Leadership

 

 The volunteer leadership at WUUC currently consists of of the Board of Trustees, WUUC Staff, the Ministries Council, and ministries.

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is composed of seven church members elected by the congregation to act on their behalf in making and carrying out church policy. They act within the guidelines of the WUUC Bylaws and the Unitarian Universalist Association. The board includes four officers and three members-at-large; board members are elected for staggered three-year terms. Check the Web site calendar to see when the monthly board meetings are held – meetings are open to members who wish to attend. Board History

Board Members for the 2022-2023 Church Year (officers elected in late July)

President: Leslie Morton

Vice President: Jan Radoslovich

Treasurer: Kermit Sprang

Secretary: Terry Santmann

Linda Sherry

Jeff Lu

 

WUUC Online Feedback and Suggestion Form

Dear Community,

WUUC is committed to providing the best experience possible for all our congregation members, friends, and visitors.  We encourage you to participate in our continuous improvement by submitting constructive suggestions regarding our church, our services, or even our website. Tell us your questions, comments, or concerns.  Your feedback is a valuable part of our program.  What can we do to grow and become a stronger and more welcoming faith community?  Appreciation and positive feedback are also very valuable … What’s working well for you?  What do you like about WUUC?   Your suggestion will be reviewed promptly and considered for possible further action.  

You may use this link to submit your suggestion online.  Anonymous feedback is permitted. 

https://forms.gle/mWgNNyma7DizrQ8K7

Alternatively, you may send your suggestion in an email directly to the Board at board@wuuc.org.  Thank you for your input.

In Community,
WUUC Board.

Ministry Leads

Soup

 WWinter Board “In the Soup” – Ministry Council 2023

 “In the Soup” by Rev. Robert Walsh (Reading at the 10/23/22 Worship Service)

My dictionary says the word minister is etymologically related to the word minestrone. I am not making this up. They are both derived from a Latin root that means to serve. 

The image of ministry as minestrone is particularly apt for the ministry church people do all together that makes us a ministering congregation. Each bean, each vegetable, each piece of macaroni or pinch of spice gives not only its substance to the soup but also its spirit, its texture and color, its flavor and aroma. Each person offers a unique set of gifts, and if we do our job of organizing well, each gift will be creatively matched with a need—so that the whole becomes a warm, nourishing, life-giving religious community.  

All who serve the church and the principles and values we hold dear are ministers. If you are doing part of that work, you are doing ministry, no matter how unlikely that may seem. You are in the soup—the minestrone of ministry! 

The “In the Soup” reading seemed like the perfect introduction to what the Ministry Council has been doing for the past several months.  The Ministry Council works collaboratively with the Minister in the management and oversight of WUUC ministries and programs in accordance with the mission of the church while abiding by policies as specified by the Board and the congregation.  The Ministry Council consists of Ministry Leads, Board Reps for meeting facilitation and notetaking, and the Minister.

For the past 7 years, the Ministry Council has been organized and operating under the “Three Umbrellas of our Ministry” – Community & Engagement, Transformation & Action, and Sustainability.   The Ministry Council felt it was time to revisit this model, to literally spend some time “in the soup” of our work.     How are the umbrella groupings working?  What is our understanding of the Ministry Council mission?  Is the Ministry Lead role effective in providing communication, collaboration, troubleshooting and oversight between ministries and with the Board and Minister?  What changes need to be made to improve the functioning of Ministry Council in supporting the Ministry Leads and ministries of WUUC? 

From April through August, 2022 the members of the Ministry Council focused their meeting time and efforts on addressing these and other questions about the Ministry Council model.  We also sought and received input from Ministry Council alumni.  A few outcomes of our work together:

  1. We agreed that the Ministry Council model is working well, but that the Umbrella Groupings needed to be revisited.
  2. We reviewed and clarified the mission of the Ministry Council and the roles/responsibilities of the Ministry Leads.
  3. We reduced our meeting frequency to every other month, and will continue to meet virtually by Zoom.
  4. We developed the “Seven Umbrellas of Ministry at WUUC” and confirmed or recruited Ministry Leads for each umbrella grouping.  

Here are the new “Seven Umbrellas of Ministry” and Ministry Leads that were approved at the October, 2022 WUUC Board Meeting:

Sustainability – Ministry Lead:  Marcia Sprang.   Ministries include:  Building and Grounds (BAG), Endowment, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Stewardship, Woodinville Country Day School, Building Rental, MarCom (Marketing/Communications)

Justice and Service – Ministry Co-Leads:  Cora Goss-Grubbs/Pam Green (rotating).  Ministries include:  Welcoming Congregation, Climate, Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF), Land Acknowledgment, Economic Justice, Blood Drive

Worship and Music – Ministry Lead:  Donna Johnson.   Ministries include:  Worship Leaders, Zoomkeepers, Camera Crew, Sound Board Techs, Choir/Special Music, Earth-based Services/Celebrations, Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk.

Lifelong Learning – Ministry Co-Leads:  Skylar Hopkins, Director of Religious Education/Rev. Dan Lillie.  Ministries include:  Nursery/Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Jr. and Sr. Youth Groups, Our Whole Lives (Lifespan Sexuality Education), Adult Religious Education, UU Identity Formation (Denominational Affairs Team yet to be formed)

Membership and Hospitality – Ministry Lead: Kate Smith.   Ministries include: Membership Team, ComCom (Internal Communications, E-mail Distribution Groups), Ushers and Greeters, Coffee/Social Hour Support

Social Connections – Ministry Lead:  Tevina Flood.  Ministries include:  Engagement Groups, Social Events, Small Group Ministries, Pondering Groups, Connections Groups, Recurring Small Groups, Men’s and Women’s Retreats, Camping Trip

Care and Support – Ministry Lead:  Rev. Dan Lillie.   Ministries include:  Lay Pastoral Associates, Care & Concerns Team, Hosted Groups

This Ministry model is an experiment and will continue to be evaluated as implementation progresses through the church year.  If you have questions or feedback for the Ministry Council, please contact any of the Ministry Leads, Board Representative Jan Radoslovich or Rev. Dan Lillie.