Covenant Language Finale

Dear Congregants,

You spoke and we listened! The Committee on Right Relations took feedback and input from four listening sessions (including two terrific sessions with our church’s Youth) as well as a number of emails and conversations to hone and improve our draft of the Covenant (see attached). More than 50 individuals participated with their time, hearts, and minds. 

We are pleased to present this version for your marination, consideration, and rumination. We will present this version for a vote at the May Congregational meeting. You can expect to see versions of it (marked as “To be voted on at May 2023 meeting”) posted and floating around until then.

Now that we have this final version, we will seek input in the coming months about how best to include our covenant in the life of the church.

However, more urgent is CRR’s work of creating a churchwide Conflict Resolution Policy. We will seek inputs on that very important policy from First Church stakeholders and best practices resources at the UUA, as well as others.

Thank you so very much to those who shared their ideas, and to those who have supported in many ways this important effort to this point.

Rozy Park

For Committee on Right Relations

REVISED VERSION, released on 3/17/23 — To be voted on at May 2023 meeting

First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati Congregational Covenant

I commit to build our Beloved Community –

To hold myself accountable to the values of Unitarian Universalism,

To love and respect all creation,

To listen with an open mind, and work for justice and inclusion,

To have courage to change,

To accept the rights and responsibilities of myself and others,

I humbly covenant with you so that together we can do what I cannot do alone.

Living Our Covenant

1. Be courteous and respectful to all – those in leadership positions, fellow members, visitors, and staff.

2. Participate in the life of the church where and when possible.

3. Seek accurate information.

4. Listen to and acknowledge all perspectives with the goal of understanding.

5. Resolve conflicts at the lowest level.

6. Make room for “oopses” and “ouches.” (“Ouch, you’ve said/done something hurtful although you might not have realized it.” “Oops, I want to repair something I said/did that I’ve realized might have a hurtful impact even though I never intended that.”)

7. Forgive yourself and others. Make amends.

8. Accept and follow church Bylaws created by Congregational vote and policies and procedures established by the Board.