May Reflections with the Board: May 21, 2021

It is our goal as the Board of Trustees to maintain connections with you. To that end, we are hosting a program entitled, “Reflections with the Board.”  We host these sessions via zoom once a month at 10am before the service.  Our next session will be held on May 23rd at 10 am.  For this session, the Board would like to spend some time talking with you about Widening the Circle of Concern. This month we will continue our discussion of Chapter Four, Hospitality and Inclusion.  You did not have to attend any of our previous sessions to join us.  

Questions from Study Guide for WTC chapter, Hospitality and Inclusion 

• Who is responsible for greeting and welcoming in our congregation? 
• What kind of education or dialogue is held with them? 

Now invite the group to imagine a first encounter with the congregation, either physically or virtually. What might people notice or experience? Collect impressions from the group. Ask: 

• Based on this, who would feel most welcomed? Why? 
• Who might question their welcome? Why? 

Next, form two- or three-person small groups and invite them to undertake a mini-audit of how your congregation presents itself to newcomers and visitors. Ask each group to appoint a note- taker. Instruct groups to examine the congregation’s newsletter, website, and recent sermons: 

• Look for words like “we,” “everyone,” “our” and consider both who is meant and how a reader might understand who is meant. Who is the “we”? 
• Look for words like “others” and phrases like “surrounding community” that make a distinction between this faith community and someone else. Who is the someone else? 
• Beyond noticing words and phrases, give careful thought to their meanings and messages.
• Bring the groups back together. Invite each group to report one observation that struck them. 

Now lead a discussion on these questions: 

• What can we say now about how language can intentionally or unintentionally include or
  exclude? 
• What harm can happen because of it? 
• How hard was it to look at our congregation in this new way? 
• What would it take for this new mindfulness to become the intentional practice of our community?

Together, answer these questions: 

• In the congregation, how do people learn about affinity group opportunities for BIPOC across the broader Unitarian Universalist movement, such as Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) and Diverse and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM)? 
• Is there a congregational or local UU cluster BIPOC affinity group? If so, how do people of color in the community learn of its existence? 

Which of these questions would you like to discuss?  What have you been learning as you have been reading Widening the Circle? Please join us on Sunday. Thank you. 

Join the Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 862 4288 7134
Passcode: 220807
One tap mobile: +13126266799,,86242887134#,,,,,,0#,,220807# US (Chicago)