Emerson is searching for a minister who can breathe a new spark of life into a congregation that is ready to step up to the next level. We are looking for someone who can vigorously stimulate equally our intellectual, spiritual, social justice, and aesthetic needs. Sunday worship is the beating heart of our community. As a small but active congregation it is very important for us to have a minister we can connect with personally, who can inspire us to rise to our best potential and challenge us to move beyond our comfort zones. We are a very intimate congregation and we take care of our members when life presents problems. Our minister must have a pastoral presence to reach out to our population approaching the end of life as well as directly mentoring the pastoral committee in being an accessible source of comforting to those in need.

We are enthusiastic about growth but are unsure of the best ways to be truly welcoming to those new people who might seek us out.

We are a congregation that is eager to get moving, and we’re looking for a minister who links arms with us, walking beside us into our future while mentoring and developing leadership within the church. The community within our church is very stable, and we need someone who can foster that fellowship and extend its reach to new people. Our membership has made clear that our new minister must highly value intentionality, be deliberate in their decision-making, and be transparent about their process with the congregation.

Though perhaps a tall order, we yearn for a minister with an education in a diverse array of spiritual practices and understandings. The personal theologies held by our membership are varied, and we expect our new minister to be able to eloquently speak, at least in part, to all of them. We want a minister who will engage with us and challenge us to view the world through different lenses, to question the framework by which we make decisions, and walk with us on the path to new discoveries.

It is vital that our new minister possess a strong sense of self that is tempered by humility and a good sense of humor. We understand that ministers, like all of us, are human beings and not without flaws. We seek a minister who has the strength to guide us but also the wisdom to know that their moral authority is not limitless.

We greatly value the role that families play in our congregation and we are incredibly proud of our religious education program. We need a minister who recognizes that RE is not just “where the kids go during service”, but rather sees it as a unique opportunity to minister to the spiritual and intellectual needs of children and youth. Our new minister must value the presence and inclusion of children, and recognize youth as full participants in our congregational life. They must hold a strong desire to invigorate our young people on their paths of religious discovery, and help foster an environment that will encourage their participation in the UU faith community for years to come.

Though perhaps not our most pressing priority, our new minister should have a strong clarity of vision when it comes to social action. Many of us want to play a more active role in affecting social change, but aren’t exactly clear on where, as a whole congregation, to start, or how to translate the lessons from our faith tradition into direct action. Whether directly organizing us, or helping develop leaders within the congregation to do so, we want a minister who isn’t going to rest on their laurels when it comes to getting out in the world and making a difference.

We recognize that our church is not an island, and exists as a part of the greater Unitarian Universalist faith movement. It is important to us that our new minister be connected with this movement, and work to keep our church connected as well.

In short, we are looking for a minister who can inspire, challenge, and lift all of us up Sunday morning, and then help lead us in taking that inspiration and sharing it with the world. Hopefully that minister is you.