Safe Congregations: Where to Begin

A congregation’s mission is an answer to the question, “Why does this congregation exist in the world?” Congregational leaders are constantly faced with a barrage of decisions. Without a clear mission, how can they make those decisions?

Leaders who want to engage the creativity of the congregation in a process (such as the creation of guiding documents or strategic plans) can learn to ask questions and host conversations that will facilitate group learning.

Guiding documents like bylaws, covenants, mission statements, vision statements and strategic plans are developed in consultation with the congregation as a whole so that there is a general sense of trust and ownership. The documents can then serve as guides for the board, minister, staff and lay...

Congregations that have living vision, mission, and covenant statements are the ones that are growing—not only in numbers but also in the depth of membership commitment.

This webinar recording will present ways congregations can partner with other organizations to further and deepen their justice work.

Your pledge drive needs to happen soon, but it is late and you still don’t have a drive leader, or maybe just got one in place! We will present 11th-hour strategies and learn from each other’s experiences.

Our congregations have come a long way in welcoming visitors and new members but they still struggle to engage and keep them for the long term. Learn some tools that will be helpful on how to begin to see the membership path in a new light.

Our congregations strive to be safe and welcoming places to all. It is impossible to make a congregation 100% safe; however, there are steps that you can take to make your congregation safer. Learn how at this webinar.

Unitarian Unviersalists often look to the Seven Principles as a guide for ethical discernment, but there is another source that should inform decisions, especially for leaders in our congregations: The Five Smooth Stones of Liberalism as imagined by Unitarian theologian and ethicist James Luther...

Everything we do is Faith Formation - Everything we teach is Unitarian Universalism - The Congregation is the Curriculum

Who is responsible for the oversight, management and upkeep of your buildings and surrounding property?

What are the basic documents that every board member should have at their fingertips? Here is a handy list to construct your own board manual.

Webinar video: What difference does a strategy of “abundance” create in a giving campaign and how can we use lessons from “asset-mapping” and "appreciative inquiry" to create excitement and joyful community discernment about what makes your congregation special.

“He said, she said, they said, and now we have a conflict!” “I don’t remember what we fought about, but I do remember how I felt when you yelled at me.” “When I hid the ‘send’ key, I didn’t expect this reaction!” “Now that we are in the parking lot, let me tell you what I...

An accessible, attractive and efficient office space makes staff, volunteers and visitors happy and productive!

There are times when leaders need to take time and space to struggle with deeper questions. Generative conversations can create that kind of space

S-H-I-F-T is a way to remember the basics of emotional systems (Self-Differientation, Homeostasis, Identified patient, emotional Familiy field, and Triagulation) and how they operatin in congregations.

Learning how to be in community with people who have different opinions or experiences is essential in UU congregations.

As religious educators wrestle with the shifting trend towards “family ministry,” many congregations are seeking resources and concrete examples of what’s working. We’ll look at two congregations that have committed to a version of the “Family Ministry” model and some of the specific...