Church management - Goal setting

Topic Four

Goal setting

Once the mission has been clearly, succinctly, memorably stated so that it is easily repeated to oneself and to others from memory, the mission statement becomes the frame of reference for goal setting. If the organization’s mission is to do certain things, for a certain population, in a singular way what is it the organization is intending to accomplish in the short term, intermediate time frame, and long term. It is usually helpful to think in terms of one, three, and five years.

An effective and efficient high quality organization has at least an annual and a long range plan. These plans should be completed and approved by the sanctioning body before the annual budget and longer term financial plan is done. Often, unfortunately, church organizations reverse this order and put the cart before the horse when they design and approve their annual budget and then decide how much revenue they will have to fund various services and programs. In this order, the money comes before the mission when in high functioning organizations, it is the other way around with the mission coming before the money.

At UU A Way Of Life our mission is to improve spiritual health, reduce immoral behavior and sin, and work across systems for positive change. As we work on our annual plan, the first question might be “How will UUAWOL improve spiritual health in the coming year?” We have set three annual goals for this example.

The first part of the mission  is to improve spiritual health and so this year’s goal is to create a model for spiritual health which can be used as a blueprint in providing services to enhance the spiritual well being of individuals, families, communities, and broader society. This model will articulate a frame of reference and provide suggestions for how the model can be applied. It will also provide identification of measurable indicators that can be used as reference points to determine progress and spiritual well being.

The second part of the mission is  to reduce immoral behavior and sin. This year’s goal  is to provide a taxonomy of immoral behavior and sin so that the signs and symptoms can be identified and managed. If the problem can’t be named, it can’t be consciously and intentionally managed, so the first step in reduction of immoral behavior and sin is to identify the phenomena. Due to shame, guilt, and fear of punishment, evil usually operates in darkness, denial, minimization, and deceit. Naming immoral behavior and sin is 90% of its reduction for without the identification it is able to operate outside of conscious awareness and never be effectively addressed.

The third part of the mission is to work across systems for positive community change and so the goal this year is to establish collaborative relationships with at least five collaborative partners who share UUAWOLs goals and at least part of UUAWOLs mission so a synergistic effect can be created to enhance mission performance and vision achievement.

Accreditation standards

1. Is there documentation of an annual planning process?
2. Is there documentation of a strategic or long range planning process?
3. Are the processes in #1 and #2 being performed and utilized in decision making?
4. Is there documentation of a needs assessment of the primary stakeholders of the organization’s services?
5. Is there a measurement system in place to assess the level of goal achievement?
6. Is there a reporting mechanism documented for how needs assessment and goal achievement are fed back into the planning process?
7. Is there documentation of a continuous quality improvement plan, implementation, and assessment?
8. Is there documentation for how outcomes are reported, to whom, and how utilized?
9. Is there a requirement for regular and periodic reporting to stakeholders of program and organizational performance? Are the requirements being met?
10. Is there documentation for how the mission statement is related to goal setting and resource utilization?
11. Is there documentation of satisfaction measured at least annually with organizational performance of payors (donors,) recipients of services, of employees including volunteers, and other community stakeholders?

Religion in the public sqare - When President Trump tantrums where are the adults? Where are the UUs?

According to Andy Borowitz President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has lashed out on Twitter yesterday accusing spell check of treating him unfairly.

President Trump often likes to play the victim to garner sympathy from his supporters and to incite a sense of outrage and retaliation against his perceived enemies to thwart his wishes and desires.

Psychologists have a word for this - "childish."

Psychologist, Dr. Jonah Sproul, stated, "Lay people call this the 'terrible twos' which is the stage of childhood when children have temper tantrums if they don't get their way. Adults who act this way are examples of what child development specialists call 'arrested development.'."

Dr. Sproul further stated, "This kind of behavior is seen in adults who are narcissistic and have a grandiose sense of entitlement. The behavior will continue and even escalate unless there are mature authority figures for the adult child who can limit it. Otherwise the behavior will continue and get worse."

"What can the average citizen do," asked Betty O'Hern?

Dr. Sproul said, "What do you do with a tantruming child? If you are an effective parent you know exactly what to do. Talking doesn't help. The main tactics are time out, re-direction, and a statement that no requests can be considered until the individual calms down. The main thing is that the tantruming child is reassured that there are adults in charge who will keep things safe."

Betty O'Hern replied, "That sounds very good. Where are the adults?"

Unitarian Universalists are, hopefully, adults who could step up and help Americans stay safe. Where are they? Where is their voice? Where are their actions? When America needs, desperately, credible leadership to improve the spiritual health of the nation are UUs making a contribution?

Church management - The mission statement

The organizational mission statement consists of a short succinct statement that is memorable, that all employees, members, and supporters know by heart and they can state easily to describe what the organization is about.

The mission:

UU A Way of Life is a nonprofit educational and advocacy organization that strives to improve spiritual health, reduce immoral and sinful behavior, and work across societal system to improve the common welfare of families, communities, states, nations and the whole planet.

The vision.

The vision of UU A Way Of Life is a world where all people experience peace and joy and share with each other justice, equity, and compassion.

A good mission statement is short, succinct, memorable, and repeatable.

It consists of three parts:

1. What the organization does
2. For whom
3. How

A good vision statement is short, succinct, memorable, and repeatable. It states what the hoped for outcome(s) are if the organization carries out its mission successfully.

Questions for accreditation

1. Does you church have a short, succint, memorable, repeatable mission statement?
2. Is there documentation that the mission statement has been sanctioned by the church board, regulatory stateholders, its membership, and other primary stakeholders in the community?
3. Is there a specified process for updating the mission statement periodically?
4. Is there documentaon of how programmatice decisions are made with the mission statement in mind?
5. Is there documentation of how resource allocations are made with the misson statement in mind?
6. Is there documentation of who in the organization is reponsible for the periodic review and updating of the mission statement?
7. What percentage of employees, and dues paying members can recite the mission statement from memory spontaneously upon request? (Acceptable threshold is 50%)
8. What percentage of the public can identify the organization and its mission upon survey within the organization's primary service area?

Want a more satisfying and fulfilling church? Want to learn how to create and develop one?

Church management series

UU A Way Of Life is now offering a church management series on a variety of topics. Are you a pastor, a chairperson of a congregational board, a board member, a pledge paying member of a congregation? Is, so you probably would like to see your investment of time, talent, and treasure pay off.

How is your congregation functioning? Is it effective and efficient and viable? Is your church full of life and enthusiasm? Is it accomplishing its mission, realizing its vision, having an impact on its membership and its community?

Your church is either dying, stagnant, or vital. How would you rate it? How would your fellow congregants? How would other people in your community?

Periodically, there will be articles on UU A Way Of Life to help you and your congregation improve your organizational management free of charge. If you would like more personalized consultation contact me at davidgmarkham@gmail.com

Your ideas and reports of your experience are welcome.

Church management, Welcoming statements

I have been researching welcoming statements designed to attract people to joining their organziation.

Here is one I found:

Our ogranization is an independent, non-creedal, and theologically diverse community that “makes integrity of life its first aim and leaves thought free,” in the words of our 1878 Bond of Union. We enjoy a well-earned reputation for inclusiveness, hospitality, and excellence in programming.

From its world-class architecture to its innovative and age-appropriate children’s education classes, from workshops and classes that draw from the wisdom of the world’s greatest teachers to social justice work that works, this is a  community that seeks to make a difference in the world.

No matter your age, sexual identity, race, ethnicity, or religious background you will find kindred spirits  here. We are, in the end, a community of seekers, people with more questions than answers who view life as an open-ended quest for deeper understanding and more meaningful connection. Join Us!

This is a welcoming statement for

1. Rotary
2. Americans for a better society
3. Youth for America
4. A UU church.

For the correct answer check the comments.

Further questions:

What is the purpose of this organization?

What is this organization's mission?

What would a person benefit from joining?

What is the function this organization serves in its community and the broader society?

Who would be eligible for membership?

Does this welcoming statement inspire you to want to learn more about the organization?

How successful is such a statement in attracting people? Engaging them?

To what extent is this statement ambiguously vague vs clearly inspiring to action?

If you are interested in other topics of good church managment let me know at davidgmarkham@gmail.com.

Looking for guest writers for UU A Way Of Life articles.

Looking for guest writers for UU  A Way Of Life.

There are monthly themes that writers are asked to address in 250 - 500 words.

Topics:

June, 2020 - The UU origin story for the denomination as well as for your church.

July, 2020 - What are the existential and social concerns that Unitarian Universalism as a religion was formed and currently exists to address?

August, 2020 - What are the social, religious, and political forces that Unitarian Universalism is up against. Who and what are UUs biggest enemies and from where do the biggest challenges to UU survival and success come?

September, 2020 - Who are the contemporary heroes of Unitarian Univeralism? Where are the most vibrant congregations and what makes them so? What are the current developments that nourish and move the living tradition of Unitarian Universalism forward?

Questions and submissions to davidgmarkham@gmail.com

The moral Unitarian Univeralist - Is the use of Facebook, and Twitter immoral?

Is the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms immoral?

The use of Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms is often immoral. Just like other social objects and activities  like guns, cars, alcohol, drugs, sex, it is not the object itself that is immoral, but the use to which its put, its intended purpose by the user.

Just as prohibition didn’t work for dealing with the misuse of alcohol, and abstinence based sex education does not work to limit teen and other unwanted pregancy, banning social media platforms does not work either. However, holding accountable to the public welfare the people who use them in hurtful and destructive ways could be helpful.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning, justice, equity, and compassion in human relations, and the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Measuring the use of social media against the yardstick of these principles immediately allows the observer to determine what social media posts are moral and which are immoral. Which social media posts are virtuous and which are sinful.

More specifically, most of the tweets posted by President Trump and his followers are sinful. They do not promote truth but disinformation. President’s Trump’s tweets often denigrate and demean people and disrespect their inherent with and dignity. President Trump’s tweets often promote injustice, inequity, and a lack of compassion.

President Trump has millions of followers on Twitter. Who are these people that read his disinformation and retweet it? As Unitarian Universalists who covenant together to promote and affirm our seven principles, we need to pay closer attention to who is participating in sinful behavior, not to judge or punish them, but to hold them accountable for the damage they do in spreading ideas based on values that are foreign  to our UU Living Tradition. If nothing less, we can be witnesses for the values we stand for and ostensibly profess to put our faith in.

Bottom line - be aware of how you and others are using social media platforms. These powerful communication platforms require a higher degree of responsibility for communication if they are to be used for good and not evil. Unfortunately, they all to often are used of the later rather than the former. Redemption is not possible if the sin has not even been named. The first step for Unitarian Universalists in saving the world is to name the sin.