Vision 2028

We are now in year 3 of our 25-year visioning project. We chose 25 years in order to look ahead a full generation – to a time when everything we know now about the church would be changed. If we took the tradition 5 years approach, we would never take the kid of bold, giant step that would bring us to a transformational place.

The first year was spent in focus groups, interviews and Town Meetings to see what kind of BHAGS (Big Hairy Audacious Goals, taken from Jim Collins’ book Built to Last) we could create for our church community, based on the foundation of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism.

The results were impressive and far ranging. People were passionate about demonstrating our commitment to those principles through strong social justice programs, addressing environmental concerns, and by supporting others in their path to ministry, while growing our own spiritual relationships. 

People could really see us making a difference in the world, and they were not afraid to suggest bold ideas such as creating satellite churches, broadcasting our worship services, supporting senior housing and day care, partnering with more churches around the world, purchasing more land to create a campus of self-sustaining, multi-purpose buildings.

While not formally adopting a mission statement, we recognized that this church is about Connections:  connecting to the spiritual life within ourselves, to personal relationships among the members of our congregation, and connecting beyond ourselves to the wider community and world. 

During the second year, 6 study groups were formed to explore in depth the main themes that emerged, and make recommendations for next steps.

Modeling Sustainable Living, Exploring Ministry, Becoming a Beacon of Social Justice,
Creating a Caring Community, Funding our Dreams and Housing our Dreams. 

An update on the work of those groups follows:

The Sustainable Living group, under the leadership of Elaine McMillan, quickly focused in on the Green Sanctuary Project Project as a means to exploring our commitment to the interconnected web of existence (Principle #7). The Board approved conducting the two-year process that is required by the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations) to become a Green Sanctuary.

Green Sanctuary Steering Committee hosted a dinner meeting with representatives from the Stamford and New Haven churches to explore ways of collaborating; it has published the report of a church-wide environmental audit of our buildings, grounds, programs and practices to determine what needs to be done; Elaine McMillan conducted at workshop at the Annual Meeting of the Metro New York District on becoming a Green Sanctuary. 

The energy behind the desire to become a Beacon of Social Justice propelled church member Jan Park to endow a new part-time staff position for five years – that of a Social Justice Director. We have recently hired David Vita for that position and have created a Social Justice Council with over 20 members, representing our current Social Action Committee, Beardsley School, Habitat for Humanity, the United Nations group, Ending Racism, Partner Church and others.

Our Westport church is one of an 8-member coalition of churches that is building our second Habitat house in Bridgeport. Funds are currently being raised.  Ground breaking is in December. 

We area also forming a partnership with First Church in New Orleans, one of the UU churches in that city that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. A fund has been established, and David and Rev. Manish Mishra, our interim minister, are in contact with the minister there, waiting to ascertain what the long range needs will be.

On November 5, we hosted an evening with Kathy Kelly, invited by David Vita.  Kathy is a peace activist with a long history with Iraq.

The Ministry Study Group, chaired by Denny Davidoff, has proposed several initiatives to the Board of Trustees:  that we adopt a Mission Statement against which to measure the appropriateness and success of future endeavors; that we form a Committee on Ministry that would essentially take over where the Vision Steering Committee leaves off – it would conduct periodic reviews of all aspects of our ‘ministries’, i.e. religious education, odyssey, social action, membership, Sunday worship, etc. to identify areas of strength and areas that need attention. 

A forthcoming proposal is that we have a congregational discussion around becoming a Teaching Congregation, that is, one that formally chooses to take in and work with ministerial interns on a regular basis. This would fulfill the strong desires expressed by the 2028 participants that we use our strength tosupport people moving into ministry.

No action has yet been taken on any of these initiatives, though they are under discussion.

Housing our Dreams was given the task of exploring avenues for physical growth to house the various programs that were suggested in Vision 2028. Under the leadership of Zehra Kuz Mackin, the group conducted a needs assessment for more space for RE, storage, music, administration, finding – not surprisingly – that we are again using all available space and would need more to sustain the kinds of programming and staff that we anticipate in the future. The group also worked with the Sustainable Living group, acknowledging that any building would reflect energy conservation in materials and design.

Working from the assumption that we will retain our property on Lyons Plains, they explored the potential of the land. They discovered there are ways to add space with our current restrictions. If we were to purchase additional lots adjacent to ours, the possibilities expand greatly. 

The study group recommends a new survey to re-draw the boundaries of the wetlands, which are receding.

No action has yet been taken.

The Funding our Dreams group got a late start, but is under the leadership of Catherine Onyemelukwe.  It is poised to spring into action once specific plans are made.

These four areas are where most of the energy of 2028 went. The Social Justice study group compiled the ideas collected in the Visioning process, but decided to defer any action until the new Social Justice Director is in place.

The ideas of the Caring Community Study group were dispersed in already existing groups such as the Care Committee and Small Group Ministries. One member, Sumner Glimcher, is exploring the possibility of creating affordable Senior Housing in our area. Scores of church members have expressed interest.  At this point, the project would be funded by those interested; it would not be church sponsored. 

Thank you for your care for this congregation and your support of our good works. Thank you for validating our ministers and staff by asking for their continued support in the living the theologies we believe in, within, among, and beyond ourselves.

Contact: Linda Hudson , Watts Wacker , Francis Sink

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