by Nina Todor, Trustee

I have attended many committees meetings before for church and work, never a board so this was something new for me…At the first meeting I was immediately struck by the efficiency of the meetings; the agenda is followed (amazing) there is a recorder and a time keeper. We are a midsized church now, so there are many things to cover at each meeting. Leaders are aware of people’s time spent as volunteers in this meeting and without rushing through the issues discussed, there is little wasted time. We are people with lives and families and sleep to get to.
A new thing for me is the fact that there is a process person, someone who reviews how the meeting proceeded, did we adhere to the agenda? What kind of language was used, did we keep ethnic, physical abilities and other “minority” groups in mind when discussing issues?

We discuss and try to manage the “workings” of a church, the financial, the physical plant, how to keep the building warm, dry and standing, the grounds and all it’s seasonal needs and ruptures,( of course there is the ever present parking discussion), and now the Capital Campaign. But the church is not just about the physical it is about meeting the spiritual needs of it’s members. We also must be mindful of the people who create the spiritual space and the education that the church building houses. There is so much to be aware of at each board meeting!

We are UU’s so, there is laughter, and lightness, opening/closing words, the candle…sometimes candy and different ways of approaching issues, but there is voting and consensus and happiness at seeing each other and the respect for each other that is obvious. We look at the big picture but take time to pause about individuals and concerns.

It seems all the members have a role and we work toward helping the church function as smoothly as it can being mindful of the UU mix of differing voices and spiritual focus, but also being aware of moving forward toward goals set for the year.

I am proud to be part of this hard working group and I hope to be a good contributor to the whole church.