The Governing Board gathered on Zoom in August for an enthusiastic day of team building, orienting, and goal setting. Goals provide a target to focus on while motivating us to stretch beyond our current circumstances. The Governing Board sets goals each year to prioritize the Board’s work. The 2020-21 Board established three goals at the Board Retreat. The goals for this year involve our plans for the future of our church, including our response to the global pandemic.
Goal 1: Guide and support the congregation through the challenges and opportunities of COVID-19 and toward physical recongregation.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its reverberations has shaken our world and our nation in so many ways, but UUCP perseveres. Yet there is no doubt that the virus has dramatically altered our church along with our workplaces, schools, relationships, the economy, and on and on. Infection rates in Florida and the inherent risks of virus transmission continue to be too high for us to gather safely. However, the Board and our Safer Congregations Ministry Team are researching, considering, and discussing possibilities for recongregating. In fact, we will distribute a survey in September to solicit your thoughts and priorities regarding gathering.
As suggested by this goal, COVID-19 presents us with opportunities as well as challenges. For example, the virus forced many of us to learn to use technologies we might not have otherwise. We surely will continue to utilize ser- vices such as Zoom and YouTube to communicate with our Members and Friends as well as broader audiences. And we will think differently about hygiene, air quality, and virus transmission for a long time to come. The Board is con- templating all this as we make decisions about recongregating in ways that will not only sustain our church but also strengthen UUCP in the long term.
Goal 2: Work with the congregation and with Rev. Alice Syltie to create a vision for the church’s future that is aligned with our mission statement.
This goal may seem familiar because we have carried it over from last year. Over the last year, we’ve made a concert- ed effort to emphasize and highlight our UUCP Mission Statement. Hopefully, you’ve gotten to the point where the words Celebrate Diversity, Strive for Justice, and Inspire Love roll easily off your tongue and resonate with your spir- it. You will continue to hear and see the Mission Statement featured in Sunday Services, in the newsletter, and in oth- er communications. We want Members and Friends of the congregation to be familiar with and proud of our mission.
Those of you who participated in one of the workshops that Rev. Alice and Nancy Hagman facilitated in Fall 2019 may recognize the Golden Circle displayed here [see end of article]. Using the terminology of the Golden Circle promoted by Simon Sinek, our Mission Statement reflects the WHY of our church. The statement illustrates why we exist, the driving force of our church. Our church covenant describes HOW we live our mission in relationship with one another and with the larger world.
A Vision Statement paints an image of WHAT we aspire to be as a church. The ongoing pandemic and the resulting period of social distancing has a pale silver lining in that it has provided us all with an opportunity to clarify what is most important to us. Strange as it may seem, this transitional period offers us a chance to envision WHAT we want for our church as we cross the threshold between not meeting together physically and eventually recongregating, in whatever forms recongregation takes. The Board hopes to work with the congregation and with Rev. Alice to develop a Vision Statement that clearly depicts our aspirations.
Goal 3: Develop a Long-Range Plan that will guide us through the next five years.
The Long-Range Plan that we created in 2015 reads like a long list of accomplishments. We have installed a new sign, embraced social media, established an Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education program, added a beautiful chal- ice mosaic on the outside of our building, and achieved many more of the plans and goals presented in our current Long-Range Plan. We should be very proud of all we have done!
Now we are in need of a new plan to guide and inspire us through the next five years. As mentioned above, the current moment is actually a great time to work on such a plan. Being in a threshold moment, we can be creative with our goals.
We will need lots of input and help to craft a well-rounded Long-Range Plan that reflects the diverse aspirations of our congregation. Your voice is needed on this project and so many others underway at UUCP. I can’t wait to tackle the challenges and opportunities with you this year!
