In the 1950s the family therapist Murray Bowen introduced many ideas about systems. The concept of triangulation is one of the most applicable to congregational leadership. It is, in brief, when John is frustrated with or concerned about Mary, John looks to Jane to deal with this....

Collecting and analyzing data is important as a feedback loop. Here are some tools to help.

As voluntary associations, dependent upon voluntary contributions of resources, churches need to weight the opinions of members in their decision-making, based upon members’ demonstrated commitment to the congregation in one or more of the resource areas.

Community ministers benefit by having a place that supports them spiritually and provides social connections. The congregation gains by its connection with a minister who has insights beyond the congregation's walls.

membership coordinator, and she focused much of her energy on integrating new and not-so-new members.

Five key components needed in the governance system of congregations, including visioning, coordinating, planning, training and implementing.

If the minister is going to be held responsible for staff performance , it's only fair that the congregation authorize the minister to supervise the other members of the staff.

How might fees for Sunday School impact your congregation?

When InterConnections wrote a lengthy article about church websites in 1998 an estimated 40 to 60 percent of our congregations had them. In 2006 the figure was over 90 percent. (It's close to 100% in 2019) Increasingly, it’s the way that visitors find us. Many congregations report that most of...

Is your congregation being held hostage? Is there a troublesome personality who tries to get his or her own way by withholding money, by loud assertive behavior, or by misusing Joys and Concerns?...

Young adults, just like older adults, want worship that speaks to their experiences in life, that challenges them to develop deeper relationships, and that connects them to things that are beyond themselves.

How all ages can come together to make a rich and vibrant spiritual community.

Is it hard to find a place to sit on Sunday morning? If YOU think so, think how newcomers must feel. Studies show that newcomers are much less likely to return if the sanctuary or fellowship hall feels too crowded. Plus longtime members may feel they aren’t needed and they may stay home. If...

At our best, Unitarian Universalism has been a beacon of freedom, justice and wholeness; at our best, we create religious communities that make a crucial difference in the lives of many people. ...

Help your members and friends build personal connections in an atmosphere of mutual trust.

A couple of years ago I started wondering about how many visitors come to our churches. I found out that nobody knows. Even that, I find fascinating. Here we are, a movement that is made up of over 80 percent of people who were not born Unitarian Universalists. Converting visitors into members is...

How a spritiual practice sustained Denny Davidoff, former UUA moderator and all-around leader.

This process can be run in a morning, afternoon, or a longish evening. The program works well with teenagers on up to seniors. Provide a variety of spaces for people to sit and work—some will want to work at tables, others may prefer comfortable chairs, and still others may want to sit on the...

The words vision, mission, and covenant have been used but the meanings have varied over time and context. This is one model of understanding.

Teams who are just forming, or who have an important project, need to take the time to form as a team. A team retreat is a time for the members of the team to get to know one another and figure out how to work well together.