At an October planning session, the Board of Trustees decided to undertake a study to determine the core values of our Church. Our goal is to identify the distinctive ideals, practices, and talents that lend our Church its vitality. In other words, we are interested in understanding more about what is happening when we, as a Church, are at our best. We will use the outcome of this study to prepare a new mission statement which articulates the core values that should guide our Church’s actions and its governance.

Our congregation has not gone through a process of articulating its core values since the early 1990s when we developed our current mission statement. A lot has changed since then inside our congregation and in the world around us. In our work as a Board, we have found that the current mission statement is neither succinct nor relevant enough to guide us in the governance of our Church. We are convinced that going through the process of articulating our core values is not an academic exercise. As the Board makes important decisions about the Church’s future, we want to make sure that we clearly understand the values of this congregation.

Let us be clear: We don' see a whole lot wrong with First Unitarian Church. We have a vibrant congregation, attendance at Sunday service is terrific, our income is sufficient to support an outstanding minister and an excellent professional staff, and we have been successful in launching an ambitious capital campaign. Our long-time minister is one of Utah's most eloquent and respected voices on behalf of social justice and ethical government. Perhaps most importantly, Church volunteers spearhead vigorous social justice and environmental programs. Finally, we have tremendous religious education and music programs. Nevertheless, the Board feels that we could use the talent and resources in our Church more effectively in the pursuit of our values.

To begin the process of articulating our values, the Board is going to convene small groups of congregants in January to discuss why they got involved in the Church and what their most important Church experiences have been. Both established Church groups and ad hoc groups will be involved, and all Church congregants will have an opportunity to participate. The findings from the group meetings will be submitted to the Board, which will summarize them and write a new mission statement. Markus Vodosek and Sonja Decker are heading up the effort and are counting on your active participation in one of the small group meetings in January. Please stay tuned for more information.


-submitted by Peter Grundfossen, Sonja Decker and Markus Vodosek for the Board of Trustees