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...

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...

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....

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....

The title Minister Emeritus or Minister Emerita is granted to honor long and meritorious service to a congregation where the minister has given devoted and competent ministerial leadership. Due to our congregational polity, and more directly because the service has been to that particular...

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....

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...

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....

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....

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....