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Goals

• Discuss innovative practices through the lens of the COIC report and findings.
• Apply the report’s findings to the context of your community.

Materials

• Chalice and something with which to light it
• A copy of Widening the Circle of Concern: Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change (2020)
• The text of the covenant guidelines to which the group has agreed, on newsprint if in person or accessible as electronic text to share if online
• Newsprint and markers (if in-person) or a computer to record discussion contributions

Preparation

• Read the Innovation and Risk-Taking chapter.
• Identify a recorder for this session.
• Prepare a chalice and something with which to light it.
• Post the group covenant. (If in person, post newsprint; if online, plan to “share screen” and/or post the covenant guidelines or a link to them in the chat.)

Chalice lighting

Light the chalice.

Share these words of Brittany Packnett Cunningham, from an interview with The Undefeated.

I’m not an entertainer. I’m not an athlete. I’m not someone who said, ‘I want to be a star.’ I really just love my people a lot. And I love black children a lot. And I want to see us live. I want to see us thrive. I want to see us enjoy the kind of life that our ancestors fought for. And that’s the way that I was raised. I feel like every time I’m able to access some of that joy, I try to hold on to it in my personal life. I just want to see us all be able to live lives of full humanity, ’cause that’s what we deserve.

Discussion

Take a moment to review the group’s covenant. Ask the group if anything should be added or amended. If there is consensus, add or amend the covenant and save the changes.

Make sure a recorder from the group is ready to document discussion.

Say, “The report lays out several demographic and generational changes that are impacting expectations of our congregations and how we can meet those needs.” (p. 102)

Then, invite the group to identify how these trends are affecting your congregation or community and to note any responses the congregation has already made to them. If no responses have been made, discuss responses the congregation may wish to make or how the congregation might better understand the expectations of young adults, young families, and BIPOC.

Next, affirm that the congregation, like most faith communities, relies heavily on volunteer time and talent. Say that the recommendation on pp. 106-7 lifts up the need for funding BIPOC leadership so that the experiences of people of color can be meaningfully included in all aspects of our Association. Engage discussion:

• How inclusive is the leadership in your congregation?
• Are there actions the congregation can take to remove barriers for those whose leadership is missing?

Note that the actions suggested on p. 107 refer to learning circles as important ways to share innovations that are working within and among our communities. Lead the group to assess:

• Is our congregation connected with any regional or local groups to enhance our learning and to feed our appetite for experimentation?
• Where is there opportunity to support learning circles within our community?

Closing and Next Actions

Invite the group into a closing ritual: Ask volunteers to read aloud the Take-Aways at the end of the Innovations and Risk-Taking chapter. You may extinguish the chalice while participants read.

Remind the group that both study and action are the purposes of this group. Offer a quick check-out by asking the following questions, inviting each participant to take a moment to reflect and then to respond in one sentence to any question:

• What is one idea you want to continue to think about before our next discussion?
• What are the short-term actions that we should consider or take to translate this discussion into action?
• What are the longer scope actions?
• What is an element that makes the hard work meaningful and worthwhile for this group?