Sample Covenanting Agreement

On 1 SEPTEMBER 2020

THE MOST WONDERFUL COMMUNITY ENTERS INTO THIS COVENANTAL AGREEMENT WITH BRIDGES: A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST NETWORK

Bridges: A Unitarian Universalist Network’s primary purpose is to serve the needs of its covenanting communities and congregations, and support new and small congregations.

We are here to support our covenanting community’s and congregation’s vision, growth, and success. We hold a wide variety of experience in church ministry and management.

Our programs are designed to support new and small congregations by strengthening the covenanting community or congregation through a systemic approach that will grow the community or congregation by increasing efficiency, streamline processes, providing professional resources, and lowering expenses.

Through these structures, covenanting communities and congregations have access to a variety of programs and services of their choosing, including access to our professional staff:

• Office, Administrative, and Financial Services;
• Human Resources Support;
• Communications and Marketing Services;
• Membership Data and Digital Asset Management;
• Creative Arts and Ministerial Support;
• Development, Budget, and Fundraising Support;
• Resource Library Access;
• Leadership Development;
• Social Justice and Community Organizing Support, and;
• Opportunities for covenanting with The Mountain Top: A UU BIPOC Community via UUs for Racial Justice, and Progressive Interfaith Alliance.

In addition, one member of each covenanting community or congregation will have one vote as a representative of the covenanting community or congregation at our Annual Meeting and one seat on the Bridges: A Unitarian Universalist Network’s Vision and Values Team.

Bridges: A Unitarian Universalist Network (BridgesUU)

BridgesUU is a modern approach to the Unitarian Universalist movement centered in covenantal relationships between local communities and congregations and partners.

As Unitarian Universalists, we invite all people to join us with authenticity and vulnerability. We live together in covenant, a sacred bond, to support each other as we search for spiritual growth, celebrate diversity, and nurture our minds, bodies, and spirits so we are energized to do the work of creating a more justice, loving and accepting world for all.

We envision a world that recognizes our interconnectedness as but one part of the web of all existence that transcends time and space.

Building on the model of Liberation Theology, we are focused on centering the marginalized among us. We aim to give voice to those who have been silenced because of their gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, age or economic status. We will be paying particular attention to and looking to provide services to children, youth and young adults who are members of any of these marginalized communities.

We will provide opportunities for UU and other faith communities and congregations to develop deeper relationships and connections through collaboration, sharing of resources and programming, leadership development, justice training, youth and young adult outreach and other ministerial and administrative services.

AND

The Wonderful Community (Wonder)

Mission and Vision

WE RECOGNIZE OUR RELATIONSHIP:

• must be grounded on all sides in open communication, mutual trust, good faith, and an open and agreed-upon process.
• is one of discovery of each other, in a context of mutuality
• will be in accordance with our Unitarian Universalist values
• binds us in an evolving living tradition striving to live out the mission and vision of BridgesUU and SepulvedaUU, demonstrating effective leadership, open to change, broadening the meaning of community, and communicating issues or concerns that may arise in a forthright and respectful manner through established communication channels.
• will foster a collaborative environment among staff and will take care that changing roles and relations of the shared professional leadership are reviewed, discussed and re-negotiated with clarity, respect, and honesty in the spirit of the UUMA Guidelines. 

BridgesUU welcomes into covenant with qualified communities and congregations who pledge to support BridgesUU.

It is the desire of SepulvedaUU to become a covenanting partner of BridgesUU. Wonder herein encloses with this covenant

1) a list of leadership including the name of the leader who will serve on the BridgesUU Vision and Values Team;

2) an initial contribution of $___________, equal to one quarter of  the Annual Pledge of $_______  for the Annual Program, prorated for the portion of the remaining BridgesUU fiscal year.

Entered into by Wonder Entered into by BridgesUU

________________________________	________________________________
President:	Executive Director:
________________________________
Minister:	Date: __________________________

Names and Emails of:

Vision and Values Team Rep:
Committee on Ministry Chair:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Trustee:
Trustee: