ASSESSMENT VISIT REPORT
Unitarian Universalist Church in Fullerton October 17-19, 2008
| Minister: | Rev. John Dobrer |
| President: | Will Nettleship |
| Contact Person: | Lesley Mahaffey, Treasurer |
| Financials as of October 31, 2008 | |||
| Number of Members: | 147 | Number of Pledge Units: 104 | |
| (81% participation rate) | |||
| Annual Pledge Income: | $126,559 | Annual Budget: $177,791 | |
| Average Pledge: | $ 1,246 | Median Pledge: | $ 1,000 |
| Mortgage: | $ 0 | ||
| Operating Reserves: | $ 25,000 | ||
| General Endowment: | |
| Bips Prior Landscape Fund: | $ 3,254 |
| Fidelity Gov’t Reserves Fund for Scholarships | $ 386 |
| Vanguard Acct for Long Term | $ 98,504 |
| Mortgage Subsidy: | 0 |
| Sabbatical fund: | 0 |
| Capital Fund: | $ 5,816 |
| Total | $ 107,960 |
Nature of Annual Stewardship Campaign: A brochure was printed explaining the budget and including a calculation guide for giving up to 4.5%. Announcements were made from the pulpit and printed in the newsletters. When the campaign had concluded, those had not yet pledged were sent a letter and a few were personally called. Campaign raised almost $127,000, approximately $12,000 shy of goal.
Status of Vision and Mission Statement and Strategic Plan: There is no current strategic plan or vision statement.
Mission Statement: We come together as a loving spiritual community to support each other in life’s journey. We reach out with active caring to the larger community. We are bound together by common threads and are enriched by their many colors.
Actions to Increase Inclusivity: UUCF recently became a welcoming congregation after several months of consciousness-raising workshops. There are monthly guest speakers in the pulpit whose topics often address social justice concerns of today as well as those of historic significance.
UUA Consultants in Last Three Years: None
Purpose of the Visit: UUCF was founded in 1967 with 36 members. Over the course of its existence, membership has spiked to 120 members and hit a low with an average attendance of nine. In 1993, a part time minister was brought on and membership began to grow again. In the last four years, membership has grown from 124 members to 147 with frequent visitors and new members continuing to enter. UUCF’s trustees are being proactive at preparing the congregation for the necessary visioning and planning processes to manage their transition from a pastoral to program size congregation. Many thanks to Lesley Mahaffey and Anne Thorward for their incredible organization and preparation for this visit. Thanks also to Donnette and Tom Guiltinan and Anne and Tom Thorward for their gracious hospitality and provision of meeting space.
FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS
Strengths of UUCF
UUCF is a very caring and open congregation extending a warm welcome to newcomers. Visitors are greeted upon arrival and the responsibility to reach out to new people is shared by all. Membership has grown over the last four years from 124 to 147. Members receive personal ministry from the Sunshine Committee, a group of volunteers who provide rides, flowers, a casserole, a listening ear and whatever small comfort and assistance they can to those who need it.
The annual budget has grown from $131,000 to $177,000 in the last three years. The congregation is poised for the next level of infrastructure and formality that will ease their growing pains and allow for even greater communication.
Services are held in a Jewish temple with which they have an excellent relationship and are poised to enter into a five year agreement that will extend their lease and extend their access to the facility. The agreement with the temple has led to some healthy discussions among congregants about UUCF’s future. The temple is located in a neighborhood high on a hill and from the social room there is a beautiful view of the valley and outlying areas. It is easy to access and aesthetically pleasing to attend.
The current board began its term on July 1. The members have the necessary energy, passion and leadership skills to lead the congregation through a series of important decisions about its future.
Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan
| 1. | A vision statement answers the question “Why do we exist?” A congregational vision is a picture of a preferred reality that captures the overriding essence of a faith community. Based on a figurative photograph of the past and a mental snapshot of the present, a congregational vision identifies how the church will be different/better in the future. It is the lens through which reality is viewed. Vision is the imagination that gives inspiration and direction to a congregation. A rule of thumb in planning is that a group can never be greater than its vision. UUCF does not have shared vision for their future. Congregants are anxious to engage in a visioning process and begin strategic planning. |
| 2. | The current mission statement is an accurate reflection of where UUCF is today however it is very difficult to find. The consultant was able to find it printed inside the cover of the membership directory but could not find it in the order of service or on the website. |
Board of Trustees
| 1. | There is a new board in place as of July 1. The Trustees have the energy and skills to lead the congregation to critical votes about UUCF’s future. |
| 2. | There was a call for greater transparency in certain activities such as the lease negotiations which the board responded to and is appropriately reporting to the congregation. The members will be voting on the lease agreement at a congregational meeting within the next few weeks. |
| 3. | The bylaws currently read that all spending over $500 must be approved by the congregation. (Article IX Section 6 Approval of Expenditures) This can be cumbersome in larger congregations where expenditures may arise outside of the approved operations for things that ordinarily would not require full congregational approval. |
Staff and Programs
| 1. | The Rev. Jon Dobrer is a dynamic preacher. He serves the congregation on a part time basis and lives about an hour’s drive from Fullerton. He is at the church three out of four Sundays and Tuesday evenings. He frequently offers adult RE programs on Tuesday evenings. The growth in membership brings with it increased need for personal ministry which is difficult for a part time minister to manage. The Sunshine Committee is playing a vital role at filling a portion of this important piece of ministry to the congregation. Rev. Dobrer is not in standing with the UUA which prohibits the congregation’s ability to invite other active UU ministers to preach in his stead. This presents a challenge to the Worship Committee. |
| 2. | A part time administrator position was added eighteen months ago and is staffed by a member of the congregation. The administrator is bringing structure and consistency to ongoing operations and has taken initiative to update, add or review current practices and taking them to the next level. The database is very limited in its capabilities, i.e. a phone number or address change must be made in five separate places. The current system decreases staff efficiency and could not support a special campaign. |
| 3. | One of the finance committee members acts as the church bookkeeper and is compensated at a flat monthly rate for this service. Additionally, he is responsible for the auditing and training of other individuals’ church bookkeeping work that includes the church deposits and paying the church bills. He also prepares reports for the treasurer and federal and state agencies including employee regulations and requirements. He also assists in the budget planning and other assignments and reports as requested. |
| 4. | The DRE is dedicated to the children and youth with programs for preschoolers and kindergarteners, primary grades (1-3), upper elementary grades (4-5), middle schoolers (6-7) and high schoolers (8-12). There are approximately 40 children enrolled for 2008-2009 of which fifteen are youth. This year will be the first year in a long time that the Coming of Age program is being offered and all of the high schoolers are participating. The DRE is energetic, creative and is leading very successfully. Adult RE is scheduled on Sunday mornings prior to the service and is volunteer-led. There is some discussion about expanding adult RE by offering programs after service as well. |
| 5. | The music director is also a member. The programs under her direction include the choir, a drumming circle, and occasional outreach in the community such as caroling to nursing home residents. One choir member leads the children and youth at the close of their service in RE each Sunday. Four teens have recently joined the adult choir. The choir sings every Sunday. When asked about other music ministries, the committee felt that there were some possibilities they would like to consider. Some could be realized with a more generous budget and some by possibly redirecting energies. Because the speakers and sound equipment need to be set up before the service it has fallen to the choir to do all of the set up. They request more assistance setting up Sundays. |
| 6. | The demand for volunteers has reached critical mass. Some of the difficulty in recruiting volunteers is because most everybody is already helping in some capacity. Often times, one person is serving in several roles. Committee members are recruited based on a committee’s needs rather than what an individual has stated to be their interest or desire. There are no written job descriptions and no term limits for volunteer roles other than trustee and officer positions. |
| 7. | When the pledges did not meet goal the budget was balanced at the expense of the staff. This year staff received one percent raises and plans to extend hours for some were put on hold. Other significant cuts to the budget include cutting professional development training. Some continue to pursue these opportunities at their own expense. |
Annual Budget Drive
| 1. | The most recent annual budget drive was completed this spring for the 2008-2009 fiscal year which began July 1. The canvass team hosted a lead donor event at which lead donors were asked to make their commitment. For the general gifts phase articles and notices appeared in the newsletter and orders of service with appeals made from the pulpit. A brochure was also printed. At the conclusion of the campaign, letters were sent by a member of the finance committee to individuals who had not yet responded. The results were a total of $126,559 in pledges against a goal of $138,620. The decision was made not to go back to the congregation and cuts were made to proposed raises, additional hours for staff and professional development opportunities. Efforts for 2007-2008 were also under goal by $7500 and the Board expressed a desire to shore up the annual budget. The board estimates that they could deplete the reserves by as much as $15,000 this year. A quartile analysis of the results show the following:
The quartile analysis helps the congregation understand the distribution of pledges across households or pledge units. The far right column displays the ideal distribution. The top two quartiles are at or better than ideal. Results suggest focusing on the fourth quartile to continue to increase their generosity will bring giving levels closer to ideal. The goal then is to find thoughtful strategies to encourage others, especially those in the third and fourth quartiles, to raise their level of generosity. Below are some comparative giving figures from other UU congregations around the country. These numbers are from 2007-2008.
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The New Lease Option with the Temple
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The Temple is undertaking a major capital improvement and expansion campaign. They have raised $2.3M in pledges and are hoping to raise $500,000 more for renovations and expansions to the current facilities. This year, the rabbi and temple trustees approached UUCF about the possibility of a long term lease agreement that would include some very attractive features and asking for $100,000 commitment toward the renovations. The $100,000 would be paid to the congregation over five years with half coming in 2008 and the remainder in $10,000 annual payments. Benefits include greater access to the facility during the week and an additional two Saturday evenings a year (for a total of seven) for church events. The RE buildings will be razed and replaced with entirely new facilities, something that will help with UUCF’s growing RE program. Additionally, the monthly rent will remain below market rates. UUCF will have the option to renew this agreement in five year increments for up to an additional fifteen years. The board has sought legal counsel and feels this offer is very much in their favor. Given the cost of land and property taxes in Fullerton this is a very attractive offer. The congregation has been informed of the details of the agreement and will vote on it in the coming weeks. It is expected to pass but has raised many questions about their future without their own building. The process that was observed to negotiate the lease was also brought up for question. The lease option is a wonderful offering to UUCF both to continue their partnership and because of the valuable questions it has raised at this point in the congregation’s journey. There have been signed commitments totaling $56,000 to help UUCF raise the initial $50,000 offered just prior to the recent downturn in the stock market. It was not clear if the additional money will be raised via a special campaign or through the annual budget drive. |
Membership
| 1. | The Membership Committee has recently changed leadership after ten years of dedicated service by Jim Fyke. Under his leadership, the committee has pulled together excellent materials and has done a very professional job of tracking visitors and new members. Recently, Dick Cole has stepped up to take the reigns. He, Jim and the committee have developed a thorough new member packet and continue to refine the path to membership. One element that has been added in recent years is a two hour conversation with prospective members called “UU & You” that includes the minister and the board president. Participants are then asked to sign the book and there is a welcome for them as part of the worship service. A series of letters to send to new members from church leadership have been recently approved by the board. A pledge card is included in their packet and they are asked to return it when they have had a chance to complete it. |
| 2. | Visitors are greeted warmly by greeters. All members seem to take responsibility for saying hello to newcomers who are introduced at the beginning of each service. Repeat visitors are often invited to join others in smaller gatherings outside of Sunday services. |
| 3. | Each year the membership records are purged of those who have left the church or not been heard from in more than two years. This is an excellent practice that allows for more accurate planning and ensures UUCF’s fair share dues to the UUA at the appropriate level. |
| 4. | Congregants often receive support from the Sunshine Committee which provides ministry through casseroles, listening ears, helpful hands, flowers and note cards. This is a wonderful group of people who never meet but assist in helping individuals as needs arise. This group has been organized by Gwen Fyke for the past three years. As of October 15th, this role became open for new leadership which has not yet been identified. Given the critical care that the Sunshine Committee provides the congregation, possible approaches to recruit new energy were discussed. |
RECOMMENDATIONS
Just shy of 150 members, UUCF has reached the tipping point of transitioning from a pastoral size congregation (51-150 members) to a program size congregation (151-400). At times it can feel chaotic and there are unspoken expectations still in place that are no longer valid. This is true too for the communication that has until now flowed in a casual yet effective manner. Being at the tipping point requires the next level of formality to ensure that the work of the church and its mission are being accomplished and that UUCF is more intentional in communicating with each other.
Many of the recommendations below are further explained in the book Beyond Fundraising by Dr. Wayne Clark, director of the UUA Congregational Stewardship Services. This is a comprehensive book that can guide the board and congregation through planning and implementing many stewardship related programs. Multiple copies are recommended so that several people can read it at one time. Books can be purchased online through the UUA bookstore for $18. www.uua.org/bookstore.
| 1. | Post this report on the website and a make paper copies available to the congregation. | ||||||||
| 2. | Vision, Mission and Values Now is the perfect time for UUCF to revisit their vision for the next five years and begin forming a strategic plan for how to realize this vision. By hosting a Searching For the Future (SFTF) workshop, the congregation can come together and find the commonalities that bind them and the vision that will inspire them. A vision statement answers the question "why". Why does the congregation exist? Why is it important and what impact does the congregation want to have in the community? The answer to this question will allow UUCF to answer other questions such as when will it be time to transition to a full time minister and will our vision be better served in this location versus another. The mission statement is important especially to visitors and people who are getting to know you first via your printed and posted materials such as the website. It is recommended that the mission be moved to a more prominent position for visitors and members including the order of service, new member materials and the website. | ||||||||
| 3. | Leadership Being at "the tipping point" is more fully explained in Raising the Roof by Alice Mann. It is available at www.uua.org/bookstore or from the Alban Institute for $15. It is strongly recommended as required reading for board members and the minister and recommended reading for all others, especially committee chairs. You will see your congregation reflected along with helpful ways to consider your growth and plan accordingly. The Board of Trustees and Committee Structure The board has a wonderful opportunity to lead the congregation at a very important time in UUCF’s history. As a first step, it is recommended that communications become more intentional and the demand for volunteers become more manageable. Begin by reviewing and updating the bylaws and consider adding two new committees: A Personnel Committee can help develop employment policies and procedures as they relate to paid staff as well as written expectations and written annual evaluations. This will answer some concerns expressed by staff and it will help to ensure compliance with employment laws in the State of California. The addition of a personnel committee could assume the role of the ministerial relations and compensation committees among its other responsibilities.
The second is the Stewardship Committee which would have responsibility for but not limited to the annual budget drive. Examples of year round stewardship planning and activities can be found in Beyond Fundraising in the section called FORTH (Forward Through the Ages). Not all of these activities can or should be undertaken but by selecting a few areas to build on this committee can help transition the congregation from scarcity to abundance; from giving to generous. It is recommended that all committees establish a set of policies and procedures for accomplishing its role. Committees would be well served to have a written charge to focus committee members on their intended purpose. You may wish to consider having committee charges begin with their theological purpose for being. When the committees have completed their assignments the board may want to lay them side by side to look for overlap and gaps and discuss with the committees ways to resolve gaps or work more closely together thus becoming more intentional in your approach to volunteer roles and communications. In regards to bylaw Article IX Section 6, consider increasing the dollar amount the board may allocate on behalf of the congregation to increase efficiency in church operations. Committee Chairs/Members The volunteers who have stepped up to lead committees have managed the growth of the congregation with excellent skills and dedication. They are to be commended for their work and they should also be able to relinquish the reigns to others. One of the problems in recruiting new leadership has been the implied understanding that once you say yes "you have to die or leave to get rid of it."
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| 4. | Staff and Program Support Being at a tipping point, the congregation could benefit from additional paid support, especially a volunteer coordinator. Additionally, operations would benefit from a more sophisticated database. A new database would speed daily operations and could provide significant support to the annual budget drive. |
| 5. | The Annual Budget Drive/Stewardship Drive When inspiring others to give it is important to focus on the impact an individual’s contribution will have on the things they care about most. When the annual budget drive is focused on how giving generously allows the RE programs to continue to flourish, enhances the ability to attract dynamic preachers to the pulpit once a month, enables greater social action, and impacts other important goals that the congregation shares, giving will become more generous. When requests are focused on needs, then giving becomes more practical and the results are less than what people can and will do if properly inspired. Delivering inspiring messages that are based on true impact should be done in a myriad of ways culminating in a one-on-one stewardship visit. The fair share giving guidelines are encouraged as a secondary piece and not the main focus of the presentation. This information is a tool for individuals to think about their participation. Whether or not an individual is a fair share giver is a personal matter and not one that needs to be shared with the visiting steward or other representative of the congregation. For the next annual budget drive it is recommended that UUCF engage in personal stewardship calls and develop materials that focus on the impact of the congregations combined generosity. Fair share giving guidelines can be incorporated in the stewardship materials. I have attached a document with more specifics about fair share giving. |
Conclusion
It has been an honor to work with UUCF. You are in the enviable position of having to manage a growing congregation. Such are the rewards of being a desirable religious community. It would be my pleasure to work with you again with a Searching For the Future workshop and with organizing your next annual budget drive. Attached is an estimate for the SFTF workshop for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Mary F. Gleason
UUA Stewardship Consultant
CC: Dr. Wayne Clark, Director
UUA Congregational Stewardship Services
Rev. Ken Brown, District Executive
Resource Materials:
Beyond Fundraising by Dr. Wayne Clark available at www.uua.org/bookstore.
Raising the Roof by Alice Mann also available at www.uua.org/bookstore.
Listservs located on the UUA website. Type "listservs" in the Google search box. There are listservs dedicated to a wide range of topics. Two that reflect conversations UUCF is having are UU-Leaders and UU-Money.
Searching For the Future Workshop Estimate
2 Days Preparation time
2.5 Days Workshop
6 hours of travel x 1 visit (if necessary a second trip would be added to help prepare the board for this undertaking)
4.5 days (36 hours) plus 6 hours of travel = 42 hours*
42 hours divided by 8 hours/day = 5.25 days x $1200/day = $6,300
*assumes all preparations can be done via phone and e mail.
CC: Wayne Clark, Director of UUA Congregational Stewardship Services
