by Rev. Alex McGee
August 7, 2026
Dear Congregation:
This month the Board and I sat down and reviewed how the interim time is going. Among the many observations, here is one that some people might not know about: One of the emerging leadership groups in the congregation is the Coordinating Council. This Council has always existed, but since I am new to the congregation, I have turned to them with curiosity about what they see as the best way to coordinate teams and procedures. They are living into responsibility in a fresh way.
These five Council Chairs are Finance, Religious Exploration, Facilities, Connections, and Justice (Worship Council currently doesn’t have a Chair). Once a month, they have rich discussions about use of space, how to make calendaring accessible, sharing information about budgets, lines of information flow, how to coordinate efforts across teams, and other issues. I am excited and endeared every month to see them grapple with things that are not clear at first but can find new ways.
Each Team is part of a Council. Each Team lead has a link to a Council Chair. When the Team Leads communicate concerns and opportunities to the Council Chair, those can be passed along for creative solutions at the Coordinating Council. I love seeing how the many perspectives in the room all enrich the Fellowship.
I hope you will connect with your Team Lead about connecting with your Council Chair so that the lines of communication can flow as well as possible. If you want to learn more, take a look here: https://uucorvallis.org/about/#organizational_structure.
Shared ministry means that not everyone gets what they want all the time, but that we all try to help each other create the Fellowship for the highest good of all.
With care,
Rev. Alex