President’s Report to the Board, October 2024

In the next months, the board will be forming teams to begin (or continue) the tasks in our Long Range plan and we will support existing teams in new initiatives.

Rev Tim has done a beautiful job of distilling the broad Long Range Plan down to the actions we need to take this year (2024 2025 Long Range Plan Priorities – attached to this report).

This month, the board will begin identifying passionate people for the teams and approving charges for those teams.  We will be forming these teams in the next months:

• The Committee on Ministries
• A task force to develop a Comprehensive Building and Grounds Plan
• A Safe and Welcoming Team to undertake an inclusivity audit/assessment
• A Fun and Friendship Team to create even more engaging activities
• A Racial Justice Outreach team to connect with partners in the community

We will also be supporting these actions:

• Examine a change in bylaws to make the Stewardship Steering Committee a permanent committee
• Create a job description for a Volunteer Coordinator
• Re-energize the Greeter Program with the Membership Committee
• Support our Young Adult Program
• Support our Communications Committee to create new and innovative marketing to the local community
• Expand CareNet assistance for our Elders
• Include “After Words” in our after service activities on Sundays
• Support our Ministry for Earth in their many amazing activities

Please let me know if you are interested in being a part of any of these initiatives.  We welcome your passion!

UUCville Long-Range Plan Priorities
(2024-25)

Preamble

• Make the Stewardship Steering Committee (SSC) a permanent committee and make needed by-law change at Spring 2025 congregational meeting
• Charge the SSC with developing and launching a Planned Giving program
• Reconstitute the Committee on Ministries. The Board will develop a charge that makes clear the COM’s role vis-à-vis the long-range plan and then appoint the committee in consultation with the lead minister.
• The Board will develop a job description and then appoint a (volunteer) Volunteer Coordinator(s) with support from the Stewardship Steering Committee.

Safe and Welcoming Place

• Appoint a Comprehensive Building and Grounds Plan (CBGP) task force and develop a charge approved by the Board
• Appoint a Safe and Welcoming Team to develop and undertake an inclusivity audit/assessment across all of our ministries and programs that pays special attention to historically marginalized communities at UUCville.
• Charge the Membership Committee with re-energizing the Greeter Program
• Charge the UUCville staff with supporting regular events and programs for our Young Adult Community and working with the Communications Committee to improve marketing to young adults in Charlottesville, including and especially at UVA. (Ongoing)
• Task the Communications Committee with creating new and innovative content that improves our marketing to the local community

Nurturing Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit

• Charge staff and the leadership of CareNet to develop a plan for expanding the scope of CareNet to include rides, assistance for elders with minor home repairs, etc.
• Expand after service discussions called “AfterWords” in consultation with worship leaders and explore an option for those attending on zoom
• Create a Friendship and Fun Team (FFT) charged with developing a calendar of multigenerational social events that will enable UUCville members and friends to build connections
• Charge the staff and the Communications committee with developing a plan for an Elder Odyssey Program

Equity, Justice, and Peace (EJP) For All People

All three of priorities identified in this section of the long-range plan (Racial Justice, LGBTQ+ Justice, and Reproductive Rights and Justice) are of the utmost importance, especially in the current political climate. To that end, we will

• Establish a Racial Justice Outreach Team charged with connecting UUCville to the struggle for racial equity and justice in our local community, with a focus on issues identified in the racial justice section of the long-range plan, including food justice, health equity, poverty, affordable housing, criminal justice reform, etc.
• Because proximity and partnership are central to all three of our priorities, focus educational, worship, and other efforts around those themes so that we are better prepared to be a good partner and ally
• Establish at least 1 new community partnerships during the 2024-25 church year that enables UUCville to be proximate and in solidarity with marginalized communities and individuals
• Engage in advocacy with organizations like Impact, the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, Equality Virginia, and others so that UUCville can work to transform unjust structures and policies that negatively impact BIPOC communities, LGBTQIA+ and gender fluid persons, and the reproductive rights and health of women. Work with the EJP for the Planet leaders to offer trainings about engaging in advocacy.
• Celebrate successes and achievements, like ongoing voter mobilization efforts

Equity, Justice, and Peace (EJP) for the Planet

• Offer ongoing support to the leaders and members of the UUCVille Ministry for Earth, who are already engaged in many of the priorities in this section of the long-range plan. We will celebrate their successes and offer support for their many educational, advocacy, and outreach efforts. Encourage staff to help MFE to establish a community partnership(s) and additional hands-on efforts in our local community as well as helping to lead and promote the UU Climate Revival weekend, which will take place in November of 2024.