behavioral covenants for unitarian universalist congregations
DESCRIPTION
Covenants. Behavioral Covenants for Unitarian Universalist Congregations. Congregational Covenants. Program Consultant Connie Goodbread. District Executive Eunice Benton. What is this workshop about?. A little bit of history Defining a behavioral covenant How to develop one - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Behavioral Covenants for Unitarian Universalist
Congregations
Behavioral Covenants for Unitarian Universalist
Congregations
Congregational Covenants
District Executive Eunice Benton
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Program Consultant Connie Goodbread
What is this workshop about?
• A little bit of history
• Defining a behavioral covenant
• How to develop one
• How to use one
Cambridge Platform 1648
PolityYou’re not the boss of me.We are all in this together,To work for a just and loving world.
Cambridge Platform 1648
CovenantThe wonderful material that is used
to build a house is not a house. We define ourselves. We agree to come together/We are more together than we are
apart.By our works shall they know us.
Unitarian Universalist Association
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote…
Unitarian Universalist Congregations
Are covenantal not creedal faith communities
What is a covenant?What is a covenant?
Covenant
The realization that we truly are all inthis together.
A deep abiding promise between equals - to
partner with each other and that which is bigger than ourselves, to workfor a just and loving community.
Covenant
MannersDeliberate develop of cultural
normsBuilt on respect and honoring the
inherent worth and dignity of every human being
Laying a foundation upon which to build
Why do we need a covenant?
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“Well folks, Robert’s Rules doesn’t seem to specify whether the Chalice Lighting should come before or after the call to order.”
Covenants
Share your experience with why we might
want behavioral covenants.
Covenants
Share your experience with why we might
want behavioral covenants.
Covenant
Behavioral Covenants start with manners and ourselves.
Covenant
How do we begin?
LeadershipStaff transitions
Covenant
How? Discussion
DiscernmentDevelopmentPractice
Covenant
Discussion - talking to one another about why we would do this - what is the purpose?
Covenant
Discernment - what are the things we need to list - what do we need to say to each other - what are the behaviors we ant to model?
Covenant
Development - what are words we will use - wordsmithing to get it right - reworking it and living with it and reworking it again.
Covenant
Practice - calling ourselves and each other back into covenant over and over.
Though we’ve broken our vows a thousand times…
Covenant
After a time when leadership has struggled with what a covenant is and how it is best used - we may begin the process to develop a congregational covenant.
Covenant
Using the same process:DiscussionDiscernmentDevelopmentPractice
Covenant
How many congregations present have experience with covenants?
Share with one another.
Covenant as Poetry
A covenant once developed for the Universalist congregation at Gloucester, MA
somewhat modified:
Mindful of truth ever exceeding our knowledge, of love and compassion ever exceeding our practice,
reverently we covenant together, beginning with ourselves as we are,
to share the strength of integrity and the heritage of the spirit, in humanity's unending quest
for reality, justice, love and human wholeness.
Covenant
A covenant is a tool not an end
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Unitarian Universalism striving to build
communities where faith and acceptance
coexist in harmony.
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Is this the way of the world?
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