First Unitarian Church has been a gathered congregation for 230 years. Our identity is formed out of the mix of people present in the congregation now, the history we inherit, and our values and ideals. For over 100 years, we have used these words to covenant together every week:
In the love of truth and in the spirit of Jesus, we unite for the worship of God and the service of all.
In the service of that covenant, what should we seek to do as a church? The answer to that question is our mission, a description of our purpose in the world today, and a signpost helping us see the direction our ministries should take in the coming years. Because a mission statement helps us direct our energies and efforts in a very practical way, it's useful to re-articulate the mission from time to time.
The Prudential Committee and Rev. Sarah Stewart began a process last year to renew the mission of our church. A new mission statement had last been drafted in 2000, and reaffirmed in 2005. It was time to begin the process again. The Prudential Committee named a Values and Mission team, and appointed members recommended by the Lay Leadership Program Council: Carol Gregory, Laura Kirshenbaum, Steve Knox, Joan Russo, and myself. In 2015, the Values and Mission team held eight sessions and heard from about 150 members and friends of First Unitarian Church. We are pleased to present a draft Mission Statement for First Unitarian Church:
In loving fellowship we strive to
- Honor the Sacred
- Connect with each other
- Serve justice
The draft Mission statement goes on to say, with words taken from our current Mission statement:
- * We worship together in the sacred space of our sanctuary through the spoken word and music. We are committed to nurturing the spiritual lives of our children.
- * We choose to live in community. We are called to be present to one another in suffering, to risk being uncomfortable, and to celebrate the holy in each other and in the world around us.
- * We are committed to standing on the side of love and justice for our fellow human beings. We are committed to caring for the global environment on which the bodily and spiritual nurturance of our children and future generations depends.
This statement is taken from the values and goals we heard expressed at all our Values and Mission gatherings over 2015. These gatherings were remarkably consistent, even across different groups in the church. The values and goals we heard you articulate led us to this mission.
This is a draft statement. The annual meeting will vote to adopt the new mission statement on Sun. Jan. 31. But before then, we want to hear from the members about this mission statement. Please plan to attend one of two discussions which will be held in the first week of the new year. Discussions will be held on Sunday January 3, at noon in the Chapel; and Thursday January 7 at 7 p.m. in the Bancroft Room. This is your opportunity to discuss this statement and give feedback before a vote to adopt it at Annual Meeting on Sunday January 31.
I look forward to seeing you at these meetings to consider a new mission statement for First Unitarian Church.
In faith,
Rev. Sarah C. Stewart
