Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Dear Friends,

Where did the time go? Was it only yesterday when we met each other and began to plan our ministry together? And now you are more than ready for your ministry with Rev. Erik Wikstrom.

Although I have aspects of a Border Collie, I believe this characterization of Interim Ministry by my good friend and colleague, Rev. Heather Lynn Hanson, also fits.

A Tribute to the Goat

The goat is a reminder of the traits good interim ministers display:

To be quick on their feet, keep their balance,

Traverse rocky slopes,

Seek the high grounds and the long view,

Survive on a wide variety of forage,

Stand their ground and butt heads when necessary,

Get along with the sheep

But think independently of the flock.

Be alert for predators and warn of danger,

Provide nourishment and warmth when treated well,

And be prepared, if necessary, to be a scape goat

With the sins of the community tied to their horns

As they depart into the wilderness…

I am very pleased with the way we worked together this year. Your third year of transition could have been filled with bleakness, low morale, and poor spirit. Instead, I found you, for the most part, to be willing and capable, eager to make the most of this time in transition, and ready to embrace the challenges of change. Even so, there is work that remains to be done for your congregational health, and Rev. Erik and your lay leaders will guide you through it.

I will watch you from afar and take great pride in your transformation as a congregation.

These words by Rolf Gates provide help for us, Interim Minister and congregation, in our parting.

So we show up,

Burn brightly in the moment,

Live passionately,

Hold nothing back –

And when the moment is over,

When our work is done,

We step back

And let go.

May we all show up, burn brightly, live passionately – and then step back and let go when our work is over.

It has been an honor to serve as your Interim Minister. Faithfully, Janet E. Newman, 2010-2011

As we approach the ending our of interim ministry together, and you approach still another change in minister, some of you may be feeling a bit confused and even lost. And “Lost” is the title of this poem by David Wagoner:

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you

are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,

and you must treat it as a powerful stranger,

must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,

I have made this place around you,

if you leave it you may come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.

No two branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

you are surely lost. Stand still.

The forest knows where you are.

You must let it find you.

The poem speaks to me because I so often get physically lost when I move to a new job. Learning a new community, a new congregation, new names, a new map – it can all feel confusing at the beginning, but soon it begins to make sense. Thanks to you who helped me explore connections, community, and commitment here in Charlottesville.

Some of you have asked me where I will serve next. I will be back in the Midwest, and I will serve as the Interim Parish Minister to the Unitarian Church of Evanston, Illinois. I will visit the church in early June and meet with leaders, committees, and individuals – the way I visited you last June. I plan to find a place to rent, too. Think of me when the weather is cold, knowing it is much colder in the Chicago area!

Faithfully,

Janet Newman,

your Interim Minister 2010-‘11

I will add my congratulations to everyone at TJMC- UU and to Rev. Erik for making a great success of candidating week. Everyone deserves to be very proud of our congregation. And all the volunteers who created such a fine experience deserve your deepest thanks.

It is a joy to know that what you spent so much time waiting for, a called minister, will soon be among you to walk with you into your potential. However, I want to remind you that you did not just wait – you worked hard. I believe that it was your good work in addressing the “prouds” and “disappointeds” of your past as a congregation that made you more appealing to clergy. I believe that it was your good work in developing your congregational covenant of healthy relations that showed that you are creating your new expectations of one another and new identity as a congregation. And you are coming to terms with your mission in the world. All that is excellent work, and I believe that your work made Rev. Erik realize that you were a congregation worth aligning himself with.

But what happens to all of you after the honeymoon? An interim minister colleague asks, “What happens to the called minister in a few months when she/he does the equivalent of leaving the top off the toothpaste tube?”

It is inevitable that you and Rev. Erik will find out more about each other and deepen your relationship in the months and years ahead. What will you do about the characteristics of one another that you are not so fond of? From my perspective, that is where real ministry is found.

Your sage, Rev. Gordon McKeeman wrote a wonderful piece about ministry. I suggest reading it, pondering it, and living it. Let others and me know what you think.

Faithfully,

Janet Newman,

Interim Minister 2010-2011

It is wonderful to experience the resurgence of energy and enthusiasm these days. The Ministerial Search Committee’s offer to the Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom to be the candidate for the called ministry at TJMC-UU, and his acceptance, has refreshed hope for many congregants. So congratulations to all of you, especially the Ministerial Search Committee.

Candidating Week offers you a multitude of opportunities to meet Rev. Erik, to ask him questions and listen carefully to his answers, to answer his questions of you, and to see if there is a good fit between him and the congregation. “Fit” is hard to define, but I believe you have made great strides this year toward knowing yourselves better as a church through the tasks of the Interim Ministry.

Now I want to quote from a member of a search committee of a church I served not long ago:

“The congregational vote by secret ballot on April 17 is the final step in a carefully constructed system of checks and balances. …we started this process together as a congregation, and now it is together that we will all vote on calling a settled minister.

“Usually, ministers will accept a call when the vote in favor is over 95%. How in the world, you may ask, can UUs be expected to be near-unanimous about anything?   … Statistically, some 98% of candidating weeks end in a positive vote.

“Votes under 95% tend to indicate that a ministry would not be long-term. This vote is not about whether a minister is perfect – most persons will promise not to be perfect – but rather whether he is right for this congregation, to help us minister to each other, lead us into the future, and bring out the best in us.”

In the faith,

Janet Newman

Interim Minister 2010-11

One of the developmental tasks that Interim Ministers guide the congregation through during transition time is to commit to new ministerial leadership. Sometimes congregants tell me that they are not sure exactly what ministers do! Sunday mornings seem pretty clear, they say, but what about the other days of the week? How do clergy practice their profession?

The following list of ten ministerial functions and roles was compiled by the Center for Career Development and Ministry, an interfaith counseling and research center. I have adapted the descriptive language so that it is useful to Unitarian Universalists, and I have arranged it in alphabetical order. I hope this list is helpful as you examine your expectations of ministry and the reality that ministers cannot be all things to all people.

And as you know, we Interim Ministers are responsible for guiding the congregation through additional tasks as well as the following ones expected of all clergy. Not sure what the additional tasks are? Please ask me.

1. Administrator: Helps manage an effective organization–planning, promoting, and executing programs; assists in committee work.

2. Evangelist: Outreach activities, effective use of media, spreading word of the faith.

3. Liturgist: Plans and participates in lay-led services, leads rites of passage, designs meaningful ceremonies.

4. Pastoral Caregiver: Includes bereavement visiting and care, crisis management, visits in home, hospital, and office.

5. Pastoral Listener: Pastoral conversations with congregants, including pre-marital couples.

6. Preacher: Prepares and delivers sermons.

7. Reformer: Speaking and participating in programs of community betterment.

8. Scholar: Scholarly research and writing that reaches the larger denomination or beyond.

9. Spiritual Guide: Helps members develop and deepen their faith and learn how to use various spiritual resources in their daily lives.  Includes spiritual direction.

10. Teacher: Facilitates classes in the Adult Faith Development program.

Clearly, nobody can do all of these tasks perfectly. But I know you will trust your Ministerial Search Committee to find a good fit for TJMC-UU, not a perfect minister-because there are none!

Best regards, Janet Newman,

Your Interim Minister 2010-11