Contextual Sensibility—one of the recommended leadership development competencies—include:

• Understanding what is happening in the world around us.
• Understanding how changes in society and demographics impacting our congregations, e.g. in today’s world each congregation has to make a case for itself to a skeptical public.
• Developing strategies on how their congregation should we use the Internet, social media and other new technologies.

Core Values

We understand that "revelation" is open and continuous, i.e. that we need to be paying attention and be responsive to the world around us.

Practices

• Create a learning community among your leaders to stay informed about cultural changes and discuss how the congregation may respond.
• Include youth and young adults in leadership.
• Subscribe to news feeds or blogs that discuss the changing religious landscape.

Resources

Videos

• Did You Know 3.0 (YouTube, 4.26)—Shift Happens
• The Church and the Grocery Store (YouTube, 2:09)
• Leadership Development in the Age of the Quick Fix, Part 1 (YouTube 4:32)
• Leadership Development in the Age of the Quick Fix, Part 2 (YouTube 4:59)
• Changing Education Paradigms (YouTube, 11:41)—RSA Animate
• Leadership at the Edge (YouTube, 10:21), Rev. Renee Ruchotzke
• Best Practices in Virtual Meetings (YouTube, 15:50), Rev. Renee Ruchotzke
• Religion and Spirituality in a Changing World (Video, 29:06), CBS Special

Web Articles

• Congregations and Beyond by Peter Morales
• Shifts You Should Know About by Sarai Rice (Alban Institute)
• The Strange Disappearance of Civic America by Robert Putnam (author of Bowling Alone)
• Leadership as More than Being in Charge by Wayne Floyd

• The Church as Wikipedia by Landon Whittsitt (chapter 2 of his book Open Source Church)
• Religious Community is Not Enough Tom Schade
• Back to the Future Peter Steinke
• Growing Up May Be The Only Thing That Leads To Growth by PeaceBang
• Spiritual but not Religious, or A Disconnect on the Faith Divide
• Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved?
• I Don't Want To Go Back To Church and Why I Will by Mark Sandlin on what the Spiritual but Not Religious have to teach the church
• Why Churches Need to Embrace Technology by Matt Morrison
• What If the Kids Don't Want Our Church? by Derek Panwell

On-Demand Webinars

• Inside & Out: Congregations and Beyond, Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley
  Workshop Video and Presentation Materials
• Carry the Flame: Congregations and Beyond
• Lifelong Learning and Beyond Workshop Video, Slides, and Handout
• Social Media for UU Congregations Rev. Cynthia Landrum
• Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Our Congregations Beth Casebolt
• Optimizing Your Congregation's WebPresence Rev. Phil Lund
• Creating a Presence for Your Congregation Online Beth Casebolt
• Digital Spiritual Literacy Rev. Phil Lund
• Living in a Spiritual But Not Religious World Rev. Joan VanBecelaere
• Introduction to Faith Formation 2020 Patricia Infante

Websites

• Congregational Life Survey Data U.S. Congregations is a religious research group staffed by religious researchers and sociologists who are conducting the U.S. Congregational Life Survey.
• Lifelong Faith: Faith Formation 2020

Books

• The Triple-Soy Decaf-Latte Era: How Business and Organization are Fundamentally Transforming by Alpesh M. Bhatt and Nick Wedge
• The Leisure Suit Trap: 8 Reasons Your Church is Stuck by Tony Morgan (free ebook)
• Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal
• Open Source Church: Making Room for the Wisdom of All by Landon Whitsitt
• Not Your Parents' Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship by J. Clif Christopher