Covenant of Right Relations
Developing a Covenant of Right Relations is an important step in clarifying expectations and creating a safe environment for congregations. "Covenant" is Latin for "come together" and means a "solemn agreement" or "promise from the heart" regarding a course of action between parties.
Congregational Covenants can take many forms and reflect the needs and best wishes of a variety of groups—from church committee members to staff groups to how members of an entire congregation agree to conduct themselves with one another. Creating and agreeing to a covenant can be an extremely effective tool for setting guidelines and building trust.
The Congregational Handbook provides resources that focus on using a process—rather than a recipe with a predetermined outcome—to deal with congregational complexities.
Covenanting for Excellence in Religious Education is a facilitated process between a religious educator and a congregation for purposes of identifying a set of mutually agreed-upon commitments.
Developing a covenant can be a useful method for addressing disruptive behavior. Sample covenants are provided to help guide and inspire you.
Covenants Help Members Respect, Hear Each Other
Conflict is a Part of Congregational Life
For more information contact safecongregations @ uua.org.
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Last updated on Friday, April 22, 2011.
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