Outreach and Growth
Too many times, I meet people in the hospital who look defensive or worried when they share that they are not religious or do not believe in God. They assume that I am Christian and will judge them. When I explain that I am a Unitarian Universalist Minister and then explain what that means, I have heard too often, “wow, why have I never heard of that?” Many people are open to our message, but simply do not know we exist.
This is in no small part a result of our lack of interest in evangelizing because we wish for folks to make their own choices. However, our wisdom and values can be shared without evangelizing. The best outreach work I have seen has resulted in us simply showing up and being visible. The bright yellow “Standing on the Side of Love” shirts have done much to raise awareness about the existence of Unitarian Universalism. People notice us when we show up. However, the best kind of visibility comes from our actions.
Increasing our skill and knowledge around anti-oppression work is important. There are many people who would receive our message if we were able to become more aware of the ways in which we are indoctrinated into thinking and speaking that can be hurtful. At First Unitarian Oakland, we learned that when we showed up at marches and knocked on doors to raise awareness on an issue that more people attended and stayed.
Growth for growth’s sake is not a worthy goal. Growth for the sake of learning, adding to community, embracing abundance, enjoying the powerful beauty of diversity, and leaving a legacy to our children is worth our time and energy. There are people in the world who feel lost and isolated and unworthy who need our message. We can literally save lives with our message. We can bring hope, connection, and life to people who do not know that another possibility exists- a religion that says, “You are loved as you are, you can be included, and you matter.” Growth focused on getting our message and our good work out to the world succeeds and helps us grow spiritually both as individuals and as a community.
“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.” ~Thich Nhaat Hanh
This is in no small part a result of our lack of interest in evangelizing because we wish for folks to make their own choices. However, our wisdom and values can be shared without evangelizing. The best outreach work I have seen has resulted in us simply showing up and being visible. The bright yellow “Standing on the Side of Love” shirts have done much to raise awareness about the existence of Unitarian Universalism. People notice us when we show up. However, the best kind of visibility comes from our actions.
Increasing our skill and knowledge around anti-oppression work is important. There are many people who would receive our message if we were able to become more aware of the ways in which we are indoctrinated into thinking and speaking that can be hurtful. At First Unitarian Oakland, we learned that when we showed up at marches and knocked on doors to raise awareness on an issue that more people attended and stayed.
Growth for growth’s sake is not a worthy goal. Growth for the sake of learning, adding to community, embracing abundance, enjoying the powerful beauty of diversity, and leaving a legacy to our children is worth our time and energy. There are people in the world who feel lost and isolated and unworthy who need our message. We can literally save lives with our message. We can bring hope, connection, and life to people who do not know that another possibility exists- a religion that says, “You are loved as you are, you can be included, and you matter.” Growth focused on getting our message and our good work out to the world succeeds and helps us grow spiritually both as individuals and as a community.
“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.” ~Thich Nhaat Hanh