Candidating Week
04-30-2023 - 05-07-2023
All Day
Candidating Week Schedule: April 30 – May 7
Click below for a comprehensive schedule of dates, times, directions, & sign-ups
We welcome you to participate, as you are able, in the festivities of this week. It is an opportunity to meet Reverend Marcus Liefert, experience his ministry in action, and connect with him on a personal level.
- Navigation Tips: The calendar can be viewed as an At-a-Glance chart OR Daily Itinerary with direct links to sign-up tabs on the google sheet.
- Navigation Bookmarks: Clicking on the link will allow you to get to your preferred section quickly instead of scrolling.
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At-a-Glance Calendar, Daily Itinerary Calendar, Congregational Vote
At-a-Glance Calendar
Daily Itinerary Schedule
Below is a schedule of general all-church gatherings with the minister that are designed to be social. Rev. Marcus will meet with some groups to better understand the more critical areas of UUCB. These meetings may be more “business” in nature, are restricted to the members of that particular group and can be accessed through the more comprehensive schedule HERE.
| Navigation Tip: The legend designates if an event will be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. To get to the dates, more quickly, click on the link for the day you want to go to. |
Sunday, April 30
10 – 11 am Breakfast: Coffee, Bagels, Muffins, and Fruit
9:15 am – 2 pm CHILDCARE
- Pre-service Greeting: 10:30 am |in-person| Don’t be shy. Say hi. Introduce yourself.
- Worship Service: 11:00 am |hybrid| livestream on You Tube, livestream on Facebook
- Coffee/Tea/Chat Time: 12:30 pm |in-person| only 30 min this Sunday
- Open Forum: 1:00 pm |in-person| Q & A session with Rev. Marcus
Monday, May 1
- Hike with Rev. Marcus: 10:45 am |in-person| Walk & talk, meet at UUCB.
Tuesday, May 2
- Social Gathering: 4-6 pm (Click here to RSVP) |in-person| Hosts – Dave Roberts & Gail Simpson
- Open House: 6:30 pm |virtual| Share cocktails & conversation over Zoom. ZOOM LINK.
Wednesday, May 3
- Morning Meditation, 9:00 am (half hour) |virtual| ZOOM LINK
- Lunch, 12:00 pm |virtual| Join us for lunchtime conversation, ZOOM LINK.
Thursday, May 4
- Reverse Q&A, 9:00 am |virtual| Rev. Marcus asks questions, ZOOM LINK.
- Lunch, 12:00 pm |virtual| Join us for lunchtime conversation, ZOOM LINK.
- Potluck, 5:30 pm, food & drinks sign-up |in-person| Dinner & conversation
Friday, May 5
- Picnic in the Park, 4:30 pm |in-person| Calling all families, youth, kids, & the young-at-heart, meet at Arlington Park, El Cerrito
Saturday, May 6
- Minister’s Day Off, no events
Sunday, May 7
9 – 11 am Breakfast: Coffee, Bagels, Muffins, and Fruit
9:15 am – 1 pm CHILDCARE
- Personal Theology, 9:30 am, |hybrid| Guest – Rev. Marcus, ZOOM LINK.
- Pre-service Greeting: 10:30 am |in-person| Don’t be shy. Say hi. Introduce yourself.
- Worship Service: 11:00 am |hybrid| livestream on You Tube, livestream on Facebook
- Congregational Vote to Call Minister 12:30 pm |hybrid| ZOOM LINK see below for meeting ID and passcode information.
- Lunch |in-person| immediately following the Congregational Meeting and vote
Congregational Meeting & Vote
Candidating week culminates with a special Congregational Meeting. On Sunday, May 7, we’ll gather together in the Congregational Meeting to vote to call (accept) the candidate, Reverend Marcus Liefert, to be our settled, Senior Minister.
Here are a few important things to know about this process. According to our bylaw 8.1, “Called Minister(s) shall be chosen by at least a 90% vote of members of the Church present and voting at a congregational meeting duly called for that purpose.”
- You must be a member of UUCB to vote.
- You must be present in person or on Zoom to vote.
- Once it is confirmed that there is a quorum, voting will take place during the Congregational Meeting.
- Those attending in person will vote by paper ballot; those online will do so electronically via Zoom.
- There will be no absentee voting. There will be no extended voting.
The Congregational Meeting will take place in the Sanctuary immediately after service and will be held in person and virtually (ZOOM LINK; Meeting ID: 384 464 1385 Password: 5250302). For access or technical assistance contact: Techsupport@uucb.org or comment in the Zoom.
We welcome and encourage all UUCB members to be part of this extraordinary event in the life of our congregation. Please plan on attending the Congregational Meeting in person or online. Please vote!
Members are voting on:
- whether they affirm the comprehensive, inclusive, collaborative, transparent process which was used to find the candidate
- whether the congregation was heard by the search committee
- whether the congregation was represented accurately by the search committee
- whether they believe the search committee saw the gifts of ministry which the congregation needs in the candidate
- whether the congregation is willing to move into a shared ministry partnership with the candidate whom the search committee identified as a good match for the congregation’s needs
- what is best for the whole congregation
Members are not voting on:
- whether individuals think they would have chosen the candidate who was identified by the search committee on their own, given what they know about the congregation
- whether individuals think, based on two sermons, every sermon the candidate preaches will or will not speak perfectly to the hearts and minds of every single member every single time
- whether there might be a better match out there somewhere
- whether the candidate is the perfect minister. Ministers come with different skills in worship arts, pastoral care, administrative/organizational work, and social witness presence. No minister will have a high level of skill or interest in ALL of those elements of the ministry. The shared ministry of the congregation will and should shift with the skills and interests of the new minister.
- what is best for a particular individual within the congregation
Minister Accepts the Call – What Happens Next
CELEBRATE!!! Once a minister accepts the call, a start date is mutually agreed upon. It is typically some time in August.
→ The minister will sign the final contract that was approved by the Board.
→ The search committee will notify the UUA of the vote results, wrap up its work, celebrate, and disband.
→ The Interim Minister, Board, and church administration (ED & staff) will collaborate to ensure there is support and a smooth transition for the new minister.
→ A Committee on Ministry, a group of congregants to support the minister, will be formed.
