The speed of change in congregational life means that planning for the future needs to be nimble and adaptable. Static planning processes can no longer meet the needs of congregations or the pace of change.

People want to go where they can leave the world behind and make a better one, says Natalie Briscoe, lead for the Southern Region of the UUA.

Offers congregational leaders an understanding of a church system as a whole community composed of interacting members in which change in one influences all

Engaging essays from Unitarian Universalist leaders in the field show creative ways to transform and “upcycle” the main ingredients of our congregations into something relevant, innovative, and new.

Is your congregation stagnant, or in decline? Congregations, like any living systems, have a natural life cycle. Find framing and tools for renewal!

Unitarian Universalists from six continents carried their aspirations to Prague, Czech Republic, and explored possibilities to sustain and grow the faith.

When your congregation is developing or revisiting "guiding documents" for leaders that are endorsed by the congregation as a whole (e.g. mission, vision, covenant, bylaws, strategic plan), you will want to have an effective and inclusive process that makes space for creative ideas to emerge.

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

Congregations, like all organizational systems, need feedback loops.  Regular assessment of the ministry is essential to group self-awareness and growth.

In an end-of-the-year meditation over the holidays, the teacher suggested that we students take what we were grateful for and what we had learned and what had made us stronger in 2020 and bring all of that into 2021, leaving the rest behind.

Online Training. Develop a deeper understanding of how to focus your congregation on mission, build trust and develop a cohesive leadership team. Learn about stewardship, strategic planning, annual goal setting and ministry assessment and the basics of congregational governance.

The purpose provision of the bylaws distinguishes the congregation from other institutions in the community and sets out the basic parameters for all the activity of the congregation.

Attribution and Permission This exercise was originally developed by Rev. Rob Eller-Isaacs in 2007 and refined by the Unity Consulting team for the UU University Governance Track in 2008. You can see Unity Consulting lead it at UU University. This exercise also appears in The Nested Bowls: The...

Annual reports, often published in conjunction with a congregation's annual meeting, provide an opportunity to report on the annual goals that are serving the mission and vision of the congregation

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...

Since individuals determine their own beliefs, we do not share a creed to tell us why we exist. Rather, the members of each gathered community must determine for themselves the reasons for their ministry and why that matters.

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