Ministerial Search Team

Cottage Meetings and Focus Groups!

10/04/2019

Now that the survey is complete (many thanks to the 136 of you who filled it out!), the Search Team is excited to be moving on to the next phase of our search — Cottage Meetings and Focus Groups! The survey was a necessary first step, but it really just gave us broad outlines. Now it’s time to start filling in the blanks in more detail! The Cottage Meetings and Focus Groups are how we’ll do that.

Cottage Meetings are small group meetings. Each one will be led by two Search Team members who will ask you additional questions that were not on the survey. We hope everyone — members and non-members — will attend a cottage meeting. There are three cottage meetings scheduled, and childcare will be provided at each one:

  • Saturday, October 19, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., in both classrooms (Esmeralda and Libby)
  • Sunday, October 20, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Community Room (David and Laurie)
  • Tuesday, October 22, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the Community Room (Tommy and Cathy)

You can sign up for the Cottage Meeting of your choice in the Community Room, by adding your name to the relevant sheet, or by filling out the Google Form at the end of this post. There is no deadline to sign up, and you can attend a Cottage Meeting even if you don’t sign up. The sign-up process is just to give us a general idea of how many to expect at each one.

Focus Groups are also small group meetings, but they are geared toward specific populations within the congregation. We hope you will attend as many as apply to you. Childcare will be provided upon request. We will have a number of different focus groups, each one led by one or two Search Team members:

  • People 65 and up (Laurie)
  • Youth 5th grade and up (Libby)
  • Parents of children and youth (Michelle)
  • Kids 4th grade and under (Libby)
  • Young adults 18 to 30 (Cathy)
  • People of color (Esmeralda and Michelle)
  • People who identify as LGBTQ (Esmeralda)
  • Past Board members (David)
  • Staff (Tommy)
  • People with disabilities (Michelle) 
  • People affected by past ministries (Cathy)

The deadline to sign up for focus groups is October 20. This is because, once you have signed up, the leader of your group will contact everyone to decide upon a date and time that works. The meeting will then occur sometime between October 20 and November 3. Once the meeting is scheduled, you will have a better idea of whether you will need childcare, and you can request it at that time.

We believe that some of you may desire confidentiality in your participation in a focus group. As a result, the sign-ups in the Community Room will be different. Instead of putting your name on a piece of paper visible by all, we will provide envelopes and index cards. If you’re interested in attending a focus group, just put your name, email address, and phone number on an index card and drop it in the envelope of your choice. You may attend as many focus groups as apply to you.

Finally, if you prefer to sign up for these things electronically, this Google Form will allow you to sign up for the Cottage Meeting of your choice and any Focus Groups that apply to you: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYKDOAuvBP4XTtPQIFQgN7TzyVC_o3FsiISp7-AUIB6Ce1cw/viewform.  But again, while there is no deadline to sign up for Cottage Meetings, the deadline to sign up for Focus Groups is October 20, so please sign up as soon as you can!

As always, we appreciate your participation in this process. The information you give us helps us answer important questions in our Congregational Record, all of which will be available to ministerial candidates and aid them in deciding whether Wildflower sounds like a good fit for them. The more information we can gather, the better position we are in to finding the right minister for us! And remember, if you have any questions at all, you can reach us at search@wildflowerchurch.org.

Successful Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop!

09/27/2019

Thank you so much to the roughly 60 people who attended our Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop last Sunday after church! Gil said it was a very good turnout for such a small congregation, and we agree!


For those of who you weren’t able to make it, we’d like to share some of our big takeaways. First, Gil made clear that a successful search can result in a decision of “None of the Above.” We, the Search Team, will be working very hard in the next couple of months to analyze the data from the congregational survey, as well as the October cottage meetings and focus groups. Then, come January, we’ll be working very hard to find a minister that meets Wildflower’s needs and desires. We’ll be looking for the right fit. And it might simply be that nobody feels to us to be the right fit. If that happens, it is not a failure. It takes courage for a Search Team to face this truth if it happens, rather than offering the position to someone who isn’t ideal just so we can hire someone. It will also take courage from the entire congregation to accept that result and not see it as a failure but rather a valid step in the process.


Speaking of hiring — Gil also pointed out that calling a minister is really not like the kind of hiring that we think about in the working world. While there are obviously some contractual aspects to this agreement, matching a congregation with a minister is more like a marriage. We are entering into an arrangement with someone in which we both agree to do our part to make the relationship work. This is why it is so important that the person be the right fit for the church.


And speaking of doing our part — Gil asked us to think about what each of us would be willing to do to ensure a successful ministry. Please give that some thought. It takes all of us to make Wildflower Church what we want it to be; a minister cannot do anything alone. And we want to make sure that we give our minister all the support we can to help them help us.


In terms of biases, Gil asked us to consider ministers with specific racial/ethnic identities, sexual orientation/gender identities, and various disabilities. We wrote down whether we had any personal concerns as well as whether we thought there might exist any concerns in the congregation as a whole (either that we had heard of or might suspect). After a brief review of the answers, Gil said that we were in the range of normal responses that he has received in other workshops.


Our own review of the worksheets showed us that, with regard to race, gender, and sexual orientation, there were very few personal concerns; most concerns pertained to issues we thought might exist in the congregation. As to disabilities, however, our congregation had a number of personal concerns, primarily focused on the minister’s ability to do their job. Just as a reminder, any candidate that we interview will have already been vetted by the UUA’s Ministerial Fellowship Committee and will therefore be, in the opinion of the UUA Committee, physically and mentally capable of being a minister.


Another part of the workshop was that each table had the opportunity to discuss a hypothetical case study and then share their feelings about it with the group. There were some lively discussions during this time, as the case studies presented challenging fact patterns. Ultimately, some concerns were expressed that we, the Search Team, felt may have been based, at least in part, on some of Wildflower’s past ministerial experiences. As a result, we have decided that we will add an additional focus group to our current list — people who have been affected by past ministries. We encourage you to participate in this group if you have any concerns about past mistakes being repeated.


All in all, we thought the workshop went very well, and it revealed to us how many of you have much to share in this process but have not yet had the chance to do so verbally. We are eager to hear you, and we look forward to your participation in our October cottage (small group) meetings to give us additional feedback. Those meetings will be Saturday, October 19, from 9 to 11 a.m.; Sunday, October 20, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, October 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. Please make plans to attend one; childcare will be provided at all three.


Also, each of us will soon be approaching our assigned focus groups, so start thinking about whether you fall into any of the following groups: People 65 and up (Laurie), Youth 5th grade and up (Libby), Parents of children and youth (Michelle), Kids 4th grade and under (Libby), Young adults 18 to 30 (Cathy), People of color (Esmeralda and Michelle), People who identify as LGBTQ (Esmeralda), Past Board members (David), Staff (Tommy), People with disabilities (Michelle), and People affected by past ministries (Cathy). And feel free to contact the Search Team member covering your group if you want to make sure to be included.


As always, thank you for your participation in this process with us. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at search@wildflowerchurch.org.

Beyond Categorical Thinking

09/17/2019

By now, you are hopefully aware that we will be having a very important workshop this Sunday after the worship service called “Beyond Categorical Thinking.” Laurie Willis Patterson shared a reflection about this workshop last Sunday at church. Here’s what Laurie had to say:

Paul and I were vacationing in the Pacific Northwest on a Sunday morning in July, and decided to check out a UU Church. We arrived a bit early and were hanging out in front of the entrance to the sanctuary. I noticed a woman who was standing sideways to me aways away. Her clothing caught my attention. She appeared to be wearing some kind of white blouse, with large multicolor ruffles all around the neck area, that was being interfered with by a piece of cream fabric rather askew over her shoulder. Then she noticed us, and came over to introduce herself. (I say “herself”, but by her walk and her hairstyle, she could have been “he”, or “they”.)

Turns out she was the minister. The piece of fabric over her shoulder was part of her minister stole….but it was on crooked, hung funny and it was an odd combination with the ruffles. Anyway, we had a good conversation and I looked forward to the worship service. The theme was on courage, courage to insert ourselves into the unfamiliar but righteous. Initially, when the minister spoke, I was still somewhat focused on her odd clothing arrangement……Anyway…

That week had been a week of the ICE raids. The minister had recently been trained to be called on as somewhat of a sentry and a presence when needed. With her heart pounding, she responded to her first call to see if a rumored raid on a Mexican restaurant had occurred. As she was telling the person at the front why she was there, a worker nearby just overheard the word ICE. By the time the minister got to the kitchen, half the staff had fled. She was embarrassed and felt guilty that her presence had caused an unnecessary panic in an already charged environment. Her message to us was a great one, with humor and pathos, and I was definitely over wanting to fix her clothing!

What distracts us, when we meet people who have defined roles in our world? What “ruffles” ruffle our thinking, and distract us from seeing deeper, and learning more? At times, as we get caught up in comparing folks to our “picture,” of who we think they represent. Are our pictures of the “ideal minister” categorized maybe by age, gender identity, nationality, physical or cognitive ability, race, sexual orientation? I think that most of us would to think that we have no prejudged, perhaps deep seated notions which may unintentionally exclude ministers who fall into certain categories. But are we sure?

Next Sunday, Wildflower Church will participate in the Beyond Categorical
Thinking workshop offered by the Unitarian Universalist Association for congregations involved in a search for a new minister. The Wildflower Search Team invites all congregational leaders, members, and friends to participate in this workshop, as it is a highly recommended part of the search process.

This opportunity allows the entire congregation fuller participation in the search process. It will allow us to explore our hopes and concerns for a new minister, learn more about the search process, and see how our own history (both personal and congregational) might interfere with our efforts in this search.

In finding the person who would be the best match as our minister, we could potentially overlook or even let biases keep us from knowing that a particular person could be the best match for us. This is yet another way for us to put our faith into lived experience and improve the odds that regardless of identity, we will find the minister who is the best match for us and who will serve us well.

Next Sunday, the 22nd, the workshop will begin at 1:30. Lunch will be served, and childcare for all ages will be provided. If you cannot stay for the entirety of the workshop, please come for what time you can. We would like for all potential minister candidates to know that a good percentage of Wildflower folks took the time for this training. We hope you’ll be among them!

Please let us know if you’ll be there, to help us in our lunch planning. RSVP to search@wildflowerchurch.org. Thank you!

It’s Survey Time!

09/10/2019

By now, you should have received an email with a link to our online congregational survey. As we explain in that email, the survey is the first — and an extremely important — part of our ministerial search process. It will provide us with crucial information about who we are as a church and what we’re looking for in a minister. The Search Team will rely on this information to determine which ministerial candidates are a good fit with Wildflower.

But, the survey will not be meaningful unless everyone completes one — church members and non-members alike. If you attend Wildflower Church and care about its future, we want to hear from you!

The survey is a bit lengthy — it may take you 15 or 20 minutes to complete it. Most items offer objective check-box responses, and most have room for your further comment, if desired.

So please, if you haven’t already done so – get yourself a beverage, sit down and get comfortable, and tell us everything about you and what’s important to you at Wildflower! This is your opportunity to share your voice with us, so please do so!

The link to the survey is also being provided to you every Thursday in the Wildflower Weekly News email. But if for any reason you cannot find it, please do not hesitate to contact us at search@wildflowerchurch.org, and we’ll send it to you.

And, if you would just feel more comfortable filling it out at church, we have Search Team members in the Community Room every Sunday in September after the worship service. We have laptops for you to fill it out online, and paper copies are available upon request, if you prefer.

This is a very exciting time at Wildflower Church! Please join us in this process by filing out the survey as soon as you are able!

Congregational Photo this Sunday, September 8

09/05/2019

Please be sure to join us this Sunday, September 8, for a church-wide group photo during the Worship Service! Instead of Time for All Ages and the Congregational Greetings, we will have everyone – members, visitors, and friends – come to the front of the sanctuary to get a picture with our banner in the background.

This photo is being organized by the Ministerial Search Team, and it will go on our website and in our Congregational Record. It will give prospective ministerial candidates a chance to see who we are.

If you feel comfortable being part of this photo, we welcome your participation! And, the whole thing will probably be a little chaotic, so we welcome your patience, as well!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at search@wildflowerchurch.org.

Search September!

08/29/2019

If you were at church last Sunday, you saw our flyer in the Order of Service! It’ll be there again this Sunday, and it’s also posted around the Community Room. Here’s what it says, with an additional notation about the group photo on September 8:

Don’t miss FIVE MAJOR EVENTS in September to aid us in our search for a new minister to begin in August 2020!

  • Congregational Survey: Throughout September

We need YOU to complete the congregational survey in September! The survey provides us with crucial information about who we are as a church and what we’re looking for in a minister! We will rely on this information to determine which ministerial candidates are a good fit with Wildflower. The survey will not be meaningful unless everyone completes one — members and non-members alike! Watch your email for a chance to take it online. If you need any help, we will have Search Team members in the Community Room with their laptops, every Sunday in September, to provide assistance. And paper copies are available upon request.

  • Church-wide Group Photo: September 8

Join us for a church-wide group photo on Sunday, September 8, after the worship service! As soon as the service is over, we’ll all come down to the front of the sanctuary to pose with our banner in the background. This photo will go on our website and in our Congregational Record to show prospective ministerial candidates who we are. Will this be chaotic? Yes! But please join us anyway! And after the photo, join us in the Community Room for the Children’s RE Ice Cream Social!

  • Search Team Worship Service: September 15

Be sure to attend church on September 15 to learn all about the search process, where we are in the process, the importance of each step and your involvement, and more! Meet the Search Team and hear about all the work we’ve been doing!

  • Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop: September 22, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Beyond Categorical Thinking is a highly recommended part of the search process. In finding the person who would be the best match as our minister, we could potentially overlook or even let biases keep us from knowing that a particular person would be the best match for us. We will have trainers facilitate this conversation so we can examine how we can avoid letting prejudice become a part of our search process. This is yet another way for us to put our faith into lived experience and improve the odds that regardless of identity, we will find the minister who is the best match for us and who will serve us well. Please make plans to attend this important event!

  • First Cottage (Small Group) Meeting : September 29, 1:30 p.m.

We will have small group meetings as the survey concludes, to follow up on themes we see in those answers and further explore what our priorities are for a minister. These meetings will be at the church on September 29 at 1:30 p.m., October 1 at 7 p.m., and October 5 at 9 a.m. Please be sure to attend one (no need to attend all three, they’re all the same!) to give us additional feedback!