During this trying time, we are remaining optimistic and thinking ahead to better times. At our last meeting we planned for a process to nominate our Ministerial Search Committee. Our plan is to focus on this during the month of May. The Parish Committee and the Nominating Committee will be contacting every member and friend […]
Due to a growing concern about the spread of the coronavirus in our area, First Parish Watertown will cancel worship services, religious education classes, and after-church activities for the next two Sundays, March 15th and March 22nd.
We will be meeting our Ministerial Search coach on Sunday, March 1. Lisa Anderson will be preaching at the service and will lead a meeting of the congregation about the Search process and the selection of the Search Committee right after the service. We hope you are able to attend on Sunday. Serving on the […]
Slowly but surely, we are beginning to get ready to begin our Search for a settled minister. We appreciate the wonderful attendance and discussions after the service on Jan. 12. Wendy is interested in gathering our visions for the future of this church and for the qualities you would like to see in a minister. […]
The approach of a new year is a good time to reflect and to look ahead. We will be doing just that at First Parish. A small group representing Buildings and Grounds, Finance and the Parish Committee has been meeting to talk about the future of the Parsonage. This is an important asset for the […]
The beginning of the year is a time to re-assess and set some goals. These goals give shape to our work and help us keep priorities in mind as we confront the issues and tasks of Governance. This year, the Parish Committee goal is to take a wider view of our church by thinking about […]
The Parish Committee continued to be active throughout the summer. In August, we welcomed Rev. Wendy Bell as our Interim Minister. We are looking forward to working with her as we begin our journey into the future. In July, Parish Committee met to discuss what to do about our Parsonage, which is now empty as […]
It’s official! We have signed an agreement with Rev. Wendy Bell to work with us as our Interim Minister starting in August. Wendy will begin in Watertown the first week in August and will spend that time getting to know the staff and finding her way around the church office, etc. Because Wendy lives in […]
We are in the process of cleaning up and preparing to say goodbye and getting ready for a new journey! The Parish Committee has been very busy lately. We are pleased and excited that we have made an offer to Rev. Wendy Bell to be our Interim Minister starting in August. We are now in […]
Ministerial Transition The Parish Committee is getting ready to begin the hiring process for the Interim Minister. We have completedthe UUA Interim Minister application and posted it to the UUA Jobs Board. On Monday, April 29, we will receive the names of interested candidates for our Interim Ministry position. The Parish Committee will meet the […]
Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, April 28 right after church. Please see the warrant on the door of the sanctuary for details of the business to be considered. This year, the Parish Committee is proposing some changes to our by-laws as a way to bring into line our practices with our governing rules. We are making available a summary of changes and a copy of the current by-laws with proposed changes marked in red so that you can read them in advance.
As spring approaches, the pace behind the scenes at church feels like it is picking up speed. We are busily getting ready for our Annual Meeting on April 28 and planning for the upcoming ministerial transition. On March 10, we hosted a well-attended discussion of the process we can look forward to during the next […]
In order to be an effective organization, we rely on the work of our committees and our staff. Many committees and staff are focused on planning programs and activities to carry out our mission. There are other committees which work with staff to make sure that all runs smoothly and that we care for our finances […]
The Upcoming Ministerial Transition The Parish Committee has been spending time in each of its monthly meetings this church year, discussing the upcoming transition period which will begin when Mark Harris retires at the end of July. We have been in touch with the New England Region of the UUA and have been assigned a […]