Since 2002 this congregation has seen:
- Forty percent growth in membership
- Sunday attendance nearly doubled
- Annual budget nearly doubled
- Average pledge nearly doubled (from less than $800/yr. to over $1,700/yr.)
- Canvass in 2007 put us in the top 10% of UU congregations for average giving!
- Internship Program – a recognized Teaching Congregation (Five completed)
- CORE Circles (Small Group Ministry – 16 active groups)
- Two Sunday Services
- Welcoming Congregation (WC), 1st in country to do “Beyond WC”
- Added 2nd Christmas Eve service
- Interfaith Hospitality Network Congregation,
- Hosted four national conferences
- Standing on the Side of Love at the Capitol building (Four times)
- Finding Yourself at First Unitarian sessions
- Generations series of Sunday services
- Outstanding Music Program
- Third Sunday offering
- Elevator built!
- The North end of the basement renovated (Multi-Purpose Room)
- De-centralized authority structure, policy rather than personality driven
- Committee on Ministry better defined
- Creation of policies for Conflict Resolution, Disruptive Behavior, Safety, etc.
- New By-Laws adopted for the first time since 1956!
- Communications policies
- Clarity and a budget for The Program Council
- Completion of Financial Manual (first time in history of FUSD)
- Creation of Long Range Plan
- Creation of Personnel Manual (First time in the history of First Unitarian)
- Vastly improved job definitions for all staff, including regular evaluations
- Addition of Bookkeeper
- Addition of Building Superintendent
- DRE funded year-round in 2006, recommended compensation guidelines met
- Religious Exploration safety procedures, background checks, etc. implemented
- Over 100 students are registered in Religious Exploration (first time in decades!)
- Religious Exploration in the summer
- OWL, Coming of Age, Peace Camp, more…
- Secret Pals program
- YRUU partnership with Urban Peak
- Project Home, Just Marriage Project, Accessibility, Green Sanctuary, Emergency Shelter
- Monthly meals for New Genesis transitional program
- Accessibilities Task Force
- Addictions Ministry
- Young Adult Group
- New web presence, audio services and sermons online. New Facebook fan page, the largest in the MDD
- A regular weekly newsletter (FirstAnnounce) that reaches over 1100 people (and growing)..
