(Transcribed by Diana Spaulding)
Background
The UUP Board of Trustees and the Leadership Council worked this winter on identifying potential priorities for the next three years, and wanted to check in with the congregation on the direction we were headed.
We presented the participants at the May 6th Congregational Conversation with a graphic “tree” with three areas into which priorities could be grouped: Expand Ministry; Make Room to Grow; and Strengthen the Organization.
The activity
Each potential strategic priority below became a “leaf” on the tree when someone chose it as a positive goal for UUP.
Participants then put their names next to the leaf either to affirm its importance (a “Yes!”), or to indicate a desire to be involved (a ‘Count-Me-In’); or they chose it as their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd priority by number.
The potential priorities are grouped to reflect where they were on the tree (this was a somewhat haphazard process so some priorities are not where you might expect).
Expand Ministry
Increase Minister’s Time with Us – 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, Count-Me-In, Yes!, Yes!
Full-time Minister – 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, Yes!, Yes!, Yes!
Grow our Membership – 2, 3, Yes!
Social Justice Community Partner – 3, Yes!, Count-Me-In, Count-Me-In
(Handwritten) Join North Bay Community Organizing Cmte. – Count-Me-In, Yes!
(Handwritten) Community Project – Yes!
Pastoral Care Associates Program – Yes!, Yes!
Social Justice Beacon in the Community – Yes!, Yes!
Worship Support Worship Arts – Yes!
(Handwritten) The Inner Work…Our primary relationship is with ourselves within the context of our psycho/spiritual environment. It determines everything else – 2, Yes!
Worship Support Sound Engineering
Covenant & Respect for Volunteers
Commitments Shared Ministry
More RE Staffing (Mid-Term)
Deepen Spiritual Resonance
Membership Retention
Make Room to Grow
3+ Religious Education Classrooms – 1, 2, 2, 3,
Facilities Task Force – New Rental – 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, Count-Me-In, Count-Me-In
(Handwritten) New Rental with lots of RE-friendly Space – I’d love to work on communication – Yes!
(Handwritten) New Building for our Expanding Church – 2, Yes!, Yes!, Yes!
Larger Worship Space – 2, Yes!
Welcoming Congregation (Affirm LGBT welcome) – 2, Count-Me-In, Count-Me-In, Yes!
Outreach and Publicity to Expand Diversity – Yes!
Public Visibility for UUP – Yes!
Greeter Teams Sunday Morning
[Yellow] Keep intimate, engaged, and authentic culture as we expand – Yes!
Strengthen the Organization
Small Group Ministries – 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, Count-Me-In
Small Group Ministry / Adult Religious Education – 3, Count-Me-In, Count-Me-In, Yes!
(Handwritten) Small Group Ministries – increase depth into the community, dream group? – Count-Me-In
(Handwritten) Membership Task Force (structure; evaluation of skills; support) – 1, 3, Count-Me-In, Count-Me-In, Count-Me-In, Count-Me-In
Keep Congregation Connected: Open Processes – 1, 1, Yes!, Yes!
More RE Volunteers / More RE Teachers – 2, Count-Me-In
More RE Volunteers / More RE Teachers – Support /Training – Yes!, Yes!
Mentors to Better Integrate New Members – 1, Count-Me-In
Plan for the Process of Change – Increase Communication – Yes!, Yes!, Yes!
Keep Congregation Connected: Using Web – Yes!, Yes!, Yes!
Keep Congregation Connected: Other Technology – Count-Me-In (use technology to deepened and broaden connections without forsaking face-to-face relationships)
(Handwritten) Public Relations stuff / SRC Events – Part of Outreach – Count-Me-In
Stewardship Long-Term Giving – Count-Me-In
Stewardship100% Pledge Participation – 1
Plan to Generate Long-Term Income – 1
Deepen Sense of Spiritual Community – 2
(Handwritten) Increase Paid Administrative Staff – 3
Infrastructure: Ever great democratic process – Yes!
(Handwritten) More Social Groups (movies, hiking, dinners, music)
Infrastructure: Open Decision-Making
Strategic Plan
[Yellow] Caution: Frustration at Lengthy Process and not enough Do It
UUP is becoming a welcoming congregation.