Webinars

Screen shot of our Justice Ministry Matters webinar, led by Meck Groot and Cora McCold, June 2017

Pictured above -- Justice Ministry Matters webinar led by Meck Groot and Cora McCold in June 2017. View and share this and many more webinars below, and start a conversation in your congregation.

Our webinars address some of the most difficult and common challenges faced by church leaders—and will help you address them at a deep, thoughtful level that can lead to positive change in your congregation. We design webinars to engage teammates with one another, and with teams from other congregations. We are pleased to offer this set of recordings to supplement your learning.

2020

2019

  • Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Centering the Margins in Outreach (YouTube, 1hr, 29 min). In Centering the Margins in Outreach, we discuss how to develop relationships, content, and skills that intentionally center the voices and experiences of marginalized communities in Outreach work. Presenter(s): Marchaé Grair & Anna Bethea
  • Thursday February 21, 2019 | Mission and Metrics: How We Count What Counts (YouTube, 1hr, 8min). A webinar for both religious professionals and lay members interested in looking at the impacts of their congregational ministries beyond the numbers. Presenter(s): Meck Groot & Wren Bellavance-Grace

2017

  • Monday, April 5, 2017 | Leading -and Feeling- Change in Congregations (YouTube, 1hr, 25min). A webinar for elected leaders and religious professionals in congregations. We commonly talk about change within congregations as inevitable, but what exactly are the dynamics and how can leaders help navigating change? We’ll look at various change theories and give you an opportunity to make meaning of them, as well as consider how to apply them within your congregation. Presenter(s):Hilary Allen
  • Wednesday, June 8, 2017 | Justice Ministry Matters (YouTube, 1hr, 23min). We share the plate. We green our sanctuaries. We serve meals. We transform church buildings into homeless shelters. We demonstrate in the streets. We hold vigils and raise banners. We petition. We vote. We engage in civil disobedience. We take service-learning trips. But what makes any of these actions a ministry? More particularly, what makes them a justice ministry? In this webinar, we will examine current practices and common pitfalls to justice work in congregations. WHAT we do to address injustice matters, but HOW we address injustice matters, too. Join us for this webinar if you want to reignite your justice work with community practices rooted in purpose and gifts.Presenter(s): Meck Groot and Cora McCold

2016

  • Thursday, May 19, 2016 | Churches at the Turning Point — Choosing Faithful Futures (YouTube, 1hr, 53 min). All congregations are on a path to the future. But only some paths are illuminated by the light of intentionality. Leaders can be reluctant to face disheartening facts about declining enrollments and declining endowments. But facing facts, exploring options and setting a course can be liberating, energizing, and as it turns out, your best chance for having a faithful future. We invite you to explore: "facing the facts" faithfully; creative options for moving forward into the future; strategies to inspire congregation-wide dialogue and faithful choices; partnerships to help your congregation assess all possibilities.Presenter(s): Wren Bellavance-Grace
  • Wednesday, November 16, 2016 | Generosity & Stewardship — Going to the Heart of It (YouTube, 1hr, 28min). That time of year has come again - time to prepare for the annual budget and pledge drive. Even if last year's drive was successful; you feel the familiar weight of inertia and dread... This is a webinar for clergy, governing board members, and stewardship leaders to explore the soulful core of generosity and stewardship and their roles as leaders in setting the tone for the congregation.Presenter(s): Rev. Mary Katherine Morn and Joe Sullivan
  • Saturday, November 5, 2016 | RE Start! for Religious Education Teams (YouTube, 1hr, 55min). Over and over, we hear worries about declining attendance and fear about training up the next generation of Unitarian Universalists. Some people feel sadness that their congregation’s RE program is not growing, and helpless in the face of countless headlines proclaiming the demise of church in New England. What if you heard the good news that you are not alone? What if you knew that what you have to offer will be enough? What if you believed that your only job this year is to share the love and grace of Unitarian Universalism with your people? It’s true! Together we will go beyond the headlines of despair to paint pictures of possibilities.Presenter(s):Kim Sweeney and Wren Bellavance-Grace
  • Wednesday, November 30, 2016 | This Is Our Church — Being/Becoming a Lay Led Congregation (YouTube, 1hr, 27 min). Some of our New England congregations have experienced a reduction of ministerial hours in recent years. Some have made the decision that they can no longer afford even a part-time minister. Others of our congregations grew from the Fellowship Movement in the last century and have never had ministerial leadership. Whichever category your congregation falls into, this workshop will affirm that this is indeed your church – which is both a joyous and sometimes daunting reality. In this webinar, we will explore how to be more healthy, more relevant, and more invested in the joyful ownership of your Spirit’s home.Presenter(s): Wren Bellavance-Grace

Want More Shareable Information?

Slides and accompanying materials for our webinars are available on our Tools & Resources page. Use these resources as a way to invite more people into the conversations at your congregation!

Get Resources