Last spring when LREDA announced the inception of the LREDA grants funded by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Shelter Rock (NY) to support other congregations in bringing compensation of religious educators up to guidelines, I was delighted.

In my congregation, two years of intensive conversation around fair and just compensation had led to the development of a staff compensation and benefits committee. They were ready to move to the next level of engagement -- actively pursuing funding -- after recognizing the call to practice justice and equity "at home" with fair compensation practices in our own congregation.

Then I went to General Assembly and attended the informational session sponsored by the LREDA Grant Committee, acquired an application for a grant, and just about went into despair. It was a book! And I was about to go home and pass it to already overworked and overwhelmed volunteers. One more thing I was asking them to do. I went ahead and did it anyway. And in the hands of this small group of people, it became much more than another task to perform. It pushed us to examine and reflect upon the relationship of the community with not only the religious educator but with religious education.

It caused us to examine our intentions toward the next generation of Unitarian Universalists and it challenged us to explicitly name the values of our faith community. In reviewing and assessing and introspecting, something more than a bid for dollars emerged. The something that we all must name and claim to participate fully and wholly in our ministries to one another and the world at large. An honest look at our commitments, how far we've come, and how far we've yet to go.

In this experience, I have discovered (as have others) that the process itself is a valuable outcome. Even if you feel your congregation is not ready to apply, remember it isn't just about dollars! It's about mission and vision and a plan for the next generation of Unitarian Universalists -- the way we live now and the future to which we aspire.