I’ve been thinking a lot about communication lately. As a staff, we spend a great deal of time talking about how we communicate with the congregation more effectively. If you are reading this, you are probably aware that we’ve changed from a monthly newsletter to a weekly newsletter, which should arrive in your email inbox on Fridays. We are no longer sending Tuesday listservs. The article headlines in the weekly newsletter link to the full article on the website. We did this to limit paper, cut down on costs, and most importantly, to try to enable more effective and efficient communication with each other. It’s hard to deny that the amount of information coming at us every day is staggering. With so much to absorb every minute, the challenge of capturing each other’s attention and breaking through the “noise” is only growing. I don’t, for one second, think that we are going to be able to slow down or reverse the flow of posts, emails, texts, or tweets (and I’m sure I’m leaving out a myriad of other ways we are constantly tapping each other on the shoulder). However, I do think that we can continue to consciously cultivate a way of connecting that is deeper, more meaningful and ultimately may be our only hope for breaking through the cacophony. One way to do this is to practice listening to each other, one on one.
In our 2nd Annual One-on-One Listening campaign, members and friends learned more about each other’s values and passions. We formed new connections and deepened existing relationships. There were 19 trained “Listeners” who initiated 64 conversations with members of the congregation over the summer. We also held three “house” meetings at church, which included approximately 15 people in total. The conversations delved into a wide range of issues and interests about our congregation and the world beyond our walls. Lifespan religious education, music, covenant groups and the many ways we build community through social activities and social action events were topics often lifted up. Several people appreciated the Congregational Relations Team and their efforts to help us live our covenant of engagement.
In the area of outreach, alleviating hunger and homelessness, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ equality are common concerns for many of our members. These are also areas where we already have focus and are heavily involved. Economic Inequality, racism, women’s issues, and education were concerns on the minds of many of those connecting through these conversations. These are areas where a potential for new or growing initiatives may be. People mentioned the importance of connecting with people across differences both among our members and outside of our church.
The practice of connecting one on one with each other, deepening our public relationships so we can together, and with greater power, live our values in the world, is an integral part of being a Unitarian Universalist and a member of UCE. The purpose of these coordinated listening campaigns is, first and foremost, to encourage us to connect with one another – more deeply than we are able to in Sunday morning worship, during coffee hour or committee meetings. It is also a way for us to look with intention at what we care most deeply about, for us to see where our passions link to others and with the needs of the world.
We share some of the broad themes and areas of interest that arise from our listening campaign with Community Renewal Society. They collect this information from their member churches, which conduct one on one campaigns, and they provide support and resources through the process. Gathering information about the issues our congregations care about helps CRS plan the racial and economic justice work in which we are a partner. Please be assured that personal information is never shared with CRS through this campaign. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Eileen Wiviott or Dale Griffin about CRS or the listening campaign. And keep talking to one another.
Practicing Beloved Community at UCE 