Task Force Home | Report | Survey
Part One -- Numerical Evaluation
Respondents were asked to review the following list of District Services, and to rate each service (the bullets below) that they or their congregations had received in the last four years, using a four-point scale:
- poor
- adequate
- very good
- outstanding
Respondents were asked to choose the rating that best described their overall experience with each service, and to focus on process, outcome, and the degree to which their needs or expectations were addressed. The services were grouped in the following categories:
PSD Board:
- Workshops at Annual Conference
- Someone from congregation attended UUA Candidates Forum (February 2001)
- Preparation/advocacy leading up to vote on Lifespan Program Director position
PSD Resource Liaisons (for congregations under 200 members):
- Contacts initiated by Resource Liaison (Your RL is: ______ )
- Printed resources provided by Resource Liaison
- Phone/Email consultation by Resource Liaison
- Visit by Resource Liaison to your congregation
Communication:
- Leadership receives The Prairie Star newsletter
- Leadership receives 4 information packets each year from PSD office
- Prairie Star District Directory and Resource Guide
- Used “District Services” brochure to access services
- PSD Annual Report mailed to each congregation every spring
- Used District web site to access information
- Someone from congregation attended Media Workshop (February 2001) (October 2001)
- Someone from congregation is on PSD email listserve to receive information
- Congregational Link receives mailings from PSD/UUA (Your Link is: ______ )
- (Twin Cities) uses TCUUCC service for hosting web page for congregation
- Used District resources to publicize a congregational event (labels, The Prairie Star, Presidents' mailing)
Lifespan Religious Education Programming:
- Borrowed materials from the District library: for children, youth, adult programming
- Had phone consultation with member of District Committee on Religious Education (CORE)
- Had visit by someone from CORE
- Director of Religious Education or RE Chair receives mailings from CORE
- Had covenanting process for Director of Religious Education
- Someone from congregation attended Renaissance module
- Someone from congregation attended OWL training
- DRE uses The New DRE Handbook
- Member or DRE received CORE scholarship to training event
Youth Programming/Young Adult Network:
- Youth/adults from congregation attended Leadership Development Conference (October 1999)
- Youth/adults from congregations attended Spirituality Development Conference (March 2001)
- Youth from congregation attended Boone annual conference
- Youth from congregation receive PSD youth newsletter Visions
- Youth advisor has attended District training (October 2001)
- Used District brochures on youth conferences: Intro for Parents; Safety; Advisors; Planning
- OWL leaders have attended District training
- Members of congregation have attended Young Adult conferences and other events
- Used services of PSD Young Adult Network (list serve)
- Consultation on campus ministry with Rev. Jill Terwilliger
- District support for campus ministry
Growth and Membership:
- Phone consultation with District Executive (DE) (contact: ______ )
- Printed resources were provided by DE
- Had visit by District Executive (regarding ______ )
- Members attended “Sharing Our UU Faith” workshop in Cedar Falls (March 2001)
- Members attended “Planning for Growth” workshop (November 2000) (November 1998) (March 1998)
- Congregation received Chalice Lighters Grant in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
- Congregation received PSD grant for advertising project
- Consultation with DE on building project
- Team attended Chuck Gaines growth workshop in Kansas City (October 2001)
- Team attended Healthy Congregations workshop led by DE (January 2001) (October 2001)
Leadership Training and Organizational Development:
- Member(s) of congregation have attended Midwest Leadership School (MWLS)
- Member of congregation have served on MWLS Committee
- Someone from congregation attended Congregational Presidents' Conference 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
- Had Board retreat led by District Executive (DE)
- Had Board retreat led by a District consultant
- Printed resources were provided by DE
- Had visit by District Executive (regarding ______ )
- Phone or email consultation with District Executive (contact: ______ )
- Committee Chairs/others leaders' training led by a District consultant
- Members attended Leadership Development Conference in Des Moines, Fall 1995
- Congregation has a Commissioned Lay Leader or CLL-in-training
Mission Statement and Long Range Planning:
- Mission statement process was led by District Executive or by District consultant
- Printed resources were provided by DE
- Workshop led by District Executive (regarding ______ )
- Workshop led by a District consultant
- Phone or email consultation with District Executive (contact: ______ )
Professional Ministry:
- Consultation with minister by District Executive (contact: ______ )
- Consultation with Board Chair/Board members/COM by DE (contact: ______ )
- Had help from DE in hiring part time minister
- DE led start-up covenanting process for minister and Board
- Minister attends District UUMA retreats (retreats are subsidized by the District budget)
- Printed resources on ministry were provided by DE
- DE led transition interview with Board (when a minister leaves)
- DE led exit interview with minister (when a minister leaves)
- Consultation by District consultant on transition from “layled” to “minister-served” congregation
Conflict Management:
- Phone consultation with District Executive (contact: ______ )
- Visit to congregation by DE
- Congregational assessment by DE (contact: ______ )
- Printed resources were provided by DE
- Contacted DE or other District officer to help solve problem or improve relationship with UUA
Church Finance/Fundraising:
- Consultation about finances with DE
- Consultation about finances by a District consultant
- Consultation about annual canvass
- Consultation about fundraising ideas
- Consultation about capital campaign
- Printed resources provided by DE
- Used District’s copies of fundraising videotapes
- Referral to UUA staff was provided by DE
- Team from congregation attended Stewardship Conference in Des Moines (February 2000)
Church Administration:
- Consultation about staffing (job description, accountability, goal setting) with DE
- Consultation about staff compensation with District Compensation Consultant
- Administrator/church secretary has attended PSD administrators' annual meeting
Sunday Services and Other Rituals:
- Service provided by District Executive or by Resource Liaison
- Referral to others who provide Sunday services was provided by DE/PSD office
- Printed resources provided by DE
- Referral to ministers who do weddings, memorial services was provided by DE/PSD office
Camps:
- Members of congregation attend Camp Unistar or work at Camp Unistar
- Members of congregation attend Northern Star Retreat in Frontenac, MN
Prairie Star District Annual Conference:
- Church members attended Annual Conference
- Member or congregation received District award
District-Sponsored Gatherings:
- Had District help in sponsorship of congregational or multi-congregational event
Other
- (List other services received)
Part Two -- Open-Ended Evaluation
Respondents were asked the following questions:
What is your overall assessment of your experience with District Services in the past two years?
What is your overall assessment of the services provided by Nancy Heege as District Executive? Please document your response with one or more specific examples.
What would you like your congregation to receive from the Prairie Star District and/or the District Executive in the future, that you have not received in the past?
Part Three -- Visions for the Future
The following introduction asked respondents to rate various goals for the future:
The PSD Board has been engaged in a visioning process. It started with the District Board’s mission statement, which has guided its work for the last several years:
The purpose of Prairie Star District is to work to achieve the following ends:
- Healthy, vital congregations in the District
- Strong related UU organizations
- An interconnected web of Unitarian Universalists
- A world which lives by the UU principles
The Board then asked, “Given these ends, what could the District look like in 2010? How would we know if we are living out our mission statement? What evidence could we see?” The projected outcomes are those listed below.
Respondents were then asked to review these projections in terms of how important they would be to their congregations' vision, and to rate each outcome (the bullets below) using a number from four to one that best reflects their importance, using the following scale:
- not at all important
- unimportant
- important
- very important to our congregation
The outcomes were grouped in the following categories:
Healthy, vital congregations in the District by 2010
- High quality life span programming in the congregation.
- High expectations of congregation members.
- Increased District resources and support for social justice activities for congregations.
- A significant increase in congregational membership.
- Enthusiastic congregational support of UUA and PSD services and programming.
- Two new full service congregations (with Minister, Director of Religious Education, and building) in the District.
Strong related UU organizations by 2010
- 75% of individual UUs clearly understand the role of the District and the UUA
- UU presence visible on all major college campuses in the District.
- Increased activity by UUs with national and international UU organizations
- Compensation and benefits for District and congregational staff meet UUA standards.
Interconnected web of Unitarian Universalists by 2010
- A camp or conference center in the southern part of the District (MO, KS, NE or IA).
- UU congregations collaborating on projects.
- A vibrant and active Young Adult Network (ages 18-35).
- Annual District-sponsored youth conferences throughout the District
- Consistently, a majority of children move through children’s Religious Education to youth programming, on to Young Adult involvement, and on to lifelong involvement with UUism.
A world which lives by UU principles by 2010
- Unitarian Universalism is a household name and recognized as a positive social force.
- UU congregations are recognized as centers of learning on ethical issues.
Respondents were then given space to share additional items regarding their dreams and visions of Prairie Star District in the years to come.