Our Covenant of Right Relations helps us to deepen our bonds with one another. It inspires us to act with love and compassion in our daily lives. We expect this covenant to be challenging, but we also expect it to strengthen our relationships and to deepen our sense of community.
We will communicate with and about each other in an open, kindly and respectful manner by
Listening mindfully with open minds and hearts
Not making assumptions. Checking out what we think we heard
Speaking from our own experience using ‘I’ statements rather than ‘you’ statements
Talking with and to people rather than about each other
Challenging and debating ideas respectfully and constructively
Allowing time for each person to speak
Communicating with others as clearly as we can, to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama
We will seek peaceful and constructive resolutions when conflicts arise by:
- Avoiding taking things personally or making assumptions
- Remembering that what others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dreams
- Forgiving ourselves and others and inviting people back into covenant with each other after a disagreement
- Saying I’m sorry
- Staying connected through difficult moments, trusting that we are each doing our best
We will work together for the common good of our beloved community by
Watching for opportunities to offer praise and thanks
Providing opportunities for us to have fun together
Pledging not only to tolerate but also to respect, honour and celebrate our diversity
Sharing the work of our community with our time and resources as we are able to
Regularly reminding each other of the covenant we have made with each other
We freely enter into our Covenant of Right Relations and we agree to honour its spirit. We promise to help each to uphold our covenant.
Our Covenant of Right Relations is intended to be a living document. It was posted on June 25th, 2017. As we attempt to live our covenant, we expect to discover new truths and better ways of working together. We will periodically incorporate new insights into the Covenant that better meet the needs of our congregation, our community and the larger world.
Have a question?
Get in touch today and we will be happy to assist with any of your queries.