Minister:
		Rev. Carol E. Strecker
		Office Hours: Variable -- Church office
		revkbkuu@gwi.net
Administrative Assistant:
		Tracy Ericson
		Monday - Friday, 9am - 12 pm -- Church office
		Tel: 207-985-3700
		Fax: 207-985-3017
		kbkuu@gwi.net
Director of Religious Education:
		Tracy Ericson
		Tel: 207-985-3700
		kbkuu@gwi.net
Director of Music:
		Kathy Rochon
		Tel: 207-985-3700
		kbkuu@gwi.net

Office Guidelines

This is my third year in the dual role of  Administrative Assistant and Director of Religious Education.  Below are some suggestions of ways that you can help me with communication, scheduling, the newsletter, and other office responsibilities:

• Office Hours are 8:30 to Noon on Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Fri. and 9:15 to noon on Wed. If you have an office related matter that needs my attention, please contact me during those hours, or send me an e-mail. 
• Meetings:  Please let me know of all meetings that are scheduled in the building.  When you send me a meeting date by e-mail, please put “calendar” in the subject line.  I receive dozens of e-mails per day and do not have time to sift through them to pick out dates.  If a member of your group has difficulty with stairs, please let me know so that I can assign a room on the main floor of the building.
• Event Planning:  Please check with the office to confirm a date whenever you are planning an event or fund raiser.  A great place to start when looking for a date for an event is the calendar on the church website at www.kennebunkuu.org.  I try to keep the calendar up to date, but things change rapidly, so please contact me as soon as you have a date in mind.
• The Newsletter Deadline is always on the 15th of the month.  My role is to format the newsletter.  If you have something that you would like to be printed in the newsletter, please send me the exact wording that you would like to appear in the newsletter. The newsletter will be mailed on the last Thursday of the month and will contain information for the following month.  For instance, October 15 is the deadline for the November Newsletter, which will be mailed on Thursday, October 26.
• Announcements are printed in the weekly Order of Service.  If you have an announcement that you would like to have put in the Order of Service, please have it to me by Thursday at 10:00 a.m.  Please send me the exact wording of your announcement and the number of weeks you would like it to appear.  
• Childcare:  All-Church Childcare is available for all church sponsored events, meetings, groups, choir, etc. which occur within the building.  Childcare must be requested in advance.   When advertising for an event that may require childcare, please use the following wording, “Childcare is available upon request.”
• The Church Directory will be updated by the  middle of September.  A draft copy will be available during Coffee Hour on September 16 and 23..  Please check your entry in the Directory and make any necessary changes.  New copies will be available to pick up by the beginning of October.
• Reimbursement:  If you need to be reimbursed for a purchase, please fill out a green Expense Authorization form, available in the office.  The form must be signed by a committee chair or staff member. 
• Board Meeting and Council Minutes:  All Chairs of Standing Committees will receive an e-mail copy of monthly Board Meeting and Council Minutes.  If you would like to be added to this e-mail list to receive the minutes, please contact the church office.
• On Sunday mornings I am in my Director of Religious Education role and this takes all of my brain power.  If you tell me something that needs to be done in the office, I can pretty much guarantee that I will forget it.  Please write it down and leave a note on my desk. 
• Checks and Cash:  If you need to leave a check or cash at a time when I am not in the office, please put it in the slot in the office door (there is a locked box behind the slot).  If leaving cash, please use an envelope, provided in the pocket on the door, and write on the envelope what the money is for. 

I am pleased to be working with all of you.   Thank you for your help. 
Tracy Ericson, Administrative Assistant, 985-3700 or kbkuu@gwi.net

How Decisions are Made at First Parish

Individuals:

Individuals should approach staff (Tracy Ericson for Religious Education and office related issues,  Kathy Rochon for Music, and Rev. Carol Strecker for Worship related and other issues) who will direct them to the appropriate committee for coordination. For instance, if someone wants to start a new small group they would talk with Carol who help them get organized and invite them to the next small group facilitators meeting.

Committees:

Committees should feel empowered to make independent decisions based on what is in their job description, and the availability of funds in their budget line item. If an issue or decision is beyond the scope of your committee’s charge and/or budget, go to the appropriate staff person for advice. 

Council:

Issues should go to the Council when more than one committee is involved.  If time is of the essence, use e-mail and/or phone calls to get a general consensus or call a special meeting.  Please come to the Council with a proposal that includes who, what, when, where and how and recommendations and/or a motion on which you’d like the Council to vote.  Please use the “Template for Proposals” available in the office.  This can also be e-mailed to you upon request (kbuu@gwi.net).

Board:

The Board is charged with planning and decision-making in the areas of long-range planning/visioning and fiscal responsibility.  They are also charged with creating policy.  The Board will receive recommendations or proposals from committees, the Church Council, other groups, and individuals who are
a) related to long-range planning or policy
b) actively involved with financial issues; all expenditures of money not included in the budget must be authorized by the Board – not to exceed 5% of annual budget for fiscal year.  
Please use the “Template for Proposals” available in the office.  This can also be e-mailed to you upon request (kbuu@gwi.net).

Congregation:

10% of the active members of the congregation may call a Congregational Meeting on an issue at any time.  A congregational vote is also required for expenditures exceeding 5% of total budget for a given fiscal year.