Minister’s Letter: January 2012
Dear members of UUFBCO,
First and foremost, all blessings for you in this New Year! May your joys be great and your burdens light. May you find its challenges exciting and renewing. May you experience ever more love in your heart and compassion in your work.
Back in October, I mentioned the five tasks that are part of transition for congregations. Here they are again:
First, the congregation must claim and honor its past.
Second, the congregation must illuminate its unique identity.
Third, the congregation must clarify the multiple dimensions of leadership.
Fourth, the congregation must renew its connections with available resources.
And fifth, the congregation must renew its vision.
The tasks are not necessarily in order, nor are they a punch list of sorts. These tasks are completed at different paces. Now one task seems to pick up momentum, then slows and another races forward, etc. They are simultaneous not sequential but each has its own rhythm and that is not necessarily predictable. Sometimes a task may seem stalled, but only until one of the others moves forward.
This explains why I can not give you a map of the process with discrete moments. What we can do and will do, is evaluate where we are several times during the interim ministry. The first such evaluation is due on February 15, 2012, the second September 30 and the final one on June 15, 2013. The Board and I will do separate evaluations which we will share before they are submitted to the Transitions Office at the Unitarian Universalist Association. The mid-year evaluations give us a chance to make needed course corrections during the interim process. This will be immensely useful when we have our congregational retreat in March 2012 and engage in a visioning process for UUFBCO’s future.
From my observations so far, I can say that I think that while change is virtually always unsettling, things are going more smoothly than I expected. I am learning your strengths, testing boundaries in terms of what you really think you must hold on to of the past, and offering some challenges to spiritual growth. Know that my heart is absolutely with you and your future. I admire your talents, your commitment and the passion you bring to what you do.
Look for an announcement soon about adult religious education offerings. I will be doing a series ‘The Genius of the World’s Religions,” and also offer multiple one-hour spiritual journey workshops for 5-10 people.
In the meantime, please be sure to sign up for the January 22 “Beyond Categorical Thinking.”
Rev. Orlanda Brugnola