Get Ready for our Vote on January 31, 2021! Congregational Meeting to Call Reverend Jessica Star Rockers into Settled Ministry at KUUF
One of the signs of our strength as a beloved community is that-- despite the economic and personal insecurity of living through this pandemic-- attendance, giving, and membership at KUUF are alive and doing well. For many of us, and I hope for you, KUUF is an anchor of care and stability through these hard times.
A powerful sign of this has been demonstrated by the Settled Ministry Task Force’s report, which shows that as a congregation we ARE ready and willing to call our minister, Reverend Jessica Star Rockers, into Settled Ministry. She has been our contract minister, which means her term with us is limited to what the Board and she contract to honor. Settled Ministry is a greater level of commitment from both minister and congregation.
The report from the Settled Ministry Task Force (SMTF) shows that congregational support for this move is virtually universal! Now as a congregation we need to vote, and our need for widespread participation in this vote is vital. Our bylaws require that our vote must have a quorum of 50% of our members, and the vote be 90% or more in favor.
This means we need every member to join us directly after the service on January 31, 2021, to take part in our congregational vote. On that Sunday, our Congregational meeting will directly follow the service.
Here are some details to keep in mind:
· The Congregational Meeting will be brief, focusing only on this vote. Here is the complete agenda:
o Establish our quorum
o Demonstrate how to vote
o Hold the vote
· Because we have been discussing this for months, through communication and meetings with the Settled Ministry Task Force, Conversations with the Board, in Coffee Hour, and through personal communications, we will not be debating the vote at the meeting. If you still have questions, please contact a Board member, member of the Settled Ministry Task Force, or your Neighborhood Group leader prior to the meeting. (My email is linezj@wavecable.com, and my phone is 360-551-1195.)
· We will vote using the Polling function in Zoom Webinar. This Sunday, 1/24/2021, our service will contain 5-minute training at the end on how to vote using the poll. Coffee Hour and Adult RE will follow in Zoom Meeting, and we’ll share the links then.
· The following Sunday’s service(1/31/21) will have Reverend Jessica preaching, and will be followed directly by our Congregational Meeting to vote to call her. No need to switch to any other Zoom format!
· All votes will go directly to Tanesha Smith, our Administrative Assistant. Votes will be private and recorded for our archive.
· Only members may vote. People need to have been active members for 60 days or longer to be eligible. Please contact Tanesha at admin@kuuf.org
if you are not certain of your status.
· The poll is adjusted to accommodate multiple people signing in on one device. We’ll have a brief poll training right after the service on 1/24 and 1/31. It’s easy, so don’t fret!
· Paper ballots may be requested in advance from admin@kuuf.org
· Paper ballots MUST BE RECEIVED by January 29, 2021 to be counted.
· People attending the meeting by phone only WILL be counted in the quorum, but should request a paper ballot in advance to vote. If you forget to do this, you may send a private Chat message to Tanesha during the meeting, and it will be counted.
Neighborhood group leaders will be contacting you via postcards and phone with reminders, asking for your commitment to participate.
So please mark your calendars for January 31, 11:45 am. Affix your reminder postcard to your fridge or bathroom mirror…whatever it takes to be part of this important event to celebrate our beloved Reverend Jessica Star Rockers!
Thank you, and looking forward to seeing you on January 31!
Lisa Johnson, for the KUUF Board of Trustees
Beth Wilson, for the Settled Ministry Task Force