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Would you know what to do if your congregation’s Sunday morning service was disrupted by people who despised your beliefs? It happened July 20 to the congregation at First Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church of New Orleans. In the middle of a service—during a period of meditation—activists from...
By Donald E. Skinner | August 12, 2014 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Conflict Management in Congregations, Safe Congregations -
There was a time when it was a bit of a challenge to identify Unitarian Universalist congregations with thriving young adult ministries—but not anymore. More and more congregations are getting the hang of young adult ministries, and they have lots to teach the rest of us. The Rev. Annie Gonzalez,...
By Donald E. Skinner | August 1, 2014 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership in Congregations, Young Adult Faith Development (ages 18-35), Career Development for Ministers, Communication, Governance for Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach -
As recently as five or ten years ago, visitors to our congregations showed up full of questions—and brought with them some apprehensions about what Unitarian Universalism might be. Times have changed. Thanks to the Internet and social media, today’s Sunday guests have a pretty good idea of what...
By Donald E. Skinner | April 15, 2014 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership in Congregations, Websites, LGBTQ Welcome & Equality, Communication, Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach -
Over the years congregations have employed various methods to handle complaints from congregants. Many congregations direct complainants to a Ministerial Relations Committee, a Committee on Ministry, or, if a complaint involves a staff member, to speak to that person directly. The Rev. Dr. Daniel...
By Donald E. Skinner | January 1, 2014 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Conflict Management in Congregations, Membership in Congregations, Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations, Leadership Development -
Dr. Wayne Clark, the Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UU's) Congregational Stewardship Network director, gets the question all the time: “What’s the one thing we can do to make our stewardship campaign successful? What’s the secret?” And his answer is always the same. “There is no...
By Donald E. Skinner | October 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Fundraising for Congregations, Membership in Congregations, Career Development for Ministers, Finance for Congregations, Governance for Congregations, Leadership Development -
In the late 1990s the Rev. Dr. Glenn Turner, of Maine, and the Rev. Bob Hill, of Texas, began promoting a novel idea. They proposed that what was missing from many of our congregations was small groups, where people could connect in meaningful ways for “intimacy and ultimacy.” Groups where...
By Donald E. Skinner | September 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Covenant Groups & Small Group Ministry, Membership in Congregations, Leadership Development, Membership Growth & Outreach -
Many Unitarian Universalist congregations rent space in their buildings. Doing so not only helps out the community but gives the congregation some added income. Rentals—whether for weddings, meetings, rehearsals, concerts, Tai Chi sessions, or conferences—also allow the community to get...
By Donald E. Skinner | July 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Fundraising for Congregations, Congregational Administration, Finance for Congregations, Governance for Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach -
Congregations traditionally promote and encourage Unitarian Universalist values through sermons, religious education, and social justice work. Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, Minn., is taking its values to a new level—applying them to the companies that it buys products from. Unity Church...
By Donald E. Skinner | June 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Racial Justice & Multicultural Ministries, Congregational Administration, Finance for Congregations, Governance for Congregations -
When the offering plate comes around on Sunday morning at First Universalist Church of Denver, Colo., many nonprofit groups in the community feel the earth move just a little. This is the third year that the congregation has given its entire offering—every Sunday—to local groups or to support...
By Donald E. Skinner | May 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Fundraising for Congregations, Membership in Congregations, Congregational Administration, Finance for Congregations, Governance for Congregations -
Is it possible to imagine that an armed intruder could show up on Sunday morning at one of our congregations, inflamed about our inclusiveness or a particular justice stance we’ve taken in the community, and proceed to do us harm? It happened in 2008 at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist...
By Donald E. Skinner | April 8, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Conflict Management in Congregations, Facilities Management, Staffing & Supervision, Crisis Planning in Congregations, Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations, Safe Congregations -
A fundraising campaign that began in 1993 at the First Unitarian Society of Wilmington, DE, now the First Unitarian Church, was supposed to be all about raising money for a new building project. But along the way the campaign came to be about more than just First Unitarian....
By Donald E. Skinner | April 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Finance for Congregations, Governance for Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach -
It is, of course, every congregation’s desire to have most of its members actively engaged in personal growth, in deepening their spiritual development and working to improve the larger community and the world. There’s a lot of all of that going on at First Unitarian Church in Dallas, which has...
By Donald E. Skinner | March 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Covenant Groups & Small Group Ministry, High School-Aged Youth Faith Development, Young Adult Faith Development (ages 18-35), Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach, Professional Development for Religious Educators -
If you’re fortunate, you’ll never arrive at your meetinghouse to find your rainbow flag or marriage equality banner ripped, defaced with swastikas, burned, or simply stolen. But what if you do? How should you respond? Late one Saturday afternoon in 2001, at First Parish of Sudbury, Mass., a...
By Donald E. Skinner | February 1, 2013 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Crisis Planning in Congregations, Multiculturalism, Safe Congregations -
As congregations prepare for a new church year, newly elected officers will be taking up responsibilities on governing boards. Here are ten tips to help that work go smoothly, courtesy of the Rev. Ian Evison, Congregational Services director for the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Central...
By Donald E. Skinner | August 1, 2012 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations, Leadership Development -
When the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta created a new volunteer/community building program called http://www.uuca.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/March_Newsletter_WEB-201… in Service, organizers wanted a way to promote it and inspire friends and members to participate. That’s how...
By Donald E. Skinner | May 10, 2012 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership in Congregations, UU History, Communication, Governance for Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach -
When a Unitarian Universalist (UU) group began to form in 2009 in suburban Cincinnati it wasn’t long before its members decided it needed a name. They thought about naming the new congregation for the town where they met, but then they opted for something different. “We noticed all these...
By Donald E. Skinner | February 14, 2012 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Membership in Congregations, Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations, Leadership Development, Membership Growth & Outreach -
When a congregation wants to add a new program, is there an established process to follow? Does it have to have a “champion” before it gets off the ground? How do you put the idea out there to see if people will support it? In short, how should a prospective program be evaluated?
By Donald E. Skinner | February 1, 2012 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Covenant Groups & Small Group Ministry, Membership in Congregations, Communication, Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations, Leadership Development, Membership Growth & Outreach -
When the Rev. Barbara Meyers began a mental health ministry at the Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist (UU) Fellowship in Fremont, Calif., in 2005 it was the only one. Not anymore....
By Donald E. Skinner | November 1, 2011 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership in Congregations, Career Development for Ministers, Multiculturalism, Disability & Accessibility, Support and Caring in Congregations -
This past summer the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, NY, produced a video, “Coming Home,” for its homecoming weekend September 10–11. The 4:09-minute video, a combination rap/music production, captivated the congregation and garnered a lot of attention across the Unitarian Universalist...
By Donald E. Skinner | October 11, 2011 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Communication -
At All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Okla., the theme for the month of January is “Creation.” In February the theme shifts to “Religious Authority.” When March comes around “Redemption” will be taken up. Going out further, Senior Minister the Rev. Marlin Lavanhar knows what themes he...
By Donald E. Skinner | January 1, 2011 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Music in Worship, Career Development for Ministers, Professional Development for Religious Educators -
The Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church of Davis, CA, wanted to find a way six years ago to do two things: Create a worship service that focused on children in worship, and do it in a way that allowed them to move around....
By Donald E. Skinner | January 1, 2011 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Families & Faith Development, Music in Worship -
Is it worth the risk to try something new on Sunday morning? Absolutely, says the Rev. Erika Hewitt. So do the Revs. Mark Belletini and Wayne Arnason. Hewitt, Belletini, and Arnason shared worship experiences at two workshops at General Assembly 2010 in June, and InterConnections All three talked...
By Donald E. Skinner | August 1, 2010 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Music in Worship, LGBTQ Welcome & Equality -
The Rev. Krista Taves believes children belong in worship. With adults. For more than 15 minutes. And for the past three years that’s what has happened at the 100-member Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Ellisville, MO, a suburb of St. Louis. For fully the first half of every service, all...
By Donald E. Skinner | March 1, 2010 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Families & Faith Development, Music in Worship -
One of the first things that visitors see when they walk into the building of the Westside Unitarian Universalist (UU) Congregation in Seattle is Westside’s Covenant of Right Relations. The covenant, a set of guidelines designed to create “a welcoming, respectful, safe, and vibrant spiritual...
By Donald E. Skinner | June 9, 2009 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership in Congregations, Governance for Congregations -
Q: We’re doing some housecleaning at church and we have a question about how long we should be keeping our legal and financial records. Is there a recommended time period that a church should hang onto its financial records? A: This is something each organization needs to decide on its own, says...
By Donald E. Skinner | March 15, 2009 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Records & Security, UU History, Congregational Administration, Governance for Congregations -
Installing a new kitchen range or remodeling your congregation’s kitchen space? Be aware that you may be required to add a range hood with fire suppression features. That’s what the Unitarian Universalist Church in Meriden, CT, found when it redid its converted farmhouse. Such hoods have long...
By Donald E. Skinner | March 15, 2009 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Crisis Planning in Congregations -
What do you do when two Sunday services are not enough? That’s the situation Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist (UU) Fellowship in Appleton, WI (599 members), faced in 2001. Despite two services, the sanctuary and religious education classes were still too full. “We take seriously the rule that...
Leader Resource | By Donald E. Skinner | March 15, 2009 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership Growth & Outreach -
Is the glass half full or half empty? Does economic uncertainty bring only problems, or could it also bring opportunities? Those are questions facing all of us in congregations this fall as markets fluctuate and members see their savings, and maybe even their jobs, in jeopardy....
Leader Resource | By Donald E. Skinner | December 15, 2008 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Finance for Congregations -
Wildfires in California, hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, tornadoes and severe flooding in the Midwest. Is it nature as usual, or is it climate change? Whichever it is, storms seem to be increasing in severity and frequency, and that’s a good reason for congregations to make sure their insurance...
By Donald E. Skinner | September 26, 2008 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Crisis Planning in Congregations, Finance for Congregations, Governance for Congregations -
Sue Parilla, Jefferson Unitarian Church’s (JUC; Golden, CO) volunteer coordinator, helps people find places to connect within the church. “I ask them, ‘What’s missing in your life? What would you like to do here? You came here for a reason. What is it?’” She keeps profiles on each new...
By Donald E. Skinner | March 15, 2008 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Membership in Congregations, LGBTQ Welcome & Equality, Congregational Administration, Membership Growth & Outreach, Support and Caring in Congregations -
Congregational leaders wanting to keep up with changes and proposed changes within the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) should know of the effort underway to create transparency in the actions of committees, commissions, and task forces, as well as the UUA Board of Trustees....
By Donald E. Skinner | December 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Communication, Congregational Administration, Disability & Accessibility, Governance for Congregations -
Tandi Rogers Koerger, program specialist for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA's) Pacific Northwest District, developed a list of "Thirteen Steps to Start Your Church Year Strong." Here are a few of them....
By Donald E. Skinner | December 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, LGBTQ Welcome & Equality, Membership Growth & Outreach -
Editor's Note: In the previous issue we reported on a "Mystery Worshipper" program operated by one UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) district. In this issue a president of one of our congregations reports his experience visiting another UU (Unitarian Universalist) congregation.
By Donald E. Skinner | December 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Music in Worship, LGBTQ Welcome & Equality, Membership Growth & Outreach -
When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered the Gulf Coast in 2005 the folks at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge (354 members) became full-time caregivers. They not only provided nonstop aid to evacuees, they served as a clearinghouse for hundreds of volunteers from out of the area....
By Donald E. Skinner | December 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Conflict Management in Congregations, Covenant Groups & Small Group Ministry -
Carolyn Burleigh is always looking for ways to get First Unitarian Church of Portland's various ministries into newspapers or onto radio and television. As director of communications and public witness for the Oregon church (1,095), it's part of her job to gain visibility for the congregation....
By Donald E. Skinner | December 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: LGBTQ Welcome & Equality, Communication, Membership Growth & Outreach -
Q. A 16-year-old girl whose parents do not attend our church is attending our Exploring Membership class....
By Donald E. Skinner | September 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: High School-Aged Youth Faith Development, Membership in Congregations, Young Adult Faith Development (ages 18-35), Safe Congregations -
Q. I've heard that if the sanctuary or meeting hall is too full on Sunday morning it will discourage growth. Is that true? At what point does that occur? A. Church consultants often use the figure of 85 percent, says Rev. Bob Hill, district e xecutive of the Unitarian Universalist Association's...
By Donald E. Skinner | September 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership in Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach -
All of us are welcoming. Right? Visitors come on Sunday morning, and as soon as they step in the door they feel the love, not only from the official greeters, but from everyone else....
By Donald E. Skinner | September 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Membership in Congregations, Disability & Accessibility, Governance for Congregations -
When we sing an African-American spiritual during worship does that act honor another culture or is it cultural misappropriation? Can we hold a Seder if we’re not Jewish? Can our children make Native American dream catchers in religious education classes? As Unitarian Universalists we take pride...
By Donald E. Skinner | September 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Music in Worship, Racial Justice & Multicultural Ministries, Safe Congregations -
When a congregation on the east coast had to decide whether to sell its former parsonage, a beloved old building that needed lots of work, the process began painfully. An emotional congregational meeting ensued when members were asked to vote, without being given the skills to negotiate strong...
By Donald E. Skinner | September 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Conflict Management in Congregations, Professional Misconduct, Leadership Development -
In the early 1980s, First Unitarian Church of Oakland, CA, was struggling. Once a vibrant congregation, it had lost much of its membership as its urban neighborhood declined. But when a new minister arrived with a vision that included involving the congregation in planning and leading worship...
By Donald E. Skinner | September 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Music in Worship, Leadership Development -
The article about ministerial disability in InterConnections ("How to Respond When Ministers Become Ill," Spring 2007) reminds us that we are all vulnerable to sudden illness or accidents that can impair our ability to earn a living....
By Donald E. Skinner | July 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Staffing & Supervision, Congregational Administration, Finance for Congregations -
What does our congregation need to do to grow? Should we be more welcoming, or is it a matter of adding more ways to integrate folks? Or should we really be focusing on outreach? It can be hard to know what to do if you're part of a membership committee....
By Donald E. Skinner | July 15, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Membership in Congregations, Communication, Governance for Congregations, Membership Growth & Outreach -
When a congregation becomes motivated to improve its annual budget drive great things are possible. Members of High Plains Church Unitarian Universalist in Colorado Springs, CO (143 members), want to build a larger facility to accommodate their growth, which has been running at 15 to 20 percent....
By Donald E. Skinner | April 2, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Finance for Congregations -
When a number of men at River Road Unitarian Church in Bethesda, MD (656 members), bought seats at a "gourmet men's dinner for eight" at the annual church auction in 1986, they had no way of knowing they’d be forming a group that would have a profound effect on their lives. That dinner evolved...
By Donald E. Skinner | April 2, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Covenant Groups & Small Group Ministry -
The glass is half full for many small group ministries in our congregations, say leaders of the small group ministry movement. Six years ago congregations were invited to start such ministries and an estimated 60 to 70 percent have....
By Donald E. Skinner | April 2, 2007 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Covenant Groups & Small Group Ministry, Leadership Development -
When a longtime member of a congregation decided it was time for a new minister she started a derogatory email campaign against the current one. She sent multi-page emails to members of the congregation, listing all of the minister's alleged faults....
By Donald E. Skinner | December 15, 2006 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Communication, Congregational Administration -
Like many churches, the buildings of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston were sorely underutilized during the week. So when the church built a new, 23,000 sq. ft....
By Laura Emerson | December 15, 2006 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Facilities Management, Finance for Congregations -
First Unitarian Church of Nashville moved to a different way of recognizing joys and concerns several years ago. Says Director of Music Jason Shelton, "Our practice of people coming up and lighting a candle and speaking their joys and sorrows had become unsafe. People were saying inflammatory and...
By Donald E. Skinner | October 15, 2006 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Music in Worship -
Good worship can be a challenge. The sermon may be inspiring and uplifting, with just the right tone and number of examples, but the transitions from one service element to another may not be smooth. Or the special music may not complement the sermon, or vice versa....
By Donald E. Skinner | October 15, 2006 | From InterConnectionsTagged as: Music in Worship, Career Development for Ministers, Leadership Development