Board President: Christian Harden
Board president Elect: Jennifer Thilo
Financial Trustee: Bryce Thomason
Secretary: Sean Golan
Board Members: Jen Bain, John Duggar, Sharon T. Glass, Jon Johnson, Dave Spierman
Meeting Host: Bryce
Process observer: Sharon
Chalice lighter: Jon
Announcements
Congregational Meeting– December 8, 2019 from 12:30pm-2:30pm
Town Hall Meetings:
- Sunday December 1, 2019 from 1:30pm-2:30pm- Saturday
- Wednesday, December 4, 2019 from 7:30pm-8:30pm- Social Hall
Moravian Love Feast– Friday, December 13, 2019
Holiday Pageant– Sunday, December 22, 2019
Two Christmas Eve Services
- Lessons in Carols
Board Expectations for the year:
- Policy for the following committees: Healthy Relations, ARAOMC and Generosity and Stewardship, Social Justice Work (Poverty)
- Creation of a dashboard
- Visual Timeline to the congregation: Feasibility Plan to First Worship Service at 2650
Thank You Messages for the Month
-Stewardship Leto Woo and Kay Johnson
Circle of Connection:
Share your UUCA activity(ies) you are involved with outside your board work.
- Jennifer- Painting
- Sean-Choir, Co-Chair of UUCA Young Adult Group
- Sharon- Joined several bands
- John- Political lunches at Manuels
- Dave- Project Phoenix
- Jen- Small Group Ministry, TBD, L’Chiam. Visited the landfill
- Jon- Liaison for nominating committee, birding, UUCA Choir, & DeKalb Choral guild, plays poker
- Bryce- Formed a new company more focused on creative pursuits for film productions with a purpose
- Strauss-Hip Hop Dance, passion for food & restaurants, theater directing & casting
Executive Report
Annual Vision of Ministry (AVOM) Overview
● On boarding Fenwick
○ He will Preach his first Sermon this Sunday
○ He is also building Adult RE around the worship themes
● Worship Themes are Set
○ Theology around Walls
○ Humanism
○ Villains & Monsters
● UU Movement Choir is going well
● Stewardship is going well
○ Pulpit
○ Seeking to engage at least 450
○ Considering raising the goal
○ Meeting every week
○ Letta Woo is doing an exceptional job
● Children’s worship is going incredibly well
○ Fenwick has created an awesome children’s service
○ 40-50 kids arrive early
■ John notes Fenwick’s Impressive seriousness about the children’s spiritual lives.
● Children’s Music Program
○ Chelsy has gathered a choir for the pageant
○ Very creative thinking about when
● Human Resource Dimensions
○ Rev. Strauss contracting with them for HR assistance
■ Will improve staff policies & standardize staff evals
○ Short term trial run at a very reasonable price
● From visitor to leader/Inquirers
○ 25 people are trying to join UUCA
○ No staff member
○ Barbara Begner & Carol Ann Arvan are stretched thin with all the work
○ New Staff Position posting in process
● Budget
● Attended South East UU Minister’s Association at the Mountain
○ First time UUCA minister present for many years
○ Asked to present the Keynote address & it went very well.
○ Several invitations to preach at other congregations
● Prison Ministry
○ In process with Jane Mengel and Dottie Mathews meeting this week.
● Giving Tree
○ falling through the cracks since we do not have a social justice staffer
● Jon asks about Rev. Strauss’ meeting with 10 UUCA members @ Park Springs retirement community in Stone Mountain
○ Several members reside there & Alice Young (who is very interested in the Capital Campaign) invited Rev. Strauss
The Work of the Board
Decisive Action
The Minutes from October 2019 Board Meeting were approved via email. Make sure to email the September and October minutes to Nicole in order to post to the website. Let us make sure the November minutes are sent to Nicole by Friday, December 13, 2019. Also, make sure our financial postings are up to date. 0 min – Christian
Finance
● Pledge revenue continues to be lower
● Operational Expenses are lower as well
● Largely the same as last quarter.
● Jon moves to approve the financials as presented
○ Dave seconds
○ Motion passes unanimously
● 2020 Budget
○ Process this year was so much better thanks to starting much earlier and the work of the finance committee.
○ Based on last 10 months of our time in the treehouse
○ Operation budget increase for financial and HR consultants
○ Budget is aspirational
■ More staff
■ More consulting
● Stewardship Campaign
○ 2019-$550,000. 335 pledge units
■ left about a $120K unidentified at time of congregational meeting.
○ 2020-$656,000. 260 pledge units
■ Letta and Kay are thinking outside the box for the pledge drive
● $ not coming from pledges will come out of Project Phoenix, meaning unpaid pledges decrease the $ for our future home.
○ Language change to make this clear
● Social Justice Coordinator Position important for maintaining pledges
● Jon questions:
○ Rental Income from where?
■ Bryce-$5,700 for
● Memorial services
● other small rentals
○ Child Care Cost Decrease
■ Fewer child care needs, space is smaller, less space for adults.
○ Worship budget from $5k to $10k for guest speakers.
■ Rev. Strauss- not enough budgeted to bring guest speakers. 20 min 7:05-7:30 Bryce
Board Education
From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration Video
● Tabled due to Christian’s Tardiness
○ plans to take a group to Alabam’s Legacy Museum, est. Sat, 3/28/20.
○ AAROMAC advancement
■ Specific to the racial history of treatment of African American’s
○ Board to sponsor this trip?
■ Sean moves that the Board sponsor a trip to Montgomery, AL in order to demonstrate our commitment to our AAROMAC resolution.
● Sharon seconds
● Motion passes unanimously
○ Possible partnership opportunities
○ Demonstrate our investment through more initiatives like this 11 min 7:30-7:41 Christian
Project Phoenix
Project Phoenix
● Bit of a holding pattern as schematics and design for Option 3 is finalized
● Feasibility Study in process of finalization for Option 3
○ Rendering Drawing final currently Dec. 1
○ Dec. 3,
○ Dec. 9, Interviews begin
○ Jan Interim report should be ready for Board Meeting in Jan
● John raises concerns about lack of pre-construction work/pre-planning between now and Jan. when the feasibility study is currently estimated to be completed.
○ How will we address Construction Management?
■ Dave- we have hired professionals.
○ Want more input from congregation?
■ Pre-construction meeting with congregants?
■ Sean- Is it useful to have another round of town halls for design input from congregants before we have a firm estimate on our resources?
○ Dave-Design Development Documents done
■ Costs money to change plans
○ Tabled until Jan feasibility study returns
Bylaws
Bylaws
● 10/25 meeting
○ Article XIII-changes considered
■ Christian raises AAROMAC implications of limiting the Senior Minister Role to only those already in fellowship with UUA
■ John asks-
● What is “in Fellowship” with the UUA mean?
○ Approved by UUA
○ Dave Add “Preliminary Fellowship” status since there are those out there awaiting final Fellowship approval.
● What does “hold plurality status”
● Rev. Strauss “in pursuit of Fellowship” means completed seminary
● Add Preliminary Fellowship to Senior
● Add purpose language to open applicant pool since UUA Fellowshiping process is biased toward white, upper class, academically oriented, north eastern individuals.
■ Table until May
● Hold town halls for input on
● Time to add clarity
○ Article VIII, Section 2 revisions
■ Stewardship Committee additions
● Institutionalize a process for creating and training the
○ Christian moves to accept the two proposed additions to the bylaws as ready to be presented to the congregations
○ Considering changes to address issue of congregants voting via video call
■ Tabled until April
○ Required 18 day Notice will be satisfied by posting online, announced in services, and letters available in the social hall.
15 min 8:10-8:40 Sharon and Sean
Congregational Run of Show- https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Q75A6VcFNMn0gDEMtN3K_er3mmzv7JE4O-TlWvFWcdQ/edit#slide=id.g4a0159e24a_3_18
● Tabled Until later 5 min – Christian
Executive Session 8:40-9:17 Christian, Taryn and Board
Budget Approval
● Dave moves to approve the 2020
Closing
Process Observation 5 min 9:18-9:20 Sharon
Extinguishing the Chalice
-UU World 2019
Robin Colgrove
“A future beyond our imagining”
Jon
Next MEETING January 28, 2020:
● Christian moves to not meet in December
○ Sean Seconds
○ Motion tabled until after December, 9 2019 congregational meeting.
● Host (food and drinks) – ?
● Observer – ?
● Opening/Closing Words – ? 9:20-9:24