This five-year plan was created by a six member Strategic Advisory Team who were brought together in the late Fall of 2015. The Team consisted of four lay leaders: Gillian Hinkle, Gary Lerude, Mary Merkel, John Sanders; and two staff members: Sandra Greenfield and Rev. Allison Palm. The Team met several times over the course of the next six months to lay out this plan and gather feedback from stakeholders.
The plan is grounded in the Values, Mission, and Ends Statements adopted by the Board:
Policy I.A: Mission
The mission of the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua is to engage people in a search for truth and meaning within a supportive liberal religious community that encourages personal and spiritual growth, embraces diversity, and promotes social justice.
(Modified March 9, 2015)
Policy I.B: Ends Statements
Within
- The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua is a spiritual home where members and friends experience personal transformation by:
- Participating in varied and meaningful common worship that nurtures, challenges, and inspires;
- Exploring religious values and discovering individual truths;
- Joining in fellowship with other members and friends.
Among
- The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua is a welcoming religious community for all ages where we live our mission by:
- Creating a beloved community where we minister to one another;
- Supporting and respecting one another in our daily lives and our religious journeys;
- Generously giving of our time, talents, and money;
- Being good stewards of our church resources in pursuit of our mission.
Beyond
- The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua is a beacon of liberal religious thought and action, making a positive impact in our neighborhood and in the world by:
- Promoting our values and programs so that others will hear our voice and have the opportunity to join us;
- Welcoming people who are seeking a spiritual home and personal transformation;
- Partnering with other congregations and institutions in advocating for and promoting social justice;
- Actively participating in regional (Northern New England District) and national (Unitarian Universalist Association) Unitarian Universalist programs and activities.
Policy I.C: Values
The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua embodies the following values in all its programs:
True religious freedom in which participants are
- Open-minded,
- Non-dogmatic, and
- Actively seeking truth and meaning.
Respecting and embracing diversity within the church community, which, despite differences, is
- Supportive,
- Welcoming,
- Inclusive, and
- Safe.
The importance of service to others, whether it is
- Between individuals,
- In support of the church, or
- In the larger community beyond the church walls.
Using these guiding documents, the Strategic Advisory Team has laid out a plan for how the UU Church of Nashua might further our Mission and Ends in the next five years. The Team reviewed various surveys and assessments from the congregation from the last five years. The records of cottage meetings from the recent search process were particularly useful. Drafts of this plan have also been shared with all the relevant stakeholders prior to being finalized in June 2016.
The Strategic Advisory Team chose not to include Stewardship as a separate category within this plan, as we did not want to name Stewardship as an end unto itself. Instead, we envision Stewardship as an overarching means by which all the ends outlined in this document might be realized. The goals in this plan are ambitious, and we assume throughout that both membership and financial commitments will increase over the next five years.
This plan also assumes active participation by members of the congregation in bringing these dreams to fruition. In addition to the Mission and Ends, this plan is grounded in a vision of shared ministry, in which every member of the congregation has a role in moving this plan forward. We envision a congregation in which the Minister, staff and members work collaboratively to strengthen the congregation and further our reach.
As mentioned above, this plan is ambitious, and we want to be clear in setting these ambitious goals that we are using an 80% benchmark for success. If we achieve 80% of what has been envisioned here in the next five years, we will be that much closer to realizing our Mission and Ends.
We also see this as a living document. Each year, the staff and Teams will use this document to set goals for the year, and may need to readjust based on the realities of the moment and what did not get completed in the previous year. In the spring of 2019, a new Strategic Advisory Team will be gathered to review the progress on this plan, adjust the last two years, and set out a plan for the next three years.
Download & read the full plan here: UUCNStrategicGoals-Final