We Are in a State of Transition
Join us as we search for a new Minister and Director of Religious Education
Farewell Events for Kimi and Jan
Save the Dates!
Farewell Virtual Event for Jan Price
Saturday, January 16th at 11:00 am
Farewell Virtual Event for Kimi Riegel
Saturday, January 23rd at 4:00 pm
Farewell Virtual Event for Jan Price
Saturday, January 16th at 11:00 am
Farewell Virtual Event for Kimi Riegel
Saturday, January 23rd at 4:00 pm
Minister Transition
Starting January 2021, Xina Stewart will serve as the volunteer Head of Staff until August 2021, when the Interim Minister starts. In this role, Xina will attend the weekly staff meetings, monitor payroll, and handle any conflicts along with the assistance from members of the Committee on Ministry and Right Relationships (COMRR).
Our contract for an Independent Consulting Minister has been accepted by the Rev. Joanne Giannino, a UU Minister based in Vermont. This person is contracted to be available 5-7 hours a month, starting January 1, 2021, as a resource for Xina Stewart in her role as the layperson Head of Staff for Northwest until the Interim Minister begins in August 2021.
Pastoral Care Team
Peter Gabel will serve as the chair of the Pastoral Care Team along with our Ministerial Intern, Joshua Berg. If you or anyone you know is in need of pastoral care, please contact either Peter or Joshua. They are here for you and will connect you with someone on the team. Contact Information: Peter Gabel - pegabel@gmail.com; (248) 245-2015
Joshua Berg - joshua@michiganhumanist.org; (818) 530-6001
Minister's Discretionary Fund
This fund is availabe to Northwest members and friends in cases of financial hardship particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Confidential financial assistance from the Minister's Discretionary Fund can be made to Peter Gabel (Pastoral Care), Xina Stewart (Head of Staff), or Sheryl Goldberg (Membership Governor).
Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday morning worship services will be coordinated by the Worship Committee, chaired by Diana Kohler. Services will be led by lay members, our Ministerial Intern, Joshua Berg, as well as guest speakers on Sunday mornings. Our Choir Director, Ken Hermonat, and our Pianist, Alex Meyers, will continue providing music for our online services.
Operations
The Board of Governors has moved our Congregational Administrator, Ben Gabel, from 3/4 time to full time to continue with the day-to-day operations and to assist the Transition Team which includes Linda Gobeski, Amy Rebant, and Kathy Henry. Also, our Custodian, Brian MacFarland, continues to monitor the building and doing small projects while our building remains closed.
The selection of the Interim Minister Search Committee will be finalized by the end of this month. The chair of the Interim Minister Search Committee will be Linda Gobeski. The committee will consist of 3 - 4 elected members from the Board of Governors. Their work will begin in February 2021 with the bulk of the work being done between the end of April through mid-May. The Board anticipates an Interim Minister to start August 2021, thus beginning our 2-year Interim Minister period.
Congregation members will have the opportunity to affirm the members for the Settled Minister Search Committee at a Congregational Meeting in early 2022. The Settled Minister Search Committee will begin their work in February 2022 and the search process will continue until the congregation votes to call a settled minister in late May-June 2023.
REMINDER:
Kimi Riegel will no longer be available for counsel to Northwest members and friends as of January 1, 2021. This period of no contact will continue for three years until January 2024.
Our contract for an Independent Consulting Minister has been accepted by the Rev. Joanne Giannino, a UU Minister based in Vermont. This person is contracted to be available 5-7 hours a month, starting January 1, 2021, as a resource for Xina Stewart in her role as the layperson Head of Staff for Northwest until the Interim Minister begins in August 2021.
Pastoral Care Team
Peter Gabel will serve as the chair of the Pastoral Care Team along with our Ministerial Intern, Joshua Berg. If you or anyone you know is in need of pastoral care, please contact either Peter or Joshua. They are here for you and will connect you with someone on the team. Contact Information: Peter Gabel - pegabel@gmail.com; (248) 245-2015
Joshua Berg - joshua@michiganhumanist.org; (818) 530-6001
Minister's Discretionary Fund
This fund is availabe to Northwest members and friends in cases of financial hardship particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Confidential financial assistance from the Minister's Discretionary Fund can be made to Peter Gabel (Pastoral Care), Xina Stewart (Head of Staff), or Sheryl Goldberg (Membership Governor).
Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday morning worship services will be coordinated by the Worship Committee, chaired by Diana Kohler. Services will be led by lay members, our Ministerial Intern, Joshua Berg, as well as guest speakers on Sunday mornings. Our Choir Director, Ken Hermonat, and our Pianist, Alex Meyers, will continue providing music for our online services.
Operations
The Board of Governors has moved our Congregational Administrator, Ben Gabel, from 3/4 time to full time to continue with the day-to-day operations and to assist the Transition Team which includes Linda Gobeski, Amy Rebant, and Kathy Henry. Also, our Custodian, Brian MacFarland, continues to monitor the building and doing small projects while our building remains closed.
The selection of the Interim Minister Search Committee will be finalized by the end of this month. The chair of the Interim Minister Search Committee will be Linda Gobeski. The committee will consist of 3 - 4 elected members from the Board of Governors. Their work will begin in February 2021 with the bulk of the work being done between the end of April through mid-May. The Board anticipates an Interim Minister to start August 2021, thus beginning our 2-year Interim Minister period.
Congregation members will have the opportunity to affirm the members for the Settled Minister Search Committee at a Congregational Meeting in early 2022. The Settled Minister Search Committee will begin their work in February 2022 and the search process will continue until the congregation votes to call a settled minister in late May-June 2023.
REMINDER:
Kimi Riegel will no longer be available for counsel to Northwest members and friends as of January 1, 2021. This period of no contact will continue for three years until January 2024.
Director of Religious Education (DRE) Transition
Since Northwest is Jan’s home congregation as well as her employer, the Transition Team plans to reexamine what the “no contact” guidelines will look like after Jan retires. Like many who retire from a long-served position, especially where it is “your” church community as well, some time away will be necessary to reestablish an identity separate from the professional position you had retired from. This will be no easy task. Most importantly, we want to ensure that any successors of the DRE position will be able to be free to be themselves and to share their talents with us while we mourn our loss, but also embrace a new beginning. Thank you, Jan, for your love and dedication for the religious education and youth programs at Northwest.
The hiring team for the Short-Term Virtual DRE position includes Kimi Riegel, Julie Verriest, Ann Love, and Eva Leventer. They are currently in the process of interviewing final candidates and will have an announcement soon! This staff person will work remotely with the Youth Programs Committee and will begin January 2, 2021 and end in June 2021. Thank you to the Youth Programs Committee for their great work and thank you Kimi for one of her last hurrahs for guiding this process.
The Board hopes to have members for the Acting/Interim DRE Search Committee selected in January 2021. Their work will begin in February 2021. We anticipate having an Acting/Interim DRE start in August 2021.
The hiring team for the Short-Term Virtual DRE position includes Kimi Riegel, Julie Verriest, Ann Love, and Eva Leventer. They are currently in the process of interviewing final candidates and will have an announcement soon! This staff person will work remotely with the Youth Programs Committee and will begin January 2, 2021 and end in June 2021. Thank you to the Youth Programs Committee for their great work and thank you Kimi for one of her last hurrahs for guiding this process.
The Board hopes to have members for the Acting/Interim DRE Search Committee selected in January 2021. Their work will begin in February 2021. We anticipate having an Acting/Interim DRE start in August 2021.
Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Address: 23925 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48075
Phone: (248) 354-4488
Address: 23925 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48075
Phone: (248) 354-4488