The reality is that many Unitarian Universalist congregations are small. In particular, the ones that started as fellowships in small places remain small, often too small to have professional clergy. When they don't have that live connection with the larger movement, it's easy to get isolated and stale, to have festering problems with relationships in the gathered community, and to lose a sense of mission in their towns and in the world.
Through experience with several of them, I have come to believe that for small congregations to remain vital, they need connection to the larger movement and to each other, the kind that clergy might provide. And they sometimes need skilled help finding their way forward through the thickets of life together in a smallish group, another area where clergy assistance could make a difference.
My tentative prescription is a kind of low-density ministry combined with interconnection among themselves. A minister could visit a few times a year for a workshop, a service, and maybe a social event, providing support in areas of concern. A virtual cluster of leaders could gather to speak together of progress and challenges. Maybe there could be adult religious exploration by webinar involving people from several congregations so UU's spread out across several towns could come to know each other well.
This could be financed by having congregations contribute a set amount to support the virtual part of the ministry and then pay separately for physical visits.
I remain unsure of how this could be started, and would welcome suggestions. I also wonder what people think of the whole idea. I eagerly await your responses!
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| unknown people looking happy in their congregational gathering |
