2022-2023 Annual Vision of Ministry
I was elected to ERUUF’s Board of Trustees in June 2020. It was the early days of the pandemic, with much speculation about how quickly things might be able to “get back to normal” and all of us were on a very bumpy curve of learning how to Zoom and how to “bubble”, not to mention Epidemiology 101. Was it really over 2 years ago? Since that time, your Board has continued to meet monthly via Zoom, and last year held a Zoom retreat over 2 Saturday mornings.
This August, for the first time as a Board member, I participated at an IN-PERSON! Board retreat. It was such a joy to be together, masked but enjoying the presence of each other in ERUUF space. The goal of that retreat was to, in part, outline the Annual Vision of Ministry. Historically, the Board augments and focuses implementation of the Strategic Plan with its Annual Vision of Ministry goals. Since the pandemic, which precluded updating the Strategic Plan, the Annual Vision of Ministry has been the Board’s guidepost for the Lead Minister and Coordinating Team as they develop programming at ERUUF.
We began by reviewing ERUUF’s foundational documents, such as our Vision, Mission, Covenant, Ends Statements and current Strategic Plan. With those in mind, we asked ourselves questions about who we want to be, what we are seeing now, what might be obstacles, where are opportunities, and what should we focus on this year to move us in a positive direction?
We then identified themes across our thoughts and formed these into our 2022-2023 Annual Vision of Ministry:
- Deepen ERUUF’s commitment to Racial Equity and Inclusion by introducing the Theory of Change.
- Reinvigorate ERUUF’s community through Engagement, Connection, and Faith Formation for all ages.
- Imagine and articulate a bold 2023-2026 Strategic Plan to advance ERUUF’s Mission, Vision and Values.
I think the unofficial theme for the retreat was excitement. Excited to be together in-person; excited about our new lead minister and the new staff, and seasoned staff in new roles; excitement that we can safely be together (in-person and online) on Sunday mornings and during the week; and excitement that ERUUF is well positioned to move boldly into our future. I felt that excitement coming through loud and clear at Sunday’s Pride service and I cannot wait to see what comes next!
In Fellowship,
Sara Terry
ERUUF Board of Trustees, Chair