Beloved Conversations Goals

Beloved Conversations (BC) Team 

Members: Tim Dawson, Janie Elliott, Jennifer McGlothin, Patricia Murray, Carol Slomksi, Cori Vipperman

Goals

Education

  • Provide programs and educational resources that encourage members to participate in the transformation of Sunnyhill into a Beloved Community.
    1. Examples can include Books or Documentaries for individual or group consumption, calendar of regional activities, and more in partnership with the Sunnyhill Social Justice Team
    2. Annually Organize two church wide events focused on ARAOMC (Anti-racist, anti-oppression, multicultralism)

Policies

  • Support the assessment of Sunnyhill’s policies and practices.
    1. Develop a toolkit of resources, drawn from the Beloved Conversations Curriculum, that the BC team can use to work in partnership with Sunnyhill leaders to assess programs.
    2. Membership and Social Justice are the areas of focus chosen by the BC team. Given that, we suggest beginning assessment by working with Bethany Thornton, Membership/Outreach manager, to review member acquisition and retention processes and practices to identify if processes and practices  foster an ARAOMC community . Where not, prioritize areas for change and explore options for change. What we learn from this first assessment will allow us to revise our toolkit.

Community Partners

  • Partner with BIPOC organizations (for example, a BIPOC church) or organizations with diverse partners (substantial participation from BIPOC organizations) and a clear mission of acting on issues of justice and fairness (for example, PIIN). The goal of this partnership is both accountability and action.

Covenant

  • Building covenanting into each goal Education, Policy, and Community Partners 
  • Assist in developing a Congregational Covenant for Sunnyhill.
  • Clarify how we are to be in “right relationship” with one another. (We should be welcoming, respectful, and friendly to all—members, visitors, children and youth, staff).
  • Develop strategies for bringing members back into covenant. (This would include a process for members to share concerns and a process for following through on concerns and working towards positive change.)