique relationship to social justice work. I have much, much more to learn in this area. The work in each of these areas is ongoing and deeply engaging. I look forward to engaging with staff and partners in a process of creating social justice programs and services that truly support and inspire congregationally based social justice ministries in both CBD and MBD. Page 12

14 From the MBD Trustee to the UUA Board Paul Rickter I want to highlight three significant elements of the work of the UUA Board in the past year: Justice General Assembly in Phoenix 2012 Downsizing the UUA Board The Future of Districts In June 2012, we will be holding General Assembly in Phoenix, Arizona, but this will be no ordinary GA. Because of Arizona's restrictive immigration laws, all other religious groups are boycotting the state. We might have been expected to join that boycott, but a unique vision for a "Justice GA" was created at last June's GA -- the product of careful collaboration between Arizona UU congregations, who believed that we could do more good by coming to their state and witnessing for justice, and UU people of color and allies, who saw that this was no time for business as usual. This is, in many ways, a leap of faith. Because UUs were such a prominent presence at demonstrations on the days when SB 1070 went into effect, the leading immigrant-rights groups who are urging all other groups to boycott Arizona are instead welcoming us to come to Phoenix. But what will this "Justice GA" look like and will the thousands of regular attendees come? The UUA Board spent our January 2011 meeting in Arizona beginning to figure that out. I urge you to plan to go to Phoenix next year, go prepared to have a very different GA experience, and be ready to bring the work back to our congregations and communities. It has long been clear that the UUA Board is too large to do its work effectively. With nineteen districts, each with its own trustee, plus additional at-large members, it is a very large group sitting around a table. After much discussion, we have finally put together a proposal for a smaller Board, elected entirely at-large at General Assembly. This proposal will be voted on at GA in June and I urge you to support it. And finally, the entire UUA leadership is in the midst of a wide-ranging look at districts and service delivery. What purposes do districts serve? And are there other models for more effective service delivery? This is a time of experimentation, with our staff-sharing arrangement with the Clara Barton District one of those experiments. I wonder whether we are slowly moving toward a model where services are delivered regionally with a larger number of smaller districts or clusters fostering the one-to-one congregational relationships that are essential for our future vitality as a movement. This is my final report to you, after over nine years of service as UUA Trustee and seven years before that on the MBD Board. Whew! It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the congregations of the Mass Bay District and the entire UUA. Thank you! In faith, Paul Rickter Page 13

15 From the Ministerial Settlement Representative Laura B. Graham As the brand new Mass Bay District Ministerial Settlement Representative, I have just completed my training for the position. In the course of my training I had the pleasure of working with Margaret Montore (our new Transitions Administrator) and Rev. Keith Kron (our new Director of Transitions). I also had the opportunity to meet other MSR s from the eastern half of the continent. For the time being it appears that the Ministerial Settlement Representative Program is here to stay and that the personal connections forged through this program are valued by both congregations and district staff. So for now at least, budget concerns notwithstanding, the system will continue. I have been in contact with two congregations that are in the first stages of their transition First Parish in Sudbury and the Follen Church in Lexington. I met personally with the congregation and Board in Sudbury in anticipation of the retirement of Rev. Katie Lee Crane; the Follen church is poised to enter their two year interim phase upon the retirement of Rev. Lucinda Duncan, so our contact has been limited to telephone and . First Parish in Concord is also about to enter their two year interim phase following the retirement of Rev. Gary Smith. As I am a member of that congregation, Rev. Keith Kron will be acting as their MSR. There are exciting changes being implemented in the way we encourage our member congregations to think about the interim period (particularly after a long ministry). In response to feedback from our Interim Ministers and after careful study of both the successes and struggles of our member congregations, the UUA Transitions Office is now strongly recommending an interim period of at least eighteen months and up two years in duration. This reflects a greater appreciation for the critical role that an interim ministry can play in the life and health of a congregation if given time to be effective. There is also a new calendar for settlement in place. What had been a once a year system for settlement is now a twice a year system with the option to find settlement or call candidates for either an August 1 start date or a February 1 start date. Updated information is regularly posted on the UUA Transitions website at and I strongly encourage anyone who is curious about the progress of this vital work to periodically review the webpage. I am excited by this work and very happy to serve the District in this capacity. Respectfully Submitted, Laura B. Graham Page 14

16 Mass Bay District of UU Congregations FY11 Budget with Projected Year End; Proposed FY12 Budget FY11 Budget FY11 Projected Year End Proposed FY12 Budget Income 4010 District Fair Share 156, , , UUA Annual Program Fund 40, , , UUA Person X Grant 20, , Operating Reserve Transfer 20, CBD Operations Offset 56, , , Conference & Training 4130 Learning Congregation Training 11, , , Joint CBD/MBD Trainings 9, , , OWL, RenMod, Start-Up Trainings 30, , , Total 4100 Conference & Training $ 50, $ 56, $ 72, Investments Income 1, , , Other Income 1, , , Income from Reserves 2, , Grants 54, , , Total Income $ 384, $ 382, $ 396, Expenses 5000 MBD Board of Directors 10, , , MBD Staff 6100 District Executive 51, , , Director of Congregational Development 6, , , District Administrator 57, , , Program Coordinator 62, , , Office Projects Assistant 4, Congregation Consultants 15, , , Total 6000 MBD Staff $ 197, $ 193, $ 251, MBD Programs 7100 Conferences and Training 7130 Learning Congregation Training 3, , , Joint CBD/MBD Trainings 9, , , OWL, RenMod, Start-Up Trainings 26, , , Total 7100 Conferences and Training $ 38, $ 39, $ 47, Non-Workshop Programs 6, , , Grant Making 28, , , Total 7000 MBD Programs $ 73, $ 73, $ 98, Office and Overhead 8100 CBD/MBD Office and Overhead 31, , , Overhead Expenses 12, , , Escrow 58, , , Total 8000 Office and Overhead $ 103, $ 101, $ 35, Total Expenses $ 384, $ 378, $ 396, Net Operating Income $ 0.00 $ 4, $ 0.00 Page 15

17 Mass Bay District Balance Sheet As of April 5, 2011 Total ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 1060 BankNorth Checking 32, BankNorth Savings 67, PayPal Total Bank Accounts $ 99, Other Current Assets 1110 Woburn Trust Fund 940, Woburn Trust - Adj to Mkt 125, Total 1110 Woburn Trust Fund $ 1,065, Stoneham Endowment for RE 91, Stoneham Endowment - Adj to Mkt 12, Total 1130 Stoneham Endowment for RE $ 103, MBD Operations Fund 72, Investment - Adj to Mkt 10, Total 1150 MBD Operations Fund $ 82, Total Other Current Assets $ 1,252, Total Current Assets $ 1,351, Fixed Assets 1300 Computer Equipment 7, A/D Computer Equipment -4, Total 1300 Computer Equipment $ 3, Furniture & Fixtures 4, A/D Furniture & Fixtures -2, Total 1305 Furniture & Fixtures $ 2, Total Fixed Assets $ 5, Other Assets 1185 Security Deposits 2, Total Other Assets $ 2, TOTAL ASSETS $ 1,359, LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Liabilities Total Liabilities Equity 3000 Unrestricted Reserves 84, Woburn Endowment Acct 1,065, Stoneham Endowment Acct 103, Designated Reserves 3240 Audit Escrow 4, NE Leadership School Fund 1, Total 3050 Designated Reserves $ 6, Restricted Reserves 3120 Woburn Funds 13, Chalice Lighters 4, Total 3100 Restricted Reserves $ 17, Retained Earnings 29, Net Income 52, Total Equity $ 1,359, TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 1,359, Page 16

18 From the Woburn Funds Grants Panel When First Universalist Parish of Woburn voted to dissolve, the members of the congregation also voted to transfer its assets to the Mass Bay District for the purposes of assisting the growth and development of member churches of the District. Over time, those funds, which are invested by the Unitarian Universalist Association, have grown and earnings from those funds have been used to provide a boost both to programming and bricks and mortar needs of many of our member congregations and the District. The District has emphasized membership development and congregational growth in recent years, and the Panel has been delighted to make grants supporting many exciting and creative programs. A grant can ease a congregation s anxiety about funding the initial year of a new staff position, or starting a new program. In recent years we ve funded membership and communications coordinator positions and expanded the R.E. staff at several churches. Proposals are considered once a year in March and awarded the following July 1. Application forms and guidelines are available on the MBD website at In March of 2010, the Woburn Funds Grant Panel reviewed 18 proposals requesting a total of $86,000. On July 1, 2010, the Panel awarded nine grants totaling $28,850. Congregation Amount Purpose Arlington Street Church, Boston $2,300 Support of religious education for preschool-aged children First Parish in Bedford $2,500 Driver/van to transport disabled/elderly congregants to church Universalist Church of Essex $2,000 Salary support for paid youth advisor Follen Church Society, Lexington $2,850 Salary support for membership coordinator UU Church of Haverhill $3,000 Improve accessibility of sanctuary through improved sound system MBD Young Adult Ministry Program $6,000 Salary support for district-wide young adult ministry pilot Salem Unitarian $2,700 Salary support for paid youth advisor First Parish of Watertown $5,000 Salary support for paid youth advisor Winchester Unitarian Society $2,500 Scholarship for young adult participation in multigenerational service trips/projects Woburn Fund Grants Panel members included Matt Meyer (First Church in Jamaica Plain UU), Ann Fisher (UU Church of Reading), Michael O Connor (UU Church of Melrose) and the Rev. Michelle Walsh (MBD Community Minister). Rev. Sue Phillips served in an advisory capacity. Page 17

19 Nominations Slate from Mass Bay District Nominating Committee April 10, 2011 Officers: President John Laurenson First Parish UU in Arlington Vice President Jackie Rohan First Unitarian Society of Newton Secretary Jeannette Ruyle First Parish UU in Medfield Moderator Rev. Gary Smith First Parish in Concord, UU We recommend that the Board appoint Jim Staton of First Church in Belmont as Treasurer. Board of Directors: Jackie Rohan 2 nd 3-yr term First Unitarian Society of Newton Rev. Frank Clarkson 1 st 3-yr term UU Church of Haverhill We anticipate a vacancy in July, which according to the bylaws, must be filled by appointment of the Board. We recommend the Board consider Mark Watanabe of Arlington Street Church, Boston to fill the mid-term vacancy. Nominating Committee: Rev. Mark Caggiano Rev. Rebekah Ingram Matt Meyer The First Church in Chestnut Hill First Church in Boston First Church in Jamaica Plain UU Respectfully submitted, Mark Richards, Chair Dennis Brown Rev. Mark Caggiano Lorraine Dennis Rev. Megan Lynes First Parish in Concord Follen Church Society, Lexington The First Church in Chestnut Hill UU Church of Reading First Parish in Bedford Page 18

20 Candidate Biographies Officers John Laurenson has been a member of First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington since There, he has served on a variety of committees and task groups including two years as chair of the church's governance board. John has served on the Mass Bay District Board since late 2004, initially filling in for an unexpected vacancy. In the past four years he has held the positions of Board Secretary and Vice-President and Chief Governance Officer. His tenure will expire in He works for the Museum of Science in Boston. Jacki Rohan joined the UU Congregation of Atlanta in 1991, serving the Youth Program and Religious Education Council in both volunteer and staff capacities. Since moving to Massachusetts, she has found her beloved community at the First Unitarian Society in Newton, chairing the Board of Trustees, Religious Education Council and Stewardship Committee, as well as coordinating the Capital Campaign and filling numerous other volunteer roles. She has also been a weekly volunteer for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections since 2001, and a Director of the Mass Bay District since Jeanette Ruyle is the Director of Lifespan Religious Education at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Grafton and Upton in Grafton, MA. She began there last fall. Before that she was the DRE at First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Medfield, MA for 11 years, and she remains a member of that congregation. She graduated from Andover Newton Theological School in 2006 with an M.A.R.E. and became a UUA Credentialed Religious Educator in A native of Maine, Rev. Gary Smith came to Concord in 1988 after serving congregations in Middletown, Connecticut and Bangor, Maine, as well as a stint at our Unitarian Universalist Association headquarters in Boston. He has been President of the national Ministers Association and is currently teaching a seminar in Preaching at Harvard Divinity School. Gary will retire from the Concord pulpit in June. Directors Rev. Frank Clarkson began his ministry at the UU Church of Haverhill in A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank previously worked as a freelance commercial photographer before he discerned a call to the ministry. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge in 2004 and was ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry in For three years he served as the assistant minister at the North Parish of North Andover. Frank has been married to Tracey for over twenty years and they are happy to be the parents of two teenagers, Will and Emma. In his spare time, Frank enjoys being at home with his family, going fly fishing and camping, and finding time for silence. Page 19

21 Since coming out as a Unitarian Universalist in San Francisco 32 years ago, Mark Watanabe has been an active lay member of UU congregations in California, Texas, and Illinois. His current congregational home is Arlington Street Church, where he has held membership since Mark s commitment to the idea that congregational membership lies at the core of both individual and collective spiritual meaning-making has led to longstanding participation in numerous church Membership Committees, Denominational Affairs Committees, Program Councils, and Boards of Trustees. His most recent leadership role was his two-year service as co-chair of the Prudential Committee at Arlington Street Church, which is the congregation s governing body. Professionally, Mark is on the clinical faculty of the School of Pharmacy at Northeastern University in Boston. He lives in Dorchester, Massachusetts with his life partner and spouse, the Rev. Arthur Lavoie, who is the minister at First Parish Church [UU] in Dorchester. Nominating Committee Rev. Rebekah Ingram serves as a hospice chaplain for Asera Care Hospice where she provides spiritual care to patients and their families across eastern Massachusetts in nursing homes as well as private home settings. Rebekah is affiliated with First Church in Boston as their community minister and she serves on the Advisory Board to the Wellesley College UU community. Rebekah is a life-long UU who was ordained to the Unitarian Universalist Ministry in 2008 by the congregations of First Parish in Framingham and First Church in Boston. Before pursuing chaplaincy training, Rebekah served the UU Urban Ministry as their Director of Volunteer Resources. Rebekah graduated from Harvard Divinity School in She and her fiancé Mark live in Newton. Rev. Mark Caggiano has been a UU since He was a member of the North Parish of North Andover, Massachusetts until 2009, serving on the RE Committee and as a Trustee. He also taught religious education classes for eight years. In 2008, Mark graduated from Harvard Divinity School and he was ordained in That same year Mark was called as the settled minister to the First Church in Chestnut Hill. Prior to ordination, Mark was a practicing lawyer, working in the Greater Boston area on real estate matters, employment law and related litigation. More than pleased with his transition, Mark now resides in Brookline with his son Nicholas, who is attending Boston College and, less frequently, with his daughter, Alyssa. Matt Meyer is life-long Unitarian Universalist. He works as an itinerant musician and preacher for UU churches and has lead hundreds of services for congregations around the country. He is a regular presenter at UU assemblies and conferences on the need for expanding and deepening our faith with more vibrant worship and a public commitment to social justice work. He has been active with Young Adult communities for a number of years, he's an active member of the UU Musician's Network and he serves on the UUA s Council for Cross-Cultural Engagement. Matt is also a co-founder, board member and resident of the Lucy Stone Cooperative, a newly-formed Unitarian Universalist housing cooperative which serves as an intentional community and a center for social justice in the Boston area. Page 20

22 Mass Bay District Fair Share Congregations For Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2010 First Parish Church in Arlington, UU First Parish in Bedford, UU The First Church in Belmont First Parish Church in Beverly UU Arlington Street Church, Boston First Parish in Brookline UU First Parish in Cambridge First Parish Church in Dorchester The Dover Church First Parish in Framingham Independent Christian Church of Gloucester UU Church in Haverhill First Church of Jamaica Plain, UU First Parish Church in Lexington Follen Church Society, Lexington First Parish in Malden, Universalist First Parish UU Church, Medfield UU Church of Medford Melrose UU Church First Parish in Milton First Parish in Needham, UU First Religious Society of Newburyport, UU First Unitarian Society in Newton North Parish of North Andover United First Parish Church, Quincy UU Society of Rockport First Church in Salem, Unitarian First Universalist Society in Salem First Parish UU Church in Saugus UU Area Church at First Parish in Sherborn First Parish of Sudbury UU Church of Greater Lynn, Swampscott First Parish Church in Waltham First Parish of Watertown First Parish in Wayland UU Society of Wellesley Hills Theodore Parker UU Church, West Roxbury First Parish of Westwood, Federated Winchester Unitarian Society Page 21

23 UUA APF Awards For Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2010 Honor Congregations Gave the requested minimum contribution ( Fair Share ) to the UUA First Parish Church in Arlington, UU First Parish in Bedford, UU * + The First Church in Belmont + Arlington Street Church, Boston * First Parish in Brookline UU First Parish in Cambridge * The Dover Church * Independent Christian Church of Gloucester * First Church of Jamaica Plain, UU * First Parish Church in Lexington Follen Church Society, Lexington * UU Church of Medford Melrose UU Church First Parish in Milton First Parish in Needham, UU First Religious Society of Newburyport, UU * + First Unitarian Society in Newton * North Parish of North Andover * United First Parish Church, Quincy * First Church in Roxbury * First Universalist Society in Salem First Parish UU Church in Saugus UU Area Church at First Parish in Sherborn UU Church of Greater Lynn, Swampscott * First Parish Church in Waltham UU Society of Wellesley Hills First Parish of Westwood, Federated * Winchester Unitarian Society * * contributed full Fair Share for ten (or more) consecutive years + one of the 50 highest contributing Honor Congregations in FY10 Merit Congregations Contributed at least 20% more to the UUA than in the previous fiscal year Society of King s Chapel, Boston UU Church in Haverhill UU Church of Marblehead First Universalist Society of Wakefield UU Society of Wellesley Hills Page 22

24 Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Honor Congregations UUSC honors these Unitarian Universalist congregations for their exceptional levels of membership and support during UUSC s 2010 fiscal year. Through their support, these congregations have played a vital role in advancing human rights, and we thank them for their generosity. Membership Awards These awards recognize congregations that encourage their members to support human rights and social justice through exemplary levels of UUSC membership. Creating Justice Banner Society Honors those congregations in which 25 to 49 percent of the membership are UUSC members. Massachusetts UU Congregation in Andover First Parish in Bedford First Parish in Cambridge Northshore UU Church, Danvers Independent Christian Church, Univ., Gloucester First Parish UU, Medfield Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church First Unitarian Society in Newton United First Parish Church, Quincy UU Society of Rockport First Parish of Sudbury UU Church of Greater Lynn, Swampscott First Parish Church in Waltham First Parish of Watertown Theodore Parker Unitarian Church, West Roxbury First Parish of Westwood, United Church Congregational corporate giving awards These awards recognize congregations who demonstrate their strong commitment to justice and human rights through institutional giving. James Luther Adams Award honors congregations for their generous line-item contribution of a gift from their annual budget of at least $1 per church member. Massachusetts First Church in Belmont First Church in Boston First Parish in Needham North Parish of North Andover United First Parish Church, Quincy Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading First Parish of Sudbury First Parish of Watertown First Parish in Wayland First Parish Church in Weston The Helen Fogg Chalice Award honors congregations for their generous line-item contribution of a gift from their annual budget of at least $25 per church member. Massachusetts First Parish of Westwood, United Church Page 23

25 DISTRICT EVENTS & SERVICES OFFERED IN FISCAL YEAR 2011 EVENTS Sessions CBD congs MBD congs In District Indivs LEARNING CONGREGATION WORKSHOPS Got Purpose Series with Doug Zelinski Part I: Rooting Ourselves in Certainty Part II: Turning Ourselves Inside Out Part III: Getting It Into Our DNA Follow Up Webinars Creating and Revitalizing Lay Pastoral Care Teams with Follow up webinar 1 5 Who is in Charge Here? with Larry Peers Creating and Leading Dynamic Lay Led Worship with Rev. 1 to be held 6/11/11 TOTAL 13 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Our Whole Lives Teacher Training (K to 6) Our Whole Lives Facilitator Training (7 to 12) Youth Ministry Training - Basics Youth Ministry Training: Going Deeper Renaissance Module Administration Renaissance Module Multicultural Religious Education CBD Middle School Youth Rally TOTAL 11 STAFF START UP COLLEGIAL CONVERSATIONS DRE / RE Committee Collegial Conversation MBD Ministers/ Associate Ministers DREs / Ministers Collegial Conversation 1 to be held 5/19/11 TOTAL 3 SPRING CONFERENCE: Governance as Ministry 1 to be held 5/7/11 TOTAL # OF PROGRAMS OFFERED 29 Out of District Indivs SERVICES Sessions CBD congs Indivs MBD congs Indivs Board / Parish Committee Facilitation Ministerial Start Up Transitions Facilitation Conflict Transformation Intervention Visioning Retreat Leadership Development RE / Youth Retreat Staff Retreat Arts and Crafts Congregational Conversation COMMUNICATIONS CBD MBD District Monthly Newsletter Average # Readers per Issue 857 Facebook Page Average Weekly Visits Current # of Fans Page 24

26 PROGRAM PREVIEW FOR NEXT YEAR currently under consideration LEARNING CONGREGATION WORKSHOPS Got Covenant? a two-part series with Doug Zelinski Creating and Leading Dynamic Lay-Led Worship with Rev. Sue Phillips Spiritual Leadership for Social Change with Meck Groot CONSORTIUM FOR SMALL CONGREGATIONS two major gatherings and regular coaching calls for creating small congregation learning communities DISTRICT THRESHOLD PROGRAM partnerships between selected congregations interested in learning from each other over an 18 month period. The program, focused on growth, will include events for all participating congregations. ARTS AND CRAFTS OF MINISTRY workshops offered by District staff after Sunday morning services at congregations to which members at area congregations are also invited to attend. Potential themes for the coming year: Conflict Transformation, Governance, Supervision of Staff, Committee Evaluation, the Role of Committees on Ministry, and Stewardship. SOCIAL JUSTICE Spiritual Leadership for Social Change a Learning Congregation workshop with Meck Groot Renewing our Commitment to Multicultural Ministries annual gathering of teams from congregations interested in increasing their capacity for multicultural ministry Preparing for GA 2012 offered in collaboration with UUA staff DISTRICT ASSEMBLY a day-long celebratory, arts-based gathering for members of CBD and MBD congregations DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING Page 25

27 A LITANY OF INSTALLATION For the Mass Bay District Board of Directors April 10, 2011 Please join us in reading this passage responsively. ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: ALL: BOARD: As our elected leaders, you hold the interests and needs of the congregations as a sacred trust. We accept this responsibility. Leaders foster Interdependence among the member congregations We will be faithful stewards. Leaders take responsibility for moving the District forward. We will generate energy and enthusiasm for our common work. Leaders embrace challenges with optimism. We embrace the challenges before us with optimism and courage. Leaders call forth the leadership gifts in others. We will encourage new leaders. We will accept leadership in our turn. We will share our common work as broadly as possible. We will follow your leadership with responsible trust. We will strive to deserve your confidence. We will speak out on the issues before the District. We will respect your opinions and be guided by your needs. We will rejoice in all that we do together as independent congregations. We will rejoice in the bold adventure that is our District. Adapted for district use from words by Marye Gail Harrison, Unitarian Society of Hartford Page 26

28 Massachusetts Bay District of Unitarian Universalist Congregations Empowering and training leaders to be transformative agents in our congregations The Massachusetts Bay District is the organization of fifty-four Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Greater Boston area. The purposes of the Massachusetts Bay District are to: assess the needs of and provide resources for congregational leaders to help them become agents of transformation in their congregations bring an outside perspective for congregations to learn from broader religious, cultural, and academic contexts advocate for the growth and spiritual vitality of Unitarian Universalism in the district activate the capacity and potential of our congregations to become communities where individuals may grow spiritually throughout their lives and learn how to live in respectful covenantal relationship with one another deepen the connection among UU congregations so that they may be agents of social transformation addressing inequities and injustices in our broader community 182 Main Street Watertown, MA