New and Updated Histories : Minnesota
Bloomington
Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (MVUUF)
An update of the original MVUUF history published in Part 2
Congregation History (1986 – 2006)
The years 1986 to 2006 were a time of much change and progress. Our 40th anniversary in 2006 marked an amazing journey from a small, struggling, hard-working, dedicated group to a flourishing, warm-hearted, (still hard-working) community of doers.
In 1986 the congregation voted to call our first part-time minister, and we stopped renting out space so that we could make a facility expansion for our RE program. Our first experience with a part-time minister culminated in dissatisfaction and ended in 1990. Indeed, 1990–1991 was a year of transition; but after a shaky beginning, the year ended on an upswing with the celebration of our 25th anniversary.
The years 1991–1997 included a period of extensive building refurbishment and a new part-time, salaried minister. We also bought new UUA hymnals, updated our Policies and Procedures Manual, changed our Bylaws, and created an archivist position. In these years of continued growth we also conducted our first minister ordination, celebrated our 30th anniversary, expanded the scope of both our Laity Caring Network Committee and our Long-Range Planning Committee, and contracted an architect to provide schematic drawings for building expansion.
The years 1997–2003 were loaded with heavy-duty responsibilities. After a feasibility study and numerous fund raising programs, an architect was authorized to draw new building sketches. A turnover of DRE, office manager, RE administrator, and minister kept our committees/congregation busy with important decisions. During construction of a large addition the congregation had to pack and move to Bloomington Creekside Community Center for our services. Ground was broken for the addition in October 2000, and we lived through one of the most active and stress-filled years MVUUF has ever had. However, the addition was finished in style and is incredible. We gratefully received grants of $38,785 from the UUA and $5,300 from Chalice Lighters to support us on this project. We have a long list of members who made this goal possible, and we had a fabulous dedication celebration.
The years 2004 to 2006 were years of growth and maturity. We began serious work on leadership development and started a personnel committee. We purchased a new Boston baby grand piano. We voted unanimously to declare our music director Minister of Music. In a most difficult decision, the Steering Committee voted to not renew the DRE contract. Currently, we enjoy healthy RE and Social Action programs. Proudly, after a 3-year process, we are now a certified Welcoming Congregation. With dedication and celebration, we became an international peace site. We will distribute a third history book at our 40th anniversary celebration in October, 2006.
MVUUF has been fortunate in having the services of several ministers of high quality. We resumed ministerial services by hiring Rev. Sheryl Wurl on a “speak twice a month” contract basis and then quickly changed to having her as our part-time minister. After Sheryl left to take her full time “dream” job, Rev. Roberta Haskin ably filled in for a year and maintained our momentum. Both contributed to our congregation’s continuity and cohesiveness. Our current minister, Rev. Mary Samuels, has been with us for six years and has been an integral factor in our numerical growth and our maturation.
There is energy in the fellowship. The congregation remains positive; we have an extraordinary number of volunteers who, with talent and expertise, keep this a strong lay-led organization of 173 members. We are destined to become a more significant liberal religious voice in the southern Twin Cities. To be sure, there is more work to be done, and we doers are up to the task, finding fun and satisfaction in the doing!