Blessing on our Search

Spirit of Life:

Our beloved community, Eliot Chapel, is in an in-between place, in a place of transition, in a place of anxiety and of hope-filled expectation.

We, the members of the Ministerial Search Committee, have answered the call of our peers to enter more deeply and more fully into this in-between place, to find a new ministerial leader.  It is a role doubly filled with anxiety, with the fear of failure, and with high expectations of our own abilities in the face of great uncertainty.  

While acknowledging these emotions we set them aside for the moment.  For in us there is a still point, a quiet and confident place that loves the energy and creativity of the in-between.  We have been in this place many times in our lives, and we are here again now. We bring all that we have learned from transitions of the past.  We are called not only to serve but to be transformed by our work together.

We are called to bring all of our capabilities, both mature and nascent, to this sacred in-between place ...

• where intuition is as important as rationality
• where emotional intelligence and discernment are as important as analytical ability
• where the quality of our inter-relationships is as important as the quality of our work
• where our aspirations, intentions, dreams and prayers are as important as our structure and process
• where our interactions with candidates is more of a dance than a winnowing, and
• where we are convinced that a mutually satisfying outcome is assured

We ask the spirit of our ancestors and founders of Eliot chapel, our fellow congregants of past, present and future, and the leaders and wisdom guides of our denomination, to bless us in this effort we are now beginning.  We acknowledge the vast reservoir of myths, legends, and stories about searching of which we are the recipients and re-enactors, and we invite one of these to emerge and be recognized as the deep patterning of our work together.

Ever grateful for this opportunity to serve and to journey together,

Amen and blessed be.

~Ted Lau

Thank you for taking the time to complete the Ministerial Search Survey in August and September.  For those of you who could not attend the Search Team survey presentation on November 20, we have posted the survey and focus group summaries and vertabim responses below, as well as the slides and speaker notes from Rev. Krista Taves of Emerson Chapel.  Krista skillfully interpreted our findings as if she were a minister-in-search.  Her take was insightful and revealing on where our focus should be as we search for the minister we need, which may not necessarily be the minister we think we want.

Please click on the links below to view the documents:

Eliot Survey Summary

Eliot Survey Verbatim Responses

Rev. Krista Taves Comments

What You Told Us

 March 12, 2012 

Dear Eliot Congregation,  

Almost a year ago the Board chose the seven of us to represent this congregation in the search for our next senior minister. After months of extensive input from you through surveys, focus groups, and informal conversations, we concluded that our next minister should: display depth in the pulpit to stimulate, inspire and move us; live our values in the community through championing social justice; assist us in removing barriers to participation by parents, children, youth and visitors in the activities of the church; demonstrate success in leading stewardship campaigns, including a willingness to publicly model financial generosity; and be experienced in executing goals linked to mission, in part through directing assistant ministers and staff. 

Your expectations were high, but not unrealistically so.  This is a great congregation who deserves a great settled minister, and that's who we set out to find. Starting in November with 18 ministers of interest, we exchanged packets with 11, conducted phone interviews with seven, and invited three to visit for a weekend. While the finalists had many outstanding qualities, in our judgment none fit your needs well enough and all posed significant risks to Eliot’s continued success.  Therefore, the Search Committee has notified the Board of our unanimous decision not to offer a candidate for senior minister this year. 

Although we are very disappointed, we believe that this result is consistent with our commission: to hold Eliot Chapel’s best interests at heart. We did not settle for who was available, but held the image of a dynamic minister for a healthy and vital church throughout the discernment process. The seven of us are united and resolute in our commitment to continue serving as your Ministerial Search Committee next year.  Our goal will be the same -- finding and recommend-ing a great candidate for your consideration and call.  Our advisors suggest that the pool of ministers looking for large churches such as Eliot will be greater next year, as more large churches are expected to be in search. 

We cannot thank you enough for your enthusiasm and involvement in the process this year, and for the trust you have invested in us. Please continue to hold the image of Eliot Chapel’s future senior minister in your thoughts and prayers.

Yours in service, 

Eliot Chapel Ministerial Search Committee 

Jan Erdman                                        Ted Lau, Chair                                    Kevin Mitchell

Jordi Prats                                           Trina Priese                                         Amy Stark      

Julie Triplett

Meet the Ministerial Search Committee

Jordi Prats
prats.jordi1@gmail.com 

As Eliot members for four years, the Prats family has a rich and active church life. Jordi has taught RE for three years, contributed to the Strategic Planning Team, helped at Madrigal and served as an occasional Sunday greeter. Joanne coordinates the many cooks who feed our guests at Room At the Inn, in addition to serving on the Nominating Committee and participating in her Covenant Group. Daughter Emma loves RE, singing in Chalice Choir, helping RATI guests’ children feel at home on Thursdays and lighting the chalice every now and then. Jordi is participating in this ministerial search as a way to learn about Unitarian Universalism, better get to know the congregation and give back to the Eliot community.
 

Julie Triplett
julietrip@charter.net 

Julie, a founding member of Eliot Chapel, first attended with husband George in 1957. Over the years she and George have been involved in almost every aspect of church life. It is a special joy that daughter Pam and her husband Ken Denson are also active members of Eliot. A long sabbatical took the Triplett family to Illinois where they experienced Unitarian Universalism at the Green Street Church in Champaign-Urbana. Watching Eliot grow from the small nucleus of families in the Fifties to the thriving church it is today has been quite amazing. Julie is delighted to continue to serve Eliot, offering her extensive background and abilities to this important committee.
 

Kevin Mitchell
kevin@kevinmmitchell.com 

Kevin became enamored with UU as a college student in Kansas City while attending the UMKC’s Conservatory of Music. In 1999, Kevin married Lauren in L.A., and two years later they moved to St. Louis where he was raised, settling in Webster Groves. They found Eliot Chapel and have attended for nine years and members for eight. Both their boys, Owen (8) and Beckett (5) were blessed at Eliot as babies. Both are active in RE, where Kevin has taught for four years and Lauren for two. Lauren has helped with the book sales and Kevin has served as a greeter. Kevin is an author and freelance writer in additional to providing marketing and public relations services, and he happily brings those skills to the Search Committee.

Jan Erdman
redwagon4@aol.com 

As members for 11 years, Jan, and her husband, Bill, feel lucky to have found Eliot Chapel.Both have served on the Board of Trustees. Jan also has co-chaired the Canvass, served on Strategic Planning, co-chaired Eliot’s 50th Anniversary celebration, and worked to refurbish the Triplett and Bergfried Rooms to enhance our meeting spaces. Jan is a Chicago gal (not a Cubs fan) and she and Bill have raised their children (26 and 30) in Webster Groves since 1978. Being on the Search Committee is an honor and a way for Jan to give back to the treasured friends she has made at the Chapel.
 

Ted Lau
tedlau@att.net 

Ted and his wife, Cindy, joined Eliot Chapel in 1990 to feed their own spiritual yearnings within a religious community and to provide religious education for their children. During the ‘90’s they co-led an adult group called “In Search Of” which experientially explored world religions, Ted participated in the music program as an accompanist and soloist, and Cindy served on the Board. While working full-time in his Information Technology career, Ted pursued academics and training in ministry, becoming ordained as an Interfaith Minister in 2005. His most recent roles include choir member, church musician, Pastoral Care Associate, and coordinator of the Covenant Group Program. He enjoys creating and leading worship services and rituals, such as a Summer Solstice celebration (with Cindy) and Evolution Sunday (with Rev. Sue Videen). Ted lives with his wife and teen-aged daughter in Chesterfield, MO, and looks forward to serving Eliot as the Search committee Chair.
 

Trina Priese
kpriese@gmail.com 

Trina is the daughter of Charter member Betty Marlowe, and has attended Eliot Chapel since she was a child in the ‘50’s. As a long time UU, she values the diversity of beliefs and the strong emphasis on acceptance and social action. Along with teaching middle school business and computers, Trina enjoys singing in choir, and along with her husband, Fred, has taught RE for several years and volunteered for the Madrigal fundraiser. They have two teen daughters who attend the Eliot Youth groups. Trina is looking forward to serving Eliot along with her fellow MSC members in the search for Eliot’s new settled minister.
 

Amy Stark
stark96@gmail.com 

Amy and Todd, and their boys Casey (9) and Will (5), joined Eliot in 2006. Amy was an occasional visitor to the Youth Group as a teenager with an Eliot friend, so when her family returned to St. Louis, she knew she wanted to attend Eliot. Amy has worn many hats at Eliot, including co-chair of the Social Action Committee, Family Support and Outreach Committee member, Pastoral Care Associate, and Youth Group and RE teacher. She became a UU to explore religions, help others, and join a spiritual community. Largely due to her experiences and friendships with other UU’s, she will be returning to school to pursue her Master’s in Pastoral Care/Social Work at Washington University and Eden Seminary. She is enjoying her journey with the MSC team to call our new minister.