HUCC Community Covenant

With Gods help, we covenant with one another…
…to build one another up in love.

I will actively seek the beauty of God’s design in each individual who enters this community.

I will look for and celebrate all that has been done well before criticizing what doesn’t suit me. I will walk with a congregation member in pain.
I will celebrate with a congregation member who is experiencing a victory.

I will continue to live out the Open and Affirming statement of Holladay UCC, celebrating rather than fearing the diversity of gender, age, race, ethnic origin, religious background, physical and mental ability, and sexual orientation that is the human race.

I will continue to live out the Statement of Identity of Holladay UCC. I will commit to exploring what it means to be a Whole Earth church…. to learn new ways of trust

I will learn to trust that other members of the congregation are capable of carrying out a project.

I will learn to trust that the leaders are making the best possible decision with the information given them.

I will learn to trust that the pastors have the best interest of the congregation in the forefront of all decisions made.

With Gods help, we covenant with one another…
… to find balance in our commitments.

I agree to say no to any project or activity that I feel I cannot commit to fully.

I agree to work diligently on those projects or activities which I take on.

I agree to ask for help when I find myself overcommitted.

I agree to offer help rather than complain when a project is not running according to my schedule. I agree to lay aside both guilt and blame for the sake of building a stronger community.

I agree to respect and support the efforts of leaders, pastors and other congregation members to balance their time.

With Gods help, we covenant with one another…
…to improve our communication.

I will take responsibility for reading bulletin announcements, Tidings articles and Email communications so that I will be further informed about programs. I will take responsibility for making sure announcements regarding the activities I coordinate are placed in the bulletin, in Tidings and on Email.

I will actively explore new ways to let others know what’s happening at Holladay UCC. I will take my questions and concerns directly to the person or persons involved rather than making assumptions.

With Gods help, we covenant with one another…
…to face conflicts openly and with respect.

I will take my questions and concerns directly to the person or persons involved rather than allowing anger and frustration to build amongst a small group of people.

I will not “let it slide” or “brush it under the rug” when a problem needs to be openly discussed. I will remind myself that each member of this congregation is a child of God, whether s/he agrees with me or not. I will allow myself a cooling-off period so that an issue can be discussed rationally and respectfully. I will respectfully decline participation in conversations which tear another down or assign blame to someone not present. I will speak only for myself in conflict situations. I will listen mindfully.

With God’s help, we covenant with one another…
… to look honestly at our history so that wounds of the past may be healed and conflicts reconciled.

I will celebrate fully and without reserve the ministry done by Holladay UCC these past fifty years.

I will open myself to hear and acknowledge the mistakes made throughout that history.

I will resist the temptation to block dialogue about uncomfortable times in the history of the church.

I will resist the temptation to assign guilt or blame to another for past conflicts.

I will do all that is within my power to reconcile with persons with whom I have had strong disagreements in the past.

I am entering into this covenant freely and will strive to live it out as fully as I am able, with the help of God and the support of the community. Further, I will support others as they seek to do the same.

According to past moderator Glen Brown, this covenant was originally drafted in 2004-2005 when Rev. Jill Warner worked with us as an intentional interim.  The idea was to create a behavioral covenant to guide the community through difficult times. In 2020, bridge pastor Rev. Marijke Rossi guided us through a digital discussion of this covenant.


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