Theme: Growth (Four-Circle Composite, sorted into similar response clusters)
Circle Participants: Beth Balas, Nancy Frank, Larry Frank, Bunny Stumbo, Stan Stumbo, Frank Petrie, Bloom Beloved; Prill Hinckley, Alan Miller, Carolyn Mitchell, Robert Mohr, Angie Hoffpauir, Phil Brown, John Munson; Donna Mohr, Judy Willott, Vinnie Perrone, Frank Mandt, Karolynn Flynn, Donna Moore, Gene Bullock, Sandy Bullock, and Bill Scarvie
Question: When you imagine Cedars “growing,” what do you envision that could strengthen and enhance the well-being and mission of our congregation (including, but not limited to, growth in numbers)?
A lot of growth has already taken place. Things that helped that growth occur: RE program, more organized procedures, less chaos
We’ve been gone a few years and now that we’re back we see a new enthusiasm and that’s good.
Why do we need to grow? I mean growth for growth sake, is that always good?
Growth for its own sake is not healthy.
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We don’t have enough members to support programs. We need to educate people about our mission and needs, be sustainable, and hopefully that will help.
There needs to be more discussion with each other about how to sustain the church. We may not know how to do that.
We need more members to have more money to support programs. We don’t have enough now to support what we do.
We can’t continue to rely on special events like the auction to balance the budget, need to have regular pledging, stewardship for this.
People will give to concrete things, specific things they know. They see a need and they give more.
“Fund a need.” We always had special collections for things and people gave well to them.
People give well to special collections here, but we still need to be able to pay our way with pledges rather than special events.
We don’t have the money to pay the choir director to grow the program, not fair to ask her to do more.
Maybe we should have a Sunday without a service or other church activities and ask people to think about what they were missing.
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Desire growth in numbers but wary of proselytizing. More comfortable with working to make Cedars more visible in the greater community by sponsoring lectures, events
Cedars’ membership matches the characteristics of Bainbridge Island demographics more closely than any other church on the Island. As a way to attract newcomers, we could sponsor secular activities that appeal to the “typical” Bainbridge Islander. We should look for the “closet Unitarians” on the island.
Get people to know “who we are” beyond being a “church.” The “church” in our name carries a certain meaning that could be a turnoff.
An important way to get the word out about ourselves is to spread by word of mouth.
We need a workshop on “elevator speeches” to help us tell others about who, what we are.
Get Cedars more visible and more thoughtfully regarded in the community
A stronger outreach program involving us in visible activities for the benefit of our communities: forums, speeches, public witness.
I wish more people knew about us, through newspaper articles for example.
Need to get better PR for things we do---large turn out for Helpline Service Day could/should have been in the newspaper
More visibility in the communities, especially North Kitsap: Fishline hasn't seen a Community Service Day for a couple of years, while Helpline had it last year and is planned to have it this year.
When Cedars is present at a public event, we should carry an identifying banner.
Create a Cedars’ banner that is displayed at the events we host or participate in
Obtain and display roadside signage showing people where we are on Sundays: Sandwich board signs on Day Road @ both Madison and Hwy 305, east and west sides.
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Grow by creating opportunities to connect with one another, to have more intimate interactions.
This creates a reason for folks to return. People stay because of opportunities to connect more deeply.
Growth means we are creating more opportunities to learn from each other, for others to participate in learning. For example, Alan Miller’s classes on UU’ism.
Need for more small groups to address specific needs and to engender more intimate relationship among members.
Spiritual life of Cedars will grow through additional ways to increase intimacy; Covenant Groups, Circle Suppers suggested as kinds of things to do this
Desire for Cedars to not only be about ideas but more about matters of the heart
Looking for the kind of spiritual inspiration and insight that can be used in day to day life. Make it real.
Experience in another congregation was that growth really started when they got their own building, on the heels of having had a strong, permanent minister for 5 years. However, The Island School building and location is a good substitute, and maybe owning our own is not that important, especially now that the ten Hoves are here.
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Age is becoming a factor. Cedars’ population is heavy on the 50 + club. Real need to attract younger families
Focus more on attracting families with young children.
Need to find more ways to make it easier for families with children to participate
Sponsor family projects, speakers, events. Attract younger families.
Sponsor a forum that deals with children and family in an effort to gain visibility within the school age family group. Urgent need to attract more families
To grow, you need to consider the young person’s perspective, that is, young adults in their 20’s and 30’s who are cynical about God and church but who want a place to connect with like-minded people. Such people exist locally at Islandwood (both students and staff), BGI, Northwest College of Art, and Olympic College. They are looking for outdoor and nature activities with a spiritual connection. They are also looking for anything having to do with “green,” “sustainability,” and environmental justice. Suggest taking the “Sanctuary” out of “Green Sanctuary” as it sounds too “churchy.” Other places where we might connect with these people: a booth at Harvest Fair, an ad or article in Yes! Magazine, offering a “nature meditation retreat” or a “walking meditation” where God is de-emphasized and our connection to nature is primary, holding an event on the “2012” phenomenon
Communicate in the ways that younger people do: Facebook, Craigslist (for example, advertise a “Nature Hike for All Ages in Kitsap County”), old fashioned bulletin boards in downtown Winslow
Someone suggested places like Islandwood, and BGI. They have similar values. How do we reach out to them?
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The music program is really important, and really should be expanded to an arts program, we could do so much to attract folks.
Music enhances the worship experience for sure. A church I went to had dance in the service sometimes.
It would be great to have a children’s choir – wasn’t someone doing that at one time?
Music is definitely one way for people to find a place to share. We need lots of ways for people to feel connected. That’s what it’s all about
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Do a much better job with visitors.
Grow a culture of radical hospitality, with the goal of shifting our attention toward moving support of Cedars ahead of support for causes that we, as individuals, find worthy.
Need a big tune-up of the Membership Committee’s engagement with visitors
Need better process for follow-through with visitors. Ideas: Have person/s posted who engages visitors, casually introduces them to others in the coffee hour, perhaps even check in with them outside of Sunday service; create an inviting, informative, and intriguing Cedars PR brochure that each visitor receives—an effective take-away.
Growth and development needs to happen in Cedars’ procedural processes: i.e.: improved process for keeping the directory up-to-date and organizational improvements regarding ways to communicate
Growing the spirit of the community as well as the spirit of the individual.
Ideas about increasing number of visitors: Encourage the Worship Committee to build a “Friendship Service” in which each person would invite a friend or two. The service would honor the bonds between us and our visiting friends. They would become part of a ritual blessing. The service would not be about Unitarianism 101; it would be a way to share with our visitors what it feels like to attend Cedars.
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Limited size of congregation limits the variety of diverse groups that can be successfully offered. This means some needs go unmet
We should continue and strengthen our relationship with Eagle Harbor church, Grace Episcopal Church, especially around social justice and environmental issues
There’s a church in Suquamish that we have done things with, around social activism. That’s a really important area.
Other UU churches I’ve been to have partnered with other churches, such as an racial or minority churches, which weren’t represented in the congregation.
I’m not sure how many racial or ethnic groups there are in the area; be good to find out.
We should seek out diversity in many ways, not just racial or ethnic. Many in the congregation are getting older, and diversity of age is important. How do we attract younger folks, reach out to them?
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I’m not sure what the conversation circles are all about, and I’d like to keep talking more about this process.
I want to make sure that all people are heard, not just a few people who are always here. Who’s going to make decisions about these things? I want to make sure that the people who do the work of the church have a say in things that affect them. The church committees should be brought in and have a say.
I don’t really like to use the computer or blog – I like to have face-to-face conversations about things, see other people. The interactions give me more ideas.
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