Right Relationship Committee

Your Right Relationship Committee (RRC) is a group of lay church members who covenant to help each of us in the congregation to practice faithful communication and creative navigation of conflict based on the UU values of mutuality and respect.  

We seek not only to promote and enhance right relationship at UUCA, but also to be “tenders” of covenant for the congregation. It is useful to understand that covenant is the Latin for “come together,” and means a “solemn agreement” or “promise from the heart.” A healthy congregation lives in covenant when we live our UU values as a positive force, especially amid inevitable disagreement and, at times, conflict between people or within a group.

RRC purpose and limitations

As a team, we have been chartered by the Board of Trustees to:

• Facilitate the well-being of the UUCA Community by fostering covenantal community and creatively engaging in conflicts between members of the congregation. 
• Be visible and available as a listening ear and facilitator so when an interpersonal conflict arises, congregants can seek support and advice. 
• Help support the congregation’s overall health by fostering an understanding of covenants and covenantal practices, different approaches to engaging in conflict, and the supports available within UUCA to form covenants, address concerns, and navigate conflict.
• Support a vision of a restorative culture, of how we want to be with one another in our congregation, within covenant.
• Offer conflict engagement training and other learning opportunities around healthy communication and navigating, in positive ways, the tensions inevitable in growth.

Members of RRC focus only on providing support with interpersonal conflicts between congregants or within small groups at UUCA.: The RRC does carry certain limitations to our role; the following situations require alternate resources:

• Conflicts within the Board (seek UUA resources).
• Conflicts involving ministers or staff (to be sent to the person directly, their supervisor, or the personnel committee, or Board).
• Conflicts that trigger the Disruptive Behavior Policy (directed according to the policy).
• Conflicts that trigger our Safer Congregation Policies and Practices Guidelines (directed to the Safer Congregations team).
• Conflicts within the wider congregation (best supported by resources outside the congregation or a specific reconciliation team).
• The RRC does not provide marital or other family conflict resolution services.

For further details, refer to the (LINK)Right Relationship Committee Charter (dated March 2024). 

RRC Confidentiality

Conversations between congregants and members of the RRC are confidential. Details are not to be shared outside of RRC members without the explicit permission of the person(s) involved in the conversation. 

Exceptions to this confidentiality include cases that might involve criminal activity, imminent or likely risk of danger to self or to others including abuse or maltreatment of a child or other vulnerable person.

UUCA Congregational Covenant

• Honesty and authenticity in our relationships.
• Words that are supportive and caring not belittling or demeaning.
• A welcoming and nonjudgmental attitude.
• Respect for each person’s boundaries of mind, body, and spirit.
• Listening to one another.

How do I contact the RRC?

The RRC is available to any person or group associated with UUCA to offer advice on healthy communication, creative conflict engagement and restorative practices.    Please follow the link to our User Guide: (LINK)Pathway to Right Relationship in Times of Conflict. 

You may reach the RRC by way of our email (rightrelationship@uuannapolis.org). A member of the committee will contact you for an initial exploratory conversation.