Charge for New Name Task Force:

The New Name Task Force will be made up of Sharon Utz, Sachim Mehta, Debby Norton, Hayley Owens, Bonnie Hansen and Elizabeth Breeden.  The Task Force is charged with using an inclusive and democratic process for our congregation to choose a new name.  Our new name is a link to our church’s Mission Statement and Covenant AND the process will be inclusive, inspiring, fun, and a way of moving forward and “re-forming ourselves” as a congregation.  Emphasis will be on a transparent process with many opportunities for input.

New Name Timeline

December:  Task Force creates Charge and list of questions and outline for first Cottage Conversations centering the brainstorming discussions.

January:  Empathize, Define, Ideate

Cottage Conversations both after church, during week and “live outdoors”, brainstorming visioning our identity and our aspiration.  Generate endless list of names.  Post them on the website.  Committee reviews notes from all the conversations and submissions and makes a list for a weighted vote with as many names as is useful

February:  Information Gathering/Prototype/Test

Use a Rank Order-Voting to ask congregation to share /rate their preferences.  Voting shared on website;  Top 6-8 are highlighted as subject of next Cottage Conversation

Prototype/ Test-  share and listen to people’s experiences with these top names, groups narrow down names

Cottage Conversations & activities about the top group of names.  Committee reviews for conversations and narrows down to one (!), 2 or 3

March:  Results of Cottage Conversations are published on Website. Congregational Meeting to discuss and vote on the 1 or 2 choices.