a preliminary slideshow about Leap of Faith, Unitarian Universalist pilot program

1. Photo Album Nancy Bowen, District Executive Mountain Desert District UUA

2. It all began in New Orleans… Leap of Faith learning communities began to develop relationships in New Orleans at the kickoff conference; these have blossomed as teams travel and meet with each other.

3. With the help of the UUA facilitators, our team phrased the underlying challenge we need to tackle as: Make the UU faith more explicit in our congregation and in our daily lives.

4. “When you create these face-to-face relationships they don’t go away. We feel blessed to be part of this.” --Gail Geisenhainer

5. The reason people grab the hook is because they see their core values reflected in the vision. Rev. Stefan Jonasson

6. “The New Orleans experience was valuable for First U of Des Moines. ABQ UUs challenged the framing of our chosen areas of concentration. As a result, First U of DM changed its focus to improving the ways we connect with and make room for newcomers, including a special focus on young adults. “

7. “I think this program is the right approach––putting the focus on relationships and what we can be together. This is focusing on abundance rather than scarcity.” –Gail Geisenhainer, minister of the First UU Congregation in Ann Arbor

8. Our mentorswill help us learn about ourselves from fresh and compassionate eyes, and we will then build on the insights.

9. We returned with some very concrete resources and perhaps even more questions about how to shape and translate the different learning points into our context and aspirations as a congregation.

10. The visit to Richmond was a humbling experience of thorough and deep hospitality. From our arrival at the airport on Friday to our departure on Sunday we were solidly in the care of our larger family of faith, and words cannot capture what a profound experience that was.

11. Lo and behold, Leap of Faith was delivered unto us by the UUA! We now had a context and framework through which to present the concept of planning and the goals of strategic planning.

12. “At the heart of building shared vision is the task of designing and evolving ongoing processes in which people at every level of the organization, in every role, can speak from the heart about what really matters to them.” Richmond/Milton participants

13. Leap of Faith provided a catalyst for leadership to reach into our community in a deep, organized way in order to take its pulse and create movement toward our shared vision. The culmination of this process was the adoption of a new covenant guiding how we will strive to walk together on our collective spiritual journey. --Milton participants

14. It is rare to have such a full immersion experience in another congregation’s life and culture

15. Relationships that foster questioning, sharing, coaching, learning and changing have started to develop between congregations and multiple leaders within them.

16. In addition to a memorable supply of excellent food, we found new ways of looking at old problems. Thank you. Thank you.

17. What is your vision for people’s formation from visitor to “disciple”? Do you have a notion of “spiritual maturity” that informs your education and formation of members?

18. Where there is compassion and love there God is!

19. How do you manage the change?

20. “Dallas First has set the standard for how to host. We were welcomed, warmed, and wowed. Everyone was open and supportive.”

21. “By contrast the evangelical urge is about coming to church to exercise your power to shape the world.” Rev. Stefan Jonasson

22. We are also grateful to the UUA for initiating this project and selecting us to participate. It has jump-started a new era of energy….