Hello, and thank you to those who attended the proposed budget preview on Zoom on the evening of Tuesday, May 16. We are also grateful for everyone engaging with the budget emails in advance of the Budget Presentation Second Hour on June 4 and Annual Congregational Meeting on June 11.
Based on conversations that have taken place with congregational members about the budget in recent weeks, we wanted to take an opportunity to elaborate on some of the concepts presented in the July '23 - June '24 budget and answer questions that have been put forward. Please review the 2019 vs. 2023 staffing comparison presentation below. We are gathering this Thursday, May 25 for a Congregational Conversation on Zoom at 7pm and encourage all to attend.
Union clergy drafted the vision based on long-standing conversations in the congregation, input from various parts of the community as part of the process (interviews, environmental scans, second hour conversations), the support and input of the steering committee, and feedback and endorsement from Leadership Council.
Sustainability – It is clear that without an influx of people, resources and energy, Union will not be able to reverse the trend towards stagnation that is evident not only in our community but in many Christian communities of faith in our region and throughout the country.
Personal and institutional growth – We must engage members of the Union community differently to foster more substantive involvement in ministry by individuals and families, grow our spiritual lives, and heighten the impact in the areas that God calls us to act (evangelism, social justice, discipleship).
Much of the work of groups like the Worship Transitions Task Force and the various task forces and committees that have met over the last few years has already been incorporated into the shaping of the vision and commitments. If these are affirmed on April 10th, and we move to “how” phase of our work, job one will be to consider that work anew, and incorporate our best thinking and practice into any plan going forward. Hopefully the conversations we have had over the past two years have sharpened some of that thinking, but the work of those groups will be foundational to our proceeding.
Having a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it.
The concept of church as community hub is based on our belief that we are stewards of a congregation’s resources and called to use those resources in service to God and community, both internal and external. It means worship that is inclusive and invitational and church buildings that are used in partnership with organizations that share our commitment to social justice; it means a place where all in our community seek spiritual growth, inspiration through the arts and education, and community through fellowship.
No decision has been made about the pews, though there is a strong feeling among some in our leadership – particularly Union’s clergy -- that doing so will provide the flexibility needed for innovation and creativity in worship, create intimacy and foster greater connectedness, and open the space up for additional missional uses. If the congregation affirms a commitment to move forward to innovate worship and expand the missional use of the campus at the special congregational meeting on April 10th, a task group will consider changes to the worship space as part of considering expanded and changed campus use. That group’s recommendation will be part of the development of an implementation plan which encompasses all seven commitments to be developed this Spring. The possible reconfiguration of the worship space will follow the same process of other church capital projects (e.g., the solar panels, the tower project): planning by staff /working group – leadership council – congregational decision. As with these projects, financial considerations will be part of the plan presented to the congregation for approval.
Our process is designed so that our dreaming is not limited by what we might perceive to be “possible.” If we affirm the path of exploration that the vision and commitments represent, our next step will be to work to reconcile the tensions and overcome the barriers that we have already identified and those that will inevitably arise; this will perhaps result in some calibration of what we envision, but our task at the moment is to aspire boldly.
The simple answer is that we can’t be absolutely sure that ANY plan will be completely successful. What we can do is create a vision and plan that is based on the strengths and passions of Union’s people and that will inspire and energize, and encourage investment and engagement by current members of our community, and those who will join us. Union is a community of great resources – financial, physical and human; we cannot allow limits to what we can accomplish to be self-imposed.
What about using other campus spaces for such activities?
Our “why” conversations and the work of the worship transitions task force made clear the sacred nature of our sanctuary space – as a focal point for the gathering of our church community, and as our chosen place of inspiration for encountering the divine. Worship can and does happen in other settings – but as we gather TOGETHER in all our diversity, our sanctuary is the central gathering place for church and community. Our sanctuary is also the largest space on our campus, the most compelling, and the most underutilized. It is therefore the space with the most potential for community events. Because we view it as sacred space, community events in an accessible sanctuary will have a spiritually uplifting context.
Foundational vision – This statement, along with the seven commitments, are what the congregation will be asked to affirm at the congregational meeting on April 10th.
Seven Commitments – The commitments are what give life and specifics to the foundational vision and will be considered in three parts, based on the focus areas that have guided the process:
Worship – March 13 and 15 (virtual)
Social Justice – March 20 and 22 (virtual)
Community Engagement / Membership – March 27 and 29 (virtual)
If the congregation votes to affirm the vision and commitments, working groups will be formed for developing options and a proposed implementation plan in each commitment area.
There will be the formation of task groups to explore each of the Seven Commitments. Each task group will be charged with investigation into the possibilities of the Vision, visual representation (as needed), field trips, costs, and more, as needed. There will also be further discussion with the congregation to show findings as well as congregational meeting(s) to vote on costs and funding.
All implementation steps requiring resources not currently budgeted, or which would require a change in Union’s by-laws will be brought to the congregation for approval. ALL implementation steps – even those not requiring separate approval (e.g., an expansion of small groups, adding a new campus partner / tenant) – would be communicated to the community as they are planned and implemented as part of our commitment to transparency.
Even if you are not part of a working group, there will be formal gatherings both in-person and virtually David, Katrina, Jon, and Marcie are available throughout this process for conversation and input and are eager to hear from individuals -- as are members of Leadership Council. A special website (loveunionsjourney.com) is also available for providing both structured and unstructured input.
Copyright © 2022 Strategic Visioning #loveunionsjourney 2022 Union Congregational Church - All Rights Reserved.
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