Establish a Ministerial Search Committee and begin the search for a half-time minister to begin on August 1, 2024. Two of our three current quarter-time ministers are leaving July 31, 2024. Responding to the perceived desire of the Fellowship to return to a half-time ministry model, the Board will establish an appropriate search committee and work with the UUA to fulfill this need. If the search for a half-time minister is not successful, the Committee will work to determine an alternative ministry structure, including the possibility of continuing with our multiple-minister plan.

Establish a Finance Committee and determine options for both short- and long-term financial planning. The Fellowship’s finances have continued to improve and stabilize over recent years, and we benefit from significant estate bequests from generous members. The Board believes that this is a good time to assess our options and adopt a more comprehensive planning approach to our finances.

Establish a Welcoming Congregation Committee and begin the process to recertify the Fellowship’s 2017 UUA “Welcoming Congregation” certification. Welcoming Congregation certification is to be renewed annually, and updated requirements have been published by the UUA to provide guidelines for congregations for the renewal process.

Establish a “Find a Home” Team to open a search for a more suitable home for the Fellowship. Responses to congregational surveys have typically included an interest in finding a home that more satisfactorily meets both the spiritual and practical needs of the Fellowship. This includes the desire for more control over the use of the facility. The “Find a Home” Team will work toward assessing our needs and scan our area for potential facilities.

Expand and improve communication across the Fellowship. Numerous congregational surveys in recent years have indicated a desire for more communication between the Board and other teams and the congregation. Additionally, there is a need for more satisfactory document storage and retrieval. The Board, in cooperation with our minister and committees, will seek out options both for improving communication, including the creation of an online membership handbook, and establishing more robust methods of information storage, access, and retrieval.