September 10, 2020
Dear Follen Community,
Well, it’s been six months since you’ve heard anything from the office! It’s been a very strange six months, but I thought I would start the church year off with an update on what’s been happening here in this beautiful, remodeled building! That said, I must offer my apologies, for the state of the plants in the church; my best gardening skill has always been watering my peace lily only once it becomes horizontal! It seems I must up my game to keep all the plants happy here!
Let me say that I am really thrilled to be here at Follen. I have met, properly masked and socially distanced, several members and staff; some I have met through the window of my office, where they stop and wave and say hello! The support I have gotten from everyone, even if I asked a question that they could not personally answer, but could guide me to someone else, has been fantastic. Sarah Garner has, despite being retired, happily and fully answered every question I have asked her.
These have been months of observing, learning, researching, and remodeling of office operations, to complement a beautifully remodeled building! The foundation of the business and financial operations is strong here. I’ve been working with church leaders, and Claire, and FHRAT in an effort to update the operations, the policies, and procedures so that Follen follows current best practices with its books and records, finances, human resources, and its overall business operations.
A few of the areas where we are making progress are:
- We have installed to a new computer in the office;
- We will be moving the accounting to Quickbooks, which will streamline the way we maintain the financial books and records of the Church;
- We have implemented new HR practices so that we meet best practice guidelines for record keeping, and the HR committee is digging in to update and clarify the personnel manual.
- We have implemented digital document retention and storage, which will cut down on paper files, and make it easier to find historical documents;
- We have implemented best practice bookkeeping procedures, streamlining the way we file and retain financial documents.
As I learn the flow of Follen’s annual schedule, I am taking it all in, noting things that might help make things efficient, and easy, and upgrade them into a new best practice. This office is a very busy place, even in this time of quiet with the church closed, and there is so very much to absorb. If I have been slow in responding to you, or you have needed something that I did not get to you, but that you might have gotten without asking from Sarah, I can only ask that you have patience and understand that the business office is in a time of rebuilding, and that Sarah’s unique institutional memory, unfortunately for me, left with her. Call me, email me, yell up at me through the window . . . I’m here, and my contact info is below.
I am really looking forward to church year beginning here at Follen!
Sincerely,
Linda Hein
Business Manager, Follen Church
Phone: (781) 862-3805, Ext 1005
Email: businessmanager@follen.org