November 25, 2007 Update

• Center for Public Dialog: At the November Leadership Team and Board of Trustees meetings, Katherine Lines, our consultant on the Center’s business plan, presented status reports on the plan. Katherine is working with a volunteer advisory team; she has created a plan to keep the congregation informed.
  
  The Center’s mission, vision, target audience, values, goals, and objectives are now well defined. Through academic research, community interviews, demographic shifts, and professional experiences, the team has determined that our community needs the Center, where diverse people can come together to learn dialog skills so they can engage each other productively, each person having an equal voice. The goal is that these exchanges bring about community change, increasing the quality of public life in Dallas. Through extensive research, the CPD has a strong academic and programmatic base; it holds and will demonstrate Unitarian Universalist values.
  
  The foundations for a business plan are in place: preliminary financials, marketing strategy, and human resource needs. The recommendation is that CPD become an affiliated Texas nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3)status with a focus on education. The First Unitarian Church of Dallas would be the sole member of this new entity; in essence, First Church would “own” CPD. The new entity would have an Advisory Board and Board of Directors (Carver Model). Research and analysis of 19 organizations shows we do not have competition, only potential partners. There are many foundations interested in funding this kind of work.
  
  A work plan is in place through the time an Executive Director for the CPD is hired (about March 2008). The Center’s launch is set for October 1, 2008. There is more work to be done on the business plan, including a stronger look at financial viability, risk, and liability, as well as continued study, research, and spiritual work.
  
  
• Publicity and Branding: The Communications Team encourages you to sign up to receive The Dallas Unitarian (DU) electronically (at www.dallasuu.org). You can now specify your interests in other church communications; Religious Education for Children and Youth (RE), Adult RE, Choir and Music Programs, Social Justice and Community Service, Volunteer Opportunities, Spiritual Practice, Ministerial Notices, and Friday Reminders (Activities and Announcements). If you signed up earlier and didn’t have these choices, you can re-register on the website.
  
  Each email sent from the new lists will also include the option to un-subscribe.
  
  ~ Ellen Magnis and Mike Birrer, Leadership Team Co-Chairs
  ~ Fritz Kuehn, Leadership Team Communications