Vision and ChangeLast month, we talked about our history and heritage. History, unless you embrace the Orwellian concept of the "malleability of the past," is unchanging. The present and the future, however, are the domain of change. Every organization, every community is undergoing constant change. At times, the process of change is more significant than at others. I think this is true of Channing. Arguably, since the Congregation articulated a vision and called Rev. Amy Freedman to our Church, we have been undergoing significant change. Amy's ministry; coupled with our community's commitment and energy have helped us realize the vision set forth in our strategic plan to establish a shared ministry to achieve our four purposes:
In the process of achieving that vision, however, we have catalyzed more change. Vital, active programs have brought new people through our doors with new ideas and different needs. This change 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. This change also forces 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. So how do we meet the challenges presented by change? As with any unfamiliar challenge, it sometimes pays to turn to those who have experience. In the business community, the successful business is the one that adapts to a changing market environment to remain profitable. Modern business theory and practice are all about managing change. Professor John P. Kotter of Harvard's School of Business tells managers that to succeed in an environment of change, they and their organizations must (among other things) establish a sense of urgency, create a vision, communicate that vision, and empower others to act on that vision. A carefully crafted vision empowers people to take positive, meaningful action to meet the challenges presented in a changing environment. At our recent retreat at the Cedar Hill Retreat Center in Duxbury, MA, members of the Governing Board embraced the importance of helping the Congregation articulate a vision this year that would empower the Congregation and its leadership to move in specific directions to meet the change-driven challenges I mentioned above. We discussed why this was important and began discussing how we would do it. This month, we will begin this discussion with members of the Congregation as we begin the process of defining our vision of the future of Channing. In one of my favorite episodes from the '60's TV series Star Trek, Captain James Kirk is trying to persuade Mr. Spock (his Vulcan second in command who is devoted to the principles of logic) to lead change. Kirk says, "If change is inevitable, predictable, beneficial, doesn't logic demand that you be a part of it?" Change is happening all around us - whether we like it our not. We must be a part of it by embracing the challenge of shaping it. We can do this by recognizing the change that is happening, recognizing the urgency of adapting to it, and then articulating a vision of the future that will empower us all to meet the challenges of that change and move in specific, positive directions. Personally, I am excited about the possibilities! Governing Board Activities Our most significant activity this month was our retreat at Cedar Hill Retreat Center that I discussed above. Additionally, at our monthly meeting, the Board voted to approve a revised staff job description, re-titling the Church Secretary as the Church Office Administrator and also approved hiring someone to fill this position at $14 an hour (a rate consistent with UUA guidelines) for 15 hours a week with a commitment to increase the hours to 20 when our funding stream would support it but no later than July 1st, 2007. This decision and our decision to hire a rental property manager are steps to begin meeting increased staff needs resulting from a growth in our programs and our administrative requirements over the past several years. Tom Beall |