Congregational Conversations
Moving Fairlawn Forward
Special Congregational Online Meeting
Sunday, October 2, 2022
The Agenda for our meeting is as follows:
• Community of Faith Profile Approval
• Search Committee Update
• An Update on our Future Options and Directions
Each community of faith in The United Church of Canada is responsible for maintaining an online Community of Faith profile (COFP). The core elements of a COFP for a congregation searching for a new minister are the:
• Living Faith Story
• Financial Viability Review
• Minister Position Description
Our living faith story articulates our ministry focus – our beliefs, our ministry needs, and our financial realities. This document was introduced at the congregational consultation on June 5, and includes the call and vision first presented on April 2. Input from these sessions has been incorporated into the document. The Fairlawn Forward team refined the document, with the support of our consultants at TUCC, over the summer months. Additionally, the team met with Governing Council and the Board of Trustees on September 17, and further refined the document based on that session.
The financial viability review was created by Steve Dunk with support from Heather de la Rua. It will be accompanied by the 2021 Financial Statements as presented at the last AGM.
The position description was drafted by the Fairlawn Forward team, and an early draft was shared with our Human Resources and Relationships (HR&R) Council and Associate Minister Jean Ward for input.
All three documents were reviewed and subsequently approved by Governing Council and Dale Hildebrand on behalf of Shining Waters Regional Council, and are recommended for your approval.
Below are lonks to the three Community of Faith Profile documents that were presented for congregational approval on October 2, as well as an update on Assessing our Future Options and Directions (for information only).
• Fairlawn 2022 Living Faith Story-Sept 17
• Fairlawn 2022 Financial Viability Review-Sept 17
• Fairlawn 2022 Minister Position Description-Sept 17
• Update on Our Future Options and Directions-Sept 20 – Not for approval
Outcome
The congregation voted unanimously to approve the three COFP documents on October 2. Subsequently, the position description for a new minister was posted on ChurchHub, and the Search Committee, headed by Doug Crozier, is conducting its work, supported by a Liaison from Shining Waters Regional Council. The congregation will receive regular updates and opportunities for engagement to prepare well for this process and its outcome.
- Living Faith Story–Oct 2
- Financial Viability Review–Oct 2
- Minister Position Description–Oct 2
Summer 2022
Over the summer, and into the fall, the Fairlawn Forward team continued refining the living faith story and continued to develop and validate the three draft proposals presented on May 14, incorporating your input and perhaps investigating other alternatives proposed by you. If you are interested in participating in this exploratory work, please contact gc@fairlawnavenueunited.ca.
The Community of Faith Profile, including an updated living faith story, was presented to the congregation for approval on Sunday, October 2 at a formal congregational meeting.
Once approved by Shining Waters Regional Council, the search process can officially begin, with the goal of having a new minister in place by summer 2023.
Congregational Conversation Sessions
Session 4: Telling our Living Faith Story
Sunday, June 5, 2022
In this session, we shared a draft of this document, our Living Faith Story, for input. The story articulates our beliefs, ministry needs and financial realities and is a key element of the Community of Faith Profile needed to initiate a ministerial search. It tells others – including prospective ministers – who we are, why we exist and what future options might best serve our vision and purpose as a faith community.
Session 3: Assessing Our Future Options and Directions
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Our goal for this session was to explore what future path(s) we could pursue in the next phase of our church’s life. We looked at a wide spectrum of possible futures or strategic options:
- Renew our focus as an independent congregation
- Form a strong partnership with a community organization
- Amalgamate with another nearby congregation
- Accept the current path of graceful decline
- Close as a congregation
We created a video to introduce three strategic proposals, each a combination of Options A and B. The proposals were characterized as examples of ways that Fairlawn could remain viable so that core elements such as worship, music, pastoral care, small group ministry and other activities could continue to be offered. A straw poll at the end of the session confirmed that 97% of participants agreed that we should continue to focus on renewing our congregational work and pursue some form of community partnership.
Session 2: Refreshing Our Call and Vision for Ministry
Saturday, April 2, 2022
In Session 2, we reviewed a draft call and vision statement for Fairlawn. A revised version incorporating congregational feedback can be found on page 3 of our Living Faith Story. We have called it a Pathway to a Vision because we believe that we need to work together to best identify our future direction, in collaboration with our next minister. We also looked at our ongoing activities to consider how they align with our sense of vision and purpose and some of the realities that we are facing.
Session 1: Setting the Scene
Sunday, March 13, 2022
The first session provided a brief overview of the external and internal forces at play as we look to the future and prepare to call a new minister. This session was an opportunity for all of us to acknowledge and celebrate our faith community. It was a reminder of where we have been, and an opportunity to express hopes and reservations about where we are going next.
Moving Fairlawn Forward
Turing Transition Into Transformation
Message from Mary Ellen Richardson, Chair of Governing Council
Thursday, March 3, 2022
There are times when our future is decided for us. A health crisis, a third party’s decision, a pandemic. Sometimes, we have no choice about the changes in our lives. We just need to adapt to them.
There are other times when we have the power to choose our direction. This can be difficult too. There are a lot of decisions to be made … whether to travel or stay put; whether to downsize or stay in the “family” home; whether to gather with friends and family or stay cocooned; whether to try that new job or stay “safe” in the familiar?
Right now, I’m finding it tough to make those decisions. Perhaps you are too.
There is still much uncertainty about the future. So much has already changed. In our world and in our country. And, we have changed.
And yet, there is also a glimmer of excitement, of hope, of opportunity, of power. I feel I have regained the ability to make some of my own decisions.
One thing needs no decision. We cannot go backwards!
Despite our yearning for the past, we expect to see the emergence of a new ‘normalized’ world. It will not be what we used to consider normal, predictable, or entirely stable.
Fairlawn has changed too. Inside and outside of our walls, we have seen an acceleration in the rate of change and pressures that affect our church.
Over the coming months, Fairlawn will need to not only accept “Pandemic” changes, but to embrace change as an opportunity, to reimagine the future use of the building and re-emerge with a renewed sense of mission. This is an exciting opportunity to build on what we have learned, the skills we are mastering, and the passion we have always had for social justice.
As we continue to care for each other we are working on the next phase of our transition planning. We are calling this phase of our transition work Fairlawn Forward. We intend to affirm our vision and consider future options that will best serve that vision. The key question for us is:
How do we best steward our resources – people, passion, skills, building, financial – to serve our mission?
We have put together a team to work with Governing Council and Toronto United Church Council (TUCC) to guide us through the next 16 months as we consider three streams to this work:
1. Addressing pastoral and community needs as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Exploring future options for using our resources to support our vision.
3. Creating a profile of who we are and where we want to go, in preparation for calling a new Minister to support our vision.
We have created spaces for you to come together and have conversations that matter – about Fairlawn’s future. Here are the dates:
• Sunday, March 13 – Setting the Scene: Moving Fairlawn Forward (via Zoom)
• Saturday, April 2 – Refreshing Our Call and Vision for Ministry (via Zoom)
• Saturday, May 14 – Assessing Our Future Options and Directions (via Zoom)
• Sunday, June 5 – Telling our Living Faith Story (via Zoom)
We will be sending you more information about these sessions closer to the dates.
Fairlawn has long been known for its creative, generous, and enthusiastic response to supporting our Fairlawn community and, through Fairlawn, the broader world. This is not going to change.
Join Us! We invite you to engage in conversations that matter at this pivotal step of our faith journey. We need your voice to help shape our future together. We hope to have your voice to help shape our future, together. Please, mark your calendars!
If you wish to talk, please let me know at: gc@fairlawnavenueunited.ca.
