We are delighted to announce the formation of the UUFoM Committee on Ministry (“COM”). The members are Christina VanPoucker, Cathy French, Vicki Reidelberger, Jacob Guettler, and Chris Nakamura. One of the purposes of the COM is to “assess the effectiveness of the entire ministry and its interrelated facets. Its perspective is the big picture—assumes no independent parts.” [R. Latham]
The first task of our COM, and one of the driving forces behind its formation at this time, was to complete Reverend Eric’s Preliminary Fellowship renewal evaluation. The UUA requires that this evaluation be submitted yearly for the first three years of a new minister’s service. Evaluations must be submitted by the Committee on Ministry, the Board, the minister, and the minister’s mentor.
Our COM jumped into the evaluation process with enthusiasm, focus, and integrity. They met with all the ministry groups in our congregation, asking important questions with love and respect. We appreciate that all of the members of the COM are busy people who, in addition to their personal commitments in this crazy time, serve our congregation in many other ways. We are deeply grateful for the time they have put into Eric’s Preliminary Fellowship renewal process. The discussions they had with the ministry teams will also inform them as they continue to serve our Fellowship.
Each Committee on Ministry is unique, and ours will evolve as we move forward. In the months and years to come, our COM will keep the pulse of the congregation, our ministries, and our minister. As MidAmerica regional lead David Pyle says, “The Committee on Ministry can be a source of congregational knowledge, history, and wisdom that a minister may not have. They can serve as a confidential ‘sounding board’ for developments in the ministry, allowing the minister to receive feedback from a team of trusted lay leaders on ideas, before they go to the congregation. This team can also provide healthy reflections upon the ministry, based on their own personal experience of the ministry, that can allow the minister to see more than their own perspective.”
Thank you, Christina, Cathy, Vicki, Jacob, and Chris for your willingness to serve.