Cottage Party Notes 8
Worship
• I look forward to the order/structure, it’s comforting
• Prelude is supposed to be calming, but people talking
• More spontaneity in service structure
• Don’t like applause “shatters” Want a more calming sense
• Want to hear more discussion on God & Jesus
• Worship that opens/expands the heart
• Want more lay involvement with different families coming up and doing the readings
• Want harmonious singing bowls; 1 deeply resonating bowel vs multiple bowls
• Being still
• Less yacking during prelude
• Increase liveliness of music; don’t know how to get people into it; want music to engage us more; singing should be a joyful act, music that is more from the heart
• Alice Parker come & do a workshop!
• Fewer (verbal) announcements; already have written announcements

Diversity
• Attract and retain African-Americans; blind
• Diversity offers enrichment; how will we connect this to meaningful relationships? How to build bridges across differences
• Want it to be enriching, but not stretched to the point of too much discomfort
• Diversity is not a big concern; we’re an open community

Spiritual development & RE Programming
• Like small group discussions like this; bring to forefront core values & beliefs
• Want a balance between task oriented committees & opportunities to discuss values & beliefs in small groups
• Yearn for time to participate in courses – early AM? Lunch?
• Yearn for deeper spiritual practices; lots of variety in programs but not a lot of depth or continuity
• I love the offerings in the spiritual development booklet

Community
• Bring a friend
• I like interaction with other congregations – MA Bay District
• Sister-brother relationship with local churches
• Want to know how other UU congregations are working with issues that we are dealing with
• More congregational involvement in planning social justice Sundays
• Gay marriage; fabulous full page ad with all MA UU ministers’ signatures; powerful
- posted by Bruce Hoppe @ 2:58 PM