UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
West Lafayette, Indiana

Five Year Program Plan

Unitarian Universalist Church of Lafayette

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Introduction

Worship and Music

Lifelong Religious Education

Community Within

Outreach

Denominational Connections

Introduction

Mission of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lafayette

We commit ourselves to being an inclusive, democratic, and nurturing religious community that meets the spiritual needs of our congregation in all its diversity and seeks to promote these ideals and the principles of Unitarian Universalism throughout the larger regional community.

Vision for the Future

Planning for the future of our church community requires having a collective vision about where we want to go. The UUC of Lafayette clearly needs to develop and embrace such a statement of vision. This five year plan is a collection of visions and goals from each of the Church’s main program areas. It provides a starting point for creation of an overall Church vision statement. In fact, one of the goals in this plan is to start a process that will create a vision statement for the Church.

What Is a Five Year Plan and Why Do We Need One?

An effective five year plan is a dynamic strategic document. It represents the important future goals and objectives of the congregation. It is action-oriented, providing attainable objectives within a five year time frame. The plan should be firmly grounded in the mission and vision of the congregation. It should be comprehensive, and it should help to build consensus within the congregation about our most important goals for the future. It should suggest specific steps (objectives), resources, and time frames needed to accomplish the goals. It should be useful as a planning guide for the Board of Trustees Program Council, and Church committees. To be most useful, a long range plan needs to be reviewed on a regular basis and revised to meet evolving goals and circumstances.

The Long Range Planning Committee

The mission of the Long Range Planning (LRP) Committee is to develop and periodically update a strategic plan that guides the future direction of the Church by translating the Congregation’s dreams into specific goals and activities across all program areas.

The Planning Process

To prepare the proposed five year plan, the LRP Committee worked over several months to review existing reports and surveys conducted over the past 5 years, met with key Church committees to gather input, and conferred with the Minister and Board of Trustees. During the spring and summer of 2002 the LRP provided opportunities for review of the 5 year plan and suggestions by Congregation members, including a discussion at the Summer Retreat and posting the draft plan on the UUC web site. The Congregation voted approval of the Goals of the Five Year Program Plan in November, 2002.

Source Documents

The Long Range Planning Committee reviewed reports from planning documents created for various purposes over the past four years:

Report of the Congregational Life Committee (1998)

Summary of the Ministerial Search Committee Survey (1999)

Summary of the Searching for the Future Weekend (1999)

Long Range Program Goals and Objectives (LRP draft, 2000)

Canvassing interviews (2001)

How the Proposed Five Year Plan(s) is Structured

The Plan presents Goals, Objectives, Suggested Timelines, and Key Responsibilities in Each Program Area:

v Worship and Music

v Lifelong Religious Education

v Community Within

v Outreach

v Denominational Connections

Program Area: Worship & Music

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Goals

Objectives

Timeline

Key Responsibility

Budget Impact

Strive to make each worship service an enriching spiritual experience, with all elements coordinated toward that purpose, including the music.

a. Maintain and decorate our current sanctuary to make it more welcoming and encouraging of our spiritual lives.

Ongoing, continuous.

Worship &Music Committee, including the Minister.

(Task groups within Worship & Music.)

Funding for sanctuary supplies and maintenance. (Flower fund, candles, decorations more comfortable chairs.)

Tentative estimates (still under construction!):

Year 1 decorations: $200.

Year 2: increase to $300.

Year 3: increase to $500.

(Flowers: no budget impact for first year, but small budget line after that.)

Increase emphasis on musical content of the services.

a. Develop paid professional music staff.

Year 1 -- staff pianist-- 2-3 services/month;

Year 2 – increase pianist duties-- choir and music, all services; hire ¼ time adult choir director -- weekly rehearsals, two performances/month;

Year 3 – add children’s choir director-- 36 rehearsals and 9 performances/year;

Year 4 – increase adult choir director to 3/8 time, weekly performances;

Year 5 – upgrade adult choir director position to ½ time position, Music Director (coordinator of volunteer music).

Worship & Music Committee; Personnel Committee

Year 1, $2,000 incr.;

Year 2, $12,200 incr.;

Year 3, $1,500 incr.;

Year 4, $3,000 incr.;

Year 5, $3,000 incr..

b. Increase variety of musical offerings.

Years 1 to 4 – this would require volunteer effort.

Year 5 – this would be part of the Music Director duties.

Worship & Music Committee; Personnel Committee.

None, until Year 5, when $3,000 incr. (as in 2a) will provide Music Director.

c. Establish programs to encourage greater participation in musical activities:

This will be accomplished through the steps in 2a with attendant budget impact.

Encourage greater theological diversity in services.

a. Establish a program for pulpit exchanges.

Year 2 or 3

Minister

No budget impact.

b. Invite speakers from other religious traditions on a regular basis.

Ongoing

Worship & Music

Minister

Fees required.

c. Address significant activism topics as a part of services.

Ongoing.

Worship & Music

Minister

d. Encourage the sharing of spiritual journeys.

Ongoing.

Worship & Music

Minister

Increase involvement of children and youth in services.

a. Enrich and expand rituals to mark rites of passage by recognizing stages of development in our lives.

Year 2 or 3.

Ongoing.

This will require a joint effort of the Worship & Music Committee and the R.E. Committee, and the DRE

This will not require new funding.

b. Continue a tradition of youth led services.

Ongoing.

R.E. Committee

DRE

c. Encourage youth to share their spiritual journeys.

Year 2.

R.E. Committee, DRE, Worship & Music

Establish procedures for regular feedback from congregation about satisfaction with worship services and other aspects of Church life.

Year 1 –draft a comprehensive survey instrument;

Year 2 – distribute survey, collect responses, and interpret;

Year 3 – assess how frequently surveys should be done.

Long Range Planning Committee, with input from Minister, Board, Greeting & Membership, Worship & Music.

Copying and distribution costs.

Program Area: Lifelong Religious Education

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Program Area: Lifelong Religious Education

Goals	Objectives	Responsibility	2004 Current Year	2005 Year 1	2006 Year 2	2007 Year 3	2008 Year 4	2009 Year 5
1. Provide high quality programming for children and youth. High priority	a. Increase DRE hours and offer benefits.	Board and Finance	Benefits were increased.	Research grants; for example, growth & support funds.				Move DRE Position at to full time. Hire 10 hour/week assistant.
High priority	b. Support more professional development for DRE.	R.E. Comm., DRE, Board		Increase budget.
High priority	c. Maintain up-to-date library of curricular resources.	DRE	New resources have been purchased this year.	Budget for new resources each year.	Budget for new resources each year.	Budget for new resources each year.
	d. Provide age-appropriate supplies and equipment for all classrooms.	DRE; R.E. Comm.	Budget was adequate for classroom needs.	Ensure budget is adequate for classroom needs.	Ensure budget is adequate for classroom needs.	Ensure budget is adequate for classroom needs.
High priority	e. Provide continuity of care in nursery through sufficient nursery staff.	DRE	Budget was maintained.	Maintain budget for nursery staff—depending on attendance.	Maintain budget for nursery staff—depending on attendance.	Maintain budget for nursery staff—depending on attendance.

Goals	Objectives	Responsibility	2004 Current Year	2005 Year 1	2006 Year 2	2007 Year 3	2008 Year 4	2009 Year 5
	f. Provide appropriate workspace for DRE (telephone, computer, internet connection, and desk.)	Board			By the time we are in the new bldg. Funds--$2500
	g. Provide a smooth transition from our current R.E. space to our new building—preparing the children, physically moving equipment, files, etc., re-organizing in the new space.	DRE, R.E. Comm., Teachers. all Congregation members.			Funds—Moving expenses; volunteers May need more equipment in new space (more classrooms).
	h. Provide a comprehensive youth program for junior and senior high youth.	DRE; R.E. Comm.	Some components of COA Program initiated.	Expand COA Program, explore creative avenues for Sr. Youth leadership.
Lower priority	i. Offer a children’s choir program.	Worship & Music Committee; R.E. Comm.	Lay leaders involved in teaching songs to groups of children for intergen services.	Have one choral production in addition to Christmas Pageant.

Goals	Objectives	Responsibility	2004 Current Year	2005 Year 1	2006 Year 2	2007 Year 3	2008 Year 4	2009 Year 5
	j. Opportunities for children’s worship: intergenerational (ongoing), children’s chapel, and supporting family worship at home.	DRE, RE Committee		Family Worship -encouraging rituals at home -offer opportunities for family worship	Children’s Chapel
	k. Provide outreach and publicity opportunities for RE program.	DRE, Publicity, Minister		Publicity in J&C; encourage community exposure
2. Develop more social action opportunities for children and youth.	a. Continue to support Jubilee Christmas and Heifer Project.