Building Our Own
Leaders
Presented by
Mount Vernon Unitarian Church
Alexandria, VA
www.MVUC.org
The
Mount
Vernon
Unitarian
Church
Leadership Seminar
“Serving Those Who Serve Others”
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Sound familiar?
• "I finally figured out that when someone tells you, ‘It's no problem,’ he means, for him”
• "It's not a lot of work unless you have to do it.”
• "The only reason that anything ever gets done is because there are pockets of
competence in every organization. The key is to find them...and then exploit the hell
out of 'em”
• "We are condemned men who are chained and will row in place until we rot."
• "Hey, somebody should really do that..."
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Why a Home-Grown Course?
• Not everyone can attend District or other external training
• Leaders need congregation specific information
• This presents an opportunity to build a community of leaders
• For those intimidated by the idea of being a leader, this is a
gentle entry point, presented by people they know and trust
• This can be one component in a “farm team” system
Course Objectives
 To serve those who serve MVUC
 To provide information and resources
 To provide skills and tools
 To honor the 3 T’s (Time, Talent, & Treasure)
 To build a community of leaders and mentors
 To build and improve this leaders program
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Key Elements
• Work within the time people can allocate
• Friday night and Saturday morning
• Combine a mix of
•
•
•
Basic skills
MVUC specific information
Position specific assistance
Tailored to each group
• Draw on a wide variety of sources
•
•
UUA
Alban Institute
•
Institutional Best Practices
•
Experience within the congregation
•
Work Groups and Practical Exercises
•
Sing along
• Varied Approaches
•
•
Lecture
Plenary Discussion
• Strong emphasis on stewardship, community, and having some fun
Leader as Servant
The Servant-Leader is one who understands
that if you can grow the capacity of others to
be healthy emotionally and relationally, then
you will automatically grow the health of the
organization.
Dr. Jeffrey D. Yergler
The Servant Leader and the Exercise of Forgiveness in the Context of the Organization
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Friday, 6:00-6:15
Course Overview, Objectives
6:15 – 7:00
Introductions and Team Dinner
7:00 - 7:30
Leaders Panel
7:30 - 745
How We Work Together
7:45 – 8:15
Church Financials: Budget, Stewardship, Endowment
8:15 – 8:45
Rules and Regs Game
8:45 – 9:00
Wrap Up, Questions, Discussion, Sing Out
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MVUC Governance
Congregation
Nominating Committee
Mission & Vision
Special Committees
= Guidance
Annual,
Special
Meetings
= Professional Staff
= Support Staff
= As Required
= Coordination
Bylaws
Min. Search Comm.
Board
of
Trustees
Legend
Minister
Letters
of
Agreement
Program
Council
Intern Minister
Charters
Music
Director
Policies
Administrator
Employee
Handbook
Treasurer
Office Mgr.
Custodian
Property Mgr.
Rentals Coord.
Volunteer
Receptionists
Pianist
LSG
Director
LSG Asst.
Youth
Advisor
Nursery
Caregiver
Administration
and
Property
Membership
Council
Social Justice
Council
Lifespan Spiritual
Growth
Council
Communications
Council
Sunday
Services
Our Home
Community
The “Rules and Regs” Game
1. Participants form into two or three groups of 4-5 (count off).
2. Moderator distributes all questions in writing. Teams have 10 minutes to prepare answers.
3. Teams take turns answering questions. (Team members should take turns, too.)
4. Roles:
• Moderator asks questions
• Scorekeeper keeps track of points perteam and which persons have answered a question
• Judges award points for answers
Perfect = 3
(Correct answer plus citation of source.)
Pretty good = 2
(Correct answer.)
Barely acceptable = 1 (Answer partially correct.)
Sorry, no = 0
(Incorrect answer)
5. If members of one team don't answer correctly or completely, other team gets a chance.
6. If participants don't answer correctly, judges provide the correct answer (if they know).
7. (If time permits) Participants may ask questions of their own and judge the judges' answers.
The “Rules and Regs” Game
Example Question
5. A group of Board members is planning the Annual Congregational Meeting. One
suggests serving wine with the pot-luck supper. Another says she doesn’t think it’s a
good idea. The first member says, “We’ve served wine occasionally at church
functions, and I think it adds to the enjoyment. Heck, I’ll even provide it myself.”
Question: What are the rules about this?
The “Rules and Regs” Game
Answer (provided with other answers at the end of the game)
Policy - Alcohol at Church Events: “The function must be primarily a social
occasion. Alcohol may not be served in conjunction with worship or business
functions.”
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Saturday, 8:30 – 8:45
Welcome, Refreshments, Introduction
8:45 - 9:15
How Do I…?
9:15 – 9:45
Principles of Leadership
9:45 – 10:15
Effective Teams & Meetings
10:15 -10:30
BREAK
10:30 – 11:00
Small Groups – Case Study
11:00 - 11:45
Groups Present Case Solutions/Discussion by All
11:45 – 12:30
Wrap up, Summary, What Next? Opportunities to Serve
Graduation, Course Critiques
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How Do I…?
Example from “How Do I?”
How do I request that furniture be set up for an event in a special way?
For routine meetings, most people do their own setup. For special events, fill out a
"Custodian Work Order Request" form and put it in Anne Bredeck’s mailbox.
Blank forms are available in the rack on the side of the mailboxes in the hall outside the
church office.
Role Modeling
• Live our faith
• Be the image of the church, lead by example
• Practice our Covenant and Principles
• Be committed to quality programming
• All of us are lay ministers, in a 24/7 ministry
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Results to Date
• Over 70 graduates
• Moved from two courses annually to one as backlog was depleted
• Course outline and modules sent to many congregations around the
country following UUA LISTSERV discussions
• Some graduates are asking for opportunities to serve
• BOT reports improved performance from new members
• Slowly rotating the team of facilitators
What’s Next?
• Added a Conflict Management Course this year
• Working to improve coordination with BOT, Program Council,
and Nominating Committee to scout for potential leaders
• Looking to move to a combined Leadership DevelopmentNominating Team
• Hope to develop a more comprehensive, life span leader
development system
Points of Contact
• Bill Clontz – billclontz@me.com
• Ron Brandt – brandtron@verizon.net
• Slides for This Presentation –
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/53542594/MVUC%20Leadership%20Seminar%20-%20JPDV3.ppt
• Facilitator’s Guide –
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/53542594/LST%20Facilitators%20Guide.doc
• Slides for a Sample Course –
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/53542594/LST%20April%202011%20V2.ppt
The
Mount
Vernon
Unitarian
Church
Leadership Seminar
“Serving Those Who Serve Others”