What Can We Do Better? New Ways to Assess Ministry

Two new tools to help congregations periodically evaluate their overall ministries are available from the UUA's Department of Ministry. The first, called the Congregational Self-Assessment Packet, guides a comprehensive assessment in areas such as growth, community-building, social justice, worship, and leadership.The second, called Assessing Our Leadership, enables an assessment of a congregation's lay leaders and staff. The two tools are designed so that they can be used together.

The Rev. Kenn Hurto, of Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church, Alexandria, VA, a member of a team that developed the leadership guide, says the two processes are designed to help congregations look at overall programs and practices and move away from the all-too-common practice of simply evaluating the minister and blaming her or him for the congregation's deficiencies. Says Hurto, "These new tools are focused on what it is we're trying to do together as a congregation."

The Congregational Self-Assessment Packet may be used in any of three ways: as a whole-congregation analysis done every three to five years, as an annual self-assessment as part of a planning retreat of a congregation or its leadership, or as an interactive, Web-based process that permits a congregation to compare itself to other UU and non-UU congregations as part of the "Faith Communities Today" survey the UUA participated in in January 2000.

The Assessing Our Leadership guide is designed to encourage professional development of clergy, staff, and lay leadership, improve the congregation's overall ministry, and promote appropriate accountability on the part of the minister and other staff. It can be completed in two one-day workshops led by an outside facilitator.

Hurto cautions that the leadership guide should not be used as a personnel performance tool to address disgruntlement on the part of one of more members or as a way to find out if your congregation has a problem with the minister. In such cases, speak to the minister, involve the committee on ministry, the personnel committee, and the governing board, and seek help from district staff.

The Congregational Self-Assessment Packet contains three parts. One, the Comprehensive Self-Assessment Process, was developed by the Revs. Lawrence Palmieri Peers and John Buehrens. This process includes a self-assessment form, a congregational profile, and a community interview section.

The self-assessment packet was recommended by the UUA's Fulfilling the Promise Committee as a way for congregations to become more intentional about their strengths and their capacity to fulfill their mission and priorities. Each of its three approaches to self-assessment includes gathering data about the congregation, interpreting that data, and determining implications for the congregation's future. Which of the three approaches a congregation chooses depends on the purpose of the self-assessment and the time a congregation wants to devote to the process. The packet's flexibility makes it useful at different times in a congregation's life and development.

RESOURCES

The Congregational Self-Assessment Packet is on-line at www.uua.org/promise/assessment.pdf and the Assessing Our Leadership guide is at www.uua.org/ministry/assessing.pdf. (These files require Adobe Acrobat to read; click here to download the free software.) Both may also be ordered for $10 from the UUA Department of Ministry, (617) 742-2100, ext. 437; 25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108. District offices will also have these tools.