Channing Memorial Church Year of Action 2007-2008 Welcome Page

Background:

Channing is changing. Vital, active programs have brought new people through our doors with new ideas and different needs. This has increased the demand on volunteers and resources, forcing us to consider hiring more staff and raising more money to support the expanding needs of our Congregation. It has also forced us to confront whether we should strive to increase our membership to continue to infuse vitality into our Congregation and to expand the base of support for our programs. Finally, another and less positive change has been taking place around us. Our buildings continue to deteriorate, forcing us to ask ourselves whether we want to commit the time and resources to repair and improve our properties.

Confronting the challenges posed by change, the Congregation engaged in a year-long discussion in 2006 - 2007, assessing where we are and where we want to go. On May 23rd, 2007, the Congregation of Channing Memorial Church embraced an exciting and challenging VISION of its future and made specific commitments to achieve that vision.

Changing Our Vision into Reality:

At the Annual Meeting on May 23rd, 2007, the Congregation empowered church leadership to take action to realize that vision by:

• Establishing a strategic planning committee in the 2007 - 2008 church year to develop a long-range plan to realize our vision. This plan will be a living document that is monitored and updated as required over the course of its implementation.

• Establishing an ad hoc committee to evaluate our governance structure and propose specific changes that will provide for effective governance capable of implementing and assuring a strategic plan to realize our vision over a period of years.

• Establishing resources and support for shared ministry oversight to facilitate, coordinate, and evaluate our shared ministry efforts, in order to ensure healthy progress and balance in the church's four areas of growth.

• Establishing a Capital Fundraising Committee to explore capital fundraising options to repair, develop, and sustain our properties to best meet the needs of our growing community and expanding programs.

Action:

Acting on this empowerment, the Governing Board in June 2007 authorized formation of these committees and embraced a series of Strategic Goals. Subsequently, the Governing Board discussed at its annual retreat, a number of specific goals for the 2007 - 2008 church year that would support realization of the broader Strategic Goals and set Channing Memorial Church firmly on the path to realizing its vision.

1. The Strategic Goals are:

1. Strategic Goal 1: Develop a 10-year strategic plan to set us on the path to realizing our vision. For more information contact Maryellen Doherty.
   
   
2. Strategic Goal 2: Review our governance structure and propose specific changes that will provide for effective governance capable of implementing and assuring a strategic plan to realize our vision over a period of 10-years. For more information contact Bill Peresta.
   
   
3. Strategic Goal 3: Develop over the next 3 - 5 years our shared ministry to ensure healthy progress and balance in the church's four areas of growth. For more information contact Rev. Amy Freedman.
   
   
4. Strategic Goal 4: Develop a capital fundraising strategy that will provide resources to repair, develop, and sustain our properties to best meet the needs of our growing community and its expanding programs. For more information contact Chris Yalanis.

Detailed objectives accompanying the Strategic Goals can be found here.

2. The 2007 - 2008 Governing Board Goals were approved by the Board at its monthly meeting on October 9th, 2007. The goals are:
   
   
   1. Goal 1: Address problem of steeple. Our objective is that work commences to restore the steeple as soon as possible, and that restoration is complete no later than November 2009 (linked to Strategic Goals 1 & 4).
      
      
   2. Goal 2: Build awareness and understanding within Congregation concerning financial opportunities and challenges (linked to Strategic Goal 4).
      
      
   3. Goal 3: Create an over-arching plan for leadership development (linked to Strategic Goals 1, 2, & 3).
      
      
   4. Goal 4: Promote growth and stewardship of Religious Education (linked to Strategic Goals 1 & 3).
      
      
   5. Goal 5: Investigate budgeting for payment of our fair share to UUA and BCD beginning in 2008 – 2009 church year (linked to Strategic Goal 3).
      
      
   6. Goal 6: Empower and support Social Justice Committee to develop and implement action plans to realize the Congregation's commitment to reach out to and serve others in our community, our country, and the world (linked to Strategic Goal 1).
      
      
   7. Goal 7: Develop specific actions to heighten awareness of Channing's physical presence in the community (linked to Strategic Goals 1, 3, & 4).
      

Detailed objectives accompanying Governing Board Goals can be found here. Information on actions by committees and the Governing Board to achieve these goals can be found in the monthly Governing Board packages found here.