Greetings from the Settled Minister Search Committee!
A new church year begins. It will be transformative. A time for self-examination, collective discernment, and rigorous application of all our best efforts toward the selection of a new settled minister.
Our committee has had a busy summer. We elected Betsy Carlton-Gysan and Katherine Fleming co-chairs, assigned individual roles, drafted a covenant, built spreadsheets, succeeded at implementing the RACI method for managing work flow (who’s responsible, who’s accountable, who’s consulted and who’s informed; thank you, Rev. Jonipher) and failed, alas, at adapting to Slack (we’ll be sticking with email).
We’ve had ten scheduled meetings since May. Among the highlights: a joyful potluck supper in June and a two-night, six-hour virtual retreat in July with Rev. Liz Weber of the UUA’s Congregational Life staff. Day one with Rev. Liz was mostly about team-building and refining our covenant. We also learned about the current market for UU ministers and what might make First Parish attractive to potential job-seekers—18th-century roots, proximity to Boston, our 400-plus-member congregation, our passionate engagement with social justice, our thriving religious education program and so much more. We have a lot to offer!
Two key documents—the covenant and the timeline—are nearing completion. We’ll share them soon, along with regular updates on our progress, through a variety of channels: The Spire, the eBulletin, the Sunday Teaser, the First Parish website, the First Parish Facebook page and the Settled Minister Search Committee bulletin board. Look for us in the vestry every Sunday at coffee hour, or email us at settled-search@firstparish.info.
Now, for our first big ask of you: Complete the congregational survey! We’ll be introducing the survey to the congregation at Ingathering Sunday, September 13, and accepting responses through September 30. It will be available online as well as on paper.
The survey results will inform the critical next step in our timeline—a series of focus groups set to begin after the annual Ferry Beach retreat in early October. Be warned: the survey is not short. It has written as well as multiple choice parts. It begs your thoughtful, sustained attention.
To be sure, you will have other opportunities to participate in choosing our next settled minister. In addition to the focus groups there will be talkbacks, deep dives with various committees and interest groups, and plenty of one-on-one conversations—all aimed at capturing the full range of needs, wants, identities and beliefs that define First Parish. But the survey is the foundation. Please give it your all. Your voice and your vision matter.
Together we stand at the start of a thrilling journey. We can’t wait to see where it takes us!
The Settled Minister Search Committee: Amy Anderson, Genevieve Baldwin, Betsy Carlton-Gysan (co-chair), Katherine Fleming (Co-chair), Sanjay Newton, Anne Quaadgras, David Whitford
