Our Covenant, Vision, Mission and Values
Covenant of Right Relations
We come to this fellowship in pursuit of a community of love, strength and support that is larger than ourselves. In this spirit, we covenant to:
- Provide a safe and inclusive space for the social and spiritual needs of our diverse members, honoring different perspectives, abilities and cultural identities
- Honor our obligation to volunteer as we are able and give of ourselves in support of each other and our fellowship
- Recognize, acknowledge, and actively appreciate our gifts to one another, accepting our imperfections and limitations
- Support and nurture each other in our community, taking responsibility to ask for what we need
- Listen and speak actively, respectfully, and with caring and open minds, sharing our individual truths as a means to reach better understanding
- Speak honestly and directly to those with whom we have issues, especially in times of conflict or disagreement
- Focus foremost on problem-solving rather than blame, seeking the best resolutions for all involved, including our Fellowship as a whole.
We join in this covenant to grow and sustain a healthy and loving fellowship.
(Approved by the congregation May 20, 2012)
Our Vision
The BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will be a diverse, welcoming, and caring religious community that fosters the spiritual growth of adults, children, and youth. We will be well known in the community as a beacon for Unitarian Universalist values, including social justice, environmental change, and service to others. We will be a vibrant, growing congregation with sufficient resources to provide high quality personnel, programs, and facilities that enable us to achieve our mission.
Our Mission
It is our mission to:
Live, teach, and promote Unitarian Universalism and our liberal religious values.
Respect and care for one another, supporting the spiritual growth of each individual and providing a safe, tolerant, and welcoming spiritual haven.
Provide a religious education for children, youth, and adults that will enrich our lives and the spiritual life of the broader community.
Match our actions to our values inside and outside our fellowship, becoming a fulcrum for environmental, spiritual, and social change in the community.
Our Values
Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love. Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:
Interdependence. We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.
Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.
Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive.
We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.
Transformation. We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.
Equity. We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.
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What is Unitarian Universalism?