The Group Relations Workshop (GRW) Committee was formed by the Board of Trustees in mid-October in response to the recommendations of the Trust & Reconciliations Committee (TRC). The GRW’s purpose is to “oversee the implementation of an expertly facilitated congregational workshop focused on relationship-building, reconciliation, and trust-building; strengthening intergroup relations within our congregation; and developing strategy for moving forward together as a community of faith.”
The committee is now in the process of identifying qualified facilitation experts. We expect to release a Request For Information (RFI) this week seeking interested candidates*.
Next, we will develop a more detailed Request for Proposal (RFP), which we will send to qualified RFI respondents. We are targeting release of the RFP in early January with responses due before the end of January and final vendor selection in early February.
Depending on the amount of time needed to work with the selected facilitator to prepare and schedule it, we hope to convene the workshop in late February or March.
If you have any questions or suggestions, you may reach the GRW team at grw_committee@uucolumbia.net.
* We are sending the RFI to local organizations and universities which we have identified as having specializations in mediation, organization development or facilitation, seeking facilitators with experience in intergroup conflict resolution and expertise in navigating issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
In community,
Group Relations Workshop Committee
(Jennie Fitzpatrick, Chair, Kevin Daniels, Becky Reese, Barbara Wright, Ken Crandell, and Katja Fort Rhoden, Board Liaison)
One Comment
Jill Christianson
Thanks for the the update! This is good to have a sense of this timeline and what is ahead for the congregation. Thanks to committee members serving UUCC in this way.