The Board met for the last time in 2017 on Tuesday, December 19. 

The main topic of discussion was the 2018 budget and this year’s pledge drive. Our pledge drive came in about $8,800 short of our goal of $153,200. This basically means that barring other sources of revenue, we will have to cut $8,800 worth of expenses next year. The Finance Committee will be meeting shortly after the first of the year to discuss these cuts and then will present the revised 2018 budget to the Board for approval.  

Finally, I’d like to thank the members of the Board: Charlie Enright, Jill Haver-Crissman, Janelle Dombek, John Kinkema, Sara Clavez, as well as Rev. Connie Grant for all their hard work, wisdom and wit. It truly was a privilege working with them.

Also, thanks to the entire Fellowship for the opportunity to serve as your Board President. It’s been a year of change and growth and I’m extremely confident that next year will be our best ever. 

Thank you, and I’ll be seeing you at the Fellowship.

Speed Malecki, Board President 

To our members and friends:
 
 As we approach the end of the year, we are seeing that we still have a number of pledges not yet paid.  As you know, we use these pledge amounts to budget for our year, so it is very important to the financial health of the Fellowship that we receive as much of the overall pledge payments as possible.  A shortfall in 2017 pledge payments could result in cutbacks in next year’s budget. 
 
For the board, I am asking that you please review your pledge payment status and get any remaining balance for 2017 to us soon as possible before the end of the year.   If you have any question as to the amounts you have already paid this year or what your remaining pledge balance might be, please don’t hesitate to contact me (phone 989-600-2294 or email [email protected]) or our Treasurer, Barb Rajewski (phone 989-980-2101 or email [email protected]).
 
If you find yourself unable to pay the remainder of your 2017 pledge before the end of the year, it would be greatly appreciated if you could let either Barb or me know that as well.  It will help us make the decisions necessary for next year.
 
I can’t emphasize enough how grateful we are for the support of our members and friends, and hopefully this message will be perceived as it is intended -  not as a demand, but rather as a reminder and plea for action.
 
In Fellowship,

Tom Bailey
Finance Chair
 

Following the service on January 14 there will be a time for discussion of the search process with the congregation followed by the election of the Search Committee.  We have been assigned a Transition Coach, the Reverend Misty-Dawn Shelley.  She will meet with the 2018 Board members Saturday, January 13 and will be the officiant at the Sunday, January 14 worship service. 

The following nine members have agreed to be on the ballot and to serve on the Search Committee if elected:  Tom Bailey, Carol Cooper, Maxine Guettler, Mary Johnson, Sasha King, Robert Malecki, Chris Nakamura, Vicki Rothhaar and Tim Wagner. 

UUFoM welcomed ten new members to the Fellowship in November and December.  

Linda Bozzelli
Elspeth Hetrick
Sandy Hay
Kathryn Hay
Cathy Mitzel
Christopher Nakamura
Sarah Nuss-Warren
Beth Sperry
Christina VanPoucker
Catherine Young

Rev. Heather Collins entered the field of pastoral education in 2002, and now teaches and manages the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Covenant HealthCare System. Heather received a Masters of Divinity degree from Duke University in 1993, was ordained  by the UU Congregation of Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, GA, and was installed as their first full-time minister in1995.  After finishing a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, Heather and her husband, David Bowen, moved to Saginaw in 2015 to be near family.  They share their Victorian home with their dog, Suli, their cat, Myst, and the dust and debris of renovation.