On November 14, Celebration Sunday, I asked those in worship to name their hopes for First Unitarian as we begin to regather and the intentions or commitments they were ready to make as well. The pandemic has changed so much and we all know that our lives and our church will change. As we move to complete our annual fundraising, it seemed a good time to do some “taking stock.”
We received 107 responses, most from those in the sanctuary, but a number from those on-line as well.
In addition to very personal hopes and commitments, I also saw clear themes as I read and organized the responses.
Hopes
Many people hoped for a full re-opening, with more people in the sanctuary, including children (18 responses, 17%). The hope to renew connections (15 responses, 14%) also made perfect sense to me.
But I was gratified that the hopes named went beyond a wish to return to what we knew.
The hope named most often was for First Unitarian to “Deepen our Practice of Beloved Community, Live into our Social Justice Values and Make the 8th Principle Real.” This was mentioned by 29 folks (27%).
There was even a call for “Deeper Theological Reflection and Personal Spiritual Growth” (16 responses, 15%),
And the hope that First Unitarian could help the city heal (7 responses, 7%).
The hope for congregational growth was expressed (8 responses). And there were many expressions of hope for greater diversity, in fact for more diversities. (More younger people-11; more Black and BIPOC members -7; more Queer congregants – 4; more disabled folks – 1). If I had included the general “Be More Welcoming” (6), the total diversity mentions would be tied for most responses with “Deepen our Practice of Beloved Community.”
Hopes for the new Senior Minister were expressed.
And, though not as numerous as some other hopes, a number of people hoped for more informal and spontaneous worship (6 responses) and sustaining vibrant hybrid worship (6 responses).
The Intentions and Commitments also revealed patterns worth noting:
Increased financial support was named by 29 folks (27%). This may not be surprising given the focus on fundraising early in the service, but it was encouraging nonetheless.
There were intentions to volunteer more (16 congregants, 15%), to be more welcoming (18 folks, 17%) and to Build Beloved Community (9 responses).
But taken together the responses to Stay Involved and to Stay Open/Show Up/Pay Attention (41 folks, 38%) were most frequent. That openness will serve First Unitarian well as we move into the next phase of the life of this congregation.
This was not a perfect sample, of course. Nor would it hold up as a predictor of future behavior. But I found myself feeling more and more hopeful as I read the responses. The days ahead will test all of us, to be sure, but I heard an open-hearted and heart-felt engagement in these comments that spoke of grounded hopes and willing commitments. Those point to a hopeful future.
Blessings,
Bill