Behavioral Covenants for Unitarian Universalist Congregations

1. Covenants Behavioral Covenants for Unitarian Universalist Congregations

2. Congregational Covenants Program Consultant Connie Goodbread District Executive Eunice Benton

3. What is this workshop about? • A little bit of history • Defining a behavioral covenant • How to develop one • How to use one

4. Cambridge Platform 1648 Polity You’re not the boss of me. We are all in this together, To work for a just and loving world.

5. Cambridge Platform 1648 Covenant The wonderful material that is used to build a house is not a house. We define ourselves. We agree to come together/ We are more together than we are apart. By our works shall they know us.

6. Unitarian Universalist Association We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote…

7. Unitarian Universalist Congregations Are covenantal not creedal faith communities

8. What is a covenant?

9. Covenant The realization that we truly are all in this together. A deep abiding promise between equals - to partner with each other and that which is bigger than ourselves, to work for a just and loving community.

10. Covenant Manners Deliberate develop of cultural norms Built on respect and honoring the inherent worth and dignity of every human being Laying a foundation upon which to build

11. Why do we need a covenant?

12. “Well folks, Robert’s Rules doesn’t seem to specify whether the Chalice Lighting should come before or after the call to order.”

13. Covenants Share your experience with why we might want behavioral covenants.

14. Covenants Share your experience with why we might want behavioral covenants.

15. Covenant Behavioral Covenants start with manners and ourselves.

16. Covenant How do we begin? Leadership Staff transitions

17. Covenant How? Discussion Discernment Development Practice

18. Covenant Discussion - talking to one another about why we would do this - what is the purpose?

19. Covenant Discernment - what are the things we need to list - what do we need to say to each other - what are the behaviors we ant to model?

20. Covenant Development - what are words we will use - wordsmithing to get it right - reworking it and living with it and reworking it again.

21. Covenant Practice - calling ourselves and each other back into covenant over and over. Though we’ve broken our vows a thousand times…

22. Covenant After a time when leadership has struggled with what a covenant is and how it is best used - we may begin the process to develop a congregational covenant.

23. Covenant Using the same process: Discussion Discernment Development Practice

24. Covenant How many congregations present have experience with covenants? Share with one another.

25. Covenant as Poetry

26. Covenant A covenant is a tool not an end

27. Unitarian Universalism striving to build communities where faith and acceptance coexist in harmony. Is this the way of the world?

28. Eunice Bentonebenton@uua.orgConnie Goodbreadcgoodbread@uua.orgMid-South Districtmsduua@uua.org