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 |
How would you determine the areas of concern to support? An anonymous survey? That might be a very versatile tool for the professional clergy to provide the assistance.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of asking people what would work for them. Surveys are good, but they need a context.
DeleteMary, I like the creative way that you're thinking about connecting small congregations to one another, and to the larger movement. It makes sense to me that they potentially share resources and costs. It also makes sense to me that technology be used to assist that connection. I wonder whether site visits four times a year would be sufficient. Perhaps with the virtual access in between, it would suffice.
ReplyDeleteA model to consider is the Native American Church. Here, ceremony leaders are called "Road Men." Now of course, differences that the Road Men are not paid ... they are gifted. But they serve several communities at the same time, and travel in order to do so.
I agree with the notion that the ministers serving these congregations be part of a "pod" of ministers, rather then providing the services themselves. The latter is isolating, and makes it difficult for them to serve at their best.
In particular, I appreciate that you are thinking of small congregations as a "beast unto themselves," rather then congregations that will definitely grow larger. It seems that by recognizing and understanding their nature, we have a better opportunity to help them be the best they can possibly be.
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ReplyDeleteJim offered a comment and I accidentally deleted it while trying to respond! Jim suggested a program at a summer camp, offering that the challenge would be to get a program together and persuade people to come. In beautiful Montana, the settings are potentially very attractive, and the distances are daunting. Still, it seems like a really good idea!
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