Adapted from a letter from the board of trustees to the congregation published in The Gateway newsletter in the spring of 2007.

Much of the board of trustees’ work this year has been to adapt a more effective way for the members, staff, and board to work together. Called Policy Governance®, the structural model has been put to use in many nonprofits, including large UU churches across the country. We have devised board and staff policies that limit and define practices that are legal, prudent, and ethical. We have also adopted a set of “outcomes,” which state the purpose of the organization by identifying the results we hope to achieve.

And after our exciting and fruitful work, we would like to share these outcomes statements with the congregation.

UUC Outcomes Policy

UUC awakens its members to the personal or spiritual growth they seek, and inspires them to return the gifts of their transformation to UUC and their communities.

• People feel welcomed into a caring church community.
• People feel at peace and hopeful, and share those feelings with their families and the world.
• People feel inspired to see, hear, and think in ways that deepen our understanding and expand our vision.
• People feel strong enough in heart and mind to face the challenges they may encounter in life, and look to others for strength when they need it most.
• People feel helpful to others in our community and beyond, sharing their energies and resources freely and in love, in living witness to our shared values.
• People feel grateful for the deep liberal religious legacy of Unitarian Universalism and the promise of its principles.

The other policies are called "means," and they describe procedures and limits, as well as legal requirements. The outcomes are the heart of Policy Governance. The entire set of policies can be read here.

Developing the Outcomes

The board had many inspiring and insightful discussions about how to achieve these outcomes.

• We studied the Policy Governance model.
• We read books and articles on the subject.
• We had a retreat in early fall with a UU minister trained in the governance model.
• We studied relevant projects led by other congregational leaders, such as the strategic planning documents and the branding project from a few years ago.
• We studied surveys of members and other materials.
• We asked the ministers to share with us their hopes and dreams.
• We talked to the congregation, both at the leadership retreat and in many one-on-one conversations.

The Bylaws

We discovered one key piece in our own UUC bylaws. It was a wonderful list of “Principles and Purposes.” Our thinking about outcomes coincided with these statements very well. We have created outcomes with deep reliance upon these earlier “Principles and Purposes.”

From the Bylaws to Outcomes

These new outcomes suit our current purpose—to create an organizational tool for the board and staff, so that all work together harmoniously, to achieve our congregation’s shared goals.

• Outcomes describe “results” rather than actions.
• Outcomes are written with increased clarity.
• Outcomes emphasize feelings of hope and peace.

The board will evaluate the outcomes annually. Outcomes will change as the needs and desires of the community change, but typically last about four to six years. They can change as the energy and resources of the church change. The board will use input and feedback gathered from members and staff to evaluate outcomes.

Transformation

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Every great and commanding moment in the annals of the world is the triumph of some enthusiasm." At UUC, the idea—or enthusiasm—can be a small one, maybe the creation of a friendship, or a big one, like the building of a Habitat for Humanity home. The transformation can be tangible or spiritual. And everything that happens at UUC can be seen as a kind of transformation.