Books, training organizations, and other resources for congregations exploring Sociocracy.

The UUA doesn’t dictate any particular governance model, but congregations have historically explored new models in "waves."

Boards, especially in congregations with 100 or more members, find that delegating part of their fiduciary work to committees and/or task forces helps to free them up for big-picture and visionary discussions.

Policies and procedures are a way of telling future boards “this is our best thinking and guidance on this subject.” 

One of the most important keys to congregational health and vitality--along with a clear purpose--is a cohesive leadership team.

Toward more inclusive and engaged decision-making with Sociocracy. This 12/3/2022 webinar recording offers an overview of Sociocracy and some real-life examples of it being used in UU congregations. This webinar was co-sponsored by Sociocracy for All. Some Theological Grounding for Sociocracy...

Learn how Sociocracy can use the wisdom of the circle to help our congregations thrive by decentering unhelpful power structures.

Improve the quality of your process by taking time to create a shared understanding of all of the things that should be taken into consideration.

How can your small congregation keep your programs nimble and effective?

Also known as Dynamic Governance. Books, Articles and Training for Decentralizing Leadership

What does it mean to develop systems that are accountable to expanding diversity, equity and inclusion? Structures that promote accountability are essential to maintaining progress over time, especially as the world is changing.

Paula Cole Jones introduced the notion of congregations as a Community of Communities to foster inclusion and diversity at last year’s Fahs Lecture. We’ll expand on how to introduce and begin practicing this new framing in your congregation.

Are you a newly elected Congregational Board member? Are you wanting to refresh your Board skills? Does your board need to rethink how to be a board in a virtual environment? Then this is your webinar!

Learn how to use discernment circle practices for complex decisions in your committees and teams.

We go over the basics of how to have a congregational meeting on Zoom, including registration options, polling options, and security controls.

Guidelines and recommended platforms for voting by computer, device, or phone.

Many congregations’ bylaws require regular board meetings, annual meetings, and meetings of the congregation’s members to call a minister or make other important decisions. During a pandemic, when large group gatherings are prohibited or discouraged, can a congregation legally hold such meetings...

The primary responsibility of the denominational affairs committee is to provide a liaison between the congregation and both the Unitarian Universalist Association and the region. The committee meets to discuss issues of denominational concern....

Unity offers deep questions and commitments for governance within a progressive religious, covenantal context: Whose Are We? What Do We Value? What Are Our Commitments?

Small congregations need a governance system that is "right sized" for the unique needs and challenges generated by their size. Boards Much of the decision-making in small congregations happens at the board level. Emerging Best Practices Create and live by a board covenant. Have a clear...

Nurturing the relationship between a congregation and its governing body.

Leadership is an important, yet elusive concept. It takes on different forms in different settings. The intent of Policy Governance® is to give operational definition to "leadership" as it applies in the specific context of a governing Board.

Policy Governance is a fundamental redesign of the role of a Board, emphasizing values, vision and the empowerment of both Board and staff through policies, limitations and monitoring reports.

A congregation has to organize to make its big decisions in its best and deepest frame of mind: that’s governance. It needs to organize to focus limited resources on its most important goals: that’s ministry.

Procedures should have the flexibility to change as the organization changes size, staff, technologies and other situational factors.

The Bylaws provide the formal structure of your congregation and allow for maintaining and changing that structure. Bylaws hold the highest level of authority of congregational guiding documents. Some state laws require that congregations have a constitution, charter, articles of incorporation or...

Congregational Life Staff are often asked who performs executive functions in UU Congregations under policy governance. Here are some considerations.

This video walks you through the basics of reading Congregational financial documents.

For congregations using Carver Policy Governance, it's important to have congregational involvement and engagement with "Ends Statements." Using a "World ​Café" process like this one is a recommended method.

Congregational boards are entrusted with many of the operational and sometimes programmatic decisions....

When a congregation is in search for a new professional staff member to fill a key and important role in the congregation, whether it is that of a custodian or that of a membership director, an important consideration is how well potential applicants understand and have personal values that are...

After a congregational governing board has begun to transition the operations and management of a congregation out of the governing board and towards the congregational staff or a lay and staff leadership team, I will regularly receive the same question from congregational presidents and board...

Congregational Governing Boards have different structures, cultures, assumptions, and responsibilities in different congregations.  The size and structure of a governing board is dependent upon the roles and responsibilities of the board itself. Here are a series of factors that you can consider as you determine the size of your congregation's board.

A brief overview of how Governance and Ministry partner to serve the mission of the congregation. (Based on Dan Hotchkiss's Governance and Ministry, 2nd Edition.)...

Surveys that work best come out of an understanding that the job of leadership is not to “make people happy” but to help the congregation live out its mission.  Surveys that are useless at best and divisive at worst typically seek to honor personal preferences about various areas of congregational life (including the minister).

Every Unitarian Universalist Congregation is designed differently. How each congregation functions is a blend of congregational experience, culture, and history. Congregational structures are also affected by whether and which other congregations members have attended or been a part of before. W

This image is one mental model in understanding mission in a congregation. The heart in the center is the core purpose of your congregation. Who are you called to be in the world, and in your context?...

Practical Decision Making How a congregation makes decisions should reflect all the characteristics of a free church. Respectful participation, democratic values, and reference to common principles and mission should be common in our practices and most clearly evident in congregational meetings....

When you understand the purpose of governance and what it needs to be effective, your work as a board becomes much clearer. 

Consider making your governance committees leaner, so that more members are available to serve the ministries of the congregation. 

Congregations often look to the corporate and not-for-profit worlds for models of leadership, organizational development, fundraising and volunteer management. Unfortunately, they also look there for models of governance to the detriment of their core purpose....

Congregations are legal entities required to comply with all sorts of legal requirements. While religious institutions might be exempt from a FEW legal requirements, churches are NOT exempt from most. This includes many requirements stemming from being an employer. This post pertains to the UU...

The phone rings. There is an anxious board president on the phone with a crisis on their hands. Perhaps their minister has fallen seriously ill, or there is a member who is regularly disrupting the Sunday worship service, or a registered sex offender has expressed interest in attending the church.

As we re-imagine how to do the work of a congregation, we need to take into account that younger folks (and by "younger" I mean people under 50) are wary of making commitments without fully understanding the implications.  These people want to feel like they are making  a contribution that...

Let me share a fable of two congregations. ...

It happens more often than you think it should. The church seems to be vital, even growing, but the money in the collection plate doesn't keep up with the growth, or there seems to be a shortfall every month. There might be grumbling about how the new folks aren't pulling their weight financially.

Imagine that your congregational leaders are talking to the bank loan officer in anticipation of a major capital campaign project.  The loan officer asks who has the authority in your congregation to sign for the loan.  "Why, our president!"  ...

Congregations who care about growth keep detailed tracking records and look for long-term trends.

A dedication ceremony provides a finish line for the congregation to cross, a time to say “well done” and “we’re done.”