President’s Report – September 2011
 New beginnings…having faith and taking a risk
How was your summer? As we get back into our regular routines in September, I hope you had a great one. With the slower pace of our hot and sunny “dragon fly summer” giving way to the fast start up of many fall activities, September is a busy time. Personally, I am feeling rested, revitalized, and ready to pick up the pace…and what a MAJOR change of pace! My wife, Erin, and I are travelling to China this month to adopt our new 8 month old daughter, Emily. It has been a very looooong 5 year wait, but now that she has arrived, we are over the moon.
I have always enjoyed being Dad to my 2 kids, Cole and Carmen (now 28 & 25). And I get to do it again. I am so looking forward to parenting with Erin. Emily is her first child and this has been a dream of ours for a long time. Parenting has to be one of the most difficult but rewarding things we can do and Emily will certainly add a new dimension to our lives and family. We will all learn, grow, and no doubt, she will teach us many things. This kind of change, though, means I need to take a step back, prioritize, and respect my limitations… or, as writer, Stephen Covey recommends, “put first things first”! So, as a result, I am cutting back on some of my church activities and will step down as Board President as of the AGM in October. I will, however, complete this last year of my 3 year term on the Board as Past President.
New beginnings are exciting, but can cause anxious moments of insecurity and feeling not quite up to the job. I know this is a natural feeling, usually unwarranted; however, I felt the same way when I became President two years ago. As with parenting, new roles are risky, full of anxiety but, ultimately, are very rewarding. As my Dad still says, “You get out of it what you put into it”! As a new President, I wasn’t sure of what I was getting myself into, but quickly realized that we all want the best for our church. That simple fact was the key in making the job enjoyable. Furthermore, our Cluster Model, linking Board members with Committee Chairs, works very well in clarifying responsibilities, distributing tasks, and improving two-way communication. I also appreciated the many opportunities to “think outside our church” and learn more about our national governing body - the Canadian Unitarian Council and the wider UU denomination. A bonus has been the chance to meet some great UUs from across Canada all experiencing similar challenges and joys in their churches. After serving as President, I have a better understanding of our potential as a faith to have a positive effect on our community, city, and the wider world.
I am honoured to have had the opportunity to serve you and, reflecting on my term, I have been blessed with a fabulous group of committed and talented board members, staff, committee chairs, and congregants. I also want to thank Millie, our wonderful minister, for being so easy to work with…she has taught me a lot about listening and patience.
I took a risk as Board President and, after a positive two years, I encourage you to think about taking one yourself. How do you want to get further involved in your church? What kind of leadership position are you interested in? I guarantee that whatever you choose, it will prove to be a rich experience. As a growing congregation, we need to be proactive in supporting members interested in leadership positions. When we are all pulling in the same direction, we help create the strong and positive vibe that exists in the church these days. Like parenting - commitment, effort, and dedication bring numerous unexpected gifts. Experience the joy of being involved!
In closing, I am reminded of Rev. Rick Davis’s message in his sermon “The Call” to honour Millie on the morning of her Installation Service. Rick is the minister of the UU congregation in Salem, Oregon, where Millie served as the Director of Religious Education for many years. He stressed the importance of a “Shared Ministry”…that ministering is not just the responsibility of the minister. Instead, we all minister to each other in a variety of ways and, in addition to Millie, each of us has a calling to answer (if we listen closely enough) and a responsibility to contribute.
So, please take some time to think about how you want to share your gifts in our beloved community and let me know if you are interested in talking further about leadership opportunities and joining the Board. Email me at
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In faith, Craig Edwards
President’s Report – July/August 2011
Our Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) turns 50 years old
For the past two May long weekends, instead of packing up the van with my wife, our 2 dogs, and my Dad and heading off to the family cottage, I have instead chosen to attend the annual CUC conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM). In 2009 it was held at the University of Victoria. This year, the 50th anniversary of the CUC, we celebrated at the U of T in the heart of downtown Toronto,. Though it meant postponing our annual “opening of the cottage” weekend, I wanted to learn more about the CUC Board and Staff and how they support our congregation. So, on the Friday, I attended the day long AGM as one of our four voting delegates, along with Millie and Roger Rochester and Lueba Franko (when we have 200 members, we will be able to send 5 delegates…we are almost there!). I came away from the business meeting with a much better understanding of the substantial work of our CUC Board and Staff. I also realized that there are a number of UU congregations struggling with similar issues. It was a good reminder that the CUC is our organization... and that congregations like ours can influence their work and future direction.
After the AGM, the 2.5 day conference followed with the usual stuff – a keynote speaker and a variety of workshops, social gatherings, and good food - but, unlike educational conferences I have attended, it included wonderful evening worship services. The keynote speaker was David K. Foot, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Toronto. Foot, the well known author of the best-selling book Boom Bust & Echo: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Shift, provided thought-provoking information on current demographic trends in Canada’s population growth and the possible implications to a liberal religious denomination such as ours. One thing struck a chord with me - his suggestion that Baby Boomers, many reaching retirement age, are the people with resources (time, energy, education, and money) to pursue spiritual and social justice issues that they might not have had time for before in their busy lives.
In addition, there were a variety of workshops, stimulating discussions, and plenty of opportunities to network with other UU congregational leaders. I have enjoyed many things about the past two CUC conferences and encourage you to consider participating next year. I highly recommend it.
Here are just some of my highlights of the CUC 50th anniversary conference and AGM:
- Sitting among over 1400 fellow UUs attending the Sunday worship service at the University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall (this is 26% of the approximately 5000 UU members in Canada)
- Being one of over 500 registered for the conference, including youth and young adults
- Representing one of 43 congregations present
- Over 100 youth and youth advisors attended CanUUdle, the annual National Youth conference (thanks to Jim Gardiner, Youth Advisor for both ours and Calgary’s youth)
- 25 young adults (age 18-35) registered for the conference and after the Bridging Ceremony to welcome youth into the young adult age group, there were 53 in total
- Great youth and young adult evening worship services
- Participating in multi-generational events
- Honouring 3 of the original founding members of the CUC in 1961
- Participating in the 5 thought-provoking Leadership workshops from UU Rev. Robert Latham
- Welcoming new CUC president is Gary Grout, the CUC Board member from Saskatoon’s congregation
- Following the 50th anniversary events on the new CUC at http://www.cuc50.ca/
The 50th anniversary of the CUC was a great way to wrap up a positive and productive church year. I came back feeling recharged and renewed after a busy winter.
Did you know?
Our City of Winnipeg 2012 property assessment of our church and property is $1,921,000. This is an increase of approximately $100,000 from the 2010 assessment (6%). Being a church, our taxes are very low – only $550 this year. So, with positive real estate appreciation and our efforts to reduce our mortgage over the past decade ($430,000 owing), we have built up substantial equity in our church building and property. We are very fortunate to have such a beautiful church and need to ensure we look after it well.
I am looking forward to a great summer and hope you are too... will you spend some of it enjoying our new deck and patio?
In faith, Craig Edwards
Last Updated on Saturday, 20 August 2011 23:39
President’s Report – June 2011
Leadership “Success”-ion Planning
Our church continues to grow in many ways. Besides improving our organizational structure, bylaws and policies, and communications; we are nearing the 200 member milestone. Congratulations! To ensure sustained growth, however, we need to be intentional about “succession planning” and, as we plan for the next fiscal year, we need to continue to develop leaders for our Board of Directors. The good news is that, except for one, the current board members will continue to serve. The bad news is VP, Bruce Roe, will step down at the end of his 3 year term in October. Thanks, Bruce! In addition, I will stay on the Board for my final year of my three year term, but as Past President, so Larry Philips and his Volunteer Resource Committee are actively looking for one new Board member, as well as a new President and Vice President. To support the process, it is important that we are open and transparent, so the Board recently approved detailed Board position responsibilities (click to download BOD Position Responsibilities). Please see details on the Board of Directors page on our website.
Leadership development occurs in many ways in our congregation, one of which is the Chairs’ Leadership meetings. The Board hosted two meetings over the church year to share information. At the May 3rd meeting, each committee talked about 1 of this year's accomplishments along with 1 planned goal for next year. In addition, Don Ayre, Chair of the Shared Ministry Team, talked about their plans for the next church year. Don, Barb Fuller, and Carolyn Hill-Carroll have been very busy this winter and the Board recently approved their revised Terms of Reference. Quoting from these, “The mandate of the Shared Ministry Team is to strengthen the quality of congregation’s ministry. Ministry is what the congregation does to fulfill its mission. In order to do this, the SMT counsels with the minister regarding the effectiveness of ministry, engages in regular assessment of all aspects of ministry, makes recommendations to enhance ministry based on assessment, and is prepared to deal with issues, complaints, concerns, and suggestions that affect ministry.” Please see their article in the Communicator newsletter or on our website for more details.
Did you know?
Canadian Unitarian Universalist Leadership (CUUL) School is in Nanaimo, BC from July 14-17. A subsidy for 50% of the registration cost is available – please talk to myself or another Board member for details.
Claire Rudyk takes over from Lorna Turnbull as the new Chair of the Religious Exploration Committee. Thank you Lorna!
The new Chair of the Lay Chaplaincy Committee is Kelvin Seifert and the Board recently approved their Terms of Reference. Quoting from these, “The Lay Chaplaincy Committee exists to support the work and development of the Lay Chaplains. The Lay Chaplains are members of the congregation who are trained and authorized to perform marriages, funerals and memorial services, child dedications, and other rites of passage either for members of the congregation or for the larger community.”
We are in good financial shape. As of the end of April, total annual revenue is expected to be $310,000. This is about $8,000 greater than the 2011 budget. Total annual expenses continue to remain within budget and are expected to be $300,555, slightly lower than the budget of $300,997.
On behalf of the congregation, the Board made a $50 donation toward a plaque dedicated to the late Katy Simons, a longtime member of our church, for her work helping Jews escape during the 2nd World War. Katy was honoured by the Winnipeg Holocaust Education Centre, located in the Asper Centre.
Your Board hosted John Orlikow, City Councilor for River Heights/Ft. Garry at April’s meeting to discuss our letter to him about the Harrow Street barricade and its negative effect on access to the church. He informed us the barricade is permanent, however, the summer barricade on Wellington Crescent will be moved from Harrow to the west side of Guelph St. allowing access to the Crescent.
The CUC Annual General Meeting and conference was held in Toronto in May. Along with your delegates Milie & Roger Rochester, Leuba Franko, and myself, Youth Advisor Jim Gardiner accompanied four of our youth for the national youth conference, where Matt Gilbert was Worship Co-Chair.
The Hnausa Family Camp Weekend is August 26 - 28 at a beautiful historic UU campsite on the shore of Lake Winnipeg, just north of Gimli. There will be planned activities, evening worship, shared meals, a Sunday service, and tons of fun in the sun. Contacts are Liz Redston and Jim & Kay Gardiner.
Looking forward to a great summer...
In faith, Craig Edwards
Last Updated on Saturday, 20 August 2011 23:39
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President’s Report May 2011
Now that we have completed our Stewardship Campaign including the many discussions of what the church means to us, I reflect on not only a great job by all involved, but also the inevitable tough decisions we had to make due to limited resources. By the Budget Meeting on April 17, we had identified only 97% of our target pledge figure for the 2011-12 budget, meaning your Finance Committee spent many hours determining how to present a balanced budget. This is not an easy task and forces us to consider priorities based on our community values.
As a diverse community, we don’t always agree on specifics, but we are able to discuss them in a sensitive and respectful manner. As Rev. Millie reminded us in her sermon that day, Standing in Beloved Community, “our hearts yearn for peace, acceptance, and love; a place where we belong – where, bringing our best selves, we are reminded of the highest possibilities of human nature; given a vision of hope and dedication to service; to decipher meaning and value; and to grow in spirit beyond our singular selves; where we are challenged, to stand with one another, to be the change that we hope to see”.
Keeping in mind that the church budget reflects our values and is a tool to accomplish what is important to us, the budget was developed through input from many members of the congregation. Starting in January, with budget submissions from Committee Chairs, the Finance Committee (the Board Executive) determined the target budget for our Stewardship Campaign. Then, based on the resulting pledge figure, the Finance Committee makes the final hard decisions based on what we want to accomplish over the next year.
Though only in her first year as Treasurer, Lise Desrochers (a Certified General Accountant), was extremely helpful in analyzing revenues and expenses for the past few years and determining where we could make adjustment. After juggling desired payroll increases, programming levels, building and property costs, and all the other expenses in owning and operating a church, the Finance Committee feels confident we have arrived at a positive but conservative budget.
Some highlights from the 2011-12 budget:
First of all, we are decreasing our annual mortgage payments. The approx. $4800 decrease in mortgage payments annually allows us to increase the staff payroll budgets to keep pace with provincial inflation, to increase our Director of Religious Exploration's (DRE) hours to better reflect the realities of the job, and to keep Millie's salary in pace with suggested UUA guidelines for our congregation size.
It is very important to realize that, though our mortgage payments will decrease from $45,600 in 2010 to $40,800 in 2011-12, we will pay more toward the principal and less to interest than we did this past year! Due to the lower variable interest rate obtained in January/11, we will pay off $8,000 more toward the principal than in 2010 and pay almost $13,000 less in interest payments.
Very important in a growing church, though our pledge total is level with last year’s, we have been able to increase our Programs expense budget by 2%. In addition, we increased the Administration and decreased the Properties expense budgets to more accurately reflect actual expenses. As an example, though it seems counter intuitive, next year we will pay almost $4000 less for natural gas to heat our building than we did in 2008-09.
Now that the budget has been approved by the congregation, we are all responsible to execute the budget plan - ensuring we generate the anticipated revenue and spend within budgets; and, when necessary, make adjustments if circumstances change during the year. 2011-12 is going to be a great year!
Did you know?
The Canadian Unitarian Council Annual Conference and Meeting takes place in Toronto over the May long weekend and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the CUC. It looks like an action packed weekend of workshops, networking, and good food and we will be well represented by some of our youth, youth advisor, Jim Gardiner, and a number of members including your four delegates (based on our congregation size) Rev. Millie and Roger Rochester, Leuba Franko, and me. Our DRE, Andrea James, will be going early to also participate in professional development and Millie will be staying afterward to do the same with her fellow ministers from across Canada. It promises to be a great weekend!
In faith, Craig Edwards
Last Updated on Saturday, 20 August 2011 23:39
Reaching Out Feels Good!
As winter turns to spring, I sense the stirrings of new growth that comes with warmth, nurturing, and conscious attention. With the changing seasons, I sense a change in atmosphere. There is a new sense of purpose as we finish our Stewardship Campaign - a month of talking about what the church means to each of us. My wife tells me I am generally not a very perceptive person; it takes me a while to become conscious of changes, but this winter I have sensed a growing confidence in the church. Throughout one of the coldest winters in many years, we have been keeping the fires burning in many ways and sharing the heat.
We seem to be more comfortable reaching out to others, whether they are newcomers to the church or new friends outside our walls. Certainly, some of this warmth is due to long serving programs such as the Harvest Food Bank we host every Thursday morning, where a large group of volunteers work with our clients to set up tables, unload the truck, distribute food, and share coffee and fellowship. New this year, our Youth got involved by donating proceeds from their delicious YoHoHo dinner to Winnipeg Harvest's new kitchen project.
In addition, Rev. Millie has been very busy this winter reaching out to the Manitoba Interfaith Council by hosting meetings, sitting on their Education Committee, and most recently offering to host the Interfaith Council’s library along side ours. Marilyn Brooke and her Library Committee have welcomed this opportunity with open arms and it looks like this will be one of those win-win-win situations with people of many faiths using the library.
We have also reached out to our community through our “Share the Plate” initiative. Through our special monthly collections on Sunday mornings, we have been able to donate hundreds of dollars to three local organizations with similar values to ours. Besides our financial support, we have made friends with the great people who run the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, West Central Women’s Resource Centre, and Rossbrook House. And who knew that asking our members and friends to support these organizations would also result in a general increase in our weekly collections!
Ruth Pearce and her Global Outreach Committee have also been very busy sharing the good work of the Unitarian Service Committee and the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) in New York. As one of only two Canadians on the 20 member board of the UU-UNO, Ruth, a retired professor, travels to meetings in New York twice a year.
Carolyn Garlich and her Green Action Committee have also been busy heating things up both inside and outside our walls. They just finished organizing, hosting, and promoting another important public forum to improve the City of Winnipeg’s long-term approach to managing municipal waste.
Once again, we are partnering with the Winnipeg Folk Festival by providing space for their annual Music Retreat, which offers one-on-one professional instruction from some of the festival’s performers. This four day retreat occurs the week before the festival in July and takes advantage of our beautiful building and gardens nestled on the banks of the Assiniboine River.
And finally, I want to recognize our hard-working Director of Religious Exploration, Andrea James, who is constantly reaching out and helping someone. In addition to coordinating the fabulous RE program for our children and youth, Andrea is the Canadian Liaison to the Liberal Religious Educators' Association (LREDA) in the US. She will be joining many of us who are looking forward to our annual conference and meeting in Toronto on the May long weekend.
It feels good to share the warmth of our congregation outside our church walls.
In faith,
Craig Edwards
Last Updated on Saturday, 20 August 2011 23:40
The Importance of Stewardship
March marks our annual Financial Stewardship campaign, which kicks off with a special Sunday Service on March 13. The word stewardship is often used when referring to a sustainable resource, and for many non-profit organizations, including churches, it refers to careful and responsible management of resources for which one has no ownership. I understand it as a holistic concept that connects management of our limited resources and assets to our principles and values. This, of course, is no easy task with many needs and finite resources. Finding a balance among operational expenses such as staff salaries, social justice initiatives, building utilities, property development, community outreach, and the many other costs of owning and operating a church is a sensitive issue.
Our Stewardship Campaign this month provides an opportunity to engage in healthy discussions with potential to open people’s hearts to a deeper understanding of their individual role and responsibility within our community. Another good example of Shared Ministry, Stewardship is about managing resources, both human and financial, and feedback is an integral part of the dialogue. Please be open and frank about the strengths and limitations of our church when your Stewardship campaigner contacts you. Your Stewardship Committee sees giving and receiving as dynamically linked.
This month, Chair, Carol Harvey, and her Stewardship Committee will provide us with opportunities to celebrate and support this church community. Our theme this year is “Carry the Flame" and the fire will be lit with a party on Friday, March 11, 7:30 to 9:30 with entertainment by the lively Celtic band, Banshee’s Wail. Stewardship Committee members: Aleta Re, John Burstow, Don Bailey, Kris Breckman, Millie Rochester, Lise Desrochers, along with considerable help from our church administration assistant, Lee Hoskins, will keep you informed about campaign activities, our target budget for next year, and how you can contribute to the celebrations.
Hey, did you know? We now have two more ways to communicate with the UU world outside our church walls.
With the recent hiring of Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) Communications Director, Ben Wolfe, and a Congregational Development Staff for each of the 3 regions in Canada, we are now much better informed about the work of the CUC. It has been a number of years since we’ve had a CUC contact person for our region and I don’t think the CUC has ever had a Communications Director, so these are major steps forward in improving communication among congregations and the CUC.
UU Minister, Antonia Won, our new Congregational Development Staff for the Western and BC Regions has started a new email communiqué called “In the Loop”. In addition, CUC Executive Director, Jennifer Dickson, has published an e-newsletter, Canadian Unitarian eNews. Both will help improve communication about the CUC to our Board, Chairs, Committee members, and congregants.
And to complete the communication loop for two-way communications, new Denominational Affairs Committee Chair, Roger Rochester and his committee (Jean Ayre and Jean Armstrong) will keep the CUC posted about special initiatives and events in our congregation. Let’s keep the dialogue active and current.
In faith, Craig Edwards
Last Updated on Friday, 25 February 2011 03:46
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Looking After One Another
