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Key
Themes from the Congregational Workshops
(red
denotes suggestions from the edmonton workshop.)
1. What are your deepest yearnings?
* Peace for my Self
* Peace for my family
* Peace in my community
* Peace in the world
* Community/Connection with the Self
* Community/Connection with others
* Community/Connection with creation/Spirit/the divine
* To love and be loved
* To find purpose and meaning
* To be of use / make a positive change in the world
Celebration
To "Be"
Acceptance
Sustainable
world
Spiritual/religious
community
2. How would someone
know that a given value was a value of yours?
* A life of integrity (interpreted as: walk the talk; live
your values; conscious living)
* Working for peace and justice locally, globally
* Generosity, compassion, honesty
3. What is your
personal ministry?
* Helping/supporting other
people -- emotionally, spiritually, practically &
financially
* Teaching
* Environmental stewardship
* Promoting, building, fostering healthy, sustainable
communities
Ministry to Self
Evangelism
Passion
4. What would be missing from your life if there
was no U*Uism or if you had not encountered it?
* A religious/spiritual
community
* A community and a deep sense
of belonging
* Safe opportunities for personal growth -- spiritual,
intellectual, social (e.g. leadership)
* A place of common values that honours diversity and
inclusiveness
Freedom to
risk
Humanism
Reason
Understanding/thinking
5. What can U*Us do for Canada and the World?
* Radical acceptance of all
* A celebration of diversity
* An alternative to the mainstream religious / spiritual
path
* A commitment to act for justice & peace
* A commitment to
collaborative processes
Spiritual home
Personal
responsibility
Comments:
"Core of all Religion" & "Our
saints are their heretics"
6. What are the shared values
and loyalties that bind us together as U*Us in Canada and
make us unique?
* Our commitment to
being an inclusive and tolerant spiritual community (Beyond
"tolerance" to "acceptance, welcoming and celebration" or
"positive appreciation")
* Affirmation of the inherent worth and dignity of
everyone
* A world view with global responsibilities & a
preference for action
* A commitment to democracy and the democratic process
* An approach to truth as being fluid and evolving
* Freedom to question, to believe and to act
* Drawing inspiration from
many sources
* Valuing of the "good of
the greater whole" (more than individualism)
* Connection with / reverence for the natural world
(environment)
"Communitarian"
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