Summary Notes and Action Items
from
the UU Congregation in McMinnville
Visioning Retreat
Action Items:
Small Group
Summaries:
Religious Education –
Adults
1. Comparative Religions/Traditions
- New Cosmology
- Interfaith dialogue
- Other religious experiences/travelers
2. Book groups/ study groups
- What is U.U.?
3. Sense of Spirituality
- Evolution of human consciousness/self-awareness
4. Experiential
- Music
- Yoga
- Joys and Concerns
Religious Education –
Children
1. RE for separate age groups (e.g. nursery, K-1, 2-3)
2. Music
3. Celebrating and
covering different faiths and cultures, including rituals
4. Summer Camp
5. Morality and
values, right vs. wrong, our feelings and thoughts
6. UU curriculum and bible stories, games, crafts
7. Self awareness with the body – yoga, silence, solitude
Categories #2, 3, and 5 received the most votes.
Community Involvement
Philosophy for community involvement could be: Focus our efforts by looking at existing and possibly new grassroots opportunities for involvement. Then we could create a database with these opportunities and connect people with these efforts when possible.
One brainstorm from the small group is that we could begin immediately collecting food for the food bank at each of our meetings.
Social Action
Methods include:
- Letter writing campaigns
- Local efforts to effect change
Topics could include:
- Dangers of religion
- Environment
- Poverty/hunger
- Powerlessness (including voting)
- Health and education, particularly with children
- Immigration – status change
Spiritual Nurturance
Creative expression came up as a common theme.
The following main topics received many votes:
1. Chalice circles
2. Community building
- Joys and concerns
- Trust and mutual support
- Singing/hymns/music
- Network/directory of congregants
3. Spiritual retreats and workshops
- Music
- Prayer
- Breath work
- Joys and concerns