Leaders don’t need to be the hub through which everything flows, and they know how to help people come together for specific (and general) purposes; they can connect people to ideas, to each other, and to a greater whole.

Leaders are networked in a couple of ways — first, they are aware of how community can be created, sustained, and nurtured through the use of technology; they realize that today on-line connection serves to deepen what a congregation can offer; second, they are not afraid of technology, and know how to learn through electronic means, and are able to find what they need, or find the person who knows, what they need moving forward.

Self-differentiated Leaders know who they are well enough that they also know where they stand, and what they will and will not do; they understand the necessity of boundaries, and work within the congregation to ensure that healthy boundaries are in place and are supported; they can be clear in who they are, without requiring others to join them in that same place, but instead to be true to their own self.

Leaders know where their buttons are, and know how to manage their own anxiety; they recognize that anxiety serves little purpose in moving a congregation forward, and instead can lessen that anxiety and help the congregation focus on the issues involved, rather than the anxiety and fear that uncertainty can create; they are comfortable in and with ambiguity.

Leaders know how to read people emotionally, and how to help people feel safe enough to not be driven unconsciously by emotions. Leaders help people understand how to appropriately express emotions and to use them as forces to move the congregation forward, rather than trapping them in the past.

Emotional Intelligence—one of the recommended leadership development competencies—includes: Forbearance, e.g. having self-control, especially when provoked. Presence and functioning, i.e. a high level of self-awareness with an alignment between the body and the mind. Knowing and taking...

Communication Skills—one of the recommended leadership development competencies—include: Understanding different styles of giving and receiving information. Being able to communicate across different communication styles. Understanding differences in communication across cultures Developing the...

Here are the open issues that we know about. If you are having trouble with your WordPress site, try the steps listed in the sidebar. Older Versions of PHP Versions of PHP (the programming language in which WordPress is written) older than version 7.2 may cause problems. Here's an article about...

UUA has been asked for help with more than fifteen conflicts this year. Commission on Institutional Change calls for investigation of ‘disparate treatment of people of color by congregations.’

A child theme is a theme that inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, called the parent theme. Child themes are the recommended way of modifying an existing theme. (This explanation is from the WordPress Codex, which contains information about WordPress in general and child...

What Is a Shortcode? A shortcode is a WordPress-specific code that you can include in the text of a page to display information. A shortcode can display a file or display information that would normally require lots of complicated, ugly code in just one line. Shortcode = shortcut.​ (More...

The UUA Services plugin is packaged with the UUA Theme download. To install and activate it, see step 4 on Installing the Plugins Required by the UUA WordPress Theme for Congregations. What the UUA Services Plugin Does We wanted to be sure to offer an integrated way to handle services (Sunday...

“A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites.” (Read more about plugins on WPBeginner.com) Recommended Plugins for the UUA Theme These plugins are useful or...

“A WordPress Widget is a small block that performs a specific function. You can add these widgets in sidebars also known as widget-ready areas on your web page.” (Read more about Widgets on WPBeginner.com.) Several of the recommended plugins have widgets associated with them, as does the...

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The Connection Landing Page This is a place to emphasize the ways that participation in the congregation builds community, and the kind of support one can find....