Shared Ministry

Our Committee on Shared Ministry consists of church members who have been nominated by the Minister and Board President and selected by the Board of Trustees to serve First Universalist in the following ways:

  • Aiding the Minister in carrying on effective ministry by being available for counsel
  • Moving the congregation toward a model of transformative conflict resolution
  • Being attentive to stresses in the congregation and, when appropriate, bringing them to the attention of the leadership who may, at their discretion, enact our Safe Congregation Policy, Disruptive Behavior policy, and/or access District resources
  • Keeping the Minister advised about conditions in the congregation as they affect relations between the Minister and members
  • Interpreting to the congregation the nature and scope of the work of the Minister, including a clarification of role expectations for the Minister and members
  • Working with the Minister on the Minister's continuing education program, sabbatical planning or other professional development
  • Providing annually to the Board of Trustees a written review of the Ministries of the church - reporting briefly on the state of the Councils and Committees that serve our Programs and Governance structures and their progress toward our Mission Statement, as well as reporting on the Minister's performance in supporting our Mission
The proceedings of the Committee on Shared Ministry are confidential. You may contact a COM member at any time if you would like to give feedback about our programs and ministries. We love to hear positive feedback as well as critique and criticism! If you find yourself in conflict with our Minister, a staff person, or another congregant, please contact us. We will facilitate a discussion and resolution with that person or group. Current COM members are: Laurel Amabile, Tom Carlisle, Jane Makela, Barbara Trentacosta and Jeff O'Brien. Contact information for each member of the COM is listed in our Member Directory.