This first draft of a 3 year plan for UUCville was created to help us fulfill our mission. The planning task force welcomes everyone’s input. We had a valuable conversation about the draft conversation after the service on Sunday, April 28. But there is still plenty of time to submit your comments. Email us at mission@uucharlottesville.org.

The task force will review the congregation’s feedback and prepare a second draft to present to the congregation for additional discussion on May 19. The final draft will be presented to the board for approval at the board meeting May 22 and to the congregation for a vote at the annual Congregational Meeting on June 9.

The UU Congregation of Charlottesville
builds community through love in action.
Together we cultivate a safe and welcoming place for all.
Together we nurture mind, heart, body, and spirit.
Together we work for equity, justice, and peace for all people and the planet.

The task force received many creative and insightful suggestions for our long range plan during our initial conversations. Many of the specific suggestions are not included in the draft plan, but we have recorded them and they will all be available to the committees and task forces that the draft plan recommends we create. Read the board president’s report for February summarizing our conversations and recommendations received.

A SAFE AND WELCOMING PLACE

Mission Statement Language: “Together, we cultivate a safe and welcoming place for all”

In order to cultivate a place that is safer and more welcoming, including and especially those who have been historically marginalized in our congregation, in Unitarian Universalism, and in society at-large, the UU Congregation of Charlottesville sets the following goals

1. Make our Building and Grounds more accessible, inclusive, cohesive, and inviting. To that end, we will:
   • –Develop a Comprehensive Building and Grounds Plan(s)
   • -Create a board-appointed task force that will recommend and prioritize improvements to the accessibility of our building and grounds
   • -Replace the “Marriage Rights” banner on the outside of the sanctuary and consider erecting a second banner and/or other signage that makes clear and transparent our safe and welcoming message in alignment with municipal regulations
   • -Intentionally engage with the history of the land we reside on in order to move us beyond weekly land acknowledgements to concrete actions that help repair  relationships with historically marginalized communities
2. Grow our Ministry of Welcoming and Membership 
   • -Enhance our Sunday morning Greeter program, both in person and online. The Greeters will be coordinated by the Membership Committee and will receive regularly scheduled training that includes instruction on cultural sensitivity and inclusivity.
   • –To help new members get connected and feel at home, we will:
     • –Create more opportunities to build relationships through such things as New Member potlucks, follow up calls and classes, etc.
     • -Explore creating a new member welcoming program that would match a new member with an existing member who would serve as a point of contact and connection.     
3. Cultivate and Sustain a Vibrant Young Adult Ministry
   • -Grow the number of young adult members and friends by engaging in targeted outreach to UVA graduate students  and other communities, including focused social media marketing, welcoming events, and activities with appeal to young adults
   • -Provide young adults with staff/lay leadership and support, including maintaining communications and outreach, supporting regularly scheduled gatherings/retreats, and connecting young adults to other UUCville programs of special interest, including spiritual practice and service opportunities
   • -Encourage young adults to connect with the wider UU denomination by providing financial assistance/scholarship support to events like the UUA General Assembly, regional gatherings and retreats, etc.
4. Create a board- appointed Safe and Welcoming Team charged with assessing and developing a plan to make our congregation safer and more welcoming for historically marginalized communities, including those who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, gender-expansive, differently-abled, etc.
   To that end, the Safe and Welcoming Team will:
   • -Undertake and Complete a wide-ranging Inclusivity Audit of all UUCville ministries and programs and present the results of the audit at the Spring 2025 congregational meeting
   • -Based on the findings of the Inclusivity audit and in consultation with staff, relevant church committees, and historically marginalized communities within and beyond UUCville, develop a Safe and Welcoming Plan that will be presented to the board no later than February 15, 2026.
5. Develop a UUCville Marketing Plan whose objective is to share our mission and message with the wider Charlottesville/Albemarle County community.
   To that end, the Board of Trustees will appoint a 2-3 person marketing team that will work closely with the Communications Committee to develop and implement a marketing plan that will raise our profile in the  local community. The Marketing Plan should be especially focused on how to raise awareness of UUCville with communities that have been historically marginalized in our congregation, including young adults, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, elders, and those who are differently-abled.

HEART, MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT

Mission Statement Language: “Nurturing heart, mind, body, and spirit”

In order to build a community of communities that nurtures mind, heart, body, and spirit for all ages and that recognizes diverse needs and experiences in our congregation, we set the following goals over the next three years.  

1. Deepen and Expand our Caring Ministry by strengthening existing communities.
   Three types of care that are woven through the Caring Ministry are direct support (like meals and rides), companioning (connecting those who are lonely or isolated), and pastoral care (being a listening presence for those who are struggling).
   • -Expand CareNet to support additional caring needs
     • -Strengthen and expand support and service opportunities (e.g., rides, chores/handyperson, run errands)
     • -Strengthen support for organizational leadership (e.g., transportation coordinator position, technology support, etc)
     • -Conduct landscape analysis of other UU churches and local churches and organizations to identify ways we could expand and sustain a broader CareNet.
     • -Develop guidance to define the appropriate scope of services we can provide and a directory of external resources for additional support.
   • -Expand Pastoral Care Programs & Support Groups
     • -Provide workshops or programs for all ages on important life issues including aging, death and dying, caregiving, and holding difficult conversations
     • Create Support Groups to provide companioning for needs and concerns that are present in our congregation and not easily accessed in the local community, such as the connection between UU spirituality and emotional well being

2. Grow our Faith Development Ministry by building on our strengths.
   Working collaboratively with the Minister for Faith Development, the Religious Education Committee, and leaders of key programs/ministries, UUCville will increase the breadth and depth of its faith development ministry for all ages, including classes, workshops, retreats, trainings, and affinity groups relevant to important demographics within our congregation, including young adults, elders, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC, and that dovetail with key ministries and programs, including social and environmental action, and anti-racism and LGBTQ+ outreach.
   This work will prioritize our need to raise the next generation of UUs by centering the children in the congregation), supporting parents, and providing more connections across generations.
   • –Strengthen our Labyrinth Ministry. We have 4 labyrinths that can be used as part of a spiritual practice and as a community resource.
     • -Convene at least regular labyrinth walks, including on solstices, equinoxes, and national labyrinth day.
   • –Expand Opportunities for Embodied Spiritual/Physical Healing such as Tai Chi, Afro-Flow Yoga, and Kundalini Yoga
   • –Sunday Morning Worship & Music
     • -Make our music and worship life reflective of diverse spiritual paths and sources and inclusive of those seeking non-traditional worship and music experiences. These changes should include greater embodiment in worship, diverse guest speakers and musicians, and increased multigenerational involvement in Sunday services.
     • -Engagement Beyond the Service through periodic conversations about the service/sermon theme 

3. Develop a Multigenerational Family Ministry
   Recognizing the yearning for community and connection that brings so many to our congregation, we will build a multigenerational, Family Ministry that brings people of all ages (both within and beyond our congregation) together for friendship, fun, learning, and service. A Family Ministry “Council” (FMC) will include but not be confined to representatives from faith development, hospitality, worship, and social action.
   • –Expand support for parents and families. Create opportunities for family get-togethers and potlucks at the church at times convenient to families with all ages of children, and include childcare.
   • –Connect parents and children with congregational elders in building a true multigenerational community through regular social events

4. Establish a Multigenerational Fun and Friendship Ministry that builds on popular church events and programs, like the Douthat Retreat and Game Nights.
   • -Create a Fun and Friendship Committee charged with planning, organizing, publicizing regularly scheduled social events, including things like dances, game nights, open mic nights, movie nights, and all-church picnics.

5. Establish Intentionally Elder Ministry and Programs that will build friendships, provide connection and companioning, center the needs of congregational elders in the broader life of UUCville and throughout all of our ministries
   • –Building on the highly successful Elders Brunch, create more special events that celebrate the commitment and wisdom of elders.
   • –Honoring milestones (birthdays, years of membership) of elders during Sunday morning worship and Social Hour
   • –Explore creating an Elder’s Odyssey program in which congregational elders would be invited to share their life stories on video

EQUITY, JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLE

Mission Statement Language: “Together we work for equity, justice, and peace for all people.”

In order to promote equity, justice and peace for all people, with a focus on antiracism and justice for members of the LGBTQ+ community, the UU Congregation of Charlottesville sets the following goals:

1. -Educate the congregation
   • -Establish a series of opportunities for members of the congregation to learn about the following topics
     • -Existence of inequities – with examples locally, nationally, globally
     • -Sources of inequities
     • -Magnitude of inequities and impact
     • -Work that has been done to achieve equity, justice and peace – Bryan Stevenson et al
     • -Potential antiracist and LGBTQ+-supporting interventions
   • -Use the following venues for education (and potentially others)
     • -Talks/workshops at church (in-person and virtual)
     • -Online sources (TED talks, youtube videos, podcasts, etc)
     • -Book/film review sessions
     • -Worksheets
     • -Invited speakers, including sermon-givers
     • -A church webpage of ways to become involved
2. Proximity – Increase degree to which UUCville members are proximate with people whom we want to connect with and accompany, mostly in marginalized communities.
   • -Define what proximity means for our congregation, which includes metrics Assess where we are and then agree on a target
   • -Educate our congregation on proximity, its many benefits to all parties, and its inherent necessity if we’re to work for equity, justice, and peace for all people. Advocacy for causes powered by closeness to people we know and love. Emphasis on mutual benefit – educational, transformational, bias reduction, credibility, joy. 
   • -Learn through Bryan Stevenson’s four pillars: get proximate, change the narrative, stay hopeful, learn to be uncomfortable
   • -Invite and inspire through stories close to home and afar illustrating the joy and richness of proximity
   • -Create opportunities that best fit subgroups (youth, elderly, LGBTQ+, etc)
3. Partnerships – Leverage partnerships for almost all of our community engagement to achieve a “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” impact and to learn from those who are already proximate or complimentary in other ways.
   • –Commit to a short list of primary partners, which aligns with our agreed-upon list of “equity, justice, and peace” priorities listed at top.
   • –Possible/existing partners are:
     • City of Promise
     • Sin Barreras
     • The Haven
     • PACEM others?
   • –Establish goals and plans with partners, monitor progress, and adapt plans
   • –Evaluate partnership progress regularly to assess if we’re on track and “break up” gracefully if too far off track 
4. Coordinate efforts to promote equity, justice and peace for all people
   • –Re-establish the Racial Justice Committee with the authority and resources to devise, implement and oversee the activities detailed above related to racial justice
   • –Consider establishment of an LGBTQ+ justice committee with the authority and resources to devise, implement and oversee the activities detailed above related to LGBTQ+ justice
   • –Reconstitute the Social Justice Council and empower it to more closely coordinate and support activities of our social action groups
   • –Authorize the Social Justice Council to coordinate activities with the Environmental Justice Committee/Earth Ministry to recognize and take advantage of synergies between social and environmental justice

EQUITY, JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR THE PLANET

Mission Statement Language: “Together we work for equity, justice, and peace for all people and the planet.”

1. Grow the engagement of our Congregation and our Community by:
   • -Build on our existing partnerships that promote sustainability in our community, such as IMPACT for mass transportation
   • -Renewing our commitment to UUA Green Sanctuary Program
   • -Development of a strong ongoing partnership with at least one local environmental group to strengthen the bond congregants have to the local community  (ie: Rivanna Conservation Alliance)
   • -Participate in at least one community/congregational environmental project per quarter

2. Enhance the education of our congregation by:
   • -Holding sustainable eating potlucks quarterly
   • -Developing Adult Faith Development and Young Adult/YRUU classes on how to help congregants live sustainably. 

3. Making our building and grounds more environmentally friendly by:
   • -Evaluating our building and grounds in order to be more efficient by:
     • -Having an energy audit completed (scheduled for June 2024)
     • -Evaluate recommendations made by the energy audit
     • -Prioritize steps we can take in the short term that will be most impactful
     • -Explore longer-term projects that will reduce our environmental footprint significantly
   • -Reaching out to local conservation groups (ie Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District) to see how our grounds can be more sustainable and environmentally friendly 
   • -Research grants that may be available through the Inflation Reduction Act to utilize funds that may help UUCVille achieve their goals
   • –To help the congregation create a more environmentally friendly living space/lifestyle – offered twice yearly
   • -Commit to offering two environmentally-themed Sunday services per year

4. Providing ways for our congregation to be environmental advocates by
   • –Joining the VA Interfaith Power and Light organization
   • –Offering opportunities to sign petitions and write to legislators at least twice a year
   • –Participation in at least one Lobby/Advocacy day per year that advocates for pro-environmental legislation