Summarizing our Inquiry:

Our church is a caring community that inspires us to live the values of our faith, each in our own way:

- We celebrate diversity of belief and experience; growing in the process of listening to
   and learning from others.

- We strive to open our minds and hearts to new ideas, beliefs and people.

- We welcome the stranger and commit to walking together in love.

- We share an ethic of service, seeking to live humbly and responsibly in our relationships
   with all people and the Earth.

We are working together to build the world we seek.

Appreciative Inquiry

The following are summaries of the stories we told at the Appreciative Inquiry Dinner in the Fall 2005. The stories represented our most meaningful experiences at First Parish UU Church. These summaries were developed by members of the Board after carefully examining all of the results of that dinner. These summaries were presented at the Congregational Meeting on Sunday, January 22, 2006.

COMMUNITY:

We are a supportive community seeking to nurture, teach, and inspire ourselves and others. We provide a safe place where our children may learn and grow as members of a greater family. In times of joy and doubt and pain, in mourning and in celebration, we seek to minister to each other by creating a sense of continuity and belonging to that which is deeper and abiding.

DIVERSITY:

We celebrate the diversity of belief and experience that each of us brings. We welcome the stranger and commit to walking together even though we each must walk our own path.

We know that each of us is a limited, finite being. Therefore, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. We stand as allies with those who are treated unfairly by a society which often treats those who are different as less than fully human.

INDIVIDUAL GROWTH

Through sharing, learning and worshiping, each of us seeks to find inspiration for ourselves, each other and the world around us. .We seek to open our minds and hearts to new ideas, beliefs, and people, ever widening our collective circle of wisdom and caring while promoting the freedom to choose our own beliefs.

LEADERSHIP

Each of us is a leader who initiates a contribution, large or small, for the good of all in the immediate or greater community. We lead others through our example of service on church committees, action for social justice, teaching, and caring for others.

RITUAL

By shawl, candle, song and holiday pageant, in small groups or Sunday service, First Parish is alive with the depth, memory, and soul of ritual. Our rituals are rich, diverse, evolving, and open to the creativity and insight of all. Ritual opens our hearts and minds, touches our spirit, and binds us together. We witness the passages of life: birth, coming of age, marriage, and death and honor the rhythms of the natural world. We celebrate the holy days and traditions of the world's religions, mark great events in the struggle for justice and peace, and share our personal stories to connect to the larger community.

SOCIAL ACTION

We are committed to live the values of our faith, working for peace and social justice. We share an ethic of service to our community and the world at large.