Channing Memorial Church Year of Decision 2006-2007 Welcome Page

Our Challenge:

Channing is changing. Vital, active programs have brought new people through our doors with new ideas and different needs. This has increased the demand on volunteers and resources, forcing us to consider hiring more staff and raising more money to support the expanding needs of our Congregation. It has also forced us to confront whether we should strive to increase our membership to continue to infuse vitality into our Congregation and to expand the base of support for our programs. Finally, another and less positive change has been taking place around us. Our buildings continue to deteriorate, forcing us to ask ourselves whether we want to commit the time and resources to repair and improve our properties.

As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that major decisions about the future and direction of our Congregation should be founded on consensus among ourselves. To answer these questions and move forward, we need a vision of our future that reflects such a consensus.

To read more about our challenge, see Rev. Amy Freedman’s sermon from October 15th, 2006 and our Congregation President’s letters from The Catalyst.

Our Goal:
(per the Governing Board, September 2006):

By June 2007, Channing Church has reached a consensus on a common vision for our ministry and our property that empowers the Congregation and its leadership to move in specific directions.

Our Process to Achieve this Goal:

During the Year of Decision, the Congregation will create an actionable vision for our ministry and property through four focus discussions and a related process of education that will provide the Congregation information to make informed decisions.

Schedule for Year of Decision Events

• Leadership Meeting:  Meeting of Church Officers, Governing Board Members, Committee Chairs and Past Presidents to Discuss and Evaluate the Process We Have Developed to Facilitate the Congregation Discussion. This meeting was held on October 21st, 2006.  Click here for a recap of that meeting.

• Focus Discussion #1:  Identifying Our Shared Values and Expressing our Vision for Channing’s Ministry Based on Those Values. This discussion was held on November 9th, 2006.  Click here to read about the questions the Congregation considered and the common themes that resulted from the discussion.  Click here for a more detailed analysis of input provided during the discussion.

• Month of Education.  During January 2007, Church leadership will provide information and education to the Congregation on each committee’s vision for the future, the resources necessary to achieve that vision, and the implications of failure to meet the challenge of change.  Click here to find information from each church committee.

• Focus Discussion #2: Understanding growth and the relationship between wants and resources. This discussion took place on February 3, 2007. Click here to see the invitation that was sent to the congregation. Click here to see the background information that was presented to start off the Saturday morning focus discussion. Click here to see the 3 scenarios that were considered by the individual focus groups. Click here to see the individual focus groups' discussion points.

• Where We Are at the Half-Way Point. March 1, 2007.  Click here to see what we have learned thus far and the questions we need to answer to craft our common vision.

• Focus Discussion #3: Finding where we want to align wants and resources.  The discussion took place on March 14, 2007. Click here to see the invitation that was sent to the congregation. Click here to see the 20-year expenditure/income analysis that was presented during the potluck to start off the Wednesday night focus discussion. Click here to see questions and answers about the presented analysis. Click here to see the questions that were considered by the individual focus groups. Click here to see the common themes that resulted from the discussion. Click here to see all discussion points recorded during the individual focus groups.

• Focus Discussion #4: Channing 2016 - Crafting our vision. This discussion will take place on May 10, 2007. Click here to see the invitation that was sent to the congregation, along with guidance on how we will frame our vision statement. Click here to see "Our Journey This Year," a presentation that introduces Focus Discussion 4.

Ideas/Suggestions/Information from the Congregation

The Transition Team has received some good ideas, suggestions, and information directly from members of the Congregation. Click here to see them.

Our Planners and Facilitators

This process will be led by a group of Church leaders called the Transition Team.  The team is empowered by the Governing Board and who will plan events, act as discussion facilitators, evaluate inputs, and help the Congregation crafts its vision statement.

Transition Team Members and Contact Information

Please contact any member of the Transition Team if you have any questions or suggestions about this process, any questions regarding resources, or about your vision of Channing’s future.