Like many churches, the buildings of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston were sorely underutilized during the week. So when the church built a new, 23,000 sq. ft....

When a longtime member of a congregation decided it was time for a new minister she started a derogatory email campaign against the current one. She sent multi-page emails to members of the congregation, listing all of the minister's alleged faults....

Q. Our small Unitarian Universalist (UU) church is exploring the possibility of renting out space in our RE wing to a daycare or preschool to increase our yearly income. Have other UU churches done this, how did they begin, and what has their experience been? A. John Levine of the First Unitarian...

Sometimes a new building is just what a congregation needs. Sometimes, if you build it, people will come and fill it. There is nothing worse than having to turn away people because you don't have room for them. And sometimes there are alternatives to a new building. Before you embark on an...

Q. We had an awkward situation recently when our church sold a piece of furniture that a member had donated. The member felt we should have kept it. We felt that once it was donated it was the congregation’s to do with as it wished. Do other congregations have policies covering donated items? A.

Many congregations earn extra income by renting their facilities to outside groups. But is there a point at which such income might jeopardize a congregation’s tax exempt status? And what about renting to for-profit groups? The Rev. Ralph Mero, the Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA’s)...

If you dropped into a meeting of the executive team at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, MN (787 members), you might wonder who was in charge. The team is composed of the two co-ministers, the Revs. Janne and Rob Eller-Isaacs; director of resource development Louise Wolfgramm; and director of...

After a member of East Shore Unitarian Church in Bellevue, WA, had a heart attack at a church meeting and subsequently died, the congregation bought two automatic external defibrillators. One is kept outside the sanctuary, the other in the education building....

Last fall was not the first time the basement of the First Unitarian Universalist (UU) Society of Marietta, OH (94 members), had flooded. Situated just blocks from the Ohio and the Muskingum rivers, flooding goes with the territory....

Ever wonder why friends and members leave your church? The Membership Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley (UUCB) in Kensington, CA (526 members), did and went to the trouble of conducting exit interviews. It’s a process that can tell you a lot about whether people feel...

Q. Our church administrator has trouble getting work done because of frequent interruptions from people who ask questions they should know the answers to. What can we do? A. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, IN, created a three-page document that answers many of the questions that...

Should congregations borrow money from their own members for capital improvement projects? It’s an option that some congregations have used, but it’s not without pitfalls. “There are all sorts of reasons why it’s not a good idea,” said Wayne Clark, the Unitarian Universalist...

The most common cause of fires in church buildings is electrical, says Church Mutual, the insurance company that insures a majority of Unitarian Universalist congregations. Electrical fires can be caused by faulty wiring, electrical arcs, and overloaded circuits....

When water began leaking onto the last two rows of pews at the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Society of Greater Springfield, MA (225 members), about eight years ago, it was seen as a sign: a sign that it was time to develop a plan for longterm maintenance....

There are people for whom going to church is akin to visiting a hazardous chemical site. The experience can induce severe allergic reactions. These people suffer from what is sometimes called multiple environmental sensitivities. For these folks someone’s perfume, the chemicals used to clean the...

The search committee has done its job. The new minister arrives next month. You're excited, but also a little nervous. You want this new relationship to go well. But how to make that happen? The most important part of a ministerial start-up is a facilitated retreat, says Lynn Thomas, district...

Q. Do any churches have a formal policy on calendar setting? That is, how do you decide when the building may be rented to outside groups and when it should be reserved for the congregation's use?...

When members of All Souls Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church in Kansas City, MO (400 members), began having trouble finding a place to sit on Sunday morning they knew it was time to face the future. There are two solutions to crowded Sundays—expanding the building or adding a service. For All...

Should members of a congregation be hired for staff positions? Members bring enthusiasm and insights to a job that an outsider might not have. But if the relationship goes sour, the situation can be difficult. InterConnections put this question to the Unitarian Universalist Association's (UUA's)...