Archives of the FRS Vision Subcommittee

                           Mission Retreat Results

Criteria for a Good Mission Statement
(from the Congregational Handbook, www.uua.org/cde/handbook/, page 96)

John Carver, author of Boards That Make a Difference, has developed a checklist to evaluate a mission statement. Pay attention to the following questions, adapted from his work, as you create your mission statement

• Does your mission statement address what difference your congregation makes for the broader community or does it merely describe what your congregation is doing?
• Does the language in your mission statement allow your congregation to accomplish goals rather than state what it intends to do? For example, tentative words like tries or seeks are not appropriate for a mission statement. Rather in a mission statement a congregation says where it wants to go, not where it might go.
• Is your congregation's mission statement too long? Can it be easily recalled or its essence easily communicated?
• Is your mission statement too broad or too narrow? (Brainstorm about the effects that your congregation might have on the world; then rank order these effects and discuss their relative merit.)
• How does your congregation's mission statement relate to, and differentiate your congregation from, other faith communities and other Unitarian Universalist congregations?

• A series of upcoming coffee-hour conversations focused on specific aspects of the mission statement, designed to develop a common understanding of the mission statement, how it was developed and what its implications are, taking place in December/January

• A congregation Vote on the mission statement components in mid-January

• Simultaneous work on mission objectives which will build upon the work started at the Retreat.

FRS VISION STATEMENT voted November 5, 2006 We, the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist, aspire to be a welcoming and inclusive community that encourages spiritual growth as we strive for truth and meaning and serve the social and spiritual needs of our larger community.

Our congregation now has a proposed vision statement drawn from your input at the visioning workshops held in September, and the review of the draft statements on Sunday, Oct. 22.

The vision statement's purpose is to express our congregation's dreams for what FRS can become in the next five years, and to help us make decisions that aim us toward them. The vision statement is the first step in the process. At our mission retreat we will develop our mission statements in three areas: Our Spiritual Community; Our Larger Community; The Wider World.

PROPOSED VISION STATEMENT The congregation of the First Religious Society, having come together to discern its shared vision of an unfolding future, is inspired to live out our religious values by being a welcoming and inclusive religious community that encourages spiritual growth as we strive for truth and meaning, while reaching out to our community with ministries that engage social and spiritual needs.

See below for more retreat information, sign-up direction and some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the retreat.

Quillen         Underwood         Rowland         Quillen Porch IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT THE UPCOMING CHURCH RETREAT Friday, November 10, starts 6:00 p.m. - Saturday, November 11, till 5:00pm All-Congregation Mission Retreat will take place at the UU Ferry Beach Conference Center, located on the beautiful beach in Saco Maine (a little more than one hour from Newburyport). At the retreat, we will gather together to develop Mission Statements that will put our newly adopted Vision Statement into action. In fact, we will be developing 3 mission statements: Our Spiritual Community, The Larger Community, and The Wider World. We will have the opportunity to make our broad dream (the Vision) even more meaningful by clearly defining our direction (the Mission Statements) and then defining specific action we all want to take to move those statements forward through the Mission Objectives. All the good visioning effort that happened at the Visioning Workshops was documented in detail and will serve as the foundation for all of this work. Similar to the organized process used in the vision workshops, the retreat will be set up with discussions in both large and small groups. We'll have work to do but there's time for some fun, fellowship and relaxation in a beautiful setting. FACILITIES: Ferry Beach is a well-known UU retreat center, located in Saco, Maine. We have room for 150 with families sharing their room. Each room has 4-6 beds set up as bunks. There are 2 bathrooms on each floor in each building and a maximum of 8 rooms share those bathrooms. (for more information on the center, check out http://ferrybeach.org/about/facilities.html) We will use Rowland for our meetings. It has an auditorium with sound system and a number of large rooms for breakouts. People will need to bring their own bedding, or sleeping bags, and towels CHILDCARE Childcare is available at no cost, but we will need to know your needs in advance. You can indicate your need when you sign up. There are several places outside for kids to play, including play structures, and outdoor space as well. COST There is no charge for lodging. Cost is for meals only-dinner Friday night, breakfast, lunch and snacks on Saturday. It will be $30 per person for adults and children over 12 years old. Children under 12 will be $15. Don't miss this chance to make a difference for FRS. Come to the November 5 meeting after church, and sign up now for the retreat, in any one of three ways: Click here Complete the insert in Sunday's Order of Service Call the church office at 978-465-0602 x 401

If I haven't participated in the vision process to-date, may I come to the retreat? ABSOLUTELY! We are trying to get as much participation in the process as we can. While the retreat will build on the information gathered during the preceding steps in the process, that input will be presented in a highly usable form for all participants. We'll also be gathering new input as the retreat progresses.

If I can't participate in the retreat will there be more opportunities to get involved? Yes. We'll be developing three Mission Statements at the retreat, one for each of three areas: Our Spiritual Community; Our Larger Community; The Wider World. Once these have been defined it will be necessary to define Mission Objectives - the actions we will take to realize the mission - and that will take place between the retreat and mid-January.

Are young people invited to the retreat? YES. We are hoping for active participation of our teens in this retreat. For young people under 13, childcare will be provided throughout the retreat.

Isn't it going to be cold on the coast of Maine in November? Yes, however the buildings in which we will have our sleeping accommodations are fully insulated and common areas are heated. The building in which we are meeting will be heated by our vigorous activity during the retreat. All this said, warm clothing and bedding are a must.

The Visioning Task force that is guiding the process met with the Rev. Alice Mann, one of our nation's foremost church consultants, who suggested some reading for congregational reflection over the summer. Some of these readings are focused on the individual search for calling, others on the visioning experience of other churches. All will help our visioning process when it resumes in the fall as we meet in community meetings to determine a vision for FRS.

We hope you'll have some time to read one of the books listed below and come share your thoughts and reflections. Or, if you haven't had time for reading by the 30th, come anyway; you may be then inspired to read one before summer's end!

The first two books should stimulate personal reflection: Mann suggests these titles because she says that getting to a place of personal reflection can help in getting to a place of reflection about our dreams and vision for First Religious Society. We hope you will enjoy them both on a personal level, and in thinking about and expressing your ideas about your vision for FRS. Copies of these books and the downloadable chapter may be borrowed from the FRS library.

Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer

In this short book, Parker Palmer, a gifted teacher, shares his own reflections and a sometimes difficult journey to seek his life's vocation and meaning. Using examples and essays, Palmer explores his mission to find self-knowledge and follow his dreams. Palmer's book may guide each of us to listen more closely to our inner voice, which will then lead us to listen more attentively to each other.

This book presents perspectives from which women view reality and how they draw conclusions about truth, knowledge and authority, ways that are largely absent in a society more responsive to male "impersonalness" than feminine "connectedness." The book is on the academic side, but should raise awareness of differing ways of assimilating information.

Mann suggests reading one chapter directly related to our process. You can easily download the chapter (http://www.alban.org/pdf/chapters/Chap_AL278.pdf) or pick up a copy at the church office.

The story is about an internal reflection process at a church very different from ours, the First Presbyterian Church of Altadena, California. But the process it undergoes is very much like the process FRS is embarking on, and by the end of the chapter the story becomes quite moving. As different as we are from this church-Presbyterian churches do answer to outside authorities, this congregation is in decline and ours is vital and growing, and the ethnic makeup is largely Japanese-American-we are also alike, with fascinating histories and very human people making decisions. The chapter moves a bit slowly at first, but leaves us with a rare glimpse into the heart of another church trying to determine its calling.

This book is for anyone who wants to go deep into the process of church discernment. See http://www.alban.org/BookDetails.asp?ID=1803.

As you learned in a sermon by Harold at the start of the year, the First Religious Society is embarking on a visioning process to set the course for our church community for the next several years. The theme for this visioning process is "Focus on Our Future," as we will work together to gather the hopes and dreams of our members and friends to weave a fresh vision for our church.

Why do a vision process?
Our congregation last did vision work a decade ago, and there have been many changes that came out of it: A successful capital fund drive has resulted in the fine new space in the Lower Church and in our refurbished Parish Hall

• Our committees have organized and supported many new activities.
• We have welcomed many new members.
• Young Church enrollment has multiplied.
• Our music program has blossomed.

It is crucial that everyone take part. One of the best parts of renewing our vision is the process itself - it engages everyone to voice their dreams for FRS. We'll want all church members to share their unique perspectives:

• What would you like to see our church become in the next five years?
• What are the issues most important to you?
• What is most sacred?

I. Spring: Celebrate and Honor Our Past.
On Sunday, May 7th
Harold's sermon "Back to the Future" will launch our visioning process.

We'll have a special Coffee Hour to create a FRS Time Line-a way to honor and celebrate our past as we launch into our future. This will be a festive and engaging event for everyone-it's a chance for all of us to add our memories, stories, and knowledge of our history to a giant timeline we will create together-and that will unfold around the walls of the Parish Hall.

Summer: Individual Reflection
Resource materials will be made available for your reflection on our visioning questions over the summer to prepare for the fall congregation-wide activities.

Fall: Create our Vision
We will have a several events to bring members together in small groups in a variety of venues which will not only provide fellowship and community, but, with the help of a facilitator, elicit your dreams about what the First Religious Society will ideally be like in 5 years.

The Vision Task Force will review everyone's ideas from these gatherings and meld them into draft vision statement. The draft will be presented at a congregational meeting for feedback, then refined and presented to the congregation to finalize and approve the new FRS vision statement.

Once adopted, the statement will provide clarity of purpose in our efforts and strategic planning as a congregation and help committees make decisions based upon the views of the congregation, as expressed and shared by all.

Please join me in church on May 7 and take part in the special coffee hour as we get this exciting process underway together!

Peter Cullinan, Chair
Parish Committee

Question: I like our church the way it is - is this process going to usher in a lot of change?
Answer: Our heritage is change - think of all the fascinating history that has played out in our congregation over the centuries - and so, inevitably, is our future. The goal of the visioning process is to make sure the congregation can be intentional about coming change, aiming our efforts and activities toward a shared vision of our future together.

Question: Who's in charge of this process?
Answer: The Parish Committee, the First Religious Society governing board elected by the members at the annual meeting, voted to set up the Visioning Task Force co-chaired by Marie Murphy and David Turner, FRS members with significant facilitation and program-shaping experience. Other Task Force members - Cecilia Healey, Bill Heenehan, Alexandra Mezey, Frank Murgida, Forrest Speck, Tom Stites, Linda Tulley, and Amy Weickert - bring communication and finance skills and deep knowledge of our congregation and its history. The Task Force's work is informed by up-to-date materials from the Unitarian Universalist Association and a consultant from the Alban Institute, the premier congregational research and consulting organization. Task Force meetings are open to all in the FRS community who would like to attend.

Question: Isn't this something Harold should be doing?
Answer: Harold and other staff members are supportive of the visioning process - Harold introduced the process from the pulpit and will preach about it again next Sunday - but they have stepped back to let the Task Force draw out the congregation's collective vision. Unitarian Universalist congregations are free churches, meaning that there is no higher authority than the people. This is the foundation of liberal religion, and the visioning process is a way for each of us to step up and exercise this crucial authority.

Question: How long will this process take? What's expected of me?
Answer: The process will be conducted in three phases, starting in May and ending in late Fall. Next Sunday, May 7, everyone in the FRS community will be invited to take part in creating a timeline of our church's history. This will provide everyone with an opportunity to share our memories of important church milestones and events and to honor the foundation of our church and its past. Then, the summer will give all of us an opportunity for individual reflection about a vision of FRS's future.

In September, all FRS people will be invited to participate in one of several small gatherings. At these community events, with the help of a facilitator, members will share their dreams about what a great First Religious Society would be like in five to ten years. These gatherings should be full of stimulating conversation and opportunities to hear the ideas of other FRS people. The Visioning Task Force will review the dreams from all the gatherings and meld them into a draft vision statement. This draft will be presented to all in the congregation for feedback, then refined and presented to a congregational meeting for approval. Once adopted, the statement will provide clarity of purpose in our efforts as a congregation - a "Focus on Our Future" - and help us make decisions based on the views of the congregation, as expressed and shared by all.

Question: Are you trying to bring in loads of new people?
Answer: New people keep coming to FRS, which has grown steadily to the point that our minister is overloaded. It's reasonable to expect more and more people to be drawn by our liberal religious values and thus for the congregation to keep growing. But unless the congregation's shared vision calls explicitly for more rapid growth, there should be no efforts to increase the flow of new people.

Question: Why do I need to take part?
Answer: The more people who express their hopes and perspectives, the better our vision statement will express the congregation's collective dreams. The Task Force wants everybody to take part, to reflect and then come together with other FRS people to make your voice heard - and to hear the voices of others. This democratic process will include old members and new, and will celebrate our history as well as our future, and will be a rich experience for all. The Task Force urges you to come and take part!

Question: Will Young Church children and the youth have a chance to be heard?
Answer: Absolutely. Their thoughts will be eagerly sought - after all, they are FRS's future. The dreams of young adults who grew up at FRS but went off to college will also be sought - "What kind of church would be so attractive that you'd join right now?"

Question: What is a vision statement vs. a mission statement or a covenant?
Answer: The congregation's vision is what it hopes to become. Its mission is what it is meant to do. Its covenant is an agreement among members about how they will get along. After the FRS vision statement has been adopted by congregational vote the Visioning Task Force - working with the Parish Committee, our governing board - will press on to work on a mission statement and a covenant.

From the Past and Into Focus on the Future

Onward With the Vision Process!

If you weren't able to take part in the coffee hour exercise, or if looking through this document inspires new thoughts you'd like to add to the timeline - lots of gaps are crying out to be filled! - please e-mail additions to frsuu@netway.com. (Keep 'em short - they've got to fit on a stickie!) The Visioning Task Force will write up your entries and stick them to the physical timeline that remains on the Parish House wall - and then add them to this version, which will be kept up to date on the FRS website at www.frsuu.org.

In September, all First Religious Society people will be invited to take part in one of several small gatherings. At these events, with the help of a facilitator, all of us will share our dreams for FRS with each other. To help you develop your FRS dreams, here are some questions to consider that might be helpful:

• Given our community and the particularities of our congregation, what would FRS be like if it were to be a truly great church five to ten years from now?

• How would a great FRS serve its parishioners?

• What would a great FRS offer its community?

• What would programs you're involved with be like as components of a great FRS?

• From a personal perspective, what would make FRS a great church for you?

The September gatherings should be full of stimulating conversation and opportunities to share your ideas and hear other people's dreams. The Visioning Task Force will review the dreams from all the gatherings and meld them into a draft vision statement. This draft will be presented to all in the congregation for feedback, then refined and presented to a congregational meeting for approval. Once adopted, the statement will provide clarity of purpose in our efforts as a congregation - a "Focus on Our Future" - and help us make decisions based on the views of the congregation, as expressed and shared by all.

Be on the lookout for alerts about Visioning over the summer!

The Visioning Task Force consists of Marie Murphy and David Turner (co-chairs), Cecilia Healy, Bill Heenehan, Alex Mezey, Frank Murgida, Forrest Speck, Tom Stites, Linda Tulley and Amy Weikert.