UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

SUMMARY CHURCH PROFILE

First Congregational Church of Rowley

Rowley, Massachusetts, USA

Interim Minister, Reverend Lee Ireland

March 31, 2019

Validation Date: April 16, 2019

➢ Position Posting 2

➢ Appendixes 12

➢ 1) Depictions of Our Church 12

➢ 2) Introduction (“Ad”) for Candidates 18

“God is able to provide you with every blessing, so that

having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

(2 Corinthians 9:8)

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1. POSITION POSTING

a. LISTING INFORMATION

b. SCOPE OF WORK

c. COMPENSATION & SUPPORT

d. WHO IS GOD CALLING TO MINISTER WITH US?

1a. LISTING INFORMATION

NOTE: See Appendix 2 for the Introductory Article (‘Ad”) to be published for the church

Church name: First Congregational Church of Rowley (FCCR)

Street address: 175 Main Street, Rowley, MA, USA 01969 Supplemental web links: http://www.firstchurchrowley.org/ Church e-mail: first.church@verizon.net Additional ecumenical affiliations (e.g. denominations, communions, fellowships): Conference: Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ Association: Northeast Association UCC Conference or Association Staff Contact Person (Name, Title, Phone, Email):

Rev. Donald Remick, Transitional Interim Conference Minister Rev. Wendy Vander Hart, Associate Conference Minister

Summary Ministry Description: In a short paragraph, reflect on where your church is going and what it might look like when you get there. What do you need to get there? Who are you seeking to join you on this part of your church’s faith journey? The First Congregational Church of Rowley is a small church where the faith community demonstrates love in a warm, comfortable “family” atmosphere. We are experiencing a transition as the church congregation ages and the number of active, younger members decreases due to graduating, going to college, and starting careers and families away from the community. We are actively working to foster growth of faith amongst the population by supporting the aging congregation while also seeking to find new ways to continue providing spiritually

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nurturing opportunities for younger families and individuals in our community and surrounding towns. As a congregation we seek a minister to participate in, and enhance, our efforts. We seek a religious leader who can relate to and understand the needs of our current congregation and community, and work with us to develop and cultivate ways to remain a vital presence in the community. During our transition period we have learned much about ourselves as a congregation and have demonstrated the resolve to move forward and adapt to the changes around us. Founded in 1639, our history with Rowley is as old as the town itself. We want to bring more life into the church, increase our connection with the community, and at the same time, honor our historical roots.

To accommodate the many conflicting family commitments on weekends, we are experimenting with an expanded schedule to conduct services, offer quiet time and conduct events beyond the normal Sunday morning or weekend focal points. Realizing music is a universal language that speaks to multiple generations, our efforts include exploring contemporary services to stay relevant in today’s society. Recently, our congregation unanimously voted to expand our music program and leverage music as a way to resonate with people inside and outside our current church family. We now offer a music-focused Wednesday night alternative service as a creative option to our regular traditional Sunday worship services. Our Mission Statement captures this goal and reflects our desires:

“Rooted in faith, supported by love, a beacon of God’s light, welcoming all.”

Photographs: Insert 1 – 3 images of your church, its people, its parsonage or building or gathering space, etc. See the pictures that follow and Appendix 1 for more photographs

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Our Church and the Education Wing

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The Sanctuary

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What we value about living in our area (2 – 3 sentences): Rowley is a small coastal town, situated in the northeast portion of Massachusetts, approximately 45 minutes north of Boston. The town has grown over the last few decades, slowly transforming from the rural agricultural community it once was, to a more suburban town. Despite the growth in population, Rowley maintains its reputation of being a small town of caring citizens. Residents enjoy the natural wonders of the area (beaches, open land, Rowley River, the Great Marsh) as well as the relative proximity to the urban attractions of Boston, nearby mountains and lake regions of New England. Current size of membership: 142 active members Languages used in ministry (other than English): None Position Title: Senior Minister (a full-time, settled pastor) Position Duration (choose one, delete the other options listed): Settled Pastor (Although our clear preference is for a full-time settled pastor, we are open to evaluating other options if you are the right person but need to work less than full time due to family commitments such as children, aging parents or transitioning from another responsibility.)

Compensation Level (choose one, delete the other options listed): Full Time Does the total support package meet conference compensation guidelines? We offer a package developed by our church that is competitive, negotiable and fair to everyone.

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1b. SCOPE OF WORK (add here the Scope of Work developed by your church using the Call Agreement Workbook) Based on the UCC Call Agreement - Scope of Work template, we wish to fill a full time Pastoral Position (40 – 50 hours weekly / 10 – 12 units). The Ministerial Responsibilities will consist of the following: • Preparation and leadership of Sunday worship including scripture study,

crafting of liturgy and bulletin, sermon preparation, planning of music in coordination with Organist and Music Director, preaching and offering of prayers

• Leadership development by working with people in the church to create ministry and programs

• Community engagement and leading the way for the church to be an ambassador of God’s love

• Strategic planning for current and new directions in ministry • Baptisms, weddings and funerals for members and local, non-members, if

requested • Attendance at Board and Committee meetings and collaboration with lay

leadership, as needed • Pastoral care in collaboration with lay people • Counseling, listening and referrals

The time commitment associated with each of these components will vary from week to week as the life of the church and community necessitates. Core Competencies: (List three core competencies that you imagine could be foundational in your next minister’s relationship with the church. For example, a church seeking a pastoral care minister might hope to call someone who is caring, sensitive and sociable, while a church seeking an executive minister might want an organized, detail-oriented and time-conscious person.) The First Congregational Church of Rowley seeks a pastor who possesses the following competencies and shows a demonstrated willingness to foster and increase communication and activities around the following:

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1) Creative, Energetic, Enthusiastic • Ready to face the challenge of reinvigorating an aging church • Values reaching out and engaging millennials, as well as the broader

community • Will work to increase the age range of active participants

2) Collaborative, constructive leader; Respectful of others’ opinions • Enjoys working with the Youth Director, each young person and the Youth

Group • Willingly collaborate with our Organist, Music Director, Administrative

Assistant and Sexton

3) Approachable, Caring, Outgoing, Committed • Is approachable, patient and caring with all people at all times • Is willing to be actively involved in church functions outside of the Sunday

services

1c. COMPENSATION AND SUPPORT

Salary Basis (from the Call Agreement Workbook, equal to Cash Salary plus Value of Parsonage/Housing Allowance): $ $40,000 - $50,000 salary $16,800 rental value of parsonage $18,000 - $22,000 in benefits Benefits (choose one): Salary plus Benefits

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What is the expected living situation for your next minister (e.g. parsonage, living nearby with a housing allowance, living elsewhere to commute as needed)? The church owns a parsonage, located on the same property of the church. While the parsonage to the church is on the church campus, the congregation totally honors and respects the privacy of the minister and his or her family, in their private home. The church becomes involved only to ensure proper maintenance of the property. Comment on the residential/commuting expectations for your next minister. The preferred living situation would be for the next minister to live in the parsonage and become a resident of Rowley. State any incentives (e.g. school debt reduction or retention bonus after a certain number of years in position): To be discussed with the candidates, as needed. Describe peer and professional supports available for ministers in your association/conference:

• Interfaith Group of Clergy meets regularly in Newburyport • Associate Conference Minister for the Northeast Association and

Metropolitan Boston – Wendy Vander Hart • The single Conference to be formed from a gathering of MA, CT and RI

conferences • Northeast Association • Ipswich Interfaith Clergy Group – for ministerial interaction and programs

for parishioners • Conference of Minister for Massachusetts

If applicable, describe how your church will adopt part-time adjustments in the pastoral schedule to support a minister’s bi-vocational employment: Not Applicable

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1d. WHO IS GOD CALLING TO MINISTER WITH US?

Describe the ministry goals you envision your next minister co-collaborating with the congregation to achieve.

• Improve the membership level of the church by interacting positively with the youth in the church and community and respecting and including long time members and friends of the church

• Act as a role model who values integrity, character, family values and social conscience

• Be motivated to help develop alternatives to Sunday morning worship while reaching out to engage the community, leveraging the strengths of the whole congregation and the Church Boards and committees

• Be motivated to help with fundraising, membership retention and membership development

Describe how your vision of the minister you are now seeking will assist the congregation in making an impact beyond its walls.

• The new minister will need to engage with all members, maintain the basic traditional aspects of the Congregational Church, yet be able to provide and be comfortable with exploring alternative and contemporary ideas to foster membership growth

• Be a liaison between the church and organizations that may want or need to be affiliated with the church

• Be a representative of our church in the community and area

• Provide outreach to community organizations, other churches, sports teams and families in Rowley and surrounding communities to involve people in the life of the church

• Implement Youth programs that foster faith, fellowship, friendship, character, integrity and civic values

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• Develop intergenerational roles so every member of the congregation can interact with people of all ages, because we recognize to build faith, character, enthusiasm and compassion is a collaborative effort.

Specify language requirements or culturally-specific capacities preferred in a next ministerial leader, and why those matter to the congregation’s sense of calling.

English speaking but no other specific requirements

Based on what you have learned about who your church is, who your church’s neighbor is, and who God is calling the church to become, describe four areas of excellence from The Marks

of Faithful & Effective Authorized Ministry that your next minister will display to further equip the congregation’s ministry in these areas.

• Sermon content and delivery (Bringing life to sacred stories and traditions in worship, proclamation, and witness) ENGAGING SACRED STORIES AND TRADITIONS

including: Maturing in effective proclamation and preaching; Understanding the history of the Christian

Church, from biblical times forward; Bringing life to sacred stories and traditions in worship,

proclamation, and witness; Leading faith formation effectively across generations.

• Engaging in outreach activities (Strategically creating the future of God’s church) WORKING TOGETHER FOR JUSTICE AND MERCY including: Identifying and working to

overcome explicit and implicit bias in the life of the Church; Understanding community context and

navigating change with a community; Engaging in mission and outreach; Building relationships of mutual

trust and interdependence.

• Relationship builder (Working collaboratively with intercultural awareness and sensitivity) BUILDING TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS including: Witnessing in the

public square to God’s redeeming power; Performing necessary and appropriate administrative tasks;

Working collaboratively with intercultural awareness and sensitivity.

• Able to relate the importance of old teachings to the modern world (Leading faith formation effectively across generations) STRENGTHENING INTER- AND INTRA-

PERSONAL ASSETS focusing particularly on: Respecting the dignity of all God’s people; Understanding

and ministering to stages of human development across the life span; Demonstrating excellent

communication skills.

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Appendices

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Appendix 1

Additional Photographs: Depictions of Our Church

Our Church, Our Spirit…

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The Chancel

A Sunday Service

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Missions Committee Fundraiser – Children’s Limo Ride

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Children, Youth and Adults participating in the 2018 Christmas Pageant

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Celebrating Our Church Anniversary

Fun at the annual Olde Tyme Country Fair

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Views of the Parsonage

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Appendix 2

Introduction (the Ad) for Ministerial Candidates - to be posted on UCC website

Ad for Ordained Minister

Our Invitation to You: A Pastoral Candidate seeking a motivated Church Family:

The First Congregational Church, UCC, of Rowley is seeking an ordained minister to collaborate with our congregation in our faith journey toward sustainability and growth. We have a vibrant, aging congregation and a youth group eager to learn and grow. We want to continue to spread Christ's message, expand our faith family and become a greater beacon of light and hope for our community attracting new young families moving into our area. Our congregation seeks a minister who can relate to and understand the needs of our current church while supporting us to embrace change within a stable community of faith. We are searching for a minister who can relate the Scripture to our everyday lives. Our new pastor must possess strong leadership skills, be comfortable with a small community environment, yet have the capacity for a large and expansive vision of what we can become.

Our congregation unanimously voted to expand our music program and leverage music to supplement the traditional service by offering alternative and/or contemporary services in hopes of reaching people outside of our current church family. We hold annual fund-raising events which bind us together into a family of faith. Our "Thrift Shop" is a work of love and has become a profitable effort. We are the gathering place for many community-based organizations such as the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and AA. We are currently evaluating the option of making our large physical space available to rent as another source of income. Our creative and hardworking congregation is open to new ideas and would welcome and embrace an energetic minister who would join us in that spirit of creativity and vibrancy.

Rowley is a small seacoast community nestled between Ipswich and Newburyport, 30 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts and directly on the Newburyport Commuter Rail line. Our history within the community is as old as the town itself, founded in 1639. We are the "go to" community church for those who seek intermittent attendance along with other pastoral services. Our church maintains strong ecumenical ties with the greater community of faith. We live by our Mission Statement:

"Rooted in faith, supported by love, a beacon of God's light welcoming all."

Come join us in our journey of faith to grow spiritually and expand our outreach as we seek to be a beacon of God's light.