Wrapping up our momentous year, UUCY held its 2017 Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 21. The meeting was hosted by your Board of Directors. The Board wishes to thank Corlyn Griggs for arranging the lunch buffet, and for Wilma Skelton, Linda Birmingham, and all others who assisted at the member sign-in tables.
The theme of this meeting was “Keeping Our Promises.” We began with a look back at the promises we have made over the years: to grow into our magnificent property as an impactful institution in York, to keep our commitments to our partners for justice, to offer a refuge and a radical welcome to our visitors, to provide opportunities for personal and spiritual growth, and to keep the light of liberal UU religion burning in York.
It is tempting in times of deficit spending to put aside our commitments and focus primarily on balancing our budget. We did focus on our budget this year. We launched our successful fall Momentum Campaign that brought in additional revenue, and expanded the number and amount of pledges. Both of these accomplishments reduced our projected deficit for the year by tens of thousands of dollars. We also created a plan for reducing our deficit in each of the next few years, with hopes of eliminating it entirely in under five years.
These efforts have been aimed at addressing the root cause of our fiscal challenges: insufficient revenue. It has long been true that we pledge significantly less than other UU congregations our size. It is also true that we could increase our rental revenue strategically and creatively, especially now that we have new a/v technology in our sanctuary.
Controlling costs is also very important, but it is important to understand that we are not a profligate congregation. We budget carefully and spend conservatively. We contribute valuable volunteer time to cut labor costs, donate food to our gatherings to save on expenses, and move cautiously when we need to conduct major upgrades or repairs to our property.
Were we to pull back from investing in our mission out of fear or a one-sided view of fiscal responsibility, we would risk that becoming our story. Rev. David Pyle told us last year that congregations tend to take on an identity defined by their own crises. That identity is unwittingly communicated to visitors at a time when new membership and energy are most needed. Who wants to join the Sexual Misconduct Congregation or the First UU of Perpetual Conflict? Who wants to invest in the Church of Austerity?
It is not a stretch to imagine us greeting new members with a plea to work in our all-volunteer nursery as soon as possible because we terminated our paid hourly staff. Or to recruit for our grounds team based on who is willing to bring their own lawnmower since we stopped investing in equipment repairs that are not deemed essential to the function of our building. Grim desperation is not the culture we want to present to energetic, committed folks who are shopping for a new church home. To grow, we must nurture a narrative of hope.
Hope is the underlying theme of our new strategic plan that has been approved by the Board. This plan was presented and discussed at meet-ups, where your questions and suggestions were gratefully received. It was approved by this year’s Board, and it will be placed in the hands of the 2017-2018 Board to manage, and to each succeeding Board thereafter to implement, assess, and update.
Hope is the driving force behind our 2017-2018 proposed budget created by our Program Council team. After a brief discussion, the budget was approved by an overwhelming majority of members in attendance. We agree with you that this is a sound plan for raising revenue, controlling costs, reducing our deficit, while continuing to fulfill our commitment to the UUA and its principles of fair compensation.
Our 2017-2018 leadership slate, approved unanimously, is a study in how much hope we are investing in our future, through our time, dedication, and ideas. Every seat is filled, thanks to our outstanding Nominating Team and all of those among us who said, “Yes!” when asked if they would take special responsibility for helping us fulfill our mission this coming year.
Our accomplishments during these past two years of interim ministry were highlighted by Rev. Lyn. She recognized how we have grown in our community partnerships, nurtured a multigenerational culture of worship and fellowship, rediscovered our zest for the future, and worked hard to begin reclaiming our past, even when our historical narratives do not all agree.
Our congregational meeting was not a moment to check off our “To-Do” list, but rather an opportunity to look ahead to all that we want “To Do” in the years ahead and see how we have worked to lay the foundation for that journey. It was not a time to overlook our anxieties about the future, but a time to recognize the value of discerning, planning, investing, and rethinking in preparing us to take our next steps with open eyes, raised awareness and dedicated hearts.
To our members, visitors, and partners, thank you for all that you are doing to help us become the First UU Congregation of Promises Made and Kept. Your time, talent, and treasure are building the foundation for the future of our dreams.