UUCB Ministerial Search Committee Covenant

We, the members of the Ministerial Search Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, hereby covenant to:

Respect and support each other by

• attending all meetings punctually, as much as it is possible;
• communicating early and often;
• listening to each other, working to understand each other, and offering advice when it is asked for;
• buoying each other up through the challenges we face in this task and elsewhere in our lives; and sharing the burdens, taking care to not let each other overcommit;

Honor our UUCB covenant, especially by

• trusting each other, assuming good intentions;
• honoring our differences, and 
• seeking and granting forgiveness;

Respect the privacy of the committee and the confidentiality of the information we are privy to;

Honor our covenant with the congregation and amplify our effectiveness and connectedness by 

• communicating early and often, for optimum transparency, checking for understanding (note: this can be balanced with the need for confidentiality);
• conducting as much fair and equitable outreach as possible to encourage the congregation to engage with us;
• being mindful of the needs not only of the current congregation but of past members and of future congregations; and
• being willing to ask for help, making use of the diversity of skills and resources that the congregation has to offer;

Approach our task with flexibility and creativity, 

• supporting each other in identifying biases, and
• keeping an open mind as to what is possible; 

Avoid perfectionism, keep a sense of humor, and make space for moments of joy; and 

Remember that our covenant is a living document that is open to being changed as needed and is worthy of continual care and review.