Workshop 5: How Are Decisions Made? Governance and Polity

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of The New UU

In This Section

Introduction
From The New UU

The meaning of freedom and tolerance is revealed more clearly by the way people behave than by the generalizations they utter. — Conrad Wright, Unitarian Universalist historian This workshop provides an overview of congregational polity and covenant, the foundational principles upon which…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From The New UU

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 2 Activity 1: What a Free Church Means to Me 10 Activity 2: The Founding of the Dedham Church 25 Activity 3: Covenants Within and Beyond Our Congregation 35 Activity 4: Learning from Leadership 15 Closing 3 Alternate Activity 1: Covenant as Promis…
Spiritual Preparation
From The New UU

Consider your own history of participating in congregational governance. What roles have you held? How have you felt about your participation? How has your participation shaped your relationship with your congregation? With other members? Has it shaped or influenced your theological understanding?
Welcoming and Entering
From The New UU

Materials for Activity Name tags, durable or single use Bold markers Paper and pen/pencil for sign-up sheet Small table Optional: Refreshments Preparation for Activity If you have not done so already, create a sign-up sheet with columns for name, address, phone, and email information and place it…
Opening
From The New UU

Activity time: 2 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook, for all participants Chalice, candle, and lighter, or an LED battery-operated candle Appropriate stand or small table for the chalice Cloth or decorative covering for chali…
Activity 1: What a Free Church Means to Me
From The New UU

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Post blank newsprint. Description of Activity Introduce the activity by providing a bridge from the Opening with these or similar words: Our opening reading spoke about a free church….
Activity 2: The Founding of the Dedham Church
From The New UU

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Story, “The Founding of the Dedham Church” Preparation for Activity Print out the story “The Founding of the Dedham Church” and copy for all participants. Practice reading the story aloud. Find out how your congregation was founded. If there is a…
Activity 3: Covenants Within and Beyond Our Congregation
From The New UU

Activity time: 35 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 1, Background on Congregational Polity Newsprint, markers, and tape Copies of Singing the Living Tradition for all participants A map of your District or Region large enough to show your UUA District Preparation for Activity Review…
Activity 4: Learning from Leadership
From The New UU

Activity time: 15 minutes Preparation for Activity Invite the president, or a past president, of the congregation to address the group for no more than ten minutes. Meet with the leader a few weeks in advance to discuss their presentation….
Closing
From The New UU

Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, or copies of Singing the Journey (supplement to the hymnbook), for all participants Optional: Keyboard or other musical accompaniment Preparation for Activity Determine whether you will sing one of the hymns o…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From The New UU

Review with your co-facilitator(s) how each activity went. What worked well? What might you do differently another time? Review the Parking Lot questions. Have you answered all the questions? What remains?…
Alternate Activity 1: Covenant as Promise
From The New UU

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, Covenant as Promise Newsprint, markers, and tape Pens or pencils Optional: Your congregation’s covenant Optional: Copies of Singing the Living Tradition for all participants Preparation for Activity Copy Handout 1, Covenant as Promise, f…
Alternate Activity 2: Our Congregation's Organizational Structure
From The New UU

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 2, Our Congregation’s Structure Organizational chart or summary for your congregation Preparation for Activity Complete Leader Resource 2, Our Congregation’s Structure, with help from appropriate leaders in the congregation. Make…
The Founding of the Dedham Church
From The New UU

From Our Covenant: The 2000-01 Minns Lectures, The Lay and Liberal Doctrine of the Church: The Spirit and the Promise of Our Covenant, by Alice Blair Wesley (Chicago: Meadville-Lombard Press, 2002). Used with permission.Religiously, Unitarians are directly descended from the Puritans and Pilgrims…
Handout 1: Covenant as Promise
From The New UU

A covenant is not a contract, but rather a voluntary relationship. The idea of a covenant has biblical origins and traditionally includes the understanding that the relationship is sacred or blessed….
Leader Resource 1: Background on Congregational Polity
From The New UU

The idea of congregational self-governance developed on this continent because the Puritans who arrived from Europe wanted to have responsibility for their own churches, not to have bishops dictate their practices….
Leader Resource 2: Our Congregation's Structure
From 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….
Find Out More
From The New UU

Governance for Unitarian Universalist Congregations is a handbook which has information about both the history and practice of governance. Go… and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership, by Dan Hotchkiss (Alban Institute, 2009) and All Are Chosen: Stories of Lay Ministry and Leadership, Margaret L.

Download all of The New UU (Word) (PDF) to edit or print.

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Workshop 5: How Are Decisions Made? Governance and Polity

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