From the Governing Board: Examining Our Mission and Vision Statements
January 27, 2009
As part of the process of growing the Bell Street community, both in terms of size and depth, it is increasingly important to be able to articulate who we are, what we stand for, how we are different (and similar) to other churches and what we hope to achieve in the future.
Mission and vision statement development are a critical part of planning and growth for any type of organization. Bell Street Chapel’s mission statement should describe where we are today, while our vision statement should describe what we want to be in the future. Mission and vision statements are both useful reminders of the “big picture” and can be used as benchmarks to assess new ideas and proposed programs to determine whether they are in line with long-term goals.
While we have a mission statement at Bell Street, we do not have a vision statement.
The Governing Board has recruited a Mission and Vision Workgroup to work on this project and given them the following charge:
To evaluate Bell Street Chapel’s existing mission statement to determine whether it properly defines the purpose of Bell Street Chapel today and to develop a vision statement that captures the congregation’s hopes for Bell Street Chapel in the next five to eight years.
In doing that work, the workgroup shall draw on previous research and evaluation conducted by chapel bodies including the most recent ministerial search committee, as well as new evaluation tools such as small group meetings, surveys and interviews with members, leaders, ministers or staff. The group will also take advantage of Unitarian Universalist Association and district resources, and create statements that reflect our association with Unitarian Universalism and its seven principles.
The workgroup will issue proposals for a vision statement and any changes to the mission statement it recommends to the congregation for discussion and approval by majority congregational vote. The workgroup is to issue a preliminary report to the congregation at the annual meeting in 2009 and present its proposals for the mission and vision statements at the midyear meeting in 2010.
Thank you to Kate Gillis, Dan Greco, Brian Kovacs, Ray Perreault and Phil Smith for volunteering to serve on the Mission and Vision Workgroup.
If you have any questions about this process or are interested in participating in this group, please contact
Don Laliberte (dlaliberte@gmail.com) or Rev. Jose Ballester (joseballester@mac.com).
In Peace,
Jen Shimkus
At-large member,
Governing Board
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