Our Covenant
First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans Covenant of Right Relationship
We want our faith community to be a safe and loving one, a place where we acknowledge our fears and vulnerabilities, and share our authentic selves. Each of us is an ever-changing river, always on the way to becoming our best selves.We have learned that to create such a community, it is necessary to cultivate trust and skillful communication, and to be aware that each of us is shaped by our experiences with privilege and oppression. Reflecting on this wisdom,
We covenant to:
Be open to risk and vulnerability, and trust others to do the same,
Trust that others have good intentions,
Take responsibility for our actions and feelings,
Recognize that our intent can be different from our impact,
Resolve to act in ways that convey our good intent to others,
Learn and grow with one another,
Listen with our whole hearts and speak from the heart,
Endeavor to connect with people in a personal and genuine way,
Be honest, direct, and kind with each other,
Seek to stay in relationship, especially during conflict,
Acknowledge and celebrate our differences,
Act in a way that promotes justice and peace in relations with others,
Commit to continually resist the impacts of privileges we all have, and
Dismantle oppression and build justice.
We promise to call each other back into this covenant as needed and to help everyone be their best selves.
We do not covenant to be perfect.
We covenant that if you come here with an open mind, a loving heart, and willing hands, you are indeed welcome here.
Our central question is not 'What do we believe?' but rather 'What values will we uphold and how will we do this together?' Our covenant, the promises we make to each other in regarding how to we will be a community of faith, is at the heart of what it means to be Unitarian Universalist.
Our central question is not 'What do we believe?' but rather 'What values will we uphold and how will we do this together?' Our covenant, the promises we make to each other in regarding how to we will be a community of faith, is at the heart of what it means to be Unitarian Universalist.