A People of a Powerful Faith

1. A People of a Powerful Faith Presented by Chris Buja Growth and Vitality Consultant Metro New York District

2. Welcome • Opening Words • Chalice Lighting

3. Who are a people of a powerful faith? • Unitarian Universalists are! • Or at least we could be… • Where does power come from? • Institutional Power: the greatest power to create social change derives from a common commitment to a common focus.

4. I want you to leave here… • …thinking about why Unitarian Universalism exists… • …thinking about why your congregation exists… • …thinking about why your congregation does what it does, and how it does it… • …and if your congregation’s why is not inspiring/motivating- what are you going to do to change that?

5. Ingredients for success • A clear, concise, compelling sense of and commitment to religious mission • A cadre of leadership committed to that mission above all else • An organization designed to process that mission in an effective manner • Rev. Robert Latham

6. Start With Why • TED talk by Simon Sinek • Author of Start With Why • ~6 minutes of an 18 minute clip • Consider what implications the concepts presented have for your congregation and Unitarian Universalism as a whole

7. Start With Why • Initial reactions?

8. The Golden Circle • What • Programs/activities of a congregation • “ends”, result • How • Via ministries, within 7 principles • “means” • Why • Purpose, reason for being, mission

9. Why start with why?... • “Why” is a synonym for mission • Other synonyms for mission: • Purpose • Reason for being • Why something was created, why it exists • Charge • Mandate • Pursuit • Goal • Aim

10. A Mission is More Than a Statement

11. Some Definitions of Mission Thom Belote: Mission is the need for members of a congregation to be aligned in a common purpose, to be articulate about why they exist and what they are in the world to do, and to achieve clarity in this understanding. David Bumbaugh: …speaks to the congregation’s calling, the source of its integrity and it’s central reason for being. What are we called to be and to do? Why must this congregation exist instead of why does this congregation exist?

12. Answers to Why • To get more visitors • To get more members • To get more pledge units (so I don’t have to pledge as much…) • To get more volunteers (so I don’t have to volunteer as much…) • To experience community for community’s sake • To satisfy as many individual agendas in a consumer-oriented fashion • Because “that’s what we’ve always done…”

13. More examples • Our mission is to create and propagate a view of reality that will enable humans to rise to their most mutually fulfilling capacities. • Our mission is to provide society with a conscience that honors the worth of both humans and creation. • Our mission is to proclaim a view of reality that empowers humans with the motivation to live all their relationships with profound and mutually fulfilling meaning. • Our mission is to provide an ennobling view of reality that gives meaning to human existence and direction to human community.

14. What is your congregation’s Why • How do we know what our “why” really is? • Mission-covenant statement? Maybe… • Does statement reflect why congregation SHOULD exist as opposed to why it DOES exist? • More than what is written or said about your congregation’s why…

15. “Energy Audit” • …what does an “energy audit” reveal as the actual why, purpose, mission, reason for being, your congregation is living out? • What does your congregation “spend” its time, energy, money, leadership, resources on? • That will reveal the true mission of your congregation!

16. Some Audit Questions • Where does majority of congregation’s energy get focused? • What theme dominates the worship experience? • What is your congregation known for in the surrounding community? • If a new minister were called, what would congregation want minister to “push”?

17. More questions • Review a year of newsletters and see what gets the most focus • What programs receive the most time, energy, and resource focus? • What theme dominates the announcements made? • What notion is the focus of congregational pride? • If congregation had bumper sticker to announce its posture to community, what would it say?

18. Questions • Reflect on questions individually • Share with a neighbor in pairs/small group • Feedback highlights to large group

19. Congregational Examples • Breakthrough Congregations • exemplifying one or more growth areas • WellSprings Congregation • A clear “why” that is thread throughout • Original Blessing • A clear “why” that is “doing church” in different ways in Brooklyn

20. Types of Growth • Numerical • Maturational • Organic • Incarnational • Associational • Hint, hint: Numerical growth is a by-product, a result of the others!

21. If you are doing your mission You are going to grow spiritually and numerically and your problem will be how to accommodate all the excited people who want to invest in the nobility of social transformation.

22. Original Blessing • We are a spiritually ambitious movement seeking a closer relationship with God through creative worship, social justice and compassionate community.

23. Original Blessing cont. • Prayers for the Earth at East River State Park • Monthly, Sunday evening worship service- “contemporary” • Running in McCarren 5K • Small group ministry following up on worship theme • Service and learning at Taqwa Community Farm • Meditation Hike at Harriman State Park • Book club on spiritually themed books • Mural creation for community

24. WellSprings • A community charged full with the charge of the soul • Specific set of core values and core beliefs • “Springboards” = small group ministry • 6 years, ~200 in attendance between two services, ~200 members, (began with less than 50) • Weekly update: potlucks, ballgames, small groups, retreats, etc.

25. Questions?

26. Many thanks to… • Mark Bernstein, CERG Growth Consultant, for webinar and powerpoint material • Rev. Robert Latham, for powerpoint and written sources • Rev. Thom Belote, Doug Zelinski, Rev. David Bumbaugh for references included

27. For further reading… • Faith Formation 2020 by John Roberto • Moving on From Church Folly Lane, Latham • A Tale of Boxes, Latham • The Almost Church, Durall • The Almost Church Revitalized, Durall • Simple Church, Geiger • Leadership on the Other Side, Easum

28. The End • Take questions home with you • Powerpoint can be emailed • If the answer to “why” isn’t compelling enough, inspiring enough, motivating enough- make it a “why” worth living for! • Closing words and extinguish chalice

29. Categories • Categories for activities • Community building experiences • Learning experiences • Worship experiences • Leadership development experiences • Spiritual justice experiences • Multi-generational/cultural experiences

30. Categories cont. • Internal vs External • How much is spent on the internal community vs spent “outside” a congregation’s walls? • Institution vs Movement • How much is spent to maintain the institution, the administration, the bureaucracy vs the transformational opportunities “out there”?

31. Mission examples • Our mission is to transform ourselves and our culture by addressing the critical issues of our time with a message that invokes a noble human future. • Our mission is to speak and model a message that offers the power of wholeness in human relating and the inspiration of hope in human destiny. • Our mission is to transform how humans relate to themselves and the planet through a stewardship of reverence and regeneration. • Our mission is to empower ourselves and our society with a view of reality that enables us to live in harmony with the rhythms of the universe.

32. PRIMAL ISSUE AND GRAND IRONY We have allowed individualism to triumph over community and enshrined this triumph in community. The mantra of this enshrinement is “unity in diversity”.

33. UU Congregation of Beaufort County • Our mission is to create a joyful sanctuary for spiritual and intellectual growth, embracing all souls in a nurturing community…