Last fall, the Board of Trustees launched a Group Workshop Committee (GRW Committee) that was charged with developing and implementing a facilitated congregational workshop open to all UUCC members and friends on the topics of relationship-building, reconciliation, and trust-building. Read the Committee’s charge from the Board.
On February 10, the GRW committee released Request for Proposals (RFP) to respondents who qualified through our Request for Information (RFI) process that we shared in our last update. We set February 25 as the deadline for responses.
Here are some FAQ’s in case you too are wondering, “What is a Group Relations Workshop?” and “Does it apply to me?” (It does!)
What is the purpose of the Group Relations Workshop (“GRW”)? The purpose of the Workshop is to strengthen the connections within the UUCC community. The GRW will be a facilitated congregational session, with the purpose of “relationship-building, reconciliation, and trust-building; strengthening intergroup relations within our congregation; and developing strategy for moving forward together as a community of faith.”1
Does it apply to me? Who should attend? Yes! Everyone who is interested in the purpose of the Workshop and moving forward as a community of faith is encouraged to attend.
Why are we holding this Workshop? We want to improve relationships within the community for a variety of reasons. This includes issues identified by the Trust & Reconciliation Committee (TRC) through their work in 2020-2021, social media interactions, and the physical distancing, isolation, and disconnection from community we have all faced due to COVID and physical distancing.
What do you mean by “Workshop”? This “Workshop” will be a meeting led by one or more professional facilitators who facilitate discussion and decision-making on how to achieve the stated goals and objectives.
When will the Workshop be held? As quickly as we can select and hire the facilitator and collaborate with them on the logistics and scheduling. We are planning to schedule it for a weekend day in Spring.
Where will the Workshop be held? Under ideal circumstances, the Workshop would have been all in-person in Sanctuary C at OBIC. However, due to COVID, it will likely be a multiplatform event.
How will the Workshop be funded? The Group Relations Workshop Committee is accepting donations at this time to fund the costs of the workshop. Since the charge for this Workshop was created after the current year budget was approved, the GRW Committee, the Board, and the Executive Team developed a plan to accept donations toward a GRW Workshop Fund, starting immediately. Click here for more information on how to donate. Your support will help bring this important workshop to life!
If I have other questions or ideas, who do I contact? Please email any input or questions to grw_committee@uucolumbia.net.
1 Footnote:
In the Request for Proposals that was sent to potential facilitators, we describe the goals of the Workshop:
- Support reconciliation, strengthen relationships, as well as overcome the disruption from COVID-19.
- Strengthen interpersonal and intergroup relationships and with UUCC leadership.
- Build strategies for moving forward together as a community of faith that includes identified mechanisms to address conflict.
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