JUNEAU
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP FIVE YEAR PLAN
The mission of the Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is to be a spiritual home for all people who are engaged in a search for truth and meaning. We are a liberal religious community which nourishes personal growth through worship, fellowship, education, and service. Our actions extend from our Unitarian Universalist principles and beliefs.
To be a visible, recognized, and purposeful liberal religious community in Juneau.
By the end of church year 2013-2014, the Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will have grown from a “Family” size congre-gation to a “Pastoral” size congregation, will own its own facility, will have a full-time minister, and part-time staff for RE, music, and administration.
The goals and tasks set for
each year are intended to be flexible to meet changing conditions, unforeseen
opportunities, and changed priorities. It is assumed that the board and
congregation will review this document annually and keep it up to date and
relevant.
First Year Goals
and Tasks:
From now until June 2009, three task
force groups, advisory to the JUUF board, will focus on facilities, financing,
and planning.
·
Facilities will explore potential properties for
purchase or lease, evaluating the pluses and minuses of alternatives;
·
Financing will develop the framework for financing a
purchase, including a capital campaign, denominational grants and loans,
congregational bonding, conventional financing, and any other form of financing
that may be possible;
·
Planning will plan facility needs for RE, worship,
and administrative space to assure that any purchase or lease will meet current
and reasonably predictable future needs;
·
All three
groups will keep the board
and congregation informed and each other informed;
·
The work of the
Financing and Planning task forces will be completed as quickly as possible so
that if the Facilities task force locates a potential property, it can be
evaluated objectively and formal steps toward acquisition may begin.
During
this same period the board and standing committees will ensure the maintenance
of a healthy congregation with annual growth in membership and attendance of at
least 10%. The services committee and the board will continue to pursue
opportunities for professional ministerial assistance.
By
the end of the first year, JUUF will have moved toward the acquisition, by
purchase or lease, of a suitable facility and will have a membership base of at
least 51, with average Sunday attendance, including children, of 70.
If a purchased facility needs capital improvements during this or a subsequent year, JUUF will apply for a Chalice Lighter grant to fund all or part of the work.
Second Year Goals
and Tasks:
JUUF will occupy a new facility. During this
year, the congre-gation will make that facility work for all aspects of
fellowship activity. The board will seek a weekday tenant or tenants with
compatible purposes to develop a revenue stream to help support the facility.
Program development will focus on:
· Development of affinity groups meeting on weekday evenings, Saturdays, and Sunday afternoons and evenings;
· Working with other Alaska congregations and the Pacific Northwest District to develop a stronger ministerial presence in Juneau and the state; this work will result in JUUF sharing a minister with at least one other Alaska UU congregation by the end of the year;
· Development of a formal Adult and Children’s RE plan, including working with PNWD consultants as necessary to train additional teachers and aides;
· Development of a significant social justice presence in the community, including interfaith projects.
The
board and standing committees will continue to ensure the maintenance of a
healthy congregation with annual growth in membership and attendance. By the
end of the year, JUUF will have a membership base of at least 57. JUUF will
have hired a part-time office manager to take over administrative and clerical
tasks now performed by volunteers.
Third Year Goals
and Tasks:
During this year the congregation will
work to refine and further develop the work of the first two years to ensure
that the essential aspects of a healthy, growing, and dynamic congregation are
functioning well. Those essential aspects are Sunday services, RE for both
children and adults, and social justice activities that attract and retain
members while improving our community. By the end of the year, JUUF will have a
membership base of at least 65.
Fourth Year Goals and Tasks:
This year we begin the search for a full-time minister,
as well as build on the progress of the previous years. By the end of the year,
the membership base will be 75. We will have a small choir for services, as
well as other musical enhancements to improve the worship experience. Adult RE
classes will be held regularly and advertised to the community as well as
within the Fellowship.
Fifth Year Goals and Tasks:
This year is the year that we have our first, full-time,
called minister. Membership will grow significantly during this and subsequent
years, as JUUF becomes visible both as the leading voice for liberal religion
in Juneau and a major player in the work for social justice, engaging in
interfaith good works for the betterment of all.