What’s going on... April 2010

Sunday Services

Sunday, April 4 – Rev. Fred Howard, “Plotting the Resurrection”

Its Easter again.  Every year about this time we face that empty tomb thing.  Nearly 2000 years have passed since those stories were written, yet somehow the specter still haunts us – believer and nonbeliever alike.  This morning’s sermon will be some of my musings on the mystery of resurrection and its implications.

 Bring Candy Donations Today: Sue Bailey would like donations of small individually wrapped candies to fill eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt to be held next Sunday.  Help her out.  

Easter Sunrise Service -  7 AM  - Easter Sunday, April 4 McLane Riverview Memorial Gardens , 3945 North Valdosta Rd.    Sponsored by the Valdosta Area Ministerial Association (VAMA).  Fred Howard will take part in the event.

 

 

 

Sunday, April 11 – Dr. Michael Stoltzfus, “Baha’i Faith:  Teachings and Practices”

We will explore the history and basic teachings of the Baha’i faith.  Core principles include the idea that progressive truth is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, and that their missions represent successive stages the spiritual progression of society.  We will also investigate their teachings regarding women and children.  

Potluck Lunch and Easter Egg Hunt after the service Sunday,  April 11: Sue Bailey is coordinating the potluck so let her know what you will bring.  She would also like donations of small individually wrapped candies for the Easter Egg Hunt.  Give your donations to Sue on April 4, so she can fill the eggs for the hunt the Sunday after Easter.  

Sunday, February 18 – Rev. Fred Howard, “An Experience of Universalism”

People learn in many ways.  Some learn best through their eyes - visual learners, some by hearing - auditory, some must actually put their hands on what it is they are trying to learn – tactile.  But of all the ways, experts agree that experiential learning is the best.  To actually experience a concept as a way to incorporate it into your life – wow, what a concept!  Come this morning and hear about the dramatic changes that have taken place in the largest church in our faith tradition over the past two years, what we they learned from these changes, and what we can learn from them.  

Sunday, April 25 – Rabbi Moshe M. Elbaz,  “The Ethical and Moral Message of the Prophets of Israel "

We welcome Rabbi Moshe Elbaz of Temple Israel this morning.  Prior to assuming the position as the Rabbi of the Valdosta Hebrew Congregation, he served as the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth El of Central Florida for the past six years.

                Rabbi Moshe M. Elbaz, Ph.D., was born in Rabbat , Morocco . His family shortly thereafter moved to Jerusalem , Israel . In his high school years, he attended the Brandies Printing Institute and enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces.  After graduating from Boston University and Hebrew Teachers College where he majored in political science and Jewish education, he began a career in Jewish Education and served in several congregations throughout the United States as a Jewish Educator and Educational Director. His graduate work includes studies in Economics and Business Administration at the University of Omaha and University of Central Florida . In 1985, he concluded his Rabbinic Studies at Yshivat Or Hachayim, Jerusalem , and was duly ordained. In 1997, he concluded his Doctoral Dissertation on the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Conservative Synagogues in the United States in the 20th Century.

                Over the past 35 years, Rabbi Elbaz has been an instrumental factor in the field of Jewish Education, introducing numerous curricular units for religious schools throughout the United States . In the rabbinate he directed the Institute for Jewish Life.  From 1989-2002 he served as an Adjunct Professor of Modern Hebrew and Culture, and Jewish History at the University of Central Florida. Since 2001, he has served as a part-time chaplain at Coleman FCC.  

                Rabbi Moshe Elbaz serves on a number of boards and has received the ‘Shema Yisrael’ from Israel Bonds, the ‘Shalom’ award from the Jewish National Fund, and the first ‘Sinai’ award from Congregation Beth El of Central Florida. When Jerusalem celebrated its 3,000th anniversary in 1996, he served as its National Chairman and coordinator of the Jerusalem Youth Orchestra Tour in the United States .

Be There!

Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, April 25 after Meet and Greet and discussion. 

Be There!

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Religious Education

For Children: The RE program for children meets at. 10:45 AM concurrent with the Sunday morning service.  The children are studying what it means to be UU and learning more about our roots and history. Volunteers to help in the classroom are needed. Contacts: Mya Storey; Susan Bailey. 

Infants and Toddlers: Sue Bailey wants to be sure that new members or visitors know that infants and toddlers are welcome in the RE room during services.  They may be too little to participate, but we do have someone available to watch them so the parents can enjoy the service.

Adult Religious Education: Adult religious education meets at 9:30 AM prior to the Sunday service.  Fred Howard, Al Hunt, Valerie Webster, and Lars Leader are facilitating the discussions.   The group has just begun an exploration of the philosophy of Eastern Religions by discussing topics in the book “Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion” by Diane Morgan.   Please join this interesting and lively time of sharing.

INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our minister, Rev. Fred Howard or our President, Doug Tanner or Membership Director, Mya Storey.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.

 

 

 

 

MINISTERIAL MUUSINGS

Rev. Fred Howard                                      April 2010

The importance of having a place to call home has been much on my mind this past month.  I’m sure part of the reason for this idea being implanted in my brain is because I took a tour of the homeless shelter at LAMP recently as part of an effort to get more acquainted with the social justice ministry needs in our community.  But another part came from reading about our new president of the UUA, Peter Morales, who campaigned on this vision for our faith movement:  “Our congregations are surrounded by the spiritually hungry and religiously homeless.  Growing our movement is the moral equivalent of feeding the hungry and housing the homeless.  Growth is not something that is merely organizationally desirable, growth is a moral and religious imperative.” 

Strong words.  But they are also prophetic words that I think we need to hear.  Being an association of 172,000 members nationwide means that we are not even a blip on the radar screen of politicians and the powers that be.  While I do not subscribe to the idea of seeking political power for its own sake, I do feel that we have meritorious ideas to contribute in shaping the future of our country.  But unless we grow, we will remain a voice crying in the wilderness of our country’s moral and spiritual landscape.  And I agree wholeheartedly with Morales that the best way for us to grow is to pay attention to the spiritually hungry and religiously homeless in our midst.

Our best opportunity for this ministry occurs when we have visitors.  When people come to our congregation because they have read about us on the internet, or seen our sign by the road or our park bench out by the mall, they have already sensed a certain appeal in who we are.  Obviously, some of these people are merely curious, but I would venture that most of them are here because they are feeling “religiously homeless.”  Otherwise they would not be seeking us out.  So making them feel “at home” is the most important part of what we need to do in our efforts to relate to them.  How can we best do that?  Certainly by being friendly and welcoming and seeking to find out more about them as any good host should.  But that is how you treat visitors – both at church and in your home as well. 

The folks who really feel at home in my home are the ones who come in the back door.  I don’t take them into the more formal section of my home, I sit with them at the kitchen table.  I act as though I have time for them and, if they happen to be hungry, I might even say something like, “Make yourself at home.”  That means that I want them to feel free to share whatever happens to be on the counter or in the refrigerator.  It also means that I want to put them at ease, and give them a sense that they can share a common human need with me.  And if life has taught me anything, it is this: The greatest of all our common human needs is to feel less lonely. 

That’s what homecoming has always been for me, a place I can go where I can feel less of the loneliness that haunts some little corner of every human heart.  So many on our world do not have such a place – a place they can call home.  Just thinking about that fact fills me with such sadness.  So whether it is the lack of a physical building for shelter, or the lack of a place that houses a kindred spirit with whom we can sit down and share a cup of coffee, I want to challenge myself and the congregation to embrace this great need of homelessness in the world. 

 

Fred Howard is our part time minister.  You may contact Rev. Howard by email (preferable) at fredhoward435@hotmail.com.  He is available for consultations on Monday and Wednesday afternoons on most weeks from 2-5PM by appointment.  Fred welcomes any questions you may have about membership in our congregation.  He is also available for weddings and rites of passage ceremonies by prearrangement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Congregational Meeting

Sunday, April 25 

After meet and greet!

Our fifth UU principle states: “We … covenant to affirm and promote … the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” In addition our bylaws, which we recently changed, require us to hold an annual congregational meeting in April.  President Doug Tanner has announced the following agenda:

·         Vote on the slate of officers. See Nominating Committee report below.

·         Budget for 2010-2011.

·         Approve a new contract for our minister, Fred Howard.  (The contract for approval will have the same conditions as the current year’s contract for Rev. Howard except that the proposed new contract will only cover 9 months.  Rev. Howard has requested a break from his duties during the summer.) 

 Report of the Nominating Committee for election of officers for 2010-2011: 

Committee:  Carol Stiles, Chair, Dee Tait, and Julie Halter

Following are the Committee’s nominations for 2010-2011:

• President - Lars Leader

• Vice President/Programs - Bill and Valerie Webster

• Treasurer - Rosie Asbury

• Secretary – Kimberly Tanner

• Director of Membership – (Still to be filled.)

• Director of Religious Education - Susan Bailey

• Director of Building and Grounds - Jim Ingram

Thank you to those who have agreed to accept nominations for these positions for the upcoming year!

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At the Church-in-the-Woods

New Hope Christian Community Church- Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 4:30 PM. Service at 6:00 PM.  http://internationalchristiancommunity.ning.com  

Taoist Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday: Beginners Class 5:30-.6:30 PM; Continuing Class 6:30-8:00 PM.  Contact Dennis Bogyo or Luana Goodwin  

PFLAG Meeting – 4th Tuesday each month, 7:00PM

Contact: Doug Tanner The web page for PFLAG Valdosta:
http://pflag-valdosta.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

 

President’s Corner

Doug Tanner

It’s time again for the Annual Congregational Meeting.  While some may see this as just another boring meeting or a bureaucratic hurdle that has to jumped every year it really is much more.

                As members of an active and actually growing congregation it is important that the needs and desires of the congregation are understood and met.  The Annual Congregational Meeting is an important time for members to express opinions and show support for the work that the Board of Directors does throughout the year.

                I encourage everyone who can to attend the meeting on April 25^th, express your opinion and show your support for those who have committed to serving you for the upcoming year.  

                I’ll see you all on Sunday.

Newsletter Editor:  Betty Derrick  Website:  Carol Stiles Local Publicity: Dee Tait April 15: Deadline for May newsletter.

 

 

 

 

 

All About Unitarian Universalism: New Small Group Forming

First Session Sunday, April 25, 6:30 PM, meeting in private homes for three Sunday evening sessions

Note: Prior registration and commitment to all sessions required.

“Members have been asking me,” Fred Howard says, “When will we be having another New UU class?”  And visitors have been wanting a class to learn more about our faith tradition.  To meet these needs, Rev. Howard will be offering an “All About Unitarian Universalism” small group experience, similar to the ones we had last fall.  We will meet on three Sunday evenings beginning on April 25.  The sessions will begin at 6:30 PM and will last about 2 hours. We will share a small meal, and then have time for an informal discussion and sharing.  Kathy and Fred Howard will be hosting the first session at their condo at Rolling Hills.  The first meal will be a potluck. They will furnish the main course and beverages.  Volunteers will be needed to host the second and third session. 

There will be both an informational as well as a personal sharing component to these sessions which will center around three general themes: 

1) What brought you to Unitarian Universalism?

2) What do Unitarian Universalists believe?

3) Where do I want to go on my faith journey, and how might this church be a part of that future?

If you are interested in being a part of this experience you will need to sign up in advance and commit for all three sessions.  You may send Fred Howard an email or sign up in the sanctuary beginning April 4.  The group will be limited to eight people.  Come and be a part of this time of learning and building community!  

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ABOUT OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Happy Birthday to anyone who had a birthday in January, February, March, or April (if you’ll let your newsletter editor know we’ll print your name!)

Congratulations to

v Congratulations to Fred Howard on being elected the President of the Valdosta Area Ministerial Association for next year.  Thank him for involving us with other religious leaders in our community!

v Lars Leader who qualified to run in the Boston Marathon some months ago.  The race is April 19.  Go Lars!  We wish you a good race!

Welcome to our new members

v Bryan and Kat Nickola and their daughter Zoe who have recently joined our congregation.  Welcome them when you see them 

Keep in your thoughts

v Our members and friends experiencing family or health concerns.

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Let’s Have Some Fun!!

Book Discussion and Potluck

Friday, April 9

At the church

Potluck: 6:00 PM – Discussion: 7:00 PM

Bring a dish to share.  Coffee and tea will be provided.  You are welcome to bring other beverages.  We’ll plan to wind up by around 8:00 PM if you have other end of the week commitments.  The book is “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver.  Kingsolver’s family resolved to eat only food they grew on their farm or that was grown by farmer’s in their area, eating seasonally, minimizing the energy cost of food production.  This book is their experience making an effort to eat responsibly and healthily. If you are wondering how this book fits into our stated purpose for the books we select, Betty suggests this book may give us “food for thoughtJ” about the selections we make when we go to the grocery store, plan meals, and eat out. It might change our life style! We have been selecting books which deal with different cultures, religions, and life styles.  Let us know your suggestions.  Contact: Betty Derrick

Games Night: At this time there are no plans for this event in April.  Although it is not a direct conflict, we do have another event scheduled on its usual date.  Contact: Susan Bailey. You may recall that, because of the Valentine’s Day Rainbow Mixer at our church, Games Night was cancelled for February.  Susan says that there seemed to be no interest in this event in March, when it was scheduled.  She is uncertain whether there is sufficient interest to continue this social activity.  Please speak with her, if you would like to see it continue, perhaps with suggestions about how to make it better.  Given Susan’s busy schedule you might even want to be the organizer for this event, if it continues in the future.  This can be a delightful fellowship time in which children as well as adults participate; however if we’re all too busy, perhaps it should be discontinued, at least for now.  Speak up if you have other suggestions.

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Social Action Activities  

Accepting Difference Project

This project works to bring attention to and build diverse coalitions to address systemic problems in our community.    

New webpage!       http://uuvaldosta.org/AcceptingDifferenceProject

"Come-and-See" Training:  The Accepting Difference Project is organizing a "Come-and-See" training for representatives from various community organizations on April 17.  The workshop leader will be Ana Garcia-Ashley of the Gamaliel Foundation, who spoke at one of our services in January.  Among the topics Ana will cover are:  "Creating relationships - the prerequisite to effective outreach" and "Building organizations that can be effective vehicles for social change."  Representatives from the Mary Turner Project, two VSU student organizations, PFLAG, individuals working with the migrant worker community, and ministers from VAMA are among those who will be participating in the workshops.    Due to limited space, invitations have been extended to the various groups, but there may be additional workshops in the future.   For more information contact Carol Stiles.

 Valentine's Day Rainbow Mixer!!  

An opportunity to Stand on the Side of Love!  On Saturday night, February 13, members of PFLAG and the UU church enjoyed the evening with music, dancing, conversation and refreshments!   The event was co-sponsored at the church by PFLAG and the Accepting Difference Project.   Standing on the Side of Love is a public advocacy campaign sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression. The campaign states on its website: “This is a time of great hope and possibility, yet our communities are threatened by the increased prevalence of acts motivated by fear and hate.    No one should be dehumanized through acts of exclusion, oppression, or violence because of their identities.  In public debates over immigration, LGBT rights, and more, religious people stand on the side of love and call for respect, inclusion, and compassion. The Standing on the Side of Love campaign elevates compassionate religious voices to influence public attitudes and public policy.  Through community activism, social networking, and media outreach, people across the nation are equipped to counter fear and make love real in the world.”

The Rainbow Mixer: Susan and her daughter, Emmilee dancing!  

Interfaith National Day of Prayer Service:  Mark your calendar for this service which will be held on Friday, May 14 at 1:00 PM on the grounds of the Lowndes County Courthouse.  Please plan to come and show your support for our community’s efforts to celebrate the diversity of religious expression we have here in Valdosta

 

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday (and 5^th when there is one) of each month.  If you would like to help deliver meals beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Frank or Rosie Asbury.  

 

LAMP

Members of our congregation will be helping serve a meal at the LAMP homeless shelter on Thursday, April 8 at 6 PM.  The meal is sponsored by VAMA.  If you are interested in helping contact Sue Bailey, Lars Leader, or Dee Tait.

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UU Church of Valdosta Board of Directors

March 3, 2010

Attendance: Doug Tanner, Rosie Asbury, Mya Storey, Sue Bailey, Fred Howard, Jim Ingram and Kari Wells.

Old Business: Doug will send an Email to the UU list about the Congregational meeting in April; Adult RE going well. Approx. 6-8 members every week.  Group will continue until Memorial Day.                               

New Business: Treasurer's Report: 8 Pledges in so far for the year, 2 new members signed the book.  Planning to do another commitment ceremony to collect pledges; Ministerial Report: Fred gave more information about LAMP and how we can be involved with this group.  Some suggestions were having the RE children deliver cookies.  Make a small donations this year and then budget for a larger one next year so that UU of Valdosta would be a voting member and also we discussed having a few church members help serve a dinner that VAMA is providing on April 8.; RE: For Earth day, Sue is planning to make a Peace Pole to donate to the church and put it out on the trail.  Fred offered to take pictures of the one that is outside the Macon Church to help give the RE class ideas; Fred has been elected President of VAMA for next year and would like our church to consider hosting the Community Thanksgiving; Talked about different ways to make sure that discussion time is being utilized properly.  Making sure everyone is respectful of other's thoughts and time.

Next meeting will be April 7, 2010 @ 6:00.

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Treasurer's Report – Rosie Asbury

February 28, 2010

Receipts                 February                        July -present (8 mos.)

  Plate                     $   98.00                                    $ 1251.00

  Pledge                     620.00                                    10628.00

  Rent                        240.00                                      1880.00

Total Receipts      $ 958.00                                  $14048.00

Disbursements  

  Speakers’ Fees      275.00                                     1475.00

  Minister Exp.         700.00                                     5908.85

  Repairs & Maint.  595.00                                      595.00

  Newsletter                  0.00                                     104.57

  Pest Control           342.00                                     587.00

  Postage                       0.00                                     196.40

  Supplies                      0.00                                     102.73

  Utilities                    367.85                                   1863.26

  Ads/Website          350.00                                     350.00

  UUA Dues                  0.00                                   1659.00

  UU Conference         0.00                                     325.00

  Donations                  0.00                                     325.00

  Others                         0.00                                     127.92

Total Disbursements                          

                              $  2629.85                             $ 13619.73

Net Receipt      $ -1671.85                            $     464.27

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Happenings in Ministry – Rev. Fred Howard

Beginning in our last newsletter and at the urging of the Board our minister has been reporting his ministerial activities.  This April 2010 report includes two previous months’ activities since we printed a February/March newsletter at the end of January.

Feb. 14 – Spoke at the Northwest UU Atlanta congregation on the upcoming Transylvania pilgrimage in July.

Feb. 15 – Attended monthly VAMA meeting.  Our program was presented by Heath Strickland of LAMP

Feb. 21 – Attended Peace Award presentation and reception for Mayor Fretti at Temple Israel .                

March 14 – Spoke at the UU Fellowship of Columbus .

March 15 – Attended monthly VAMA meeting.  Our program was presented by Ana Garcia Ashley, who you may remember.  She spoke at our congregation recently on her work with the Gamaliel Foundation, which does Congregation Based Community Organizing.

Upcoming Events:

April 4 – VAMA’s Easter Sunrise Service.  I will take part in this community wide Easter Celebration

April 8 – LAMP will be providing dinner for all the residents at the homeless shelter.  Our congregation will be represented.

April 9-11 - Florida District Annual Meeting in Miami .

April 17 – Gamaliel Training Workshop.

April 19-21 – Leadership in Ministry Workshop in WVa.

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UU Activities and Announcements

April 9-11- The annual Florida District Assembly, Miami UUA Moderator Gini Courter is our guest presenter on the theme of "What next for Unitarian Universalism."

 April
April 20- Third Tuesday Webinar – Risk Management
April 24- Congregational Youth Advisor Training for Adult Leaders, Ft. Myers , FL

June 23-27- UUA General Assembly, Minneapolis , MN

July 18-24 - Southeast UU Summer Institute (SUUSI), Radford , VA

August 8-13- Southland UU Leadership Experience, Highlands , NC

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS                    Joan Lund

April 2010

It’s the month for the annual column about our annual General Assembly to be held in Minneapolis from June 23rd to June 27th, and to encourage your attendance at this wonderful meeting where UU delegates and a lot of other UU folks gather to experience the way we do business. To start with…imagine being with others who want to grow in number and impact vibrant, reaching-out, hopeful congregations. It is at GA the skills and practices to achieve the most for our congregations can be discovered. For those of you who have attended GA UU University, and had hoped to do so again it will not be held this year. UU University is slated to become an every-other-year event in the future.

                We know we are charged with creating multicultural, multiracial congregations that minister to each coming generation in a changing American society. Programs will be offered to help us on the journey. You can also come to GA to nourish the mind and spirit. There will be programs that delve into the theological and spiritual foundation of our UU faith. One of the programs, “A House for Hope: Our Theological Foundation”, will be led by Dr. Rebecca Parker, President of Meadville Lombard Theological School, and Rev. John Buehrens, past President of our UUA. There will also be multiple programs to provide resources to congregations for the development of exciting, meaningful worship services that are intergenerationally and multiculturally inclusive.

                The Reverend Paige Getty, who has served the UU Church of Columbia, MD since 2003, will preach the 2010 Service of the Living Tradition. Rev. Getty has been selected because our President, Rev. Peter Morales knows we need to develop a strategy for ministry for the next generation and he purposely sought a preacher who was in her first decade of ministry.

                An annual highlight of GA is the Ware Lecture. Winona LaDuke will be the Ware Lecturer this year. As many of you know she is a Native American activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer. Ms. LaDuke is a graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities , and ran for U.S. vice-President in both 1996 and 2000 as the nominee of the Green Party.

                In past year’s columns about GA I have neglected to write about the social service community project that is always a part of our time at GA. In addition to contributing money to this year’s service project, GA attendees will have the opportunity to offer hands-on service at Hope Community, a neighborhood revitalization center. 

                Hopefully these few words are enough to entice you to journey to Minneapolis . All the information about programming for GA, how to register, and find housing can be found on our UUA website, www.uua.org. There is also great information about the city of Minneapolis . I will be there; but I also can be reached at jlund@uua.org.

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Greetings Florida District Friends and Leaders

Kenn Hurto , Florida District Director

After thinking about numerical, spiritual, & incarnational growth, I conclude with comments on institutional growth: our elected leadership.

                Our District congregations suffer the continued loss of experience & wisdom due to rapid leadership changes. Most congregations elect officers at large [in contrast to a Board choosing its own officers] at the same time they elect trustees ~ and those typically for two year terms. The result too frequently is a Board with over half its membership new to their duties! The congregation is thus vulnerable to the loss of shared memory, an inadequate understanding of roles and organizational development, and a tendency to focus on institutional maintenance rather than leadership.

                Every time a group loses a member, the collective maturity of the group declines. New folks just take time to come up to speed. If even close to half your leadership is new, this means your Board is comparatively immature.

                One result: in many congregations, power accrues to stalwart [and often over-worked] long-timers or to sub-groups that tend to focus on narrow concerns. Weak and immature boards make it difficult for a congregation to plan well. It is as though no one truly has the “good of the order” in mind for the long haul.

                What’s to be done? A few ideas:

• The District offers on-going assistance with leadership development, a need anywhere but all the more when groups turn over leadership so quickly. To that end, we host a monthly on-line seminar for leaders, a variety of workshops [including our forth-coming District Assembly!], a “Leadership Roundtable,” and the Southland Unitarian Universalist Leadership Experience at The Mountain [this year: August 7-14].

• Grooming leaders is an important part of institutional growth. Building the idea of service in leading is a core issue for institutional growth. Thus, we also encourage re-working the “Nominating Committee” to serve as a “Leadership Development Committee.” Rather than asking which warm-bodies can fill slots, the question becomes what gifts does our congregation need this and next year. [See the FLD website "Church Tools" for information on Gifts Ministry].

• Another consideration is to ensure your Vice-President is also the President-elect. S/he sits on your Executive Committee to assist the President and to be in training for those duties. Additionally, congregations might consider three-year terms for Trustees. And to be provocative: Have the Board nominate its officers from among its existing membership.

• Lastly, rather than lose the wisdom of previous leaders, a congregation might consider a Council of Elders [aka "Former Presidents Kitchen Cabinet"] to be on-call for the Board or other congregational leaders. With no formal power or need to act, they can be free to think about the overall ministry from a “balcony” perspective. Elders is a named role in our 17th century Cambridge Platform, the founding document of our polity. Lifting up that role often is itself a sign of institutional maturity.

May you continue to grow wise, as a Unitarian Universalist and as a congregational leader. Blessings, Rev. Kenn

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Systems Thinking

Connie Goodbread, FLD UUA Lifespan Program Consultant

While it is easy to say that we understand systems theory and its application to human emotional systems, it is really hard to think systems.

·         We try something new and get all kinds of grief from people. We don’t understand why.

·         We say something that we think is helpful and people get angry or upset. We don’t know why.

·         Even though there has been complete turnover of people in the congregation we repeat old patterns. Why?

                I have had several conversations with congregational leaders recently who have been explaining an issue that is going on in their congregation. Because I have known these congregations for a long time, I point out that this is not a new situation, but rather a repeated pattern. I reminded them of the last time this issue came up and each of them said back to me, “But none of the people who were here when that happened are here now. Well, except for me and a few others. We have a lot of new people. I don’t think the past issues have anything to do with this.”

                System Thinking is not a tool. It is a way of thinking. It is a lens through which we see the Universe, our world, lives and relationships. We live in systems, physical systems (the Universe, galaxy, solar system, planet). We also live in human systems; the world community, countries, cities, congregations and families.

                When we are really capable of thinking systems we understand that the way the system was formed (and for our purposes we are talking about congregations), the values that were set into place and the norms that were created all come into play when issues arise. The culture of the congregation was developed long before the new member joins. Each of us is coming into the middle of a story. The long history that brought us to 1961 when the Unitarians and the Universalists consolidated affects us – now, today. The consolidation itself affects us – now, today. The circumstances around the birth of each of our congregations affect us – now, today. The way we treated ministers in the past affects us – now, today. Our relationship with the larger faith, the community we serve or don’t serve and how we have treated individual members affects us – now, today. Whether or not we think there are secrets in our past affects us – now, today.

                It does not matter that no one who was part of the congregation now lived through the big ugly fight that split us off from the other congregation – that is how the congregation was born. It is in the DNA. Leaders have to understand the congregational history, the narrative (You might remember that last month’s Smart Church article was about narratives). We have to own it, the good and the bad, so that we can begin to take responsibility for the part we play in keeping things the same -and we do play our parts. It is sometimes very hard to admit that our over functioning, our “helping,” is part of the problem and is keeping the congregation stuck. Once we own our stuff, then and only then can we begin to deliberately plan to make changes that will lead to cultural change. It is not that the parts cannot change the system. It’s that it’s not easy and the system does not support change, so leaders must have staying power. Staying power is much easier when we understand the principle we are standing on to make the change that is for the common good.  

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