The 2022 budget that was approved by the congregation on January 30, included a $7,000 allocation to the Respond to Racism team. Why so much money? The money will be used to provide training from an outside consultant who will help us address our #1 goal: To build our individual and collective consciousness around race and racism, and to examine our implicit biases and areas of privilege.
Consultants who specialize in implicit bias and other aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion expertise are in high demand. We hope to hold a one-day retreat in the fall for lay leaders and staff. The outcome of the training will help us discern where we need to focus our attention and efforts to grow into a community who makes decisions that honor diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We also intend to offer an opportunity for the congregation to participate in the United Church of Christ curriculum on systemic racism, "White Privilege: Let's Talk--A Resource for Transformational Dialogue." Our tentative plan is to integrate the curriculum into a worship/study series in the fall of 2022.
If you have any questions, please reach out to any member of the R2R team. Team members include Bob Abbey, Barbara Cormack, Donna Fowler, Paul Griffo, Sia Linstrom, Monique Manley-Smith, Nikki Manley-Smith, David Randall-Bodman, and Nancy Winston. We welcome the opportunity to discuss and share our efforts.