Councils and Committees
The Board of Assessors, the Board of Trustees,
eight councils and numerous
committees
govern, run, and/or are responsible for most of the wide-ranging
programs and activities at First Parish.
For more information on the groups described here, please contact
the parish office.
Boards
Board of Assessors
One of the most important groups of volunteers within the church is the
Board of Assessors, which is the elected governing body of the church.
It consists of ten assessors, who serve three-year, rolling terms; a
treasurer; and a clerk.
The Board works with the ministers and staff. It
is responsible for the business affairs of the church, including
praparing and reviewing the annual budget; personnel issues; the annual
parish meeting; and defining and implementing First Parish policies and
directions, in accordance with the bylaws and wishes of the
congregation. The Board meets on the second Thursday of each month.
Board members serve as liaisons to the various
committees and councils to assess the overall health of the
congregation.
Members of the congregation are invited to contact
the chair or another Board member with any questions or concerns about
First Parish business matters.
Board of Trustees
The First Parish Trustees are responsible for the First Parish
Endowment. The
Endowment consists of a general fund and several smaller sub-funds,
each donated
for specific long-term purposes. The Trustees invest the assets of the
endowment
for long-term growth and income. The goal is to make the assets
increase and
to provide a growing stream of annual contributions to the operations
of First
Parish.
The Councils
Administration Council
The Administration Council supports the operation of the church office
and its
broad clerical needs by recruiting, scheduling and managing a volunteer
staff
to produce and distribute print publications, provide general office
reception
coverage, and assist the Church Administrator with other office tasks
as requested.
Adult Religious Education (RE) Council
The Adult RE Council nurtures and stimulates the religious and personal
growth of the adult church community and the community-at-large by
offering a varied program within the context of the larger UU
tradition. The committee plans, coordinates, and implements the Adult RE Program for
the church year, including arranging for teachers and facilitators,
scheduling classes, and handling registration.
Maintenance Council
The Maintenance Council is charged with the cleaning and upkeep of the
Parish buildings and grounds. These tasks are accomplished through the
use of contracted services and volunteer work of members of the
Maintenance Council and the Parish. The Council identifies, coordinates
and supervises major maintenance on the campus. Meetings are held on
the second Monday of the month. Anyone interested in joining the
Council is welcomed.
Membership Council
The Membership Council's mission is to enhance the meaning of
membership for existing members; to welcome visitors and newcomers to
First Parish; and to serve as a resource to visitors, newcomers, and
members by matching them with the programs they are interested in and
answering their questions about parish life.
MPC hosts the following
activities:
- The Newcomers’ Table during coffee hour
- The Newcomers Coffee, several times a year, for people to gather
informally and learn more about First Parish
- The New Members Sunday, each spring, to recognize and celebrate
people who have joined First Parish in the past year
Programs Council
The mission of the Programs Council is to enrich the lives of
individuals and broaden the church community by offering diverse
programs that provide opportunities for mutual support, social
interaction, spiritual growth, religious understanding, and a deeper
understanding of the natural and spiritual worlds of which we are a
part. Currently, the Council sponsors the following:
Zen Study Group
Caritas
Parents and Others
Book Discussion Group
Dinner Discussion Group
Church Picnic
Christmas Eve Wassail and Dinner
Passover Seder
Religious Education Council
The Religious Education Council oversees the operation of the church school and youth
groups. It works with the Director of Religious Education to
establish policies and budget, welcome new families, support the
contributions of the volunteer teaching staff and advisors, and to
review curricula.
The Council sponsors several annual events, such as intergenerational
social gatherings, the UUSC’s Guest at Your Table, the December
Intergenerational Service, the Undecorate the Christmas Tree Project,
the Intergenerational Holiday Service, and the Eighth Grade Statements
of Belief.
The Belonging is a Religious
Experience (BRE) subcommittee provides assistance to children
with a disability and their families, so that they may fully
participate in the life of the church and truly belong.
Social Action Coordinating Council
The Social Action Council
is an over-arching council that coordinates and supports varied
opportunities for church members of all ages to live their beliefs. The
Council works on local needs, such as homelessness prevention, urban
ministry, ESL and recycling. It initiates the First Parish response in
efforts such as the tsunami relief effort. The Council advances the
work of the UU General Assembly and the UU Service Committee on social
justice and world issues, such as global warming and nuclear
disarmament.
Worship and Arts Council
The Worship and Arts Council consults with the minister and music
director in supporting Sunday morning worship services through the
year. The Council sponsors Sunday services when the ministerial staff
is not in the pulpit. The Council is comprised of the following
committees.
Sunday Morning Ushers and Greeters ensure
that the Meeting House is ready, greet parishioners and visitors and
direct them to their seats, distribute the Order of Service, and close
the Meeting House after services.
Christmas Eve Meeting House Decorations Committee
decorates the Meeting House for the holiday season.
Sunday Morning Chancel Decorations Committee offers
an
opportunity for individuals, families, or groups in First Parish to
provide Sunday service flowers or other decorations in memory or honor
of a loved one, a celebration, or an event. This is noted in the week’s
Order of Service. Parishioners are invited to reserve a Sunday during
the year.
Summer Sundays are lay-led services on
a wide range of topics at 9:30 on Sunday mornings, followed by a social
hour.
Committees
Canvass Committee
The Canvass Committee organizes the yearly pledge drive. The type of
Canvass
campaign varies from year to year (Celebration Sunday event,
parishioner-to-parishioner
contact, small group dinners) but the goal is always the same: to
obtain a commitment
of financial support from all our members. Pledges from our members
fund 80%
of our operating budget. The team welcomes volunteers to assist in its
efforts.
Bylaws Committee
The Bylaws Committee publishes the Bylaws in proper form and recommends
Bylaws
amendments to the Parish.
Electronic Communications Committee
The Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) promotes and supports the
use of
electronic media and the Internet. A primary activity is to promote and
maintain
a website for First Parish that properly projects our active, dynamic
church
community. Our goal is to provide information about First Parish to
interested
newcomers and to be an online resource to members.
The committee supports the use of email and lists to distribute
information,
establishing policies and procedures for the use of electronic media
that include
protection of individual privacy, promoting the use of subwebs by
interested
councils and committees, and providing maintenance and support of the
computer
network and broadband internet connection used for First Parish
offices.
All are welcome to join ECC and participate in person or by email.
Volunteers
are needed to post updates or to maintain committee subwebs. Committees
interested
in designating their own liaison to maintain information on the web or
subweb
are welcome. Forward information to ECC for posting. Public and hidden
subwebs
are encouraged.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee acts as the budgeting arm for the church. Its
basic functions
are to request revenue and expense estimates for the coming fiscal year
from
each committee/department in the church; to understand their content
and priority;
to research their accuracy, based upon past and known future realities;
to assemble
and present this information to the Board of Assessors and the Parish
members,
and to revise and set the final budget.
First Parish in Framingham Committee on
Ministry
The Committee on Ministry (CoM) supports and promotes the shared
ministry of
First Parish by acting as a communication conduit among the
congregation, the
minister, and the Board of Assessors. Ministry is
everything our congregation
does in pursuit of the welfare of our membership and wider community;
thus, the
CoM’s focus is the whole congregation, not any one program. Because
ours
is a shared ministry, there can be no anonymous communication or
feedback accepted
and offered by the CoM; rather the activities of the CoM are to:
1. Provide counsel to the minister, in
an informal, confidential setting, with respect to any matters he/she
might wish to put before the committee.
2. Advise the minister of circumstances or events that might provide
opportunities, or pose difficulties, in the conduct of the ministry,
and discuss or recommend possible avenues of action.
3. Devise and implement processes to improve the flow of communication
among the congregation, the Board of Assessors and the minister.
4. Coordinate periodic assessments of the effectiveness of every facet
of the congregation’s ministry.
5. Support to the Board of Assessors in its evaluation of the whole
ministry of the congregation and the minister's performance.
Memorial Fund Committee
Gifts may be made to First Parish in memory of an individual or
individuals, typically in place of flowers for funerals. Gifts can be
tangible property or a cash contribution designated for the purchase of
some item(s) for the Parish. We record in the Book of Remembrance each
gift, the name of the giver (unless anonymity is preferred), and the
name of the person in whose memory the gift is made. The Parish sends
an acknowledgement of each gift received to the sender and to the
nearest of kin of the person in whose memory the gift was given.
Music Committee
The Music Committee meets monthly with the goal of integrating music
more completely into the life of First Parish. The committee’s
responsibilities include advocating for the Music Director and
parishioners, publicizing music activities and the goals of the music
program, soliciting opinions from the parishioners, recruiting for the adult and children’s choirs, and
working with the Worship and Arts Council in planning services through
the year.
Nominating Committee
A five-member elected Nominating Committee meets during the year to
identify and recruit nominees to present at the next annual meeting, as
required, for the positions of Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Collector,
Registrar, Historian, Assessors, Trustees, Auditor, Bylaws Committee
Chairperson, and members of the Nominating Committee. The committee
also fills vacancies that have occurred during the previous year.
Pies on the Common Committee
Pies
on the Common is our church fair, a fundraising event held in
October on Framingham Center Common. The fundraising is accomplished
primarily through selling homemade pies (over 500 pies made in 2006!),
raffle of a new quilt made by our members, and by renting space to
crafters.
The church-sponsored tables include: Kids Corner,
with children’s games and crafts; a Coffee Shop; our Food Court selling
sausages, knockwurst, hot dogs and drinks; the Candy Shop, offering
homemade fudge and novelty candies; and Grandmother’s Attic, a table of
new or like-new gift items. Each year, a significant number of the
First Parish community are involved in the effort, from making the
quilt, to baking pies, to managing church-sponsored tables at the fair.
Participation at all levels ensures success; all are welcome to join
this major event. Committee meetings are held almost monthly, through
the year. Information is published in the church bulletin. The
committee runs a table at Coffee Hour in September. Volunteers can also
call the Parish Office.
Social Hour Committee
Following each service, parishioners are invited to Scott Hall for
refreshments and conversation. The Social Hour Committee recruits two
hosts for each Social Hour to set up and serve refreshments. Volunteers
agree to host social hour at least two times during the church year.
Talent and Treasure Auction
Committee
The 49th annual church-sponsored fundraiser, known as the Talent and
Treasure Auction, was held in the spring of 2007.
The live and silent auctions feature items donated by parishioners and
local businesses. The items offered have been as diverse as weekend
getaways, handcrafted items, writing wills, dinners on the town, and
homemade biscuits for a dog.
Themed baskets, created by church councils and
committees, are raffled during the evening. Each year, a Pay It Forward
item is chosen, to benefit a worthy program, and a significant amount
is raised from the many contributions, small and large. All this is
enjoyed in Scott Hall, with entertainment, wine, dinner, and dessert.
For the unfortunate souls who are unable to attend the event, proxy
bidding is available.
This significant fundraiser for First Parish rivals only Pies o -the
Common for monetary success. The committee is growing every year and
help is needed in many areas, big and small. It is a fun event to plan
and attend.
The
Vision 20/20 team
The
Vision 20/20 Team was formed in summer 2009 at the Board's request to
lead the strategic planning effort at First Parish. The
Team's purpose is to create a shared vision for our future, building on
our strengths, and affirming what is special about First Parish.
The members of the team include: Dennis Charles, Rich Lawson, Jennifer
Long, Diane Bassett, Valerie Kapilow-Nesky, Kathleen Hepler and Gregg
Wells.
The Vision
20/20 Team is seeking input from all parishioners to help us begin to
shape the future direction of First Parish. As a starting point,
you are invited to respond to a series of provocative questions which
the Team will pose to the congregation over the course of the year.
There will be a variety of forums and vehicles in which to reflect and
respond to these questions including participating in small group
cottage meetings, attending special Vision 20/20 events or responding
in writing.
The first two questions have been shared with the congregation and we
thank those of you who have responded.
Question # 1: Describe a time in your experience with First Parish when
you felt most engaged, enlivened and inspired.
Question # 2: What is it about Unitarian Universalism that is most
meaningful to you?
If
you have not had the opportunity to respond to these questions, we
encourage you to do so. You can share your thoughts with the
Vision 20/20 Team in the following ways:
- Attend special forums or events which will be
advertised in the Weekly Update or The Steeple
- Send us your thoughts via e-mail to
vision2020.firstparish@gmail.com
- Become a Facebook "fan" of First Parish and post your
response(s) on the Discussion Board under the "Boxes" tab
- Write us a note and drop it in the 20/20 Vision box
in the First Parish office.
Please
complete the Vision 20/20 Team Survey!
The purpose of this
survey is to help the Vision 20/20 Team
begin to gain an in-depth understanding of who we are as a
congregation.
You will find the survey includes
questions about basic
demographics, as well as interests, hobbies, activities, First Parish
involvement and preferences.
The survey is completely
anonymous, and should take
approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Note that you may skip
questions if
they do not apply to you.
The survey will be
available between now and December 1,
2009. Please complete it as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the
survey! We very much appreciate and value your input.Stay tuned
to the Weekly Updates and The Steeple for more information from the
Vision 20/20 Team.
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