All of us at TUUC are looking forward to our minister, Linda Hart’s, installation this Sunday night at 6:30 p.m.. It will be attended by many UU ministers from across the region along with members from the Vashon fellowship and Linda’s personal friends and associates. Details are shared elsewhere in this e-news. Please be sure to come Sunday night to what Linda terms “an extravaganza”!
For the past year or so the Board has dedicated about 15 minutes from each Board meeting to the discussion of a chapter of a book Linda has chosen for us to read. Much of last year was devoted to Governance and Ministry by Dan Hotchkiss. This year we are working to implement the model Hotchkiss outlines. This is a slow and deliberate process, but will make us a more effective and better functioning congregation going forward.
This year we began by reading Serving with Grace, Lay Leadership as a Spiritual Practice by Erik Walker Wikstrom, and are now tackling Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations that will Help Your Church Grow by Carey Nieuwhof). As you can see, we are working together to find ways to serve the congregation most effectively. Copies of all these books are in the TUUC library.
The Board made a decision at the October board meeting that has both governance and ministry implications. We committed TUUC to become the fiscal sponsor of the Sun Daughters Project. Rev. Tandi Rogers, one of our affiliated community ministers and also a member of our congregation, brought this opportunity before the Board. Basically, Sun Daughters will be a healing retreat for marginalized black women. You will hear more on this as the project evolves going forward. As a fiscal sponsor, our role is to create the opportunity for Sun Daughters to raise funds through grants without having to seek its own not-for-profit status. For this we will receive a small percentage fee to cover our administrative costs. Their funding will be provided through grants as well as individual donations. Tandi will oversee all grant applications. The Board feels strongly that this is in line with our social justice goals.
On an entirely different note, I want to bring you up to date on building maintenance. A painter has been on site this week to touch up some of the real problem areas before the rains set in for good. Also, we have badly needed new toilets in the two downstairs bathrooms. We are in the process of obtaining estimates on more extensive painting and roofing projects, which we hope to tackle in the spring. Once these estimates are in, we will be calling a congregational meeting to report the professional findings and obtain permission to proceed with the work.
Please note that leaves are still falling and TUUC grounds need raking. Many hands make light labor, so if you can find time, please grab a rake and spend an hour or two getting some of the leaves from the ground to the bins. Many thanks to all who are helping with this.
Barbara Tripp
TUUC Board President