YES! Theme Year

1. Living UU Values Beyond the Walls of our CongregationsStanding on the Side of Leadership 2013First Unitarian Church of Dallas ● 4015 Normandy Avenue ● June 1Room 212 – 10:00 am – 11:30 amPresenters: Alan Lummus & David Overton

2. YES!Theme Year

3. YES!Year of Engagement and ServiceFirst Unitarian Church of Dallas – 2012-2013Presenter: Alan Lummus

4. YES!Theme Year Time Line • Planning Began June, 2012 (72/61/14/9/3) • Implementation began September 9, 2012 • Concluded April 28, 2013

5. YES!Measurables • 413 of approximately 1,100 members joined one or more tracks in September, 2012 (37%) • By the closing event on April 28, 2013, 819 members had participated in one or more YES! Activities. (74%) • As of April, 2013, the most often cited reason new members and visitors sought out First Unitarian was the church’s growing reputation for being active and engaged in the community.

6. YES! Budget • Leaders were told upfront “-0-” budget. By the end of the year, about $950 had been authorized and expended, with most going to equipment rental and supplies purchased for the picnic and the ice cream social. • Everything else throughout the year was self-financing, although there was free use of the church’s copy machines.

7. YES! Key Elements • Strong lay leadership throughout the year, including primary, secondary and tertiary leaders • Strong clergy support from the pulpit all year • Strong clergy coordination by meeting monthly with Lay Leaders • Staff support in programming and facilities

8. YES! Communication Channels • Articles in Church print and electronic publications, website, and Facebook • Service Bulletin Inserts • Pulpit Announcements • Social Media developed by lay leaders • One to One and small group meetings throughout the year • Email • Text Messaging • Phone Trees • Online Collaboration Tools like Skype, Google Docs, & Office Live

9. YES! Theme Year Tracks

11. YES! NEIGHBORHOOD Goals • To be more confident and comfortable with our neighbors in the pews • To come away with practical skills and ideas on being a better neighbor that we can continue to take back out into our neighborhoods and wider communities • To deepen our spiritual practice through connecting with and serving others within our neighborhoods and communities • To deepen our spiritual practice by really seeing those around us • To have fun along the way!

12. YES! NEIGHBORHOOD Focus • Congregant Neighbors: How well do we know each other and how could we be better neighbors to one another? • Religious Neighbors: How can we better know our immediate congregational neighbors of differing faith traditions? • Our individual neighbors: How can we be better neighbors to those living next door or across the street or alleyway?

13. YES! NEIGHBORHOOD Activities • Community Involvement Survey • Church-wide picnic • Book Study: “A Good Neighbor: Benedict’s Guide to Community” by Robert Benson • Developing individualized UU Elevator Speech • Ambassador visits to nearby Church of Christ, United Methodist and Catholic congregations • ZIP-code socials • Multi-church Ice Cream Social

23. YES! COMMUNITY Focus

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30. YES! COMMUNITY The Launch Collaborative Mentoring Students at a Local Elementary School

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35. YES! GLOBAL Focus Religious & Cultural Diversity • Learning About Islam • Visits to Mosques • Interfaith Dialogue • Intergenerational Dinner

36. YES! GLOBAL Focus Immigration • Immigration Seminar • Necessities Collection Drive with MOSAIC

37. YES! GLOBAL Focus and Book Study • Economic Justice • PBS Documentary & Book Study: “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity For Women Worldwide” by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn • KERA Focus Group Participation

38. What We Learned Organizationally • Significant congregational success depends upon strong coordination between clergy and lay leadership. • Theme Year may be too short. Many activities are being carried forward, both by clergy and by lay leaders. • Starting planning earlier would be helpful. • Many primary lay leaders wished for more staff support with communication. • More photographs and videos would be helpful.

39. YES!Year of Engagement and ServiceFirst Unitarian Church of Dallas – 2012-2013Presenter: Alan Lummus214-926-4148 – alan@alummus.com