Our Mission is to:

• Nurture a loving, respectful religious community
• Inspire spiritual growth
• Act for social justice

Unitarian Universalism is a “covenantal religion” meaning that we covenant together to affirm and promote certain purposes and principles as worthy in and of themselves rather than deriving them from a special text, person or hierarchy. Accordingly, our High Plains Church Unitarian Universalist congregation has it’s own covenant indicating who we are and why we join together. This includes our Covenant of Respectful Relations which guides how we create a loving and respectful community.

Our Vision indicates what our over-reaching goal is for ourselves and others, and our Mission tells how we will accomplish our aspirations and guides our day to day activities. Finally, our web banner slogan summarizes our support for individuals as they develop their own personal spiritual practice and reflects the timeless symbolism of the mountain, in our case Pikes Peak, signifying both the presence and search for spiritual connection.

HPCUU Covenant on Respectful Relations

Respectful relations are essential to the health and welfare of our church. The well-being, strength, and reputation of our church depend on a sense of fellowship among members, friends, and staff, which thrives in an atmosphere of trust, respect, and cooperation. Within this atmosphere, differences of opinion and their resolution through compromise or consensus enhance a sense of community. Although differences and disagreements occur, it is essential that our beloved community promote constructive relationships among ourselves. For these purposes, the members, friends, and staff of High Plains Church Unitarian Universalist covenant to support and practice the ideals of our beloved community in the spirit of respect, integrity, responsibility, openness, transparency, and commitment to the democratic process.

We covenant to treat one another with respect by:

• Being pleasant and welcoming,
• Speaking with care and compassion,
• Honoring the dignity of all,
• Seeing others’ points of view,
• Working together honestly and tactfully,
• Listening actively assuming good intent,
• Agreeing to disagree without recrimination,
• Appreciating commonalities as well as differences, and
• Considering differing backgrounds and spiritual journeys of others.

We covenant to behave with integrity and responsibility by:

• Keeping commitments,
• Being honest,
• Sharing opinions fully, directly, and respectfully,
• Avoiding triangulation,
• Critiquing situations rather than criticizing others,
• Engaging in collaborative problem solving, and
• Participating in the work of the church.

We covenant to cultivate openness and transparency by:

• Making congregational activities safe places for open discourse,
• Engaging in “courageous conversations,”
• Being open to all input and opinions,
• Communicating directly with those who may be affected by decisions and actions,
• Keeping abreast of what is happening in the church, and
• Providing frequent and timely information to members and friends.

We covenant to make decisions through the democratic process by:

• Cultivating a belief that group decision making is genuinely for the best,
• Considering feedback and ideas from those who may be affected by decisions,
• Supporting our system of governance by participating,
• Acknowledging that some decisions are appropriately made by leadership and staff to faithfully carry out our mission, and
• Supporting consensus and democratically made decisions.