I hate meetings, as a rule. As a bigtime Meyers-Briggs introvert, working solo is my preferred mode. (Probably explains why I try to find a seat in the uncrowded rear of GA plenary sessions.)

So imagine my surprise when a strategic planning meeting at my church last night turned out to be not only productive, but spiritual as well. Two of the four of us had attended GA, and not only mentioned it in our check-in but also referred to it throughout the meeting. Of particular value was the model of Moderator Gini Courter, who is the Pablo Casals of meetings. Gini’s annual Moderator’s Reports over the years have been instructive and inspiring, but this year’s really opened my eyes and heart to the centrality of governance to the UU faith and movement.

Meetings matter. How we recruit, train and support lay leaders matters, and should not be left to chance. Our strategic planning team is charged with listening to the dreams of staff, leadership, members and friends and crafting our next 5-year strategic plan. This is holy work.

More as I think this through…