Thanks to everyone who answered the congregational survey, participated in a cottage meeting, and came to the data synthesis work session on October 14. The participation was great, with more than 150 people participating in cottage meetings and more than 170 responses to the survey! Some facts from the survey:
• The most common adjectives people use to describe UUCSS are “friendly,” “welcoming,” and “caring,” and the word “musical” followed closely.
• Nature walks are our most common spiritual practice.
• Our top three outside religious influences are Christianity, Buddhism, and Religious Humanism.
• We asked people to rank the importance of various aspects of a minister’s job (being a social activist, a person of character, a facilitator, etc.). Responses were diverse, but by far the favorite answer was being a spiritual leader.
We will share the synthesized themes from the cottage meetings, as well as the data from the survey, in an email to the congregation.
The Search Committee is now working on the congregational record. The UUA just launched a brand new system with all new questions, so we had to make adjustments midstream. The congregational record is a compilation of facts and narratives covering our church history, membership and attendance, congregational demographics and beliefs, governance structure and programs, finances, paid staff, and the congregation’s strengths and challenges—all you ever wanted to know about UUCSS and more! The Search Committee is gathering factual information from the archives and from knowledgeable individuals. We will draw a great many of our responses from the congregational survey, the cottage meetings held this fall, and synthesis created during the session on October 14.
As always, feel free to contact us at search@uucss.org.
— The Minister Search Committee (Alice-Ann, Carl, Carol, Colin, Janne, Maggie, and Susannah)