Committee on Shared Ministry

The mission of the Committee on Shared Ministry (COSM) is to support healthy communication among the members of our congregation as well as between the congregants and staff (see our Covenant of Healthy Relationships below). Mostly we serve as a conduit and sounding board; we receive appreciations, feedback, and concerns from anyone at USSB. You can find us at the COSM table during coffee hour in the garden, or online.

First and foremost we listen carefully. Next, we support you in passing your information on to appropriate person(s). Often we will ask you to write your information and questions on a “A Note to COSM” form so that our communication is clear. Rev. Julia and COSM read and discuss these forms at our monthly meeting, and then a COSM member or staff will personally follow up with you on the results of our discussion.

We are caring listeners and dedicated communicators. Come see us! We want to get to know you. COSM this year includes: Nancy Beisser, Sally Faulstich, Eric Kruger, Kate Mead, Gail Stichler, and Maurice Wada.

Click here for a downloadable form to print and fill out at home. You may then bring it to USSB to give to one of us at the COSM table during coffee hour on Sunday, drop it off in the envelope outside of Rev. Julia’s office door, or mail it to the USSB office at 1535 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101.

Or you may fill out a confidential online form below:

A Note to COSM

    The Committee on Shared Ministry (COSM) is interested in supporting healthy communication in our congregation. If there is an appreciation, a concern, or another important piece of feedback that you would like to share with our leadership, please let us know. A member of the COSM team will follow up with you soon.

    What is your appreciation/comment/concern?

    Name (required):

    Best way to contact you:

     

    Covenant of Healthy Relationships

    Being mindful of how we communicate with and about others, we will:

    • Listen actively
    • Seek to understand the perspectives of others
    • Attend to the impact of our intentions, words, and actions

    When conflicts arise, in order to pursue a peaceful and constructive path to resolution, we will:

    • If possible, communicate directly with the person(s) involved. If safety is a concern or if help is needed, consult the Committee on Shared Ministry as a resource to support communication and resolution
    • Stay engaged with the process of addressing harm, repairing relationship, and establishing a resolution to the conflict
    • Explore solutions through mutual learning and respect, trusting in others whose truths are based on their own lived experiences

    Celebrating the diversity within our community, we will:

    • Recognize and honor the variety of beliefs and spiritual paths within our community, including the words and ways others express their spirituality
    • Honor the contributions of those who have been historically marginalized in the larger world and in our congregation

    This Covenant of Healthy Relationships, grounded in the principles and values of this congregation and our Unitarian Universalist tradition, upholds the foundation of our community at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara and our commitment to one another as members of this community. Our goal is to be a safe and inspirational place in which we, as individuals and as a congregation, can live out our spiritual journeys.

    Adopted October 2022