Adapted by Carrie Stewart, Southwestern Conference, Southern Region Communications Task Force Member from a presentation created by Southern Region Staff.
“Although churches be distinct, and therefore may not be confounded one with another, and equal, and therefore have not dominion one over another, yet all the churches ought to preserve church communion one with another...”
- Cambridge Platform, Chapter XV, Of the Communion of Churches One with Another, Section 1.
Cluster development is a key part of the work underway as the Districts in the Southern Region continue our work to establish a system to build and nurture dynamic congregations in strong relationships with each other. This work draws from the writings of the Cambridge Platform, which states that churches should cooperate in the following ways:
1. Mutual care and support for the good of the congregation and the advancement of the Faith.
2. Consulting with one another in regard to a church's experience, process, or practice.
3. Admonishing one another.
4. Sharing Elders and professional staff
5. Giving recommendations to members who wish to move to another congregation.
6. Giving financial support to churches in need.
7. Sending Elders to the neighboring churches to introduce themselves.
8. Sending Elders to plant new churches.
Examples of what this cooperation might look like includes collaboration on and examples of practices, processes, policies, and procedures, having a greater social justice presence in a community, having joint leadership trainings, board retreats, teacher trainings, and other events, starting and supporting satellite congregations, sending elders who are experts in different areas between congregations, and supporting youth and young adult programming where critical mass may not exist.
What is a cluster? A cluster is a group of Unitarian Universalists working together in a deep, mutually covenantal relationship that gives individuals and congregations an opportunity to practice our shared Faith. Clusters are intended to be logical, reasonable, and mutually beneficial.
A cluster is NOT a structure simply for the sake of structure, a bureaucracy, or mutually exclusive (a person, group, or church may belong to more than one cluster organization). It is not comprised of coerced relationships (You must “opt-in”), and they do not exist as the “New Districts”.
Geographic clusters are groups or congregations who are located in some proximity to each other.
Networks are groups or congregations who have particular characteristics or needs in common.
It requires time and intentionality to develop a cluster. The continuum of Cluster Development includes:
No affiliation - Congregations and Unitarian Universalists have no affiliation with one another whatsoever. Congregations or Individuals may not be aware there are other churches or groups with whom they may affiliate. Congregations at this phase may or may not participate in the larger Association.
Regional Staff can assist to
- Bring resources to the congregation from the UUA
- Help the congregation understand their relationship with the UUA
- Invite the leaders of the congregations to leadership experiences
- Introduce the leaders in the congregation to other leaders of nearby congregations to begin relationships
Beginning Affiliation - Groups of professionals, generally Ministers and/or Religious Educators, gather on a regular basis to offer collegial support to one another. No other groups or individuals are gathering at this time. If a congregation does not have any religious professionals, they are not present at these gatherings. Congregational leaders are aware that their professional staff are meeting in this manner and are thus aware that there are other congregations in proximity.
Regional Staff can assist to:
- Introduce area professionals to the group and connect professionals to one another.
- Introduce other groups together and provide ideas for reasons to meet.
- Speak at professional retreats about faith development or associational affairs.
- Invite leaders to Leadership Experiences.
- Encourage collaboration between professionals which have benefits outside of their own professional group.
Moderate Affiliation - Religious Professionals gather for more than collegial support. Coordinated efforts exist to provide programming and ministry to congregations. Groups of Lay Leaders meet around common goals or projects (e.g. Social Justice chairs organizing joint public witness opportunities, Presidents gathering for study and leadership training.)Coordinated efforts take the form of events hosted by one congregation but put on jointly by all participating congregations. Successful practices and programs are shared between congregations through Elders.
Regional Staff can assist to:
- Help with budgeting for events and ministries
- Handle registration for events
- Assist with publicity for events
- Aid in communicating with the UUA
- Act as “talent” or assist in locating talent for events
- Encourage Elders to find opportunities to deepen their ministry together
- Invite leaders to Leadership Experiences.
- Provide resources for formalizing the cluster's structure and procedures.
Formal Affiliation - The cluster is a formal entity unto itself. The cluster has obtained 501C-3 status and may collect dues from its member congregations. The cluster is run by a board and may have several teams or task forces that provide programming. The cluster is active in the broader community.
Regional Staff can assist to:
- Connect the cluster with those in the UUA who can assist with legal issues.
- Assist with events in the manner prescribed previously.
- Partner with clusters to provide large-scale programming and events.
- Partner with the cluster's Elders to provide health to the system and high-quality collaboration and communication between congregations.
Elders are necessary to the process of building Clusters as they typically gather for the sake of mutual support and furthering Unitarian Universalism. Elders move between and among congregations or groups, spreading wisdom and maturity through the system and tend to be in relationship to more than one congregation or group and thereby enhance and deepen the relationships between those congregations or groups. Elders, along with regional staff, ministers, religious educators and congregational leaders, together have an opportunity to live into our shared ministry values through cluster development work.
