I look to lift from Rick Warren and his copyrighted "Purpose Driven Church" to spin these ideas into something that fits within our UU scenario here in Fort Lauderdale. I have added notes to some of the topic areas and left others open:

Cause and purpose are not the same thing. We can pursue our causes or aspects of a cause and still share a common purpose.

Part One - Seeing the Big Picture.

a. Why Are We Here?

     Some want to do something on Sunday morning.

     Some are in transition.

     Some are on a spiritual journey.

     Some are seeking community.

     Some want religious training for their children.

     Some support an unpopular cause.

     Some have nowhere else to go.

b. How Our Visitors See Us?

c. UU Myths about Growing Churches.

d. What Others Say About Church Growth.

     We live in a time of growing social diversity and change. We have four generations with differing expectations. We see economic swings, lost careers and savings, and an assault upon civil rights. These could be opportunities for us.

Part Two - Becoming a Purpose-Driven Church.

a. What Drives Our Church?

b. How Might We Define Our Common Purposes?

     The purpose of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Lauderdale is to provide an environment for personal growth including spiritual, emotional, intellectual and philosophical exploration.

     We serve as an extended family to one another and to our children, each of us learning to appreciate our own value so that we can go forth in the world with a reservoir of hope.

     We adhere to the general Unitarian Universalist principles of reason, freedom, tolerance and love.

     We accept and encourage our diversity, while affirming and celebrating our individuality.

     We foster a sense of social justice, individually and as a community, and we reach out to those in need.

                  ‑‑Our Mission Statement adopted January 17, 1994

c. How Might We Communicate Our Common Purposes?

     What messages do we send already on Sunday morning, in our newsletter, on our website, in the press, and when we answer the phone?

d. How Might We Shape Our Organization around Our Common Purposes?

     For decades, we have averaged about twenty committees with many having only one or two members.

e. How Might We Apply Our Common Purposes?

f. Who Is Our Target?

     Those called "unchurched" have no current membership in any congregation. We do not grow our denomination by stealing members from the Boca Fellowship, River of Grass or Hollywood. The members at Unity, Science of the Mind, and First Congregational already have a church.

Part Three - Reaching Out to Our Community.

a. Knowing Whom We Can Best Reach.

b. Developing Our Strategy.

Part Four - Bringing In A Crowd.

a. On Sunday Morning We Can Show Who We Are.

b. Designing a Seeker-Sensitive Service.

c. Reviewing Our Music.

d. Sunday Topics for the Unchurched.

e. Our Other Twenty-Seven Points of Entry.

     Wednesday Study, Buddhists, CUUPS, Humanists, Interweave, AA, Music Programs, Folk Concerts, Labyrinth, Work Days, Coffee Ministry, Film Group, Committee Meetings, Eating Out, Weddings, Funerals, Cooperative Feeding Community Work, Empty Bowls, Young Minds In Fellowship, SUUSI, SWIM, Website - CUUrious-CUUrier, Rummage Sale, Building Tenants, Pot Luck Dinners, Wednesday Noon Brown Bag Lunch, Book Discussions.

Part Five - Building Up The Church.

a. Turning Attenders into Members.

     The Purpose-Driven Church folk talk a lot about members seeking "meaningful involvement." They talk about planting seeds and then stepping back and waiting for the time to harvest.

b. Developing Mature Members.

     Perhaps a "mature member" understands something of our history and our structure and understands how we get things done by working together.

c. Mixing the Cement that holds a Congregation Together.

     Clergy, Lay Leaders and dazzling services can only do so much. How do we transform members into the cement that binds the newcomers?

d. Revisiting the Common Purposes of Our Church.

Reading List:

1. William Bridges, Managing Transition: Making the Most of Change.

2. William Bridges, Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes.

3. Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?

4. Howard Hanchey, Survival to Celebration: Leadership for the Confident Church.

5. George G. Hunter, III, Church for the Unchurched.