An introductory letter written to members of the newly formed UCUMC Outreach Committee but a statement open to comment from all

Greetings and THANK YOU to all recipients of this message for agreeing to serve on the newly formed UCUMC Committee on Outreach and Local Mission! 

Our committee membership is listed below:

Diane White
Phil Long
Brian Misch
Larry Loffman
Patricia Roberts
Jennifer Bier
Cheryl Drake
Susan Achberger
Juliette Regnier
Marilyn Sutton

I am very thankful to chair this committee and to have such enthusiastic support from all of you!!  We will certainly do good work.
 
Our committee's work officially begins in January.  Here is our description:
 
The Outreach Committee identifies opportunities to coordinate and promote activities that minister to our Cleveland neighborhood residents and our emerging global community.  Additionally, the committee will develop and encourage partnerships within our local community that honor diversity and assistance with basic physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
 
It's certainly very ambitious and wide-reaching, but we are definitely well-equipped to perform this work.  We have several programs already in place at UCUMC, like the Neighborhood Lunch program and our work with Willow School, that are thriving and are counted on by members of our community.  We certainly need to develop MORE programming like this, both on a recurring basis and on a project-style basis.
 
As I have come to understand, as members of the Outreach Committee, it is our charge to perform several functions:

1. To receive from others and personally identify potential outreach ministry,
2. To administer and implement programming that we decide (in conjunction with the staff) to be the most appropriate use of resources,
3. To promote and drive participation in this outreach ministry.

To be clear, I'm sure we will each be involved in one or more of the mission opportunities that are deployed, but our primary focus is to do the work of organizing the outreach and doing our best to drive a high level of participation from members and friends of the UCUMC community!
 
As with any committee, but ESPECIALLY this brand-new committee, our focus and goals will be refined as the process evolves.  Everyone's suggestions are certainly welcome and encouraged.  A bonus to our status as charter members of this new committee is an increased degree of influence over what we do as a group, and how we do it.  We are setting the course of this committee for the present and the future!
 
I will be doing some preliminary legwork this month to gather potential outreach programming beyond what is currently established at UCUMC.  I would very much like to hear from each of you what your ideas are for outreach at UCUMC.  Please don't hesitate to contact me with your ideas and suggestions, both broad and specific.
 
I will be organizing a meeting time for early January so that we can all get to know one another as we embark on this work. Incidentally, please let me know if there are days of the week that are better/worse for you.  This will help me for scheduling.
 
Thank you all, again.  I am looking forward to what we as a committee can accomplish, leading UCUMC's mission efforts for our neighborhood and beyond!
 
Doug Blank
dblank3@gmail.com

Posted via email from OneCoolGod at UCUMC