Central Midwest District provides an evolving group of services to congregations and their leaders.  Within the overall goals of our mission, Leadership, Growth and Communications, we organize events, network congregations with each other and provide coaching and consulting.

We work best and most creatively with congregations jointly creating with them the resources that they and others need.  To begin working with us, please contact one of our district staff, Dori Davenport Thexton ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or 708-805-1866) or Ian Evison ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 773-326-9787).


Below you will find a listing of some of the subjects with which we work with congregations.

  • Consultation with Lay Leadership
  • Monthly news e-mailings
  • Board Retreat consultation-on site or phone
  • District Directory
  • Midwest Leadership School
  • Board Retreat Consultants
  • Small Society Workshops
  • Ministerial Transitions Support

STEWARDSHIP

Consultation and workshops on:

  • Finances and financial policies
  • Fund Raising
  • Annual Canvass
  • Capital Campaigns
  • Planned Giving

CHURCH ADMINISTRATION

Human Resources Module
Consultation on Staffing:

  • Job descriptions, accountability, goal setting
  • Staff Compensation/Benefits
  • Personnel Committee (creation, job description, goal setting)

GROWTH & MEMBERSHIP

  • Planning for Growth Workshop
  • Ministerial Opportunities for Growth Program (MOD Squad), including Start-up workshops
  • Support and resources for new congregations
  • Consultation on specific areas of growth: building options; staffing needs; programming
  • Making Size Transitions
  • Membership Development & Retention

PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP & MINISTERIAL TRANSITIONS

Transitions in any organization, especially transitions in key leadership are moment are often moments of considerable anxiety and are always moments of great opportunity.  Much of our work with congregations is at these transitional moments.

For transitions in full-time ministerial leadership the UUA Transitions Office takes the lead in working with congregations UUA Transitions Office.

For transitions in part-time ministerial leadership which we call consulting ministry, the district takes the lead.  These For assistance with transitions in part-time ministerial leadership contact one of the two district staff members:  Dori Thexton Davenport ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 708-805-1866) or Ian Evison ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 773-326-9787).

We ask all congregations seeking consulting minister and all ministers seeking positions as consulting ministers to work with the UUA Transitions Office to complete and post online record sheets describing themselves and what they seek.  Entry to the portion of the UUA site with the record sheets that need to be filled out requires a password, available from the Transitions Office http://www2.uua.org/.


Students who have completed all requirements except for their final meeting with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee are welcome to seek settlement for any Consulting Ministry (Part-Time Ministry) in the District after May 15th.  Interested applicants should do this through the online system of the UUA Transitions office and should place a ministerial record sheet there.  Following the recommendation of the UUA Transitions Office, we recommend that the pay for ministers in this category should be 90% of the UUA Fair Compensation Guidelines (http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/compensation). Before the Transitions office sends a person’s name to a congregation both the district (Ian Evison and Dori Davenport) and the Office of Ministerial Credentialing (David Pettee) must say OK.

The strength of Consulting Ministry is its flexibility.  This means it is inherently difficult to reduce to standard procedures.  If either ministers or congregations are finding it difficult to make satisfactory arrangements, contact Ian Evison or Dori Davenport in the district office.  We are glad to assist.

Other transitions work of the District includes:

  • Start-up and covenanting process for minister and board
  • Transition interview with board (when minister leaves)
  • Exit interview with minister
  • Help finding part-time minister
  • Interim consultation and start-up

COMPENSATION CONSULTANTS

The District Compensation Consultants are volunteers who are familiar with the economics of the various cities and towns in our area, and are available to help our congregations as they work through the difficult and sometimes confusing work surrounding Fair Compensation for their staff members. Please do not hesitate to contact the Central Midwest District Compensation Consultants with any questions or concerns you may have. Here is an article from Dori Davenport introducing our Compensation Consultants.  Please feel free to contact them directly:

  • Karen McMillan, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Douglas Kaufman-Dickson, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CONGREGATIONAL MISSION & VISION

Workshops, facilitation and leadership for:

  • Strategic Planning
  • Visioning, Mission Statements
  • Covenanting

HEALTHY CONGREGATIONS

  • Congregational Assessment
  • Conflict Management Consultation
  • Continuing Education & workshops for clergy and lay leadership

LIFESPAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

  • Start-up and covenanting with religious educator and lay leadership
  • On-site training and consultations
  • Continuing Education for religious educators
  • Cluster networking meetings for religious educators
  • On-site workshops/retreats for RE lay leadership
  • Search committee and transition assistance
  • OWL Training, support & advocacy

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT/CAMPUS MINISTRY

  • Advisor and youth leadership training
  • Sexuality education and training
  • Youth Conferences
  • Campus Ministry consultation

For more information about services listed here, please contact the:

Central Midwest District Office of the UUA
(CMwD)
1555 Sherman Avenue, Ste 345
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: 312-636-9724
Fax: 847-424-1644

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it