Tapestry of Faith: The New UU: A Program for Welcoming Newcomers to Unitarian Universalist Congregations

Leader Resource 2: Our Congregation's Structure

Part of The New UU

Talk with lay leadership and the minister to discover the answers to these questions. This discovery process will give you a starting point for understanding the structure of your congregation and making it transparent for newcomers.

Does your Board function under a particular model of governance, such as policy-based governance? If so, describe it.

How do the various committees, task forces, teams, and/or working groups in your congregation work with the Board? How do they relate to one another? To whom is each of them accountable?

What staff people are employed by the congregation? How do they relate with the various groups, including the Board?

Is there an organizational chart? If not, create an organizational chart or summary of the organizational structures.