United Christian Church of Austin
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  • About Us
    • Mission, Vision, & Values
    • Our History
    • Our Denominations
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Our Beliefs & Practices >
      • LGBTQ+ Open & Affirming
      • God is Kid-Friendly
      • Racial Justice
      • Abuse Prevention
  • Worship
    • Bulletin
    • Worship
  • What's Happening
    • Church Calendar
    • Adults
    • Youth
    • Children
  • Give
    • Give Online
    • Give Time & Talent
    • Pledge Online
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Prayer Requests
    • Email Sign-Up
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Request an Event
    • View Social Media >
      • Facebook Page
      • YouTube Channel
      • Instagram Feed
  • Members
    • Media Policy
    • Icon Member Portal
    • Members Website
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What are Holy Converations?

Appreciative inquiry (AI) is a model that seeks to engage stake-holders in self-determined change, and adapted for congregations, we are calling this process "Holy Conversations."  We are seeking to identify the life-giving forces in our congregation and then build upon them for our long-term growth and health, rather than  narrowly tackling each of our "problems" one-by-one, which can hamper our morale and improvement.  Through conversations and positive methods of inquiry, members generate new ideas and models for how to organize. 

What Were the Conversations?

  1. History: What is our history and how has it shaped us?  See completed History Summary
  2. Identity: What is the unique identity of United Christian Church of Austin today? See completed Identity Summary
  3. Vision: What is God's call for us in this next chapter?​    See completed Vision Summary

Why Take the Time to Hold Holy Conversations?

  • Holy Conversations provide the answers to the questions on the congregational profile which is disseminiated to all potential ministerial candidates.
  • Your stories will reveal themes and threads that create our reports, and our reports will create an overdue strategic plan and updated identity statments for a congregational vote.
  • From the forms you complete during or after your conversations, we will collect a wealth of information that will equip our next minister as s/he is getting to know our community members, our history, our identity, and our vision for the future.
  • Our Holy Conversations are meaningful opportunity to build relationships and community.
  • Through this process, we create a positive communal narrative which, in turn, creates a self-fulfilling prophecy and thereby,
  • A more positive future.​

Did Children and Youth Participate?

  • Absolutely! The future of our church is particuarly important to our children and youth, so it's vital we give them a voice.
  • For pre-writers and emerging writers, click the button below download "Holy Conversations for Littles." 
  • For children and youth who can write, click the button below to download "Holy Conversations for Children and Youth."
  • Make sure this activity is actually a conversation with your child or youth about what matters to them about church!
  • ​Youth may also participate in the adult Holy Conversations if they wish.
  • Forms may be printed and returned to the church or scanned and emailed. You can also use your own blank paper or add additional pages!

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Worship at 10 am CST each Sunday in-person and online (email us for link)
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We are proudly affiliated with both the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

3500 West Parmer Lane, Austin, TX 78727 
512-218-8110
Find us on social media on these platforms!
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