UCC Collegium aims for 'Big Holy Audacious Goals'

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

UCC Collegium aims for 'Big Holy Audacious Goals'

> Written by Jeff Woodard
> July 4, 2011

You can do worse than aspire to a ?B-HAG.?

And ?1? might not be the loneliest number after all.

Such was the gist of the encouragement and

enlightenment delivered Monday morning by the
Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, UCC general minister and
president, to General Synod 28 delegates and
visitors at the GMP/Collegium of Officers
presentation in the plenary hall of the Tampa Convention Center.

Referring to the popular business acronym for
"Big Hairy Audacious Goals (B-HAGs)," Black said,
"You know how we are at the United Church of
Christ ? we got a hold of that, and said, 'Well,
that isn?t quite right for us. Let?s make it Big Holy Audacious Goals.'  "

"These B-HAGs are only a part of what the

church?s organization or vision should include,"
said Black. "I like to remind myself that we tend
to do that which we intend to do."

One such intention is the Mission1 initiative for
the first 11 days of this coming November. From
11-1-11 to 11-11-11, the UCC plans a coordinated
mission campaign to gather more than 1 million
food and household items for local food banks. In
addition, its 5,300 congregations will advocate
for hunger-related causes worldwide.

Black also laid out a five-part series of goals ?
"still in draft form, we're still working on
them" ? about what the UCC is and what it will
become. The goals are for the UCC to be:

A growing church, a growing movement ? to be
conversant with all faith traditions; to be
spiritual and missional about our capacity to serve God

Widely recognized witness for peace,

justice, equality and inclusivity; ?we will do
this unashamedly, unapologetically and without fear.?

A catalyst for excellent leadership in every setting of ministry

> An environmental steward central to our
> understanding and practice of Christian faith

> Relevant to and reflective of the age and
> racial/ethnic demographics of this nation

"These BHAGs will set the stage for the more
practical world of strategic planning," said
Black. "We need to take our goals and turn them
into plans that are measurable and for which we
can be held accountable to you. This is the time
to become completely engaged in making this the
church that God has called us to be."

Preceding Black to the podium were the three
outgoing members of the Collegium, each stressing
the importance of part of the UCC's overarching
mission: "Continuing Testament. Extravagant Welcome. Changing Lives."

"Continuing testament is evidenced in our

StillSpeaking Daily Devotionals, it's visible in
our UCC seminaries and through our leaders," said
the Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, whose term is ending
as executive ministries for Wider Church
Ministries and co-executive of Global Ministries.
"God's continuing testament is not etched in
tablets forever, but written on our hearts."

Edith Guffey, leaving in her role as associate
general minister of the Office of General
Ministries, said, "When I think of extravagant
welcome, I think of more than being nice to
newcomers. I think of the important work that our
church has been engaged in the past century ? to
welcome the stranger, to receive the lost, to
heal the broken and to include the marginalized.
Being ecumenical and interfaith is another way of
expressing this extravagance."

Concluding his term as executive minister of
Local Church Ministries, the Rev. Stephen L.
Sterner pointed to the more than 150 "Changing Lives" videos on ucc.org.

"Some are stories of the ?I once was lost but now
I'm found' genre," said Sterner. "Some are
stories of global partnerships, how they have
crossed borders and offered healing and hope.
Some are stories about how UCC justice work has
helped to make another world possible ? not just
in places like Washington, D.C., but in places
where people find themselves struggling."

The Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, executive minister
for Justice and Witness Ministries, acknowledged
that talking about the UCC's distinctiveness is
not always easy for its members.

"But it's something we really need to get over
and get to peace with," said Jaramillo, "because
in evangelism, in outreach and in fundraising,
the distinctiveness of the United Church of Christ does matter."