July 19, 2006

Martha Easter-Wells, Board Chair

Unitarian Church

3707 Eastern Avenue

Davenport, IA 52807

Dear Martha,

Enclosed please find the Report of the Mission & Vision Team. Its proposed Mission and Vision statements reflect to the best of our ability the views of the congregation.

For your reference, I am also enclosing a three-ring binder containing copies of agenda, minutes, and notes of all team meetings and work sessions.

It has been an honor and privilege to serve with the Mission & Vision Team, a most remarkable group.

Yours truly,

Ann M. Hailey

cc: Mission & Vision Team members

Roger Butts

Angela Merkert

Unitarian Church

Report of Mission & Vision Team

Presented to the Board

August 19, 2006

Ann Hailey

Lloyd Kilmer

Georgie Koenig

Dick Martin

Leslie W. O’Ryan (member through 5/7/2006)

Barb Robinson

George Robinson (member beginning 5/14/2006)

Cathy Weideman

Jack Wiley

Table of Contents

Team deliverables .................................................................................. 1

Proposed Mission and Vision statements................................................. 1

Process followed by the team................................................................... 2

Planning, January – June, 2006............................................................ 2

Informing the congregation, March – August, 2006................................. 3

Mission & Vision Service, Sunday, May 7, 2006...................................... 4

Statement work sessions, May – July, 2006........................................... 5

Miscellaneous notes............................................................................. 6

Appendix 1: Letter from the Reverend Roger Butts to the congregation..... 7

Appendix 2: Questions with concepts and tallies...................................... 8

Appendix 3: Questions with detailed responses...................................... 11

Question #1........................................................................................ 11

Question #2........................................................................................ 22

Question #3........................................................................................ 32

Appendix 4: Children’s responses........................................................... 44

Team deliverables

The Board asked the team to deliver the following:

Draft Mission and Vision statements developed through a visible, published process to be presented to the board at its August retreat, followed by presentation to the congregation for a vote of the whole at the September congregational meeting.

Proposed Mission and Vision statements

Proposed Mission statement:[1]

The mission of our Unitarian Church is to

create a vibrant, welcoming, diverse church family

which

embraces individual searches for meaning

and

devotes itself to community good.

Proposed Vision statement:[2]

Our vision is to be recognized in our community as a beacon on the hill – a vibrant, welcoming, thriving church that:

• Reaches out to members and community with a clear, concise, and inspiring message about Unitarian Universalism and its Principles
• Attracts and embraces people of diverse groups, ages and family types

• Feeds the mind and spirit regardless of individual pathway
• Supports social justice and social action initiatives in our congregation and the greater community
• Encourages responsibility for the earth and its creatures

Process followed by the team

Planning, January – June, 2006

In late 2005, as a step in the long-term Raising the Roof project, the Board commissioned a Mission & Vision Team and contracted for team support with independent consultant Angela Merkert.

On Sunday, January 22, Board Chair Martha Easter-Wells met with the team to introduce Ms. Merkert, clarify the team’s task, and provide the context for this project. That afternoon, in a second session with Ms. Merkert, the team chose a general process consisting of:

• a dedicated Sunday service
• small groups of adults and high school students meeting with time for each person to address three questions
• a separate session for children

The team decided upon a five-year time frame for the Vision, 2011.

The team identified their planning tasks:

• formulate questions for adults and children
• enlist and train facilitators and recorders
• formulate a theme and/or tagline for this project and inform the congregation about the process, including the Mission & Vision service
• plan the detailed logistics for the Mission & Vision service
• plan the follow-up process that would result in proposed Mission and Vision statements

On February 15, the team met with the Reverend Roger Butts to hear his thoughts on the importance of the mission and vision process.

The entire team met on February 12, March 5, March 12, March 19, April 8, and April 22 for detailed planning. Depending upon their assignments, team members met with Roger (March 8), Angela Merkert (March 8), and Religious Education Director Dino Hayz (March 16), requesting input on various issues and tasks.

The team held training for facilitators and recorders on Wednesday evening, April 26, and Saturday morning, May 6.

On June 6, Ann Hailey and Barb Robinson met with Martha Easter-Wells, Don Moore (Board Vice Chair), and Roger Butts to plan the team’s presentation to the Board at their retreat:

• the group asked that the team submit the written report ahead of the retreat and then that Ann join the group Saturday morning; Board members will review the context in which the Mission & Vision team was formed; Ann will walk through the process that the team followed and address any process questions that Board members have
• the Board will then look at the results, including the proposed Mission and Vision statements, and ask, “What does this mean?”
• the Board will spend considerable time on Saturday looking at the next steps in strategic planning
• the Board will present the proposed Mission & Vision statements to the congregation for approval at the September meeting

Informing the congregation, March – August, 2006

On March 12, the Mission and Vision process officially began. Roger preached on visioning, “Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah,” and Cathy Weideman shared the images for the process – a heart wearing glasses indicating union of mind, heart, and spirit in seeking future direction. Over the next several weeks, the team presented a timeline to the congregation; team members spoke at Sunday services about aspects of the process; the team published information in the QCU leading up to the May 7 service.

During the summer, the three questions and concept statements drawn from the congregation’s response were posted in the church lobby, published on the church website, and printed in summer issues of the QCU.

Mission & Vision Service, Sunday, May 7, 2006

The May 7 Mission & Vision service opened with a letter from the Reverend Roger Butts. (Refer to Appendix 1.) Twenty-three people served as facilitators, recorders, or support staff; approximately 120 adults and high school students met in ten groups in which each person was given the opportunity to address each of three questions. Responses were recorded in writing, and the respondent was given the opportunity to confirm that his/her ideas were adequately captured. The congregation reconvened for a closing hymn. High coffee was provided by the Membership Committee and Mission & Vision Team.

The questions were as follows:

1. What compels you to be in this congregation?
   
   
2. What can this church community do, do more of or do better to live out its purpose here and in the community?
   
   
3. What do you want our ministry to look like, sound like, and feel like in the future?

Facilitators and recorders were:

Facilitator	Recorder	Location
Jon Halladay	Joanne Maciejko	Community Room
Joy Thompson	Karen Lobovitz	Community Room
Georgie Koenig	Elaine Kresse	Board Room
Ann Hailey	Rich Clewell	Lounge – north
John Dunsheath	Dottie Wala	Lounge – south
Angela Merkert	Don Moore	Social Hall – east
Lloyd Kilmer	Karen Fowler	Social Hall – west
George Robinson	Jan DeGreve	RE room off Social Hall – east
Cathy Weideman	Dick Martin	RE room off Social Hall – west
John Bowman	Judy Teeple	Junior High RE room

Barb Robinson and Jack Wiley assisted late-comers and supported facilitators and recorders. Dottie and Jerry Wala served as back-up recorders.

On May 21, team members Georgie Koenig and Cathy Weideman met with the elementary and junior high students as well as the Religious Education program staff and volunteers and recorded their answers to similar questions. Please refer to Appendix 3 for details.

NOTE: Facilitator and recorder training on April 26th and May 6 included full group sessions. Participants’ responses were recorded and included in the work sessions that followed the May 7 service.

Statement work sessions, May – July, 2006

On the afternoon of the May 7 service, the Mission & Vision team met with Angela Merkert and discussed what the team needed to do in order to draft the two statements. The team asked Ann Hailey to chair this portion of the project. Leslie O’Ryan resigned from the team effective May 7, and George Robinson joined the team effective May 14.

Dick Martin, assisted by Jack Wiley, transcribed all the recorded responses of May 7 and other written responses received by the team.

The team held work sessions on May 21, June 4, June 14, and July 9. Each team member was present and participated fully at all four sessions, completing these steps:

1. We grouped similar or related responses within each question and wrote a statement that captured the concept of each such group; we called these “concept statements.” Refer to Appendix 1 for the list of concept statements within each question and to Appendix 2 for the concept statements and the responses from which these statements were drawn. (May 21)
   
   
2. As a group, we reviewed questions #1 and #2 for the concepts that relate to Mission, that is, “What we are and why we exist.”
   
   
3. Each member drafted a Mission statement based on the concept statements and supporting detail. Two team members then met, compared statements, and drafted a new statement that was satisfactory to both. Four team members then met, compared statements, and drafted a new statement that was satisfactory to all four.
   
   
4. The entire team then met, compared statements, and drafted a new statement that included alternative language. (June 4)
   
   
5. As a group, we reviewed questions #2 and #3 for the concepts that related to Vision, that is, “What would our dream church or congregation look like five years from now?”
   
   
6. We repeated steps 3 and 4, drafting a Vision statement. (June 14)
   
   
7. The team looked at the draft Mission and Vision statements to confirm their compatibility. We then worked through each statement, line by line, until each team member was satisfied that the statements reflected what the congregation said on May 7. (July 9)

Miscellaneous notes

• The consensus of the team is that the congregation has people with the skills and experience needed to conduct strategic planning; the Board does not need to hire a consultant
  
  
• The detailed responses from the Mission & Vision process are of value to strategic planning
  
  
• These detailed responses are of value to staff and committees; therefore, the team recommends that printed copies of these responses be made available
  
  
• The team recommends that the detailed responses not be published electronically or through the church web site
  
  
• A three-ring binder is submitted to Martha Easter-Wells under separate cover; it contains the following:
  January 22 Minutes of meeting
  February 12 Minutes of meeting
  February 15 Minutes of meeting; Email from Roger
  March 5 Minutes of meeting
  March 6 Status report from Barb Robinson to the board
  March 8 Notes from conversations with Roger Butts and Angela Merkert
  March 9 Status report from Ann Hailey to the team; Email from Angela
  March 12 Minutes of meeting
  March 16 Notes from conversation with Dino Hayz
  March 19 Minutes of meeting; Status report from Ann Hailey to the team
  April 8 Minutes of meeting
  April 20 Plan for facilitator and recorder training
  April 22
  April 26 Training materials for facilitators and recorders
  May 7 Letter from Roger Butts; Three questions; Minutes of meeting
  May 21 Agenda
  June 4 Agenda; Notes from work sessions
  June 4 Status report from Barb Robinson to the board
  June 6 Notes from conversation with board retreat planning meeting
  June 14 Agenda
  July 9 Agenda

Appendix 1: Letter from the Reverend Roger Butts to the congregation

May 7, 2006

Dear friends,

Today, I am in Burlington, supporting that congregation in their year of pastoral transition. Once a month, you all have allowed and encouraged me to preach there, as a sign of congregational support for our struggling brothers and sisters to the south.

Meanwhile, you all are considering great big questions about your church—which is vibrant and powerful and growing. So much of the work of this church and this faith is about radical acceptance. As I like to say on occasion, All souls are welcomed here. So much of the work of this church and this faith is about intentional and institutional struggle to overcome oppression and division. So much of the work of this church has been as a beacon of hope for progressive values in the larger Quad Cities community. So much of the work of this church has been to help nurture a caring and compassionate presence among those of us who are suffering, in our church and in our world.

Now, we confront the great opportunities moving forward. Given who we are and what we’re about, how shall we be in the world—at this point and in the near future? What message of inclusive faith will we project from the very center of our being? Where are we headed? Where are we going and why?

On Friday night, 20 Unitarian Universalists sang and danced and laughed as part of a production put together by our religious educator, Dino Hayz. It was a magical night. At one point, the cast stood on stage, flapping their wings. Diane Kinser talked about how geese support one another, encourage one another, empower one another and surpass their individual ability by working collaboratively and cooperatively as a group. So it is with this process of discerning our heart’s calling as a congregation.

Soon, 2008, we will celebrate our 140th birthday and Easter of 2009, we will celebrate 50 years in this building. Such great milestones. And as we approach those milestones, I personally have many dreams for this place and our shared ministry: A center for the arts and religion; a powerful integrated lifespan religious education program; a center for theological reflection; ever increasing opportunities—like the Zen Center and the Connection Circles and the Shamanic group—to engage in spiritual practices that transform hearts and minds. How our mutual vision comes together is simply a matter of our remembering who we are, living up to who we are becoming, imagining together the possibilities and making the path by taking our steps.

May our journey be a blessing to us and those who care for us, here and around the world!

Roger

Appendix 2: Questions with concepts and tallies

Question 1: What compels you to be in this congregation?
Responses	Tally
We come here because we like the people and feel at home here.	66
We come here because we are inclusive and accepting of individuals.	44
We are open, searching, tolerant, and accepting in regards to the processes of exploration.	37
My values and beliefs mesh with what I find here.	36
We come here for emphasis on social action and opportunities to contribute.	34
We are a community that affirms and supports individual spiritual growth.	34
We come here because Unitarian Universalism is non-creedal.	33
We are a community that encourages and provides intellectual stimulation and growth.	18
We come here for what our children experience and learn.	16
We come here as a place that values the arts.	13
We like this space for its connection with nature – both the people and the site.	9
We value Sunday services.	9
Other	12

Question 2: What can this church community do, do more of, or do better to live out its purpose here and in the community? (Visitors may want to respond by answering: What am I seeking in a church community?)
Responses	Tally
Recruitment, Retention and Clear Message and Publicity – Information: Reach out to members and community with clear, concise message about U[nitarian] U[niversal]ism that attracts diverse groups, including age, race, beliefs and interests.	52
Religious Services: To develop our individual, community, intellectual, spiritual lives by fostering conversations and learning about core principles and more approaches to spirituality.	30
Social Action: Continue and expand the application of U[nitarian] U[niversalist] principles through social action-justice activities and inclusiveness – being known as a beacon of light on the hill.	29
Non-service Programs – Develop additional programs and opportunities for all to strengthen emotional, spiritual, intellectual and physical connections in rewarding ways. Religious Education – Our church needs to develop more and better religious education programs including enhanced coming of age/credo activities.	26
Tolerance for Views: Support and affirm human spirit and practice that approach to living (worth and dignity).	20
Intergenerations – Youth Activities: Our church needs to be more purposeful in planning and implementing intergeneration opportunities such as mentoring, working on projects together.	19
Administration: Continue to develop clear processes and systems to support church life.	12
Space: More fully use indoor and outdoor space to enhance our religious and social program.	10
Diversity: To be better known and understood as a place that feeds the mind and spirit regardless of individual pathway.	9

Question 3: What do you want our ministry to look like, sound like and feel like in the future?
Responses	Tally
We would like to see the church grow but do it in a comfortable way.	26
We need to have more families with children and the children should be more visible	24
We want this to be a vibrant, welcoming and happy place	23
We will deeply embrace spiritual diversity	16
We will be more attractive to youth and young adults	14
We support people who accept the challenge of spiritual exploration and growth	13
We will have wonderful services and sermons	13
The church should be more visible in the community	12
We would like have more program activities throughout the weekly calendar	10
Our congregation will be racially, socially, ethnically and economically diverse	9
We would like the services to have more of the delightful music	8
We would like to continue to be more environmentally aware and perhaps receive the designation of “Green Church”	7
We take our church message outside of the church	7
We would like to lead and take part in more community social justice programs	6
Let's get together socially more often	6
We encourage everyone's participation	5
We value freedom of thought and intellectual challenge	5
We care for each other	5
Grounds and playground are safe and attractive	5
We will remember our senior citizens	5
We would like more religious education on all religions.	4
We will “Walk the Talk” of the 7 principles	2
Other	12

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