From Shannon Gattens, Board of Trustees Secretary
The Unitarian Universalist Association says that a “covenant is the silk that joins Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations, communities, and individuals together in a web of interconnection.” For those that have been involved in UUCM committees, classes or groups, you probably went through an exercise of creating a covenant to establish a common understanding of how you want to relate as a group and with the congregation as a whole.
This year, the Board went through the process of creating a new covenant. It was a contemplative, democratic process that included self reflection, group reflection and lots of wordsmithing. There were four specific service categories the Board committed to: 1) a culture of equity and inclusion; 2) a culture of courage and spiritual growth; 3) a culture of dedication, commitment, and integrity; 4) a culture of mutual development.
With any good covenant comes accountability and action. One of the notable additions to the covenant addresses equity and inclusion. Already, several Board members (as well as congregants) have signed up for Beloved Conversations, a training program meant to “re-form the brokenness of racism into new patterns of thought and behavior ushering in social and spiritual healing.” This work is used to help shape the future of our congregation.
The Board also updated the Vision of Ministry. The Vision on Ministry is used to shape what the Board would like the ministerial to focus on this year and includes: caring for our congregational members and friends; advancing racial justice, equity and inclusion, and; prioritizing Strategic Plan goals.
As you can see, while we are not meeting in person, there is still quite a lot going on behind the scenes. The Board is committed to serving the congregation in the most meaningful and fluid manner possible. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Gandhi
Please reach out to me at boardsecretary@uumontclair.org or to Peter Arian at boardpresident@uumontclair.org if you have any questions or concerns.