Next Two-Year Initiative: Call for Proposals

In fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13, the church took on a congregation-wide social action initiative to address the issue Hunger in our Community. A huge percentage of the congregation became involved in various facets of the project. Indeed, many continue to work with the groups they joined during the initiative. Energizing the congregation to work together on a particular social action theme turned out to be extremely powerful and gratifying, and a great deal of good work was done.

When it ended, many in the congregation expressed a desire to take on another initiative. Since the Hunger Initiative was our first attempt, we did not yet have a procedure in place to make this an ongoing mission. The Social Action Committee has proposed a procedure, to be repeated every two years, so we can move smoothly from one initiative to the next. The Board of Trustees has approved the procedure.

The Social Action Committee (SAC) is now soliciting proposals for the next two-year initiative from church committees, groups, and individual members, using a simple one-page form. A link to the form can be found on the homepage of the church web site under Quick Links. Two versions are available for use: A Word doc, which you can edit on the computer then submit electronically, and a PDF, which you can print to write in responses then drop off in person. 

The SAC will vet the proposals for feasibility, relevance, and accordance with UU principles and church goals. We plan to involve our new Membership Coordinator, Samuel Shore, in the process to the extent that he is available. The proposals that pass the vetting process will be communicated to the congregation through The Uniter, E-News, Social Action table handouts, and other means, to ensure everyone has a chance to read them. Finally, a congregational vote will be taken at the annual meeting to select one topic for our initiative.

After the initiative has been chosen, SAC will work with the DRE, RE Committee, Minister, and Membership Coordinator to appoint a task force, separate from the SAC, to implement the two-year initiative. Work on the initiative will begin in September 2014 and end in May 2016.

In the interim, SAC is supporting a project of the Anti-Racism Chalice Circle on the issue of Mass Incarceration and Racial Justice. This project will be supported for the first half of 2014 with funds that SAC had allocated for work on such initiatives. The Anti-Racism group has submitted a well thought-out proposal which could be extended into a two-year initiative as well. This means we already have one proposal submitted for consideration for the two-year initiative.

We look forward to reading about all of your ideas!