Dear Companions,

In our last issue, I raised with you the question of growth in our Unitarian Universalist congregations. I argued for the importance of numbers as a measure: that each number represents a human being eager to be part of our faith community. I remarked also that our numbers are not so good. We ought to notice whether we are serving more or fewer people. I urge you to open the conversation in your congregation about how we can grow our faith in this time.

I promised to speak of other ways to think about growth. Here’s one for you: How would you measure whether or not you and your fellow congregants are more or less mature religiously? Our 4th Principles says part of our purpose is to encourage “spiritual growth in our congregations.” How would you know if your congregation is doing that?

We speak of Faith Development as a life-span work. Each stage of life has new questions, or old questions that open to a deeper understanding. We should be growing! The constellation of hopes and beliefs that serve well for a child are inadequate to the young adult, let alone a senior. My hunch, though, is that trying to come up with a congregation-wide metric of spiritual growth would be either impossible or meaningless. Yet, I do think each of us could take our own measure. Some questions to consider: 

• What have I learned about myself this year that guides me toward joyful living?
• What do I understand differently about the “big” questions of life: the nature of the holy, my sense of purpose and meaning, my ability to connect with others?
• Can I articulate my core values in a positive way?
• Would my “elevator speech” [tell a stranger what you truly believe in 3 minutes] be compelling? Am I confident I could do it? Have I tried?
• Have I grown in service to others? Do I walk my talk as a Unitarian Universalist, respecting others, working for justice, and so on?
• Am I a more loving human being? 

Well, the list could get lengthy. What would you add were you to do an annual survey of your spiritual growth? For me, the answer has something to do with my daily prayer: “Thank you,” and “May I not knowingly add harm to our world.” Put differently, I measure my spiritual evolution by being ever more grateful for life and whether or not I can do something every day to make life a little better, or at least not make things worse. It is a spiritual discipline. What’s yours? How are you growing spiritually?

Blessings, always and in all ways, Rev. Kenn

Joan Lund

There is always information to be written about governing as a board using the Carver Policy Governance method. Although both the Florida District Board and the UUA Board of Trustees (BOT) studied and were trained in Carver PG, the UUA BOT has adapted much of what is appropriate in policy governance as we govern on your behalf. The BOT has begun to tackle more deeply the issues on whose behalf we govern and to whom we are accountable.

For the readers of this column it may be good to understand certain aspects of policy governance which are affecting the deliberations, decisions, and operation of the BOT. It is necessary to clarify who the “owners”, also known as one of our Sources, are in our governance structure. Owners are all those UUs who are the people on whose behalf the BOT determines the Ends: the benefits being produced, for whom at what cost. Owners in our Association are the congregations. An owner is sometimes perceived as a “customer” when requesting services from the District and/or UUA Staff. The use of the term “stakeholders”, who are not “owners”, refers to those who have an interest in our Association and includes employees and other UU organizations. The time frame and expected results for owners are long-term, involves the big picture and future returns. For customers expectations are much more short term. The connections our UUA has with our owners and customers are very different.

The BOT will govern with an emphasis on outward vision, an encouragement of diversity in viewpoints, strategic leadership, a clear distinction between the roles of the BOT and President, collective decisions, the future, pro-activity, and an open, transparent process. Our primary focus will be linkage with our congregations in a process of engaging the relational, cooperative power of covenant. The work of the BOT in connecting with congregations will not be “telling” or “reporting” but rather “listening” to perspectives regarding needs and what benefits our UUA should produce, be accountable, and let you know what is being achieved.

The BOT will be concerned with congregational values and who in the congregation speaks for these values. This will help determine the values of future generations of UUs. The BOT may involve itself in the history and theology of UUism to be sure the values inherent in our UU traditions and heritage are understood. We will be involved with much questioning and researching.

Hopefully in March I will be able to write about the method of selection that will identify a random sample from a variety of representative groups, perhaps determined by congregation size and location. Our linkage focus will be “right relationship” between the BOT and its member congregations in their role as Sources. Stay tuned…and let me hear from you: jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727.