I know that many of you have been upset by the recent discord at UCN and are concerned about our church.  We are going to be okay.  Disagreements and differences of opinion are inevitable and are not necessarily bad.  They frequently occur at times of transition and are often the nexus of growth and needed change.  We are in a period of transition at UCN and have important choices and decisions ahead of us.

It is during these times of disagreement that it is most important that we hold to our UU principles and treat each other with respect and care.  We must listen thoughtfully to each other and speak our own truth honestly, directly and with compassion.

Your Board is committed to openness and communication.  We want to know what you think.  We plan to hold monthly listening sessions like the December 18th meeting where we can share the things we have been working on and hear your ideas, your questions, and your concerns.  We will not have a session in January due to the Mid-Winter Meeting, but will resume in February.   

There is a process in our by-laws for the congregation to request a congregational vote on any policy or action of the Board of Trustees.  If 20% of the members of the congregation disagree with a Board action and petition the Board, a special congregational meeting will be called and members in good standing can vote on the Board policy or Board action.  Our church follows a democratic model.  The Board is elected by the congregation to work on behalf of all of us and members always have the right to question any action of the Board.

The Board plans to continue to tackle the tough issues and work hard to move UCN forward.  We believe in this community and our potential.  We believe that UCN is very important to Hampton Roads and that we have much to offer.  We want to see UCN be all that it can be as a healthy, vibrant and powerful religious and spiritual community.  We believe in our UU Principles and we believe in you.

Help us to move UCN forward by coming to the Mid-Winter meeting on January 21st at 3:00 P.M.  We will be meeting from 3:00-5:00 and dinner will be served by the Middle School Group at 5:15.  During our time together, we will be working to develop the framework for a Congregational Behavioral Covenant.  We will also be voting on Cyndi Simpson’s ordination and the Congregational Study/Action Items to be considered at this year’s General Assembly.

In preparation for the meeting, I hope you will read Cyndi’s piece on ordination in the Minister’s Blog on our website and the information on the possible General Assembly items on the UUA website (half way down the page you will see “Proposed CSAI’s for 2012-2016”).  Print copies of both of these can be obtained from the church office if you do not have internet access.

Thank you for everything that you do for UCN and for our community.  I look forward to continuing to work with you this year.

Sincerely,
Karen Forget, Board President