Values, the Foundation of our Vision

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (O.E.D.) values are, "The principles or moral standards of a person or social group; the generally accepted or personally held judgment of what is valuable or important in life." The importance of understanding and articulating one's core values was brought home to me during my recent deployment.

The motto of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, of which I was Commander of the Navy Element for nine months, is "Honor Bound to Defend Freedom". All military personnel assigned to the detention facility there greet each other throughout the day with the words, "Honor Bound!" In doing so, we reminded each other of our core value of honor or (as defined by the O.E.D.), "Nobleness of mind or spirit; magnanimity; uprightness; adherence to what is due or correct according to some conventional or accepted standard of conduct." By reminding ourselves constantly of what we value most, we remained focused on the necessity of performing our mission to the highest standards of personal and professional conduct.

As those assigned to Guantanamo rediscover every day, core values help us focus on our priorities and give us purpose and direction. According to the authors of a leadership and management text used at the Naval War College, "How can people make certain that they focus on activities that are important . . .? The answer is to identify clear and specific personal priorities. It is important for people to be aware of their own core values and to establish a set of basic principles to guide their behavior. In order to determine what is important . . . those core values, basic principles and personal priorities must be clearly identified." Firmly grounded in our core values, we can make decisions about how we want to live our lives today and into the future.

This is no less true of our faith community. To understand who we are and where we want to go; to answer the question, "What kind of Church do we want to be?" we need to understand what our community's core values are. Of course, we know that they are grounded in the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism and our own four purposes:

To accept and honor free expression of religious beliefs.
To encourage spiritual growth.
To celebrate who we are and how we differ.
To be a caring church family that works together to make the world a better place.

These principles and purposes are the foundation upon which we have built a vital and active spiritual and welcoming Congregation. As Amy has reminded us, however, we are in a time of transition. We are confronted with serious issues in the wider world including questions about the justice of war, a growing worldwide environmental crisis, and economic oppression and poverty even while we are grappling with our own internal issues of growth and the deterioration of our buildings. We are at a turning point at which we need to decide how to solve our internal challenges in a way that permits us to continue to enrich our spiritual lives while taking on whatever role we decide is appropriate in a wider community seeking solutions to problems of political, economic, and social justice. Reexamining and articulating our core values; those things which reflect our principles, moral standards, and what is important and valuable in life, will help us begin making those decisions.

As you know, we are beginning a process this month to develop consensus on a common vision that will guide us in answering the question, "What kind of Church do we want to be?" The first step in that process will be a discussion in which we will attempt to identify our shared values and then define a vision for our ministry that is based on those values. This discussion will take place on Thursday, November 9th in the Parish Hall starting at 6:30 PM. We hope you will take time to participate in this important event.

Governing Board Activities

At its October meeting, the Governing Board reviewed urgent building repair requirements. In view of the number and scope of building repairs needed, the Board voted to expend remaining funds (totaling approximately $20,000) in our property repair reserve to continue this needed work.

The next meeting of the Governing Board is Tuesday, November 13th in Channing House. Any member is welcome to attend.

Tom Beall, President