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YES! Theme Year

Living UU Values Beyond the Walls of our Congregations Standing on the Side of Leadership 2013 First Unitarian Church of Dallas ● 4015 Normandy Avenue ● June 1 Room 212 – 10:00 am – 11:30 am Presenters: Alan Lummus & David Overton. YES! Theme Year.

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YES! Theme Year

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  1. Living UU Values Beyond the Walls of our CongregationsStanding on the Side of Leadership 2013First Unitarian Church of Dallas ● 4015 Normandy Avenue ● June 1Room 212 – 10:00 am – 11:30 amPresenters: Alan Lummus & David Overton

  2. YES!Theme Year

  3. YES!Year of Engagement and ServiceFirst Unitarian Church of Dallas – 2012-2013Presenter: Alan Lummus

  4. YES!Theme Year Time Line • Planning Began June, 2012 (72/61/14/9/3) • Implementation began September 9, 2012 • Concluded April 28, 2013

  5. YES!Measurables • 413 of approximately 1,100 members joined one or more tracks in September, 2012 (37%) • By the closing event on April 28, 2013, 819 members had participated in one or more YES! Activities. (74%) • As of April, 2013, the most often cited reason new members and visitors sought out First Unitarian was the church’s growing reputation for being active and engaged in the community.

  6. YES! Budget • Leaders were told upfront “-0-” budget. By the end of the year, about $950 had been authorized and expended, with most going to equipment rental and supplies purchased for the picnic and the ice cream social. • Everything else throughout the year was self-financing, although there was free use of the church’s copy machines.

  7. YES! Key Elements • Strong lay leadership throughout the year, including primary, secondary and tertiary leaders • Strong clergy support from the pulpit all year • Strong clergy coordination by meeting monthly with Lay Leaders • Staff support in programming and facilities

  8. YES! Communication Channels • Articles in Church print and electronic publications, website, and Facebook • Service Bulletin Inserts • Pulpit Announcements • Social Media developed by lay leaders • One to One and small group meetings throughout the year • Email • Text Messaging • Phone Trees • Online Collaboration Tools like Skype, Google Docs, & Office Live

  9. YES! Theme Year Tracks

  10. YES! NEIGHBORHOOD Goals • To be more confident and comfortable with our neighbors in the pews • To come away with practical skills and ideas on being a better neighbor that we can continue to take back out into our neighborhoods and wider communities • To deepen our spiritual practice through connecting with and serving others within our neighborhoods and communities • To deepen our spiritual practice by really seeing those around us • To have fun along the way!

  11. YES! NEIGHBORHOOD Focus • Congregant Neighbors: How well do we know each other and how could we be better neighbors to one another? • Religious Neighbors: How can we better know our immediate congregational neighbors of differing faith traditions? • Our individual neighbors: How can we be better neighbors to those living next door or across the street or alleyway?

  12. YES! NEIGHBORHOOD Activities • Community Involvement Survey • Church-wide picnic • Book Study: “A Good Neighbor: Benedict’s Guide to Community” by Robert Benson • Developing individualized UU Elevator Speech • Ambassador visits to nearby Church of Christ, United Methodist and Catholic congregations • ZIP-code socials • Multi-church Ice Cream Social

  13. YES! COMMUNITY Focus

  14. YES! COMMUNITY

  15. YES! COMMUNITY

  16. YES! COMMUNITY

  17. YES! COMMUNITY

  18. YES! COMMUNITY

  19. YES! COMMUNITY

  20. YES! COMMUNITY The Launch Collaborative Mentoring Students at a Local Elementary School

  21. YES! COMMUNITY

  22. YES! COMMUNITY

  23. YES! COMMUNITY

  24. YES! GLOBAL Focus Religious & Cultural Diversity • Learning About Islam • Visits to Mosques • Interfaith Dialogue • Intergenerational Dinner

  25. YES! GLOBAL Focus Immigration • Immigration Seminar • Necessities Collection Drive with MOSAIC

  26. YES! GLOBAL Focus and Book Study • Economic Justice • PBS Documentary & Book Study: “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity For Women Worldwide” by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn • KERA Focus Group Participation

  27. What We Learned Organizationally • Significant congregational success depends upon strong coordination between clergy and lay leadership. • Theme Year may be too short. Many activities are being carried forward, both by clergy and by lay leaders. • Starting planning earlier would be helpful. • Many primary lay leaders wished for more staff support with communication. • More photographs and videos would be helpful.

  28. YES!Year of Engagement and ServiceFirst Unitarian Church of Dallas – 2012-2013Presenter: Alan Lummus214-926-4148 – alan@alummus.com

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