News (blog)

Please click on the link below to read or print our most recent AUUA newsletter:

AUUA-SpringSummer2012-2page.pdf

What Do You Think?

You're going to receive a survey soon from the AUUA that asks for your opinions about our Association.  The questions relate to how useful you find what we offer and what you think of the things we're doing.  The answers that you provide will have a direct impact on what benefits come with membership, what program content will be and what purposeful direction we should take to meet the future needs we foresee.

The survey itself is electronic and painless.  It will take only a few minutes of your time to complete.  In case you have more thoughts you'd like to share, many questions come with optional comment boxes.  If you would like to express even more of your feelings, please email us separately.

After the responses are in, we'll publish the results so you can see what everyone thought.  This survey instrument is through Constant Contact and only one entry per member is required.  In the meantime, thanks for your support and participation.

Metrics Task Force

At the 2011 Large Church Conference, an ad hoc Task Force was formed to tackle the Herculean task of standardizing the metrics used by churches in the UUA.  Such efforts would make it easier to compare the apples with the apples and the oranges with the oranges and facilitate the exchange of wisdom within our movement.  The ultimate objective is to create a catalog of useful metrics, what those metrics represent, and best practices for collecting and sharing those metrics.  Ideally, not only will we get a growing number of church administrators on board with this, but also the UUA itself, so that when a District Executive and a Minister are discussing Membership Retention rates not only are they discussing the same thing, but UUA and District averages are compatible with the congregation's own data.
 
To do this, a series of surveys are being used, first to identify willing participants, and next, to identify metrics most commonly collected.  This will help the Task Force identify which metrics to focus on initially.  The various methodologies will be compiled and distilled down to a single recommended method for each of the identified metrics.  Ultimately, over time, all major and many minor congregational and administrative metrics will be standardized and will serve us all as a useful tool both measuring the progress and development of our individual congregations, but also how we compare with other congregations in similar situations.
 
If you would like to participate in the surveys, the first survey can be taken online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/66W8HKG and the second survey can be taken online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T862F5P  Each only takes about 5 minutes (or less!) to fill out, and your participation is greatly appreciated. 
 
Charles Lewis
AUUA Board Member
Metrics Standardization Task Force Member

President's Report
 
Dear Colleagues,
 
Here I was, cruising through the fall and then I made the mistake of looking at the calendar.  What? Oh no, 43 days until Christmas?  How did that happen? 
 
I remember my first year as a church administrator.  My husband and I were scheduled to leave town to go back to my hometown for two weeks at Christmas. This meant that five orders of service and the newsletter had to be completed and prepped before I could leave town.  That month was a blur; typing, correcting, copying, printing, folding, mailing, etc.....  We landed in Chicago, I had lunch with an old friend the first day we arrived and then I came down with the worst flu ever.
 
I've learned since then, I prepare well in advance and have great office mates to share the work load.  And I count it a victory if don't end up with my face in my plate at Christmas dinner.
 
This is the season that congregants love and church staff dread.  It starts at Thanksgiving and ends with New Years Day; with Chanukah, Solstice,  the children's pageant, the staff Christmas party and Christmas in between.  And some of you are in the middle of capital campaigns or pledge drives.  Is it any wonder we long for January?
 
We are such an amazing group of professionals, I always marvel at the good humor with which we face this season.  We make it look so effortless, that most of our church members have no idea what it takes to pull this off without a hitch.  I hope that in the middle of this madness, you will remember to stop and take a moment to really look at the magic of the season that surrounds you.  The glee of the children, the beauty of the candles and the pine bough.  The warmth and love of your friends and family. 
 
We are the lucky ones, we know what it takes to create this season of joy and we get to watch it all unfold and say, at the end, that it was worth the work and yes, we'll be back next year!
 
Blessings to you and yours,
Mary Ellen Morgan
Business Administrator
UU Church of Berkeley

AUUA Code of Ethics

If read in a certain light the AUUA's "Code of Ethics" or "Code of Professional Practices" is just a long dry document.  Or not!  Although I was one of the people who helped draft this code, the cynic in me could dismiss it on one of my "bad days"; days when my job feels like only a job.  But fortunately, I do feel that I have found my calling as an administrator in a congregation that I cherish and wish to see flourish.  I may not have attended seminary or taken graduate courses in administration but I know that the position I currently hold is important to the life of this congregation and that I am a representative (as flawed as I may be) of the UUA.  Every church is different so how does one learn how to do one's job and treat other staff members and church attendees appropriately?  How can I put my best face forward for Unitarian Universalism?  A start would be for me to read, understand and follow our Code of Ethics.  Not in a rigid, dogmatic way but rather as a guide that I can refer to from time to time when I may question my actions or motivations.

The AUUA had an earlier incarnation of a Code of Ethics but there were certain things we found lacking.  One thing that permeates our new code is the use of the word "professional" and for a good reason; we all strive to be professionals and do the best that we can for the congregations we serve.  We want to hold ourselves up to professional standards and to be treated as such.  After fourteen years on the job I know I still have a lot to learn and I need to be willing to change and adapt with the introduction of new technology and people that I come across and with whom I work.  Our Code of Ethics is for all of us, whether we are a member of the congregation we serve or even if we are not a member of any faith community.  May it be helpful to you as you navigate the sometimes challenging aspects of your important profession.

Mark Pedersen
AUUA Board Member

AUUA Annual Meeting
June 21, 2011
The Westin Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina


The 2011 Annual Meeting was Called to Order at 4:17PM on June 21, 2011.

While this was a sparsely attended meeting with 19 AUUA members in attendance, it was a high-spirited gathering, and many of the past year’s accomplishments were ratified at this Annual Meeting.

President’s Report: as outgoing President, I once again wish to express my gratitude at being able to serve the AUUA (and our movement) for four years as President – thank you! I encourage you to read the Annual Reports that are available at www. AUUA.org.

At the conclusion of the President’s Report, two items were voted on by the members present and passed unanimously, those being the new Mission Statement and the new Code of Ethics for the AUUA.

Our Mission Statement now reads:

“The Mission of the AUUA is to Promote and Strengthen Unitarian Universalism through Effective Administration.”

I encourage our membership to read the new Code of Ethics, with many thanks to Mark Pedersen for putting that together!

Laurel Amabile, Director of Annual Program Fund in the office of Stewardship and Development spoke to us briefly. Laurel offered to be a resource to help publicize the work that AUUA is doing and help recruit new members to the AUUA.  She also expressed an interest in working with Administrators on metrics and budget issues. She can be contacted at: lamabile@uua.org

Treasurer’s Report. Julie Slayton Frank gave this report. The P&L for FY2010-11 showed a slight profit, and the Balance Sheet shows Assets of $39,150.99. The Proposed Budget for FY 2011-12 was adopted unanimously.

Membership Report: Mary Ellen Morgan reported that our membership has stalled at right about 200 members, out of a potential 700 UU congregational administrators in our Association. In the coming year we expect to conduct an online survey of administrators to identify what administrators.

Recruiting new members is our biggest challenge at this moment – I encourage all AUUA members to reach out to neighboring UU administrators and ask them to join us!

Nominating Committee Report, submitted by Lorraine Dennis and Mary Ellen Morgan:

The following persons were elected to the AUUA Board of Directors:

Mary Ellen Morgan, President; Mark Pedersen, Vice President; Julie Slayton Frank, Treasurer; Shaye Gambrell, Secretary, and Chuck Rosene, Past-President.

Debbie Bieber, Rina Jurceka, and Jeter Walker continued their service to the AUUA and were elected to another year term.

Charles Lewis, Eliot Unitarian Chapel, was elected to his first year term.

Old Business / Certification Report: Rina Jurceka reported on the exciting progress the new Certification Program is making! The Certification Team met in Chicago in October 2010, and completely revamped the program: sharpening its focus, streamlining the program from three levels to two levels, and making it more affordable by charging by module instead of by year.

This has proved to be popular with our members and Rina is receiving many inquiries on how to join the program, and we owe Rina many a heartfelt “Thank You’s” for agreeing to Chair this program for the AUUA.

New Business
There was a special presentation to Chuck in gratitude of service to AUUA – a beautiful silver business card holder with inlays of cherry, pau-Brazil, cocobolo, and ebony! It was gratefully received!

Closing Words: Mary Ellen Morgan

The meeting was adjourned and the members present retired to the no-host bar and reception that preceded the AUUA Annual Banquet.

I urge our members to read the Annual Reports that are posted on the AUUA web site – they aren’t as dry and drab as one might initially think!

Please go to: http://www.auua.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1025860 for those reports.

Respectfully submitted,

Chuck

Charles B. Rosene, Past-President
Association of UU Administrators