It’s starting to feel like fall, isn’t it? The change in seasons is underway – some have been quick “tack!” kinds of changes, and others have been the kind of “big ship, small rudder” changes you can’t feel but trust are happening (nautical references are from last week’s worship service “Out at Sea”).
This Sunday in worship we will dive deeper into the topic of change and explore together the relationship between tradition (“the way we’ve always done it”) and transformation. How do our Unitarian Universalist congregations need to change in order to meet the moment we find ourselves in? How have we already begun? How might we be informed by our anxiety and fear of change, respect that it often illuminates what we care about, without letting it derail forward momentum? Can we open ourselves to the possibility that perhaps the work of transformation (individually and collectively) is the holiest ground we could find ourselves on?
After worship I hope you’ll stick around coffee hour for a leadership opportunities info session. There are a number of gaps in leadership at A2U2 this year that, if left unfilled, will leave us unable to function as a congregation. We need a Stewardship Team – a small group to coordinate the Artisan Fair (our biggest fundraiser), folks to build a Membership Committee, and some able-bodied folks who live locally to join Buildings & Grounds, and a Family Ministry team to support our RE program and young families.
Holy moly! The gaps in leadership feel daunting. But this moment is also full of possibility. We get to decide, as a congregation, how to move forward into our future. We DON’T have to do it “the way we’ve always done it.” In fact, we probably shouldn’t! We need creative thinkers (even and especially those new to us) who want to join in stewarding this beloved community by piloting new ways of doing things. I hope it might be YOU.
Informed by our many covenant conversations over the past two years and the lessons we learned during my 2-year transitional ministry, your Board of Trustees has reworked our Developmental Ministry Goals for the 2025-2026 program year and beyond. These goals are for all of us as we venture forward into the next chapter of our time together and will guide the decisions we make as we navigate change and, if we’re lucky, transformation.
- Cultivate a vibrant, multigenerational community grounded in interdependence, mutual care, and collective responsibility. Deepen and nurture meaningful relationships that allow us to know each other deeply, grow stronger together in the face of challenge, and have fun together.
- Nurture a culture of trust, honesty, respect, and openness to new ideas.
Establish norms of engagement with each other and the institution which empower members to be their authentic selves while also emphasizing direct and respectful communication.
- Develop church structures that are built on a shared understanding of the church’s mission, purpose, and goals. Create alignment between committees, Minister, staff, and wider congregation through open communication and skillful conflict resolution.
We may be out at sea and at the mercy of the water below and weather around us, but we sail on with a wonderful crew. I am glad to be along for the ride.