The UUCV Ministerial Search Committee conducted eight Focus Group meetings over the first two weeks of October, 2015, engaging 73 members and friends in discussion on the following questions:
- Name one thing you like about UUCV
- What do you want to see in a new minister?
- Where do you think we need to be in 10 years?
- Did anything bubble up for you from the survey?
- What is our calling as a congregation?
Ideas that didn’t fit these categories are included as miscellaneous ideas and comments. The results of these conversations were collected and evaluated, and this summary reports the dominant themes that came out of the meetings.
When asked what they liked about the church, many attendees mentioned being part of a community of like-minded people who were welcoming and compassionate. They said that the church is a good place to raise children, and a place for a diversity of beliefs. Our social action programs are appreciated, as is the importance of the church as a place to heal and grow spiritually. Quality sermons that preach UU values, stimulate spiritual growth, and challenge us intellectually were also mentioned.
Extensive discussion revealed that many are looking for a minister with a broad and deep education and life experience, one who can challenge us spiritually and intellectually, fostering spiritual growth of individual members and the whole congregation. This person should have a good sense of humor, along with energy and enthusiasm for the work of the church. We need a minister who can help us achieve greater congregational diversity. We would like a minister who is approachable, warm and compassionate, and yet can set healthy personal boundaries. We are seeking someone who challenges us to be our best selves. This would be a person who is honest about personal faults, and admits mistakes, when they occur. The minister should exhibit spiritual and personal integrity. Groups also acknowledged that it is unlikely, if not impossible to find all these attributes in a single person.
Members want a minister who makes changes in our programs gently and thoughtfully, after getting to know the congregational history and passions of individuals in our church. The minister should appreciate the skills and gifts the members offer, and encourage lay leadership development. We would like someone who is a strong leader, willing to take a stand on issues, but not domineering. This should be a person able to delegate responsibility, and who does not micro-manage the Board, Committees, and other groups working in the church. Good administrative skills were considered important by many, but with the caveat that managing staff should not monopolize the minister’s time. On the other hand, some people want to have a minister who is not an administrator, and would prefer that administration be taken care of by members of the church.
Our new minister must be skilled at delivering excellent, well-prepared sermons on a variety of topics, honoring many points of view and faith traditions. Sermons should include UU history and stories of our forebears, so that members develop a sense of continuity with the past. Members also appreciate sermons that address everyday concerns with work, family life, and issues within our cities and neighborhoods. We will enjoy flexibility in the ministry, and a variety of worship styles are welcome.
Many focus group attendees mentioned it was important that our new minister should also have a strong commitment to spiritual growth of our children, and be supportive of quality religious education for our young people. We will soon be in search for a new Director of Religious Education, and so some people suggested that hiring a ministerial team might be a good fit, if it provided the necessary skills and experience that we need.
Our church has a longstanding program of social activism around homelessness in our communities. We would like a minister to be open to supporting these efforts, along with working to develop other community outreach efforts. There is a large Hispanic presence in the county that could use attention, and we are already involved in Green projects. Our minister should be willing to have a visible presence in the wider community, and be comfortable engaging in interfaith activities with other ministers in the county.
When asked about the future of this church, themes that arose related to growth of our congregational numbers, especially an increase in younger families, and younger adults who would take leadership roles. There was a desire for a growing and very strong religious education program, including an active and vibrant high school youth group. Special programs for young adults, with or without children, were also mentioned often.
Many expressed a desire a greater diversity in our membership, with outreach into the community to attract new members from groups that are not well represented in our congregation. A strong social action program, with additional areas of effort was also mentioned.
The status of our present building was mentioned by many, who would like to see some remodeling, painting, and refurbishing. Maintaining a strong financial footing, with a broader pledging base, may help to make these projects feasible.
There was a desire for increased variety of worship services, with music taking an prominent role in some services. Some people expressed a wish to resume mid-week services, with more lay-leadership. Others suggested that services be provided in Spanish occasionally, with translation available for monolingual English speakers.
Finally, many would like to see us really enter the 21st Century with our use of technology and social media, to share our message with the wider community.
Comments about the Survey indicated it was very long but also thorough, thought-provoking and informative.
There were many different responses to the question of our calling as a church. Some saw the church as a place of refuge, a safe place which is open and inclusive, a place to explore our spirituality and the meaning of covenant and right relations. Others envisioned our outward reach into the wider community as our calling, meeting our neighbors where they are in their lives, and offering assistance where it is needed. The groups agreed that our mission is really both inwardly and outwardly directed.
Because focus group participants were told that their names and responses would be confidential, links to the specific results were made accessible to our candidates through a password-protected page.