Since the Board of Trustees approved UUC’s participation in the Faith Land Initiative (FLI) in October, our FLI cohort team (comprised of Gayle Childers, Patricia Graesser, Dave Mentz and Rev. Beth Chronister) has participated in two day-long training sessions along with teams from two other congregations.

Applying a faith- and racial equity-rooted model, the cohort team has started mapping out a process for the congregation to discern how our building might be used to benefit the community. The FLI tools are helping the team to plan how to broaden our workgroup, how to best involve the wider congregation in discussing ideas, and how to learn from those in our neighborhood and beyond about existing and/or anticipated needs in our community.

For UUC, the Faith Land Initiative process is intended to be synergistic with and supportive of our interim ministry work. The team anticipates offering opportunities for congregants to share ideas in venues and ways that benefit the FLI process and interim discernment process at the same time. 

Work in February through June will include conducting learning sessions with our church and external communities, refining criteria for screening future action options and drafting a short- mid- and long-term plan for using our facility.

Many congregants have expressed a desire for UUC to use our extra capacity for the benefit of the community. FLI, an established program offered by the Church Council of Greater Seattle, offers cohort teams a process and tools to use to lead a discernment process that aligns with congregational values, interests, and processes.

We are excited to share more about the FLI process and how we can all contribute as we proceed in our learning. If you have any questions or would like to share any input relating to this process, please contact Patricia Graesser, Gayle Childers or Dave Mentz.