Guest Blog by Mary Tucker

Although I’ve been a UU for 70 years and involved in leadership positions for 50 of those years, I wasn’t aware until recently that our seven Principles and Purposes and six Sources are held in Article 2 of our UUA By-laws. The by-laws stipulate that they be reviewed every 15 years as a practice of our living faith.  This insures our guiding theological documents thoughtfully and clearly articulate the heart of Unitarian Universalism. I find myself excited that, as members of a UUA-affiliated congregation, we at QUUF have the opportunity for input and suggestions for our delegates to vote on at the 2023 General Assembly.

Our Denominational Affairs Team is holding an ALPs workshop to give congregants an opportunity to discuss topics relevant to Unitarian Universalism. Our thoughts and feelings can then be reported to the UUA Article 2 Study Commission prior to their final draft. There are six classes on the following topics starting on October 13:

• Co-creating Unitarian Universalism
• Shared UU Values
• Inspirations
• Mission and Purpose – a Wider UU world
• Covenant
• Connecting

Sharing in groups can be a very powerful way to think together about important topics. Group sharing is a meaningful part of relationship building. Being invited and inviting others to speak, we embody our role in the community we are creating and find ourselves called to listen deeply and respectfully to each other.  Given we have recently found ourselves to be in conflict over the nature of our congregation, respectful communication guidelines will be encouraged.  They include:

• R – Take responsibility for what you say and feel without blaming others
• E – Use empathetic listening
• S – Be sensitive to differences in communication styles
• P – Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak
• E – Examine your own assumptions and perceptions
• C – Keep confidentiality
• T – Trust ambiguity because we are not here to debate who is right or wrong

Two of the first questions we will be asked to consider and discuss are: “What Should a UU community be like?  How would you describe the community if it was just as you think it should be?”

Sound intriguing?  If so, there is no limit to the number of people who can join the Reimagining UU workshop being offered through ALPs. It will be hybrid to accommodate all who wish to participate. Members of the Denominational Affairs Team will facilitate the discussions. In addition to the classes, members of covenant groups will also have access to the curriculum.