Misson Matters

Interfaith United (IU) was born in June 2020, the merger of Interfaith Affiliations of Brevard, Interfaith Connections, and United in Thanksgiving. Individually and collectively, these organizations had accomplished a great deal; bringing together community and faith leaders to celebrate their differences, while uniting in the common purpose of community service. To move boldly forward as a new organization, they first wanted to get clear on their mission—an essential foundation for any nonprofit.

I met regularly with a steering team of board members and the organization’s own steering team members to discuss the purpose, role and vision for Interfaith United. Our main tool for data collection was a series of three focus groups, held on Zoom for 90 minutes each. The participants were community and faith leaders from Brevard County who had engaged in Interfaith United programming or who were involved with one of the three groups that had merged to form IU. The two main themes that emerged in the focus groups were: authentic interpersonal connections and putting faith into action.

Guided by the focus group data, I presented Interfaith United with three draft mission statements for consideration. The IU board reviewed and discussed the statements and voted to adopt the following:

Interfaith United builds bridges of understanding by connecting diverse people and beliefs through learning and service.

With the mission as its foundation, Interfaith United is well-positioned to continue to be a force for good in the community and to serve as a model for how individuals and groups of different faith backgrounds can come together for a common purpose and make a difference in the world.

What Barbara Vennman, Board Chair, had to say about our work together: “On behalf of Interfaith United, I am grateful for the process that Dr. Gilbert created to guide our Steering Team toward the creation of a new mission statement. Dr. Gilbert’s expertise, knowledge and insights enabled us to learn from her and from one another, and she was a joy to work with. The focus groups provided for open-hearted dialog and reminded us all why we love this organization and why our mission is so important.”

To learn more about Interfaith United, click here.