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It's in the details |
Your Voice Matters: Join the Congregational Conversations to Discern Calling Rev. Kristen!11/2/2025  The Call Discernment process at First UU is moving into a crucial phase, and we need to hear from you! The cornerstone of this process is our series of Congregational Conversations, designed for us to explore what calling Rev. Kristen as our settled Associate Minister would mean for our congregation, our mission, and our future. What Are Congregational Conversations? They are small, facilitated discussion groups where everyone will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts about this important decision.
Why You Should Attend Your participation in these conversations is vital—they are the most important part of this entire process! The feedback gathered from these sessions, along with a recommendation, will be presented to both the Board and Rev. Kristen. They will then use this information to make the final decision on whether to move forward with a congregational vote to call her. We strongly urge everyone in the congregation to attend one of these small groups. Ready to Join the Conversation? The Congregational Conversations are scheduled throughout November and December (see below). Check the website and The Window for online sign-ups soon. Your voice is essential to this discernment process. We look forward to seeing you there! 
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 Email sent to First UU congregants on 9/22/25
Dear Fellow Congregants, I’m looking forward to working with you on the many exciting things happening at First Church this year. The search for a settled lead minister is certainly one of the key projects we’ll be undertaking together and I’m writing to give you an update of where we stand. Rev. Kristen has been in discernment about whether or not she would like to be considered for the lead minister position. After much thought, she has decided not to pursue the position. of settled lead minister. That said, she is fulfilled at First UU and very much wants to continue her work with us. Rev. Kristen is currently Assistant Minister on a two-year renewable contract basis. Rev. Kristen is beloved, respected, and valued in our church community. We have the opportunity now to acknowledge how much she and her ministry mean to First UU by calling her as Associate Minister. Moving Rev. Kristen from a contracted minister to a called minister would demonstrate our appreciation for her work with us and provide her — and First UU—long-term stability as we work our way through the important decisions that lie ahead. This work will be guided by the Contract to Call process, a framework provided by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). To begin this process, our Board has appointed a five-person Call Process Task Force to lead the congregation through the discernment process. This team will also be responsible for guiding us toward a congregational meeting where we will vote on whether to officially call Rev. Kristen as our new Associate Minister. The members of this task force are:
An essential part of this process will be a series of small group meetings which will be similar in format to the Our Sustainable Future small group sessions we held last year. After these meetings, the Task Force will prepare a summary report for the board, ministers, and the congregation with a recommendation on whether to bring the call decision to the congregation for a vote. The work of the Call Process Task Force will begin soon, with the small group meetings taking place in October and November. I anticipate that the congregational meeting will be held in January. The process of calling a settled lead minister will begin in February. Thank you for the energy and commitment you bring to our church community! Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions. Karen Lamphere Board President |
