Why are we doing this?

A clear understanding of our mission is critical to enable ongoing decisions about how we invest and allocate our resources. If UUC is to continue to thrive, we must ensure our assets and efforts are focused and directed in a way that preserves those things that are important to us while allowing us to adapt to our present and future.

What will this process look like?

Our goal is to create space for members to come together in respectful, thoughtful discussion about who we are together and where we should focus our collective efforts. We have no idea where this process will lead us as it truly about listening to discern the hopes and passions of the congregation as we look to our future. The more people who participate in the process, the better we can represent the wisdom of the congregation. So please let us hear from you.

We started off our congregation-wide process with the history event on December 5th. We hope that this event helped us all get in touch with what the church has meant to us and to our wider community. It's important that we are able to think about the church in a context larger than our Sunday morning experience.

In late January and early February, the planning team will organize several discussion events at the church where we will break into small groups and talk about critical questions of identity, purpose, and influence. We hope you'll be able to attend one of these. Final dates and sign-up forms coming soon!

The planning team will use notes from these events, along with factual data gathered about membership, finances, our community, and our denomination to prepare a report for the board with recommendations for next steps.

How can I get involved?

Be sure to participate in the discussion events early next year. We anticipate a number of ways to be involved as the process unfolds and will inform you of opportunities as they arise. There will also be plenty of volunteer opportunities for those who want to help!

What is the planning team?

The planning team was selected by the board and charged with facilitating and reporting on a process of congregation-wide thoughtfulness and discussion about who we are and what our mission is.

The team includes the following members: Kristin Guest (chair), Anne Eacker, Katie Renschler, Susan Wetstone, Michael McDaniel, David Mentz, and Rev. Jon Luopa. Dan Hotchkiss, a consultant from the Alban Institute, is helping guide us through this process. Please feel free to contact the entire team on any matter or question related to our Year of Discernment.