UUCT Strategic Plan, 2018-2022 The congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa adopted the following Mission and Vision Statements in the fall of 2017. MISSION STATEMENT of UUCT We are a faith community that values caring, learning, and acting on our Unitarian Universalist principles. VISION STATEMENT of UUCT We will become: A generous community where all members contribute time, talent, and treasure to our shared goals; A responsive community dedicated to religious exploration for all ages, caring for one another and welcoming all people of goodwill; A visible community with a heart for justice, actively seeking ways to be involved with our larger community; A growing community that stewards an expanded and updated campus with accessible facilities that will support our mission. The SLOGAN of UUCT Caring, Learning, Acting UUCT The UUCT Planning Committee recommends the following Strategic Plan be adopted by the UUCT members and then implemented by the Board of Trustees in order to achieve our Mission and Vision. An Appendix to this Plan (not to be voted on) includes suggested action steps for achieving our Goals.
Vision Statement 1: We will become a generous community where all members contribute time, talent, and treasure to our shared goals Goals toward accomplishing this Vision Time and Talent Goal: To have UUCT be so important to each member that each wants to contribute to the best of his/her ability to the success of UUCT s Mission of Caring, Learning, and Acting on our Unitarian Universalist principles: 1.1. To implement a clear path for inviting and guiding new and current members into active membership. * 1.2. To offer a program of lay leadership development. 1.3. To have all positions and committees/teams fully membered and active by strengthening UUCT s governance and creating paths for broad participation.* 1.4. To have any governance structure of UUCT support the implementation of this Plan and its action steps. Treasure Goal: To have UUCT be so valued by each member that each wants to contribute to its financial and operational success to the best of his/her ability: 1.5. To raise sufficient funds and effectively budget them to pursue UUCT s Vision. 1.6. To compare UUCT s fundraising techniques, including those used for the Annual Pledge Drive, to available best practices. To adopt improvements, and set annual goals for fundraising. 1.7. To promote the UUCT Endowment program throughout the congregation. 1.8. To review biennially the impact of membership growth and retention/attrition on contributions of time, talent, and treasure and distribute this report to the BOT and relevant committees/teams. 1.9. To develop and annually review a staffing and fair compensation plan that will support both the pragmatic needs of the Congregation and the goals of this Vision. * See some suggested action steps in the Appendix.
Vision Statement 2: We will become a responsible community dedicated to religious exploration for all ages, caring for one another, and welcoming all people of good will. Religious Exploration for All Ages Goals toward accomplishing this Vision 2.1. To understand the impact of UUCT s Religious Exploration programs on the Congregation s strength, growth, and resources, including space. 2.2. To encourage the entire congregation to be involved in the RE program.* 2.3. To expand the RE curricula to meet the needs of students in each developmental age group. 2.4. To expand extra-curricula programming as a service to both UUCT and community youth, giving non-member parents the opportunity to become familiar with UU values and UUCT s campus. 2.5. To reactivate an Adult RE program offering a variety of topics using various delivery systems.* Caring for One Another 2.6. Lay Pastoral Care Team (LPCT) : To provide everyone at UUCT with the opportunity to receive pastoral care (LPC) with the Minister and/or the LPC, as needed. 2.6.1 To train and recruit enough team members to serve a growing congregation. 2.7. Care Committee : To create an ongoing Care Program that is dedicated to providing UUCT members with short term assistance or a show of caring by the community. * 2.8. Social Activities: To create additional, fun and informal ways to socialize so that more members and friends can interact, get to know each other, and build friendships.* Welcoming All People of Good Will: 2.9. To improve the annual ratio of visitors who become members and the year-to-year retention rate of our members. 2.10. To assess the needs of potential and current members of diverse ages, ethnic groups, sexual orientation, physical abilities, etc. in order to feel welcomed and well served by UUCT. 2.11. To evaluate our welcoming practices and to implement improvements using UUCT data and UUA best practices. 2.12. To offer diversity awareness and sensitivity training for our BOT, employees, and committee/team chairs. * See some suggested action steps in the Appendix.
Vision Statement 3: We will become a visible community with a heart for justice, actively seeking ways to be involved with our larger community. Goals toward accomplishing this Vision 3.1. To develop and implement a media plan for UUCT that includes the active participation of the minister. 3.2. To identify a social justice focus(i) for the Congregation using a democratic vote to select item(s). 3.3. To identify group volunteer opportunities with service centers in our community. * 3.4. To identify volunteer opportunities in our community specifically suited for UUCT families. 3.5. To rollout the Pledge to End Racism program into our congregation and our community. 3.6. To design and implement a green program for our congregation. * See some suggested action steps in the Appendix. Vision Statement 4: We will become a growing community that stewards an expanded and and updated campus with accessible facilities that will support our mission Goals toward accomplishing this Vision 4.1. To add a Repair and Replacement Fund line item for current and future building maintenance in the budget. 4.2. To make the Large Dome and MPB accessible for those with disabilities by providing improved usability.* 4.3. To accommodate the capacity to deliver Sunday services, through one or two services, for a Congregation of 400, in a comfortable and aesthetically attractive sanctuary with an excellent sound system on campus and using technology to satellite locations. 4.4. To address our need for adequate office space, a full commercial kitchen, child care/ nursery space, and a technology room on campus. 4.5. To address our need for space to accommodate social activities and community service on campus.
4.6. To form a task force to do a preliminary analysis to assist UUCT members in defining which capital projects, if any, to pursue. The task force will present the pros/cons of each of the options that are enumerated below and were strongly supported by the Congregation in the May, 2017 survey, and more recently by UUCT leadership. The analysis should include minimally: importance to the UUCT Vision, campus impact, years of service, capacity, broad estimates of costs and operating expenses, and an assessment of affordability. The task force will be appointed by the Board of Trustees and be representative of the church membership. They will work throughout Fall, 2018 and present their analysis to the Congregation, for study and deliberation, by Feb. 1, 2019. Options to be reviewed are: A. Renovation of the interior of the Large Dome to enlarge sanctuary capacity and provide accessible restrooms, with offices and nursery moved to the Small Dome, B. Build on to our current Large Dome for office, kitchen, accessible restrooms, and nursery space, and renovate the interior of the Large Dome to enlarge sanctuary capacity, C. Build a new Sanctuary on our current campus, and renovate the Large Dome for social and community service space, D. Build a new Social Hall/community service space on our current campus, E. Start one or more satellite congregations in different parts of the county using telecommunications or acquiring physical spaces, F. Renovate the Small Dome for other potential uses, G. Evaluate adequacy of MPB space for an RE program to serve a congregation of 400 H. Combinations of the above. 4.7. To prepare to follow the schedule shown below for fulfilling the goal of any new facility or major capital improvement: 2018 5-Year Strategic Plan adopted by the UUCT Congregation 2019 Initial decision by the Congregation about which Capital project(s) to pursue, Interview and hire specialists to design/estimate costs of specific capital plans 2020 Conduct financial feasibility study for renovations/new construction plans 2021 Conduct Capital Campaign to raise necessary funds 2022 Commence with capital improvements * See some suggested action steps in the Appendix.
APPENDIX * Some Suggested Action Steps for Select Goals: 1.1. Time and Talent: Guiding new members into active membership. Create the practice of rotating terms for chairs. Encourage training of committee/team members to be prepared to step up to chair positions. Enter profiles into ServantKeeper. Information should be maintained on an ongoing basis, and be accessible for the BOT, the minister and staff, and team chairs. Establish a volunteer coordinator position who will assist members in finding opportunities in UUCT that offer them meaningful involvement. The coordinator should encourage members to rotate among a variety of roles in order to experience different ways to contribute their time and talent. Strengthen communications using multiple methods so that all members can know of activities, vacancies, and contacts. 1.3. Time and Talent: Having all opportunities to serve full and active Create the practice of rotating chairs through term limits. Encourage training of team members to be prepared to step up to chair positions. Assist chairs in evaluating progress by storing key indicators of success in ServantKeepers Use task forces for short-term assignments 2.2. Religious Exploration for All Ages: Encourage the entire Congregation to take responsibility for RE for children and youth by increasing opportunities for interactions with teachers and students, familiarity with curricula, intergenerational activities, contributions of time and talent by volunteers 2.5. Religious Exploration for All Ages: Reactivate Adult RE One course offering should be entitled Introduction to UUCT, which will advise members about UUCT s social media and other communication routes, its governance, church responsibilities handled by member-volunteers on committees/teams/task forces, how to offer time, talent, and treasure to UUCT, and how to find assistance from our UUCT community. 2.8.Caring for One Another: Create an ongoing Care Program Create a formal means to identify people in need and to pass information on to a care team member Have the Care Team identify a network of UUCT members, who will respond to congregants needs (meals, aide, cards, visits, phone call, etc.) Establish procedures for referring a member to the minister if there is a need for LPC.
2.9. Caring for One Another: Social Activities Create the position of Social Activities (SA) coordinator, who would assist volunteers with the mechanics for implementing their idea for fun events into actual events. The SA coordinator and the Volunteer Coordinator would put together people with the skills needed to make an event happen. Strengthen communications using multiple methods so that all members are aware of forthcoming social activities 3.3. Broadly seeking ways to be involved with our larger community Widely communicate volunteer opportunities in our larger community to our members via our church bulletin boards, social media, and flyers. 4.2. Steward an expanded and updated campus: Accessible and comfortable Make the front exterior doors of the Large Dome and MPB accessible independently for those with disabilities Reconfigure bathroom(s) in the Large Dome to provide access for persons with disabilities, Rebuild risers for proper riser height and chair accommodations in the Sanctuary (would add 20 seats) Refinish part or all of the Sanctuary ceiling. Install noise reduction material in the MPB rooms that are used for coffee hour.