The Congregational Record describes our congregation, the city of Lincoln, and tries to capture the sort of minister we’re looking for. Below are two sections: the Ministerial Profile and the Congregational Profile.
Ministerial Profile
“Why are we here?” That is the basic question we asked ourselves during a series of cottage meetings at the beginning of 2016. The resounding answer: “We are here to be a force for good in Lincoln.” It was clear to us that we are no longer content to simply come once a week to listen to insightful sermons. We long to take those insights beyond our building to meet needs in the Lincoln community, to protect the environment and to promote peace and social justice. We know we want to become that church which always shows up when there is important work to be done. At the same time, we realize we can't do it alone. To increase our impact in the community, we need to partner with other organizations and causes which share our values.
AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER
Our next minister must be someone who helps us create a structure that will mobilize and sustain our partnering initiatives. Our church wants to be known for something beyond “good intentions” and our next minister will need to be a revolutionary leader who fires us up to carry out an intentional plan to put our values into action.
AS A WORSHIP LEADER
We are like every other UU congregation in our hopes and dreams for the worship presence of our minister. We would be thrilled to have a dynamic, articulate speaker with a sense of humor whose sermons are a balance of intellectual challenge and emotional uplift. (Is there any congregation which WOULDN’T be thrilled with that?) But even more important, our members clamor for a leader who will strengthen community within our walls. When we come on Sundays to recharge and reconnect, we want our minister to help foster those connections with each other.
AS A COLLEAGUE
Our congregation hopes that our settled minister will be very involved when it comes to the work of the staff. We want a minister who will engage with the staff to set goals and offer appropriate assessments. When working with volunteer committees, our congregation expects the minister to be more “supportive” than “directive.” Our volunteers value input from the minister, but assume they will be setting their own goals and spearheading their own initiatives.
AS A PERSON
We are hoping for a minister who is comfortable in a slower-paced community; has interests outside of church; responds gracefully to stressful situations, and really listens when someone else is talking. The specifics of the person (race, national origin, gender expression, sexuality, background, etc.) are not as important as the soul of the person. We are searching for a kind soul who wants to be part of our team. We would welcome someone who can celebrate with us, energize us, name what is holding us back and guide us in finding ways to move forward.
We are looking for a minister who will help us become the church we need to be.
AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER
Our next minister must be someone who helps us create a structure that will mobilize and sustain our partnering initiatives. Our church wants to be known for something beyond “good intentions” and our next minister will need to be a revolutionary leader who fires us up to carry out an intentional plan to put our values into action.
AS A WORSHIP LEADER
We are like every other UU congregation in our hopes and dreams for the worship presence of our minister. We would be thrilled to have a dynamic, articulate speaker with a sense of humor whose sermons are a balance of intellectual challenge and emotional uplift. (Is there any congregation which WOULDN’T be thrilled with that?) But even more important, our members clamor for a leader who will strengthen community within our walls. When we come on Sundays to recharge and reconnect, we want our minister to help foster those connections with each other.
AS A COLLEAGUE
Our congregation hopes that our settled minister will be very involved when it comes to the work of the staff. We want a minister who will engage with the staff to set goals and offer appropriate assessments. When working with volunteer committees, our congregation expects the minister to be more “supportive” than “directive.” Our volunteers value input from the minister, but assume they will be setting their own goals and spearheading their own initiatives.
AS A PERSON
We are hoping for a minister who is comfortable in a slower-paced community; has interests outside of church; responds gracefully to stressful situations, and really listens when someone else is talking. The specifics of the person (race, national origin, gender expression, sexuality, background, etc.) are not as important as the soul of the person. We are searching for a kind soul who wants to be part of our team. We would welcome someone who can celebrate with us, energize us, name what is holding us back and guide us in finding ways to move forward.
We are looking for a minister who will help us become the church we need to be.
Congregational Profile
We are the most liberal church in Lincoln, Nebraska. When a newspaper reporter wants a perspective from the “left,” we are the first stop. Our members frequently demonstrate outside the State Capitol in protest of the death penalty or immigration issues. Same-sex marriages were celebrated in our building decades before they became legal in the state. We have a reputation in town for welcoming many different kinds of people. In the early 90s we officially became a Welcoming Congregation.
The vision of our congregation is to be a loving community which unites reason with spiritual exploration to transform ourselves and our world. Our worship services have followed a traditional format and have often been focused on intellect-based topics. But members have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to try new worship models and an eagerness for heart-based experiences on Sunday morning.
Our mission as a congregation, which was adopted in May 2016, is to show up where we are needed. In September 2016, 258 of us showed up to take the congregational survey. The demographic results are fairly typical of many UU congregations. Our respondents were 2% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Hispanic, 1.5% Multiracial and 89% White. A majority (84%) have earned Bachelor’s or Advanced degrees. Ten percent of our annual pledges are $50 or less, while 10% are $5,000 or more.
When our congregation was asked which of the Six Sources were important to them, 195 indicated that humanist teachings helped them understand the world. This was followed by World Religions (159) and Words of Prophetic Women and Men (150). The majority of our members also felt that UUism in general and our church specifically were “very” or “somewhat” central to their lives.
But the survey doesn’t tell the whole story. For instance, it doesn’t mention the great potlucks we have. (Frankly, our members seem to be better-than-average cooks.) It also doesn’t give information about…
• our Pantry Garden which was erected to fight food insecurity.
• a new geothermal system and solar panels which reflect our commitment to eco-friendly values.
• the talent of our many musical members.
• the skilled writing and oration of our lay leaders.
• the energy of the young people who fill our classrooms.
• the countless hours spent maintaining low-income apartments.
• the meals and notes shared with members who are experiencing great loss or great joy.
Our congregation is more than the numbers which describe it. We have our challenging personalities and our compliant ones. Some of us feel our congregation is very welcoming and some feel we are very cliquey. There are people who step up regularly to do the work and others who hold back and observe. We like to think we are special, but we know we are probably typical of many UU congregations. Whatever the case, we are poised to do great things in Lincoln and are ready to embrace the leader who will help launch us.
The vision of our congregation is to be a loving community which unites reason with spiritual exploration to transform ourselves and our world. Our worship services have followed a traditional format and have often been focused on intellect-based topics. But members have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to try new worship models and an eagerness for heart-based experiences on Sunday morning.
Our mission as a congregation, which was adopted in May 2016, is to show up where we are needed. In September 2016, 258 of us showed up to take the congregational survey. The demographic results are fairly typical of many UU congregations. Our respondents were 2% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Hispanic, 1.5% Multiracial and 89% White. A majority (84%) have earned Bachelor’s or Advanced degrees. Ten percent of our annual pledges are $50 or less, while 10% are $5,000 or more.
When our congregation was asked which of the Six Sources were important to them, 195 indicated that humanist teachings helped them understand the world. This was followed by World Religions (159) and Words of Prophetic Women and Men (150). The majority of our members also felt that UUism in general and our church specifically were “very” or “somewhat” central to their lives.
But the survey doesn’t tell the whole story. For instance, it doesn’t mention the great potlucks we have. (Frankly, our members seem to be better-than-average cooks.) It also doesn’t give information about…
• our Pantry Garden which was erected to fight food insecurity.
• a new geothermal system and solar panels which reflect our commitment to eco-friendly values.
• the talent of our many musical members.
• the skilled writing and oration of our lay leaders.
• the energy of the young people who fill our classrooms.
• the countless hours spent maintaining low-income apartments.
• the meals and notes shared with members who are experiencing great loss or great joy.
Our congregation is more than the numbers which describe it. We have our challenging personalities and our compliant ones. Some of us feel our congregation is very welcoming and some feel we are very cliquey. There are people who step up regularly to do the work and others who hold back and observe. We like to think we are special, but we know we are probably typical of many UU congregations. Whatever the case, we are poised to do great things in Lincoln and are ready to embrace the leader who will help launch us.
