Reflect. Discern. Serve.
Building on the CORE and ADVANCED Paths of Faith Forward: From Visitor to Leader, the Spiritual LEADERSHIP Path is an opportunity for Unitarian Universalists to take their engagement to the next level and to ground their leadership in a deeper spiritual foundation.
This 8- to 10-month program, designed to be led by a team of clergy, staff, and lay leaders, invites participants into reflection on their gifts and discernment about where and how they can be of service, while grounding them in the practices of spiritual leadership that will help them be successful leaders in our congregations, Unitarian Universalism, and our wider world.
Read more about the impact of the Spiritual Leadership Path and the experiences of participants HERE.
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Spiritual Leadership Path FAQ
What does a subscription include?
Faith Forward Spiritual Leadership Path includes online access to the comprehensive program guide and facilitator guide, as well as all participant handouts.
What level of volunteer and professional staffing is needed to implement this?
It is recommended that the minister of your congregation (if you have one) is involved in the program, as well as any appropriate staff member(s), in addition to a faculty of 4-5 experienced lay leaders. Together this group will serve as an advisory team and will share responsibility for facilitating the retreat and seminars. Some faculty may also choose to mentor participants through the one-on-one check-ins.
Who is the “audience” for the Spiritual Leadership Path?
The ideal Spiritual Leadership Path participant: is engaged and involved in the congregation, has attended Faith Forward classes, has a growth mindset, is spiritually grounded, is self-reflective, and desires to take their service to a deeper level. The Spiritual Leadership Path is designed for those who have attended some or all of the Faith Forward CORE and ADVANCED Path offerings, and/or those who are already grounded in Unitarian Universalism and involved in the congregation. The program is appropriate both for people who are not yet in leadership roles and for those who are already in leadership roles and would benefit from taking their leadership to the next level. The ideal number of participants is 12-15.
What is the structure of the Spiritual Leadership Path?
The Spiritual Leadership Path can be offered on two different schedules depending on what works best for your congregation - January through August, or August through May. It begins with identifying and inviting participants to apply. Participants and facilitators meet for an Opening Retreat, and then engage in 7 seminars, share their final projects in small groups, and conclude with a celebration and conversation about next steps. Seminars are ~3 hours long and cover a variety of topics: theological reflection, covenant, self-awareness, unconscious bias and cultural humility, systems theory, group discernment, leadership stories and testimonies. There is pre-work for each seminar, which helps participants prepare for what’s next and go deeper into what they’ve already done. Participants also have the opportunity for two one-on-one check-ins over the course of the program.