Committee on Ministry: Best Practices

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Committee on Ministry Best Practices

• Kim Marfy, Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent,
  OH
• And Rev. Joan Van Becelaere,
• District Executive, Ohio-Meadville District

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Chalice Lighting
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Outline of Agenda

• Rationale and a few Characteristics of COM
• Story of COM of Unitarian Universalist Church of
  Kent, OH
• Covenant of Kent COM
• Kent COM Story Continues
• Typical Duties
• Stories
• Resources
• Discussion

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Rationale for a COM

• As congregations grow, there is increased
  competition by programs and groups for resources
  and attention. And a multiplicity of leaders are
  involved.
• Congregations are often in danger of losing sight
  of their reason for existence, their mission, in
  the swirl of activity.
• There is a need for an independent body that can
  step back and view the large, overall picture and
  keep the mission in the forefront of the
  congregations thoughts.

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Focus of the coM

• Mission education and focus
• Effectiveness assessment of congregation and
  minister(s) and all ministries
• Conflict management (NOT resolution or solution!)
• Spiritual well-being of the whole congregation
• Overview body focused on spiritual leadership not
  biased by attachment to any particular program or
  church function.

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Characteristics

• Smaller congregation may have a 3 member
  committee, 5 or 6 in a larger congregation.
• Chosen by Board and Minister- various patterns
• Terms should be staggered in terms
• The COM should meet monthly with a regular agenda
  so that each aspect of the congregations
  ministry is reviewed regularly.
• Focused on advocacy of the whole ministry of the
  entire congregation.

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characteristics

• No need for a Ministerial Relations Committee
  because professional ministry is understood to be
  only one component of its larger ministry. And
  every component of ministry is viewed as critical
  to success.
• Finding the right people is KEYpeople with
  vision, who can see the big picture, who have the
  confidence of the congregation, who can leave
  personal biases at the door, who can work in a
  confidential but not secretive manner.

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Kent com story

• History
• Shifted from being a sounding board or
  cheerleading squad for the minister to becoming
  responsible for the overall ministry of the
  church and all the components of church life
  congregation, committees, minister, music, the
  whole thing.

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KENT COM Covenant

• We, the Committee on Ministry of the Unitarian
  Universalist Church of Kent, covenant to work
  toward the goal of promoting the health and well
  being of this congregation. We will be attentive
  to the entire ministry of the church and we will
  cultivate open and appropriate communications
  with the members of the congregation, the
  minister, staff and the Board.

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Kent com covenant part 2

• We commit to working together as a team and
  respecting the team process. We commit to
  meeting monthly or more frequently as the need
  arises. We consider this a priority of service
  in our lives. That being said, we also recognize
  that at times our lives may pull us away from a
  meeting. Our attendance will reflect this
  understanding. We will embrace confidentiality as
  is necessary to maintain healthy relationships.

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Kent com covenant part 3

• We understand the vital role members of this
  committee hold and realize that open and
  appropriate communication with the rest of the
  congregation is a large part of this position. We
  will make decisions as a full team using our
  adopted consensus model. We commit to listen to
  each other and to speak our hearts and minds in
  our meetings. We will take time to listen to all
  sides and to understand the dissenting voice. We
  commit to model right relations in all of our
  interactions.

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Kent com story

• Had to take care to educate the congregation
  about the new focus of the COM.
• Over time repeated coaching and articles and
  sermons on the topic, folks are doing better at
  using the appropriate venues to share concerns.
• But it continues to be a work in progress

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questions so far?

• Please have one person in your team bring any
  questions from your team.

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Kent COM Story continues

• The committee consists of 3-4 members. They serve
  2 year terms. They are staggered.  
• During my tenure church grew from a pastoral
  size church to a program size church. Our settled
  minister asked the committee to read the book,
  Moving on From Church Folly Lane by Robert
  Latham. Church Folly lane addresses what the
  make up of a CoM should look like.
• Members of the CoM do not serve in any other
  capacity of the church due to possible conflict
  of interest.
•  Because so much of what the CoM deals with comes
  from varied sources, there is value in having a
  healthy mix on the COM.
• Members must understand that they will deal with
  some very difficult and tender topics and that
  they will need to consider the greater good,
  while at the same time holding true to the
  mission/vision and covenant of the church.

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Kent com story continues

• COM members need to have thick skin. They need to
  keep sight of their task.
• It is very healthy if their covenant includes the
  promise that they speak with one voice. There
  were times we didnt all agree, but we presented
  ourselves with one voice. That gave authority and
  credibility to the committee.

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Typical KENT COM duties

• Monthly meetings attended by the 3-4 members of
  the committee as well and the minister.
•  When the Kent COM began, the minister would run
  the meetings. After about 9 months of that, our
  minister gently explained that really, that is
  not the healthy way to operate. A chair really
  should create an agenda, keep minutes, and run
  the meeting.
•  From that point on, the meetings functioned that
  way.

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Typical kent com duties

• Agenda Old business was obvious. About a week
  prior to meetings Id email the committee and ask
  what needed to be put on the agenda as new
  business.
•  Concerns ranged from crying babies in the
  sanctuary, to members taking offense at our
  signage, to individual squabbles, a need for a
  disruptive behavior policy and more generalhow
  do we show appreciation to leaders in the church?
  
• And assessing the minister and the congregation.
• Many times a member from our COM was asked to
  serve on an another committee- long range
  planning committee, ministers compensation
  committee, mission/vision/covenant.
• We had co-chairs so that no one had to shoulder
  too much of the work.

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Some stories from kent
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Questions?
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Resources

• UUA website www.uua.org and search terms
  Committee on Ministry or go to
  http//www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/leadersl
  ibrary/interconnections/44219.shtml
• Churchworks
• Anne Heller
• Skinner House
• Moving on From Church Folly Lane
• By Robert Latham
• Alban Institute Press