All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church encourages every Member and Friend to embrace this Covenant of Beloved Community as an essential part of our faith journey. The covenant is grounded in the Unitarian Universalist Principles; we intend this agreement to provide guidance in implementing these principles in our everyday lives. It is in loving relationship with those in our community that we have the opportunity to grow spiritually as individuals and as a fellowship. It is here, in this Beloved Community, that we come together to express our common purpose and to be strengthened through understanding, compassion, and forgiveness. To read the entire covenant, click here.
Covenant of Beloved Community
Our Collective Vision of Beloved Community
A Community of Common Purpose
All Souls is a safe haven that nurtures and enhances personal and spiritual growth. It is a place of trust where personal enrichment arises from serving the community.
Awareness of Self and Others
All Souls is a welcoming place where those in the community respect themselves and others. We are a shelter of many beliefs where minority and opposing views are accepted and respected.
Personal Responsibility
We maintain our dignity and integrity by taking responsibility for our actions. All Souls is a place where we invite constructive criticism when it is free of antagonism. We strive to recognize when our conflicts have become selfish and non-productive. Participation in the activities and leadership of the church is encouraged for all who would choose to act for the good of community and self.
Listening, Speaking and Acting with Unity of Purpose
All Souls is a place where we listen openly to the ideas of others. We actively listen for the meaning and feelings within others’ words so that we may better understand their message.
We affirm the inherent worth and dignity of others and bring the intentions of kindness and respect to our spoken words. We are mindful of what we say and how our words may be interpreted by others, whether or not they are present. We are accepting of others’ views and, while we may disagree, do not challenge the worth of the person behind those views.
We fulfill our commitments to the community and to each other. We give generously of ourselves within our means and are grateful that others do, as well. We come here to learn the skills of loving kindness and to practice what we have learned in our community.
Reconciliation and Forgiveness
We acknowledge and respect our personal differences. When disagreements arise, we help each other resolve them before they escalate to destructive levels of conflict. We offer the gift of forgiveness and are aware that reconciling conflict allows us to remain in fellowship.
Co-Creating Beloved Community
We choose to become part of a community with a common purpose to foster an atmosphere where the Unitarian Universalist Principles may be learned and practiced.
With this common purpose as our source, we covenant to:
- Welcome all who come to us with acceptance and respect for the differences among us.
- Keep our discussions to topics and issues rather than personalities.
- Practice patience and speak the truth directly and with compassion.
- Reflect carefully about the potential results of our words and actions before we speak or act.
- Acknowledge that we may not always agree with group decisions; however, we will support the consensus of the larger church community and seek to find our common goals.
- Seek to resolve our disagreements to our mutual satisfaction, and to ask for assistance when they cannot be resolved.
- Speak directly to those with whom we have disagreements rather than to a third party; we will not act as messengers between parties in conflict.
- Contribute to the community at a level that is healthy for us as individuals – intellectually, financially and with gifts of time and energy.
- Act with loving kindness as best we can at all times, seeking to promote justice, equity and compassion.
- Understand that being a member of Beloved Community requires learning and practice.