Our Responses to January 25 Deep Listening Session
Our previous post described how we processed the comments we heard from you during our Deep Listening session on January 25. In this post the Board presents its responses to those comments we thought resided within the Board’s sphere of governance. Our Interim Minister and Executive Director is preparing a response to your operational concerns and comments.
The Board asked you to respond to one or more of the following questions:
- What transformation are we seeking in our lives?
- What kind of community are we trying to create here?
- How are stewardship and mission related?
You responded with some great comments. We’ve summarized them below for each of you under the heading “What We Heard.” Each is follow by “Our Response.” If we heard you wrong, or misinterpreted what you said, please let us know. Here we go.
What We Heard: I need more time to ponder the three questions. Next time, share them in the newsletter before the meeting.
Our Response: Great idea! Yes, we should have thought of that. Next time.
What We Heard: If we support each other within our church community we can become more outwardly focused.
Our Response: Yes, we can. It’s built into our Policy Ends Statements (our goals) in the organizing structure where we envision how we will be with each other Within ourselves, Among our church community, and Beyond as a beacon of liberal religious thought and action in the wider world. We’ve been more inwardly focused for a long time, but we sense the interim period has changed us. The question is how can we foster that change of focus?
What We Heard: I’m not comfortable having a pledge requirement for membership. It might exclude people who are not able to pledge. I’m concerned that membership in this church is too expensive. I’m concerned that the pledge is not progressive. I’m concerned the we don’t talk about living our values when we talk about being “all in.” Let’s think about giving 5% outside our church.
Our Response: There is no minimum financial commitment requirement. Our bylaws do require that voting members make at least SOME financial commitment, but the amount is unspecified. Indeed a $1 pledge would suffice. Obviously we could not maintain the church in its current form if everyone just gave a dollar, hence our renewed focus on giving at 5% for those who are able.
Our Stewardship Campaign this year has attempted to be more boldly specific about what membership in our community means, not just in terms of financial commitment, but also in terms of commitment to our values and ideals of what we envision our church could become (once again, take a look at those Ends Statements).
Since a pledge is completely voluntary, we urge each pledger to look to their own financial abilities before making a pledge. We hope folks who have been pledging at a lower percentage than 5% will increase their pledge. We hope folks that can do more than 5% will pledge more in order to make up for those who can’t. We think that will work out to be progressive in the end. We leave it up to each individual to determine what their income level is, and what they contribute to worthy causes outside our church.
And finally, when our level of stewardship rises to the level that we are no longer so dependant on the income from invested funds to meet a large portion of our operating budget, we can begin to look at ways our invested funds can help us achieve more of our Ends.
What We Heard: We need to pay dues to maintain what we have. Perhaps we are not quite doing that.
Our Response: We think that’s true.
What We Heard: UUism continues to challenge me to live up to the seven principles. I like that I’m struggling, but I know I’m on a journey. We’re just asking for 5%, and it’s worth it. The UU faith asks us to be responsible and provides us a place that allows us to try and fail. I’ve made a choice to make this my community and this is where I want to spend my money.
Our Response: Thank you. What a great example of living to our faith’s principles, and values.
What We Heard: The UU church is uniquely able to help us answer the question what is the meaning of life. It’s incumbent upon us to try and grow our Stewardship. It’s unconscionable that we don’t have a bigger impact throughout the world. Our mission is to answer the second part of the question: "how do we arm ourselves with our sense of community to reach out to the larger community?" It’s about stewardship – in terms of financial commitment and commitments of time and energy.
What We Heard: We have a lot to offer to people with both material and spiritual needs. As we become more confident we can reach out to do so much more in so many more dimensions.
Our Response: What a rich word “stewardship” is! Thanks for adding yet another facet to its meaning. “Arming ourselves with our sense of community to reach out to the larger community.” And this thought connects elegantly to the following.
What We Heard: The church as a kind of conduit that takes in people who need our community - takes in people who were unsatisfied or even wounded by previous experiences. We come together to heal. When an individual comes to our church, comes as wounded or unsatisfied, he or she can heal to the extent where he or she can take our values and principles out into the community. That’s a way that our church is spreading our values into the world. The effect goes very wide. And that’s why I’m all in because I want to support the church to the fullest. Because of that conduit nature. Take things in and then spread them around.
Our Response: We love this idea of our church as a transformational conduit: taking people in, making a difference in their lives, then sending them out to make a difference in the world. It’s another image the Board will likely hold up as one definition of our mission. Thank you.
What We Heard: Church, like life, is getting too complicated. Love and the 6th Principle of world community and justice for all is enough. I think we have a very good place and it will continue to be. It’s good enough for me and more so.
Our Response: Thank you for telling us how the church affects you. It is heartening to hear someone say nice things about the church and to have a positive outlook for its future. As for increasing complication in the world, yes and no. All around us is evidence of that increasing complication regarding technology, protocols for processes (including industrial checklists and processes for listening and communicating), and documentation, to name a few. The complication may have arisen because without it significant things (rights, feelings, efficiency in time and other costs, for instance) had previously been overlooked. For those who previously felt “left out,” the complication may be a welcome development, as far as it contributes to them and their considerations now being taken into account in decision-making. To them, a result of the complication may be that Love and the 6th Principle are enhanced.
What We Heard: It’s lovely seeing the way in which the church is growing.
Our Response: Yes, it is.
What We Heard: Surprised not more people here. Send part of this transcription out as an email of invitation that the Board is available to hear your thoughts.
What We Heard: People seem to be changed since we started the Search process, but why aren’t more people here at this meeting?
Our Response: We wondered the same thing. This is a new process the Board is trying out in reaction to some comments that the Board needs to communicate more and be more transparent. It will probably take some time for people to be comfortable with the process, and as they learn more about how we govern ourselves, we think the interest and attendance will increase.
-- Connecting with our Stakeholders