A Systematic Look at Systems

This past Sunday, we had a board retreat at Sue Crane’s house in Owls Head.

We spent time deepening relationships and widening our perspectives. We looked at First Universalist as an open, dynamic system and spent time mapping out that system.

Some lessons from systems theory:

Any system, from an atom to a Galaxy, is a whole; it is not reducible to its component parts. That is to say that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. We can’t understand the whole or the parts except in relationship to each other.

The church is a system; and so the basic unit of the church is not the individual but the church as a whole

Each part of the church is a whole in and of itself and also an integral part of the larger being. (Gives whole new meaning to the body of Christ doesn’t it?). So the church exists as a nested set of wholes within wholes: People, committees, ministries and church.

Neither the whole nor the parts can be understood unless the relationships of the parts are understood.

Systems always seek balance in a process that is called flux-equilibrium. There is a constant shifting within the system to keep status quo. Another way of saying this is that systems act like people, they resist change and self-regulate to compensate for changing conditions.

I know this sounds pretty scientific and if you are still with me, I’m grateful. Basically, what we need to know is that the church acts like an organic being. The members and friends and committees and staff that make up this system are all interrelated and everything we do and every person who walks in the door sends out little ripples which effect the system if only just a little.

At the board retreat, we began a process of discovery, learning about the relationships between the different parts that compose our church. The board asked itself, “How can we communicate and work more efficiently?” We asked, “ how can we manifest the mission of our church in all our actions, all our worship, all our teaching and all our interactions?” This ongoing discernment will bear fruit in the health and vitality of First Universalist as we offer a compelling experience of religious community on the mid-coast

Creative energy flowed as deep connections were revisited and formed. It was an excellent beginning for our work this year. The board began a process of covenanting and committed to:

♦ Marking board meeting time as sacred with chalice, check-in & check-out
♦ Exploring leadership development modules during board meetings
♦ Starting and ending meetings on time and coming prepared to work
♦ Becoming more intentional about communications between cluster groups
♦ Inviting more people into leadership roles in the congregation
♦ To remind ourselves of and revisit the covenant regularly

Ultimately, we are trying to create a warm loving creative atmosphere where our initial reaction to an idea is “Yes.” Part of my role as your minister is to help us stay focused on our mission and on our goals. The question you will hear from me throughout this year is:
How can I help you become who you want to be?

Many Blessings

Mark