ESUC Action Plan 2020

Dec 1, 2020 | Members News

Dear ESUC members and friends, 

Below is an Action Plan the Board asked me to put together with the help of our staff, especially Director of Religious Education amanda alice uluhan, and Membership Development Manager Nicole Duff. Additionally, the Executive Committee was involved. And now we need you to be involved and deeply so.

Look the plan over. The list includes projects and initiatives well under way, and many ideas for the months ahead. It highlights newer ventures rather than our many ongoing ministries. Let me encourage you strongly to consider what programs you could get involved with and to suggest additional projects. Also, ask clarifying questions! Then put your thoughts to pen and paper (or email) by sharing your feedback by Saturday, December 5. The Board of Trustees is planning a Listening Session at 10:00 a.m. that morning (12/5/20) and please come via Zoom and participate. You can also email individual staff members: Steve, amanda, and Nicole.

The staff and I will gather your responses, look over the updated list, and then set our priorities and timelines, gather project leaders, and direct our resources. We clearly have great potential here at East Shore Church! Even amid a pandemic we can—and will—thrive! But we need widespread participation. Please do your part to make our Action Plan really dynamite!

Yours in abiding liberal faith, Steve

East Shore Unitarian Church Action Plan 2020-2021

BOARD GOAL #1: Promote the Collective Well-being of the Congregation by Strengthening Relationships with One Another

  • Strengthen Covenant Circles, add additional members to existing Circles and spawn one or more new Circles.
  • Encourage people to sign up for Beloved Conversations in Spring 2021. Over 50 ESUC members are currently enrolled  in this month’s long program aimed at deepening understanding of racial prejudice and white privilege.
  • Reach out via phone to all members periodically.
  • Reach out to all members via postcard writing campaign.
  • Recruit potential organizers for Welcoming Congregation certification to begin in the Spring of ‘20.
  • Offer ongoing trainings in non-violent and restorative practices, facilitation and mediation techniques.
  • Conduct East Shore Reads book discussions. (Already completed The Color of Law & The End of Policing.)
  • Hold conversations to discover and affirm our identity and priorities in preparation for calling a minister in 2023.
  • Develop and communicate “pathways to involvement” to help integrate people into teams which match their interest.
  • Continue community and board circles, and connections in Daily Check-ins, Coffee Hour.

BOARD GOAL #2: Increase our Social Justice Presence through our Ministries in the Broader Community

  • Assess our current social justice ministries and support structures to determine strengths and ‘gaps’
  • Design events for broad participation to build unity
    • COVID Food Project: this year’s Fund-A-Need designed to draw multigenerational participation and by partnering with local organizations and interfaith networks actively addressing food insecurity in the broader community.
    • Congregation for the Homeless: expanded this year to offer 24/7 accommodations throughout October.
    • Reconnecting congregants with Good Start Back to School
    • Continue to promote Black Lives Matter flash stances
    • Promote UUA vigils, conduct vigils after momentous events.
  • Promote cross fertilization of ministry teams
    • Actively support liaisons, attend as many events as possible and draw lines of connection between them.
    • Encourage joint ventures by two or more teams, to create an increasingly unified focus by the Spring of 2023.
  • Increase lay and staff interaction with the existing Eastside interfaith network.
  • Increase Children & Youth participation in Social Justice Activities and Teams
    • Integrate social justice into our Youth programs on Second Fridays
    • Advocate for Social Justice ministry teams to include children and youth in planning of events, and the converse
    • Invite social justice ministry teams to participate in Children and youth programs

BOARD GOAL #3: Integrate and Encourage Participation of our Children and Youth in All that We Do

  • Reorient and redesign Sunday worship services to highlight and make welcome children and youth—especially during COVID—to make all services more kid-friendly.
  • Initiate Wednesday Wind Down: multigenerational Zoom service at 7:00 pm every Wednesday with somatic guided meditation, story hour, and more.
  • Conduct Special family-friendly activities (e.g., Halloween TrunkOrTreat event…)
  • Solicit and incorporate input from children and youth in planning and in assessing progress toward church goals.
  • Explore ways to involve youth in church governance (Board of Trustees position, Children and Youth council)
  • Encourage teams to align charters with Mission and Annual Goals
  • Network with Eastside organizations such as King County Play Equity and Eastside Pathways

BOARD GOAL #4: Increase Personal and Institutional Actions Grounded in Anti-racist Values  

  • Convene Study Group to consider the pathway to ratifying the Eighth Principle.
    • “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
  • Encourage participation in Beloved Conversations. (Over fifty ESUC members currently enrolled)
  • Provide Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) for Board members
  • Provide IDI for staff or other cross-cultural understanding training
  • Increase the number of congregant & visitors engaging in anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multi-cultural activities.
  • Support local associations and institutions lead by People of Color
  • Beloved Racial Justice Promote and continue Flash Stances, contributions to worship.
  • Continue to center conversations around history and privilege at East Shore
  • network with local community organizations to support people of color organizations
  • Support local business, associations and institutions lead by People of Color

BOARD GOAL #5: Further Board of Trustees and Congregational Understanding of Policy-Based Governance.   

  • Participate in Board training through the UUA
  • Learn more about Policy Based Governance
  • Learn how to request or submit policies
  • Help to differentiate between Policy Based Governance and committee governance
  • Assess staff vs congregant responsibilities – using RACI
    • A “RACI” analysis is a simple analytical practice used in organizations to help make roles and responsibilities clear.  The essence is that you take the basic tasks of church life, and for each one you identify who is responsible(the person or group who actually does the work), accountable (meaning the person or group whose job it is to make sure something gets done), who gets consulted before a decision is made, and who gets informed   
  • Update ESUC organizational chart
  • Facilitate more communication between Policy and Governance committee and employees
  • Address Safe Congregations policies and needs of children, youth, and RE volunteers
  • Better understanding of Microsoft Teams or SharePoint file sharing organization