Long-Term Planning Team

The Long-Term Planning Team provided a final report (PDF) for the 2024 Annual Meeting in May, 2024. Thank you to everyone for their hard work!

About the Long-Term Planning Team

In the spring of 2023, Follen’s Parish Board announced the appointment of a team of 6 creative, thoughtful, and committed members to lead the development of a long-term plan for Follen Church, to be approved at the May 2024 Annual Meeting.

The members of the long-term planning (LTP) team were  Brian C., Jane S., Jose T., Julianna S. (Chair), Kyle J., and Margot T.  

We are grateful that these members agreed to honor the Follen community by bringing their experience, gifts, and perspective to this project. During the 2023–2024 church year, with the support of Rev. Claire and the entire Follen community, the team engaged the congregation in a process of discernment and dialogue to consider important fundamental questions, such as: Who are we as a faith community? What does our faith call us to do? 

Parish Board did not prescribe a particular structure, process, or methodology that the team must follow, based on our appreciation of the discernment options that Gil Rendle and Alice Mann describe in their book Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations: 

Planning is conversation because it is truly dialogue. People explore their differences and their perceptions. People risk saying what they believe to be important. The talk is full of stories, memories, and hopes — the kind of conversation that strengthens and transforms people.  

The team used Holy Conversations and other resources to create a discernment process that works best for the Follen community at this moment in our history.   

The team created the process, framed questions to consider, provided opportunities for discussion and discernment within the congregation, and determined the content and form of the plan to be approved at Annual Meeting in May 2024. You can see their charter here. 

A Time to Dream

Follen’s bylaws require a periodic “long-range plan” to guide our annual and longer term governance and decision-making. The last plans were adopted in 2009 and 2015. After study and discussion this church year, Parish Board decided the time is right for an updated plan — a lot has happened since 2015.  Exciting developments and some clear challenges have emerged:  

  • Our stunning new building presents new opportunities.
  • We have a talented staff, bringing new vitality.
  • 2023 is the 10-year mark in Rev. Claire’s ministry.
  • Our adoption of the antiracism 8th UU Principle supports breakthrough ideas and practices.
  • We are experiencing transformation within the UU denomination.
  • The known and emerging impacts of Covid, other external threats, and existential challenges present opportunity and challenge to us as individuals and as a spiritual community.

What a fertile time for us to think big and to craft a vision of who we are and who we aspire to be that will serve as a touchstone for our spiritual community now and in the years ahead. 

The team planned and led the congregation in a discernment process that was spiritually engaging, challenging, exciting, and joyful. The conversational journey was as important as the ultimate destination. All members of the congregation were asked to help with this exciting community project in a variety of ways, sharing gifts of spiritual thoughtfulness, facilitation, conversation, exploration, hospitality, and artistic expression.

Tentative Project Timeline & Tasks

Summer 2023

  • Team project planning meeting
  • Background reading
  • Review of past long-term plans

Fall 2023

  • Team project planning meetings
  • Development of key questions / data gathering strategy

Winter 2024

  • Facilitated small group conversations 
  • Review of data/input from conversations

Spring 2024

  • Development of DRAFT report/vision/plan document
  • Presentation of DRAFT for feedback by congregation, Coordinating Team, Parish Board and Program Council

May 2024