Nearly 700 hours. That’s what it took to create MLUC’s first Right Relations Covenant—and every one of those hours was given willingly by a team and a congregation that understood what was at stake.
The process began with research: the denomination’s covenantal history, what right relations covenants look like at other UU congregations, and what covenant even means. From there, the team designed a listening process rooted in Appreciative Inquiry—meeting with multiple groups, creating a dedicated Small Group Ministry session that drew eight of the roughly 10 small groups, and holding two open sessions with the congregation. In all, more than 100 people were heard. A dedicated webpage kept the broader community informed throughout.
The themes that emerged shaped a draft covenant, which was shared widely and received well. The team presented it to the board in April and the congregation will vote to approve it at the Annual Meeting in June.
The numbers: 20+ team meetings, 16 outreach meetings, 174 congregation attendees, 246 committee hours, 421 stakeholder hours. But the number that matters most is harder to quantify—the depth of connection that formed as the team got to know each other, and the congregation got to know itself.
After the congregation approves the proposed covenant, the new Right Relations Team will help the congregation live into that covenant by fostering healthy communication, constructive engagement with conflict, and compassionate relationships within the community. The team will support congregants, staff, lay leaders, and board members in practicing covenantal behavior and will help ensure that the covenant remains relevant and meaningful.