In 2011, the Board of Trustees at UCS resolved to engage the congregation in a visioning process designed to create a five-year Strategic Plan. Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a communal planning methodology that focuses organizations on what is working and how to build on those assets, was chosen as the basis of the process.
The decision to use AI was grounded in the belief in the power of many, over few. We believe our best ideas come when we conceive and act on them together. While we understand that large group discovery processes can take more time than other methods of decision-making, we view the many benefits that will flow from our collaboration as worthwhile.
The resulting Strategic Plan will use the congregation’s collective input to report on the state of the congregation, the dreams of our members, and to envision how we will act on them in the World. The Board developed four driving questions to focus the team’s work:
- How do we wish to affect the lives of our members and to what end?
- What is our mission in our community and the World?
- How do we share the joys we receive as members of this congregation with others seeking such a religion?
- What changes, including physical, leadership and governance structure, are we willing to undertake to fulfill our larger mission?
A full copy of the Board’s charge is here: Charge To The Strategic Planning Team. Updates can be found under the Strategic Planning Updates box to the right. The Plan will be presented in Fall 2012.
Whether you are a newcomer or have been a member for decades, we want to hear from you. Take the opportunity to participate in our Discovery and Dream phases of Strategic Planning.
Team Members
The team includes the following members: Roger Anderson, Ellen Boylan, Karen Damato, Susan Kuney, Marty Rothfelder, Becky Sinden and Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern. The team is fortunate enough to have the advice and counsel of consultants from Executive Soul guiding us through the process. Please contact the team on any matter related to planning.