About Circle Fellowship

The Membership Journey

Making New Friends & Keeping the Old

Third Program

How do we serve?

In previous sessions we have talked about who we want to serve (preliminary decision being Families with Kids and Artists (of all kinds), Greens and the Intellectually Curious (1st Session)). Artists, Greens and the Intellectually curious were originally 3 different groups, but we thought them similar enough to put together as one group. We also talked about what we do and do not want to be know as or for (2nd Session).

"Serving Our Community" (excerpted from "Ten Recommendations for Growing a Congregation")

Develop a consensus among all the members of your congregation that sharing Unitarian Universalism, which will result in growth, is a necessary and significant objective. Discuss growth in terms of numerical targets and demographic targets so that as many in the congregation as possible support outreach to specific groups underrepresented in the community . . . Consider holding a congregational meeting to vote formally on this objective.
Develop . . . an idea for your congregation's identity and purpose. No single congregation . . . can do everything. Smaller congregations in particular need to concentrate on two or three areas of congregational life that they can do well and promote to the community. Religious education for younger children, young adult programs, outreach on environmental issues, a folk music coffeehouse, and connecting with the elderly are a few examples of areas in which a congregation can identify itself and be known in the community. Go with your desires and strengths, and do what you do well. . .

Anyone want to add "target" groups to list? No? We picked Families with Children as our group to discuss how we would reach out.

First Question: What do we need to do, how do we need to do it (specifically) to attract Families with Children to come to CUUF?

Responses from the group:

Outreach to Shelters
Invite Friends with Kids
Offer brochure at programs--multi-faith, etc
Outreach/advertise to Montessori and other private schools.
Showcase grounds and nature at Fellowship
Posters and flyers and brochures at playgrounds
Participate in interfaith dialogues
LGBT parents/Family Pride
Kids Camp/Evening program Event (Greens and kids?)
Keep Diversity

Second Question: What, specifically, do we need to do to serve these people once they come?>

Means of teaching
Help parents before and after service
Curriculum Development
Communications with parents
More RE teachers and classes
Shorter teacher "terms"?
Rides/Sunday AM assist
Outside play area
Earplugs
Nursery/preschool open early

These two lists give us a good start on what we need to do to attract and retain families with children.

What do Unitarian Univeralists believe?

That perennial Garrison Keillor comment that Unitarians believe anything they want leads necessarily to the question, what DO we believe. Well, ostensibly we believe in the seven principles But if someone asked what we believe could you tell them the seven principles?

So here we have the seven principles, one set in standard adult language, and the other in kid language. We should know these principles so that we can offer them up when asked what we believe. In this session we made a beginning attempt to memorize them.

Unitarian Universalists affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Principles in Language for Children

Every person is important and valuable.
All people should be treated fairly.
Our churches are places where we should accept one another and learn together.
Each person should be free to search for what is true and right.
All people have the right to speak out and vote on things that matter to them.
We should help build a peaceful, fair, and free world.
We need to take care of the earth, the home we share with all living things.