 |
Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
A liberal religious congregation in the Minneapolis area If the Menu on the Left Hasn't Appeared |
| FELLOWSHIP NEWS Home | Calendar Updated May 12 2008 |
|
Fellowship Chair & Staff News
|
Committee News |
More Committee News |
Interim Minister’s Message: Inter-Generational Ministry: Everyone Together! What is inter-generational ministry? It’s much more than a crowd of kids traipsing up to the chancel to hear me tell a story once a month before Sunday school. In some churches that’s only window dressing. It should be just the icing on the cake. The real ministry happens when adults take the time to be present with our church children and our teens—teaching, learning, listening, and just showing up for them. It happens when we have a staff sufficient to the needs of our age groups and to meeting the church’s goals for its Unitarian Universalist Religious Education ministry. You are blessed with a top-notch professional Director. She does all she can to make the experience easy for the volunteers, safe for the children, and interesting for all. She is now inviting adults to sign up for teaching in the next RE session. Let her know if you have some interest or questions--or even curious trepidation. You are blessed with an enthusiastic young adult UU as the Youth Ministry Coordinator; she is about to complete her first year of service here. You are blessed with a loving Nursery Care Provider to welcome our infants and toddlers during church and at additional events in Fellowship life. Soon the church will enlarge this staff by one person. You are blessed by the dedication and hard work of staff and volunteer leaders, the vision of Religious Education Committee members and other lay leaders, and the financial generosity of pledging members and friends. You are blessed by those elders and other adults who learn the names of kids and speak to them at refreshment time. All these gifts have brought you… success! This is the place that 110 kids and teens and their families have chosen as their spiritual home. There are many models for family ministry and children’s UU faith development in our growing churches. Some rely on paid teachers in all classrooms. Others have a full-time Director of Religious Education. Several have a second minister to be responsible for the RE and family portfolios. How to discern the best model? What’s important is to have clarity of any particular congregation’s overall mission as it pertains to children, youth, and families. A church can carry out a mission in different ways. Yet sufficient staffing can make the difference. Do you have enough hours and money allocated to RE staffing for mission of your program, and for its large size? As the program grows further (as it surely will), can you be confident that MVUUF has enough hours and money allocated to sustain its high quality? Your DRE position right now is only half-time, and she works at least that much! She is a strong, gifted leader, but she can do only so much at this level. The continuing success of your inter-generational ministry will depend on all of you: your contributions of money, time, attention, and presence. As you think about what you want to be known for in the UUA Prairie Star District and in the local area, you often think “beyond these walls” to needs of the outside community. But you can also think “outside the box” by thinking inside the church! Child Blessing Rituals at MVUUF Roger is planning a ceremony of Child Naming and Blessing on June 8 for Izabel Pearl Sinner born February 15 to Judi-Ann and Michael. We celebrate the divine spark in everyone and we welcome the child to our midst. We recommit to supporting the growth of each child among us and all children. . Top of Page |
Roger’s Reflections: Sermon Excerpts And Other Writings From The Interim Minister Your Next Minister and Your Involvement in the Larger Community and UU Movement Information on Interim Minister Office Hours - Minister |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This is also the time when we are looking for teachers for next year. We are trying a slightly different organization for the third/fourth and fifth/sixth grade classes. There will be a lead teacher who studies the material and leads the group. There will be three assistant teachers who help out in the classroom. These three assistant teachers will remain with the class for the whole year and will be able to determine their own schedules. We are trying this so assistant teachers can teach for several weeks and then attend services for several weeks throughout the year. If this flexibility appeals to you then sign up to be an assistant for these classes. If you are one who likes to lead the way then sign up to be a lead teacher or to teach any of the other grades. To keep the Religious Education program running smoothly we provide the curriculum and materials for all classes. There is a teacher orientation before you teach to provide information, present the curriculum, and answer questions. There is also ongoing support and guidance from the Director of Religious Education. The Sunday services are recorded so you can listen to them sometime later. Teaching classes is a wonderful, priceless gift to our Fellowship. Not only can you help teach others; you make the world a little better one person at a time. “Our children are our future and we must invest in them wisely. But at the same time, teaching isn’t only about giving. Teachers have the opportunity to receive a lot in return for their efforts.” Join this talented group of Religious Education teachers and touch our children’s lives. Top of Page |
DRE Biography
DRE Office Hours |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Boy, have we got change! From the business pages to the presidential candidates to our climate, we’re hearing a lot about change these days. Even the pope, on his recent visit to the US, was talking about change. And, of course, we have change at MVUUF. The Board of Trustees had invited Roger Jones to stay on as Interim Minister for another year, but he has decided to decline the invitation. We were disappointed, but realize that this will give us the opportunity to gain additional experience with different models of ministerial leadership. In fact, this is what the Interim process is all about. We have moved quickly to start a search for a new Interim Minister who will serve until our new settled minister starts in the 2009-10 church year. The UUA has a very efficient process for this, and we hope to have identified someone within a couple of months. This means that we will have different ministers four years in a row, though, and this can test the resolve of even the most diehard “change junkie.“ In my career, I’ve seen a lot of organizational changes due to mergers, layoffs, etc, and often find myself repeating a tongue-in-cheek mantra of “Change is good… change makes us stronger.” However, there is a lot of truth in that statement. We do get stronger with exposure to different things – we see things in a new light, embrace new ideas we like and discard those we don’t. There are times when change is critically necessary, too – witness our change in governance structure and the vote to call a full-time minister. Both decisions required careful consideration and deliberation but looking back, it is clear that they were both needed to help us move to the next level. Despite the sea of change, our Fellowship continues to sail on strongly. We seem to be able to take things in stride and thrive. We have continued to grow and our membership has recently hit 200 adult members. It’s going to be an interesting ride, but I know that we’ll make the most of the next couple of years. Thank you all for your part in this process. Top of Page |
MVUUF Board of Trustees - Who, What
Board of Trustees MeetingsNominating Committee Looking for Leaders WANTED: Communication Committee Chair for 2008-09. The Children's RE Committee is looking for additional members |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How quickly this year has gone. Many, many thanks to all who have participated in quality music for the fellowship. Many, many thanks to my Music Committee, to Rev. Roger Jones, and everyone who is so supportive of my efforts. We are very happy to welcome a new alto, Anne Cassens. She will be joining us immediately. I am writing this before the April 26th Big Event so this will be an abbreviated column. Yes, it's spring! Top of Page |
Minister of Music Biography To Music Page Minister of Music Celebration Music Committee |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thirteen new adult members (and eleven children) were In-gathered on Sunday, April 6, 2008 during the service. Please join me in welcoming Amy Anderson (Carl and Sigrid Brost), Bill Balcziak and Nancy Loewen (Louis and Helena Balcziak), Joanne and Tim Beattie, Patrick Chelmo and Missy Krouth (Sullivan and Liam Chelmo-Krouth), Kerry Hanifl and Gregg Rappe (Oscar, Libby and Felix Hanifl and Valerie Rappe), Charles Horn and Samantha White (Anneliese) and Mark Proctor and Kayla Zirpel Proctor. We’re so pleased that you have joined our fellowship. If you are interested in joining our congregation or have any questions, please either see or call Kathy Allen ( or Mary Ann Dean. Information is also available in the front lobby at the Welcoming table. Top of Page |
Winter Newcomer Orientations If Your Postal or Email Address Has Changed. Greeters on Sunday Ushers on Sunday |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The MVUUF library has recently received some very generous donations from members. Of particular interest are the many religious reference books Scott Werdal gave us as a permanent loan. These include a fabulous collection of nearly all of existentialist Paul Tillich's books! Scott also donated the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. & IDB Concordance as well as A History of Lutherans and Religion. Thanks, Scott! Keith Higgins and Alicia Williams cleaned out their spiritual bookshelf and gave us several books including ones on the Druids, Earthway: A Native American Visionary's Path to Total Mind, Body, and Spirit Health by Mary Summer Rain and the Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. The books in the MVUUF library are available for loan. Just sign the book out and return it within a week or two. (03/07) A film series Nonviolent Conflict: A Force More Powerful" is available in our fellowship library. It was purchased for a just completed Adult Religious Education class to study Strategic Nonviolent Action. The class concluded that SNVA isn't appropriate for every conflict, but it has the potential to be successful in more situations than we had previously realized. The two tapes contain six 30-minute segments on the use of strategic nonviolent conflict in the American civil rights struggles of the 1960's; the independence struggles of Gandhi and his followers in India in the 1930's; the struggles against apartheid in South Africa in the 1980's; the resistance movement during the German occupation of Denmark in the 1940's; the Polish Solidarity movement in the 1980's; and the nonviolent overthrow of Augusto Pinochet in Chile in 1988. The tapes are appropriate family viewing for teenagers and their parents. For more information on the tapes and on strategic nonviolent action in the 21st century see A Force More Powerful, The Albert Einstein Institution, and International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. New Books in the Library 10/06: Marilyn Boe has donated a compilation of her poetry to our library. The MVUUF library has received two new book donations that are sure to be wonderful additions. The first is Living with Chronic Pain: the complete health guide to the causes and treatment of chronic pain by noted pain specialist Jennifer P. Schneider, M.D., Ph.D. It offers expert advice and guidance in everyday language on symptoms, causes, and treatments. The second book is The Gifts of Caregiving: stories of hardship, hope, and healing by Connie Goldman. This book has conversations with more than thirty caregivers, including Dana Reeve (wife of actor Christopher Reeve) and Rosalynn Carter. Please stop by the library shelves in the Fellowship Hall to check out one of our new books. Books in lending library:
Video tapes, all with printed study guides. Many thanks to Floyd Olson for giving us the following .
Top of Page |
MVUUF Social Justice Library |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The current Study/Action Issue (SAI) selected by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is: Should the Unitarian Universalist Association reject the use of any and all kinds of violence and war to resolve disputes between peoples and nations and adopt a principle of seeking just peace through nonviolent means? We have had a couple of meetings and exciting plans are underway to incorporate the study of this issue into the next church year. The UUA has prepared The Resource Guide which has provided some useful structure for our discussion. One suggestion for studying Peacemaking was to look at it in steps: 1) in personal relationships; 2) in congregations; 3) within local, regional and national communities; and, finally, 4) internationally. The goal is to assist in developing UU peacemaking principles. There is a lot of talent and energy in this congregation to make a significant contribution to this goal. Please join us in planning for the coming events to study this issue!! For further information contact Sharon Wildfang. Unitaran Universalist Association of Congregations Website Here are some UUA subsites that have been featured:Prairie Star District Website Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We hope you've had time to look (and admire) the new art display on our 'gallery wall'. Our thanks to artist John Keely for lending us this exhibition. John is a retired commercial artist who now has time to devote to his hobby and we are grateful to be the temporary recipients of this collection. If you see something you would like to own, contact John or someone on the Aesthetics Committee. Aesthetics Committee: aka MVUUF Style Police? The MVUUF Aesthetics Committee does many jobs around the church building. The most enjoyable are hanging artwork, decorating for the holidays and arranging flowers. The hardest job is making sure our building is attractive. The Aesthetics Committee has been charged by the Steering Committee to choose or approve all furnishings for the entire building (excluding the RE classrooms.) Simply put, when anything comes into the building that will be put up for display (excluding bulletin board items) or will be a permanent addition, the Aesthetics Committee should be consulted. Although we’d prefer not to be known as MVUUF Style Police, our goal is to try to keep the building looking good and at the same time, help committees promote their projects. On January 21, 2004, the Aesthetics Committee recommended to the Steering Committee that no sales or promotions take place in the entry level of the building. This recommendation came after many voiced their dismay at the appearance of the entry. The Steering Committee authorized the Aesthetics Committee to set the policy. This policy was not widely publicized outside of the Steering Committee, but as our MVUUF population grows and becomes more active, our members need to know about how to best promote their projects. Prior to that decision, the entry often became congested with sales tables and sign ups. There was the concern that newcomers and visitors would feel as though they had walked into K-Mart! This has not always been a popular decision - MVUUF committees are passionate about their causes and want to share their enthusiasm with everyone. Committees often feel that the best way to promote a cause is for people to see it as soon as they enter the building; there is concern that the impact of their ideas will be lost in the congestion of the lower level. The Aesthetics Committee, then, tries to balance requests for displays upstairs and down. The white board was purchased to direct members to sales, displays and committee projects. We try to maintain safe exits and prevent congestion. We try to give equal space to committee projects both upstairs and down. We try to respect the dignity of the space outside the sanctuary - it can get to be a juggling act! This article was written to thank committees that check with the Aesthetics Committee before putting up a display and as a reminder that there is a policy regarding placement of tables, easels, posters, items for sale and art work at MVUUF. So far, the MVUUF Style Police has not had to write any citations this year and we’d like to keep it that way! Top of Page |
Flowers for Sunday Morning Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I'm about to finish up my third consecutive year as LCN Chair. It's the kind of volunteer job I enjoy and I will miss it but I think it's time for a new face and I'm delighted to report that that (smiling) face will be Kathy Allen's. Lucky us. Thanks to all of you for all you've so willingly done for each other. Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
AUDIO TAPES – Sunday Services Tapes of Sunday services may be borrowed for a short time from the church office. . Be sure to sign your name to a slip of paper when you borrow a tape. They are kept in the Archives for the future. OLD TOWN HALL - HISTORY PLAZA BRICK MVUUF bought an Old Town Hall History Plaza brick. And…On May 11th the Bloomington Historical Society is throwing a big shindig to celebrate many things, including dedication of the Old Town Hall brick Plaza as well as the restoration of the 1892 Old Town Hall exterior and interior. This gala will be the center of the Bloomington Sesquicentennial Celebration, the 150th anniversary of the beginnings of the Bloomington Township, organized on May 11, 1858. (See the full details on the Bulletin board downstairs.) The celebration begins at 1:00 p.m. and includes exhibits, music, Pioneer Fair demonstrations, and Proculamations from the office of the Governor, with dignitaries joining in the dedications. Come find our Plaza brick placement, and help show our community interest by attending this local event. See you there! Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Upcoming Activities:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Top of Page |
Welcoming
Congregation
Page Informational Links |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As most everyone knows, we do not hold services on Sunday mornings throughout the summer. However, it has been our tradition each summer to have some type of educational program, group discussion or social activity once a month during June, July and August, on a Sunday morning. The Program Committee is wondering if there is anyone out there who would like to organize such a program this summer. Please contact Linda Hayen if you are interested. Any topic or activity idea is welcome! Explaining Changes in Sunday Services Since the interim ministry began there have been some questions about Sunday services. Feel free to be in touch with Roger if you have questions, thoughts or feelings. Roger and the committee co-chairs have conferred about the reasons for some recent changes in the order of service. Unison words have been added before the Offering, and we have revised words for introducing Joys and Sorrows. The intention of both changes is to add a sense of pacing to services. (When Roger leads a service, you are invited to say, “Would you light a candle?” if you’d like him to do so. This gives a sense of a refrain or a pause between each spoken sorrow or joy. It is a way to avoid rushing through what may be a tender time.) At times our service may include moments of silent meditation, or words of reflection to invite us to consider our deepest aspirations and our causes for gratitude and hope. We are aware that some people come to church seeking a balance of calm and quiet along with the inspiration of our music and spoken words. How could we not look for solace? We live too-busy lives, confront a chaotic world, and live with uncertainty about our nation’s future. It is a privilege to be able to come together with one another in a service. Wishing you peace, The Interim Minister and Program Committee Co-Chairs Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The theme of our pledge drive this year is “Give ‘till it feels good” because being a generous person and supporting what you believe in does feel good. Everyone should have received a pledge card in their mail box. Cards not picked up by March 30 are mailed. Please remember to return your pledge cards by April 13th. You can mail them, give them to a member of the finance committee, put them in Dale Lewellyn’s mail box, or drop them in the collection basket. Even if you won’t be able to pledge this year, please let us know. A detailed budget for next year is included with the pledge packet. In summary, the cost of operating the Fellowship is approximately $1,100 per member or $2,200 per couple. The cost to the Fellowship of each child in RE is $290. We are asking for a modest pledge increase of 3.3% this year which is basically an inflationary adjustment. The budget:
Thanks for your incredible generosity. Dale Lewellyn, Finance Chair The MVUUF Budget Process When you think about our Fellowship, you might think about the Sunday services or your favorite social activity or the support you get from your friends, but you might not think about the fact that most of what we do at some point involves money. During the last half of each year, financial planning for the following year is a big activity for many of us. In January and February the various committees within the Fellowship develop their plans and prepare their budgets for the following year. These are presented to the Finance committee in writing. Some committees also make oral presentations to explain their requests. Near the end of February, the Finance committee puts these requests together into a preliminary budget. They also estimate the amount of money we will have based upon our current membership count and upon historical levels of pledging. Then comes the really hard part of bringing the two numbers into agreement. There are always more great ideas for things we could as a fellowship than there is money to do them. The Finance committee looks at both sides of the equation. Are there ways that we could increase the funds available to the Fellowship? Are there items in the budget requests that can be trimmed back or delayed without severely affecting our plans? After sometimes spirited discussions, the Finance committee puts together a preliminary budget for Board of Trustees review. The Finance committee will meet to finish the preliminary budget and distribute it for consideration by the Board of Trustees in March. During the month of March, short presentations at Sunday services during which members talk about what MVUUF means to them help us start thinking about our upcoming pledges. This is also the month when the Finance committee responds to any changes to the budget requested by the Board of Trustees and prepares the pledge cards for the upcoming pledge drive. Late in March we present the preliminary budget to the Fellowship during the Sunday service and distribute pledge cards to the membership. Throughout April, we record pledges as they are received and give gentle reminders to those who haven’t yet responded. Also in April is Sonja’s Big Event where the fellowship gets together for a night of laughing and fun to help generate energy for the pledge drive. In early May, the Finance committee makes any final adjustments to the budget required by the amount of pledges actually received. The adjusted budget is then presented to the Board of Trustees for final approval . Finally, the Fellowship holds its annual meeting during which a vote is held to approve the budget for the following year. That’s the process. A lot of people expend a lot of effort to make it work, but the most important factor is that many of our members have learned the far-reaching and profound rewards of being truly generous people. We look forward to another successful pledge drive to keep this fellowship the vital and important organization it has become. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows persons who are at least 70 ½ years old to roll amounts directly from an IRA to a charitable institution such as MVUUF without paying income taxes on them. You might be able to deduct such contributions from your taxes even without a direct rollover. However, a direct rollover may benefit those with small incomes who would otherwise have to file the long return in order to take a charitable deduction. It could also benefit those with large incomes whose Schedule A charitable deductions are limited. In addition, for some people it could reduce social security taxes. If you think you might benefit from this procedure as a way to pay your MVUUF pledge or other charitable contribution, please contact your tax advisor for details. MVUUF cannot provide tax advice to individuals. Minimum Contribution for Membership The bylaws of the Fellowship state that qualifications for membership include “making the minimum contribution of record to the current operating budget by January 1st of each year.” At its October meeting, the Steering committee passed a motion stating that this minimum contribution of record is $150 per member. Although the total cost of operating the Fellowship is approximately $1,000 per member, this minimum amount is intended to reflect the incremental, out-of-pocket cost for each person on the membership role. It includes the amounts we pay to Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and the Prairie Star District for each member as well as administrative expenses such as mail boxes, copying, mailing and so forth. It does not include costs such as salaries, religious education, program, and building expenses which comprise the majority of our expenditures. Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The key to strengthening the ministry in our congregation is communication. If you have a question, concern, or compliment regarding ministry, either talk directly to our minister or to the person on the committee with whom you feel most comfortable. COM discussions are confidential. Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The idea behind the Book is easy: take a book that interests you and replace it with one you're done with. Help the fellowship's book lovers by donating your old books! Just drop them off on the Book shelves. We currently have fiction and non-fiction books but very few children's books. If you want more information please contact Alicia Williams. Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Are you interested in the communication process at MVUUF and how we can make it better? The Communication Chair works with the Uni-Sun editor, the publicity chair, the webmaster, the minister, and committee chairs and event coordinators to publicize their work to the congregation and the larger community. As always, we’re looking for input on ways that our committee can help smooth the way for better information flow. Call or e-mail any member with comments, critiques, or questions. Top of Page |
Tips for Communicating at MVUUF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The exterior of the Fellowship was stained and painted on October 1 by Waldo Asp, a former active member who lives in Wisconsin, with help from Dick Duerre, Richard Dean, Dave Rosewall, Jerry Gilliand, Marv Gish, Don Park, Mark Clary and George Fairman. For those who did not see the activity, all windows were covered with paper and window frames taped. Other hardware on the building was covered. At 10 am Jan Fitzgerald brought coffee and snacks. By 10:30 Waldo was on the ladder and staining began. Irene Ash and others were there to help with the hose. At noon Waldo called breaktime for lunch. Jan Wolff arrived with marvelous sloppy-joes, potato salad, grapes and drinks and Irene brought many cookies. That energized us for the remaining work and the spraying was finished by 2:30pm. The entrance got painted and clean-up wrapped things up by 5:30. The Fellowship is deeply grateful to these generous individuals who have given their time and skill to keep our church a marvel in the community. Top of Page |
MVUUF Energy Audit (PDF) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vision Goal#2: "Foster leadership and financial support" The task of the Leadership Development Committee is to develop volunteer leaders:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The members of the Nominating Committee want to let you know that we are looking for nominees to run for the following open positions next year:
Information about the responsibilities of the Board members can be found in your copy of the MVUUF Bylaws or by speaking to members of the Nominating Committee or any current Board member. The congregation will vote on the slate of officers presented by the Nominating Committee at the Annual Meeting on May 18. Top of Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High School RE will be hosting guest speakers for a six week series on Spiritual Journeys. Starting on March 23rd, the High School class will be exposure to a variety perspectives and ideas from members and friends of MVUUF. Thanks to all who have volunteered on this project. See Jill Carlson if you have any questions on this series The Youth and I try to schedule a Youth Social Event every month of the school year. April, May, and June have been planned. Lastly, if you think you have an idea for youth programming, please do not be afraid to make a suggestion. I would love input and encouragement from anyone who might have a project where MVUUF Youth might benefit and thrive. Thanks in advance for your willingness to be apart of lives of MVUUF Youth. Please contact me Top of Page |
Youth Coordinator Biography | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greetings from the Music Committee! It may come as a surprise to many of you that we even have a music committee, as our music program has run so smoothly under the directorship of our Music Director/Minister Sonja Johnston. The purpose of the committee is to advise and assist our Music Director. Over the years, we have met infrequently to deal with details of special projects, like concerts, Music Sundays, and special ceremonies. Beginning this year we have been having short monthly meetings to brainstorm and remember details. This has worked very well, and has really dispelled the running joke about committees, thanks to the wonderful people listed above. The music committee has been in existence for years, and I have been the chairman since 2003. In these 5 years we have had only two large projects. Our first was the Minister of Music ceremony in 2004, where Sonja received the honorary title of Minister of Music, and the recognition she most richly deserves. (If Sonja retires, the next Music Director will have to earn the title of Music Minister!!) The second is this year's music director evaluation process. As part of the expansion of the Fellowship from small to mid-sized, and as part of our self-examination while seeking a settled full-time minister, we were asked to develop an evaluation of the position of music director. We began in January, and our first step was to formulate a job description and write questions that would define the director's compliance with all facets of the description. Next, these forms were distributed to the current members of the music committee (see above), and to the choir, and finally the results were tallied and comments recorded. The next step will be to meet with the task force (sub-committee) of Tom Ehlinger (our liaison to the Board of Trustees), Reverend Roger Jones (ex officio), Karen Olson, and Betty Olson for the final evaluation. Every other year, the Music Committee sends out a congregational survey, so look for it some time in 2008-09. This is your opportunity to make your preferences and concerns known--- but not your only opportunity. Please feel free to talk with any committee member, and remember that Sonja is very approachable and takes suggestions well --- we know that for a fact, because of the survey! I am pleased and proud to be a part of the music process at MVUUF. Many things go into a successful Sunday service and into community building in the church, and music is one very important facet. When I hear positive comments from congregation members, I am delighted, and when I hear "I hear they have a great music program at that church," as I have many times from non-members, I know we are definitely on the right track. Dolce e legato, Betty Olson |
Minister of Music |