Inspirational Ideas Welcome

I'm in the habit of doing the Sudoku and Cryptic Byword puzzles in the paper each morning - I read the horoscopes, too.  Usually they give me a chuckle - occasionally they speak the truth.  SPOILER ALERT - If you do  the cryptogram - and haven't done it today - I'm about to reveal the answer.   According to Mary Kay Ash ... "A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one."  How true.

I've been moping around for the past two weeks, caving emotionally to the pressure of decisions to be made about how we can afford the staff we have, in the face of a smaller congregation than we once were.  Believe me, I've cried many a private tear.  As a Board and Executive Team, we have looked at the facts, and have taken a conservative approach as fiduciaries for our beloved congregation which results in reducing all employees time and pay, some as much as 25%,   It's a safe and secure way to be financially sound for the next year - and it inspires no one, I suspect.  Not the Board, not the ministers, not the staff, not the congregation.  

On the other hand, it is a wake-up call for us.  It calls us to challenge ourselves to be creative and to focus on the changes we must make to be viable for the long-term.  I received a note from a person who has attended our church and heard of our current financial dilemma.  He put it like this - "...the church appears to finally be at a real fork in the road.  One path will lead to a smaller congregation with a smaller budget, the other to the unknown which hopefully involves major outreach and service to Wilmington and Delaware and a larger congregation.  People want to be part of something that is improving their world."  I knew that.  In the Board's discussions with the congregation over the past year about who we want to be as a congregation, we heard that being a congregation that makes a difference in the world, outside our four walls, was a high priority.

If we are to grow, why would people choose our church for the long haul?  Clearly, being open to diverse beliefs gets some people through the door, but is it enough to keep them?  A great Sunday morning program will keep many.   At the same time, I believe, like the feedback I received, the people who are church shopping today - whether for themselves or their family - are looking for ways they can make a difference in the world - hands on.  And that is at the core of Unitarian Universalism.    Many of us do that outside of our church home - and some of us focus on outreach through our church.  Imagine the impact we could have if we brought our values to the world together on a much larger scale.  With our newly formed Allies for Racial Justice, we are beginning a new partnership with Canaan Baptist Church - a great addition to our current outreach programs like ILYA and Emmanuel Dining Room.  Will our outreach inspire us - and others?

What would it look like and feel like to be the liberal church known for making real change in our community and beyond?  That could be something to stick around for - and eventually support.

As for ideas for our current dilemma?  Bring them on.  I'd much rather be inspired that sad.  We read that it takes 3 to 5 years to experience the beginning of growth when a new minister or other church leader arrives.  That's a few years away for us - and yet it's just around the corner.  How can we have financial responsibility and creativity work hand in hand to move us forward?

And by the way, I'm done moping.  

In Faith,

Nancy

It matters where we go

 I spent last weekend with friends I first met nearly 40 years ago when I was a freshman at college.  We were moving in to the dorm and found ourselves in a remote tower of the building.  You could only get there by walking down the second floor, through a door onto the balcony overlooking one of the dining rooms, around the balcony and through another door, up a flight of stairs - where there were three rooms; a triple, a quad and another triple.  It was called "Rat Hole" at the time.  Interestingly, it is now "Princess Tower" - a new perspective on life!  Well, you really get to know people when you live together somewhat isolated from others.  Thirty-five years after graduation, we reunited and found what we already knew - we have a bond that will last a lifetime.  We visited that freshman room - even took our picture with the girls who live there now and shared stories about the room.  They say it's haunted!

Saturday, we took a walk around - a truly beautiful campus, especially in the springtime.  I lingered behind to capture the moment and take it all in again.  The experience gave me pause to think once again about what's really important in life - family, good friends, good memories, service to others.  For the past year, our Board of Trustees has experimented with a variety of ways to engage you - our members and friends - to  understand what is really important to you when it comes to the difference we make as a church community.  Your ideas and perspectives help us set First Unitarian's direction and allocate our limited time - paid and volunteer - and financial resources.  We tried fun polls in the Parish Hall on Sundays, a Friday night wine and cheese gathering, a Sunday afternoon pizza lunch and workshop, as well as countless individual interactions.  Along the way, we gathered many interesting insights which will help us as we work through another tight budget year.

Member Jenn Phillips recently reminded me of the famous quote by Lewis Carroll from Alice In Wonderland - " ... 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.  'I don't much care where - ' said Alice.  'Then it doesn't matter which way you go.' said the Cat.  '-so long as I get somewhere.' Alice added as an explanation.  'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.' "

It matters where we go - what we stand for.  It's always a little fuzzy in the distance - and it still matters.  As we do each year, we must choose what is most important to us in moving towards our vision.  We count on our members' financial support to the best of their abilities to get us there.  Have you remembered to let the office know what you can pledge to help First U be a strong voice for Unitarian Universalist values and make a real difference in the face of many challenges in our community, our country and the world?  If you have - many thanks.  If it has slipped off your radar screen, there's still time to make that call.  Thanks in advance for your support.

In Faith,

Nancy