Carolyn Burleigh is always looking for ways to get First Unitarian Church of Portland's various ministries into newspapers or onto radio and television. As director of communications and public witness for the Oregon church (1,095), it's part of her job to gain visibility for the congregation....

Q. I've heard that if the sanctuary or meeting hall is too full on Sunday morning it will discourage growth. Is that true? At what point does that occur? A. Church consultants often use the figure of 85 percent, says Rev. Bob Hill, district e xecutive of the Unitarian Universalist Association's...

Q. A 16-year-old girl whose parents do not attend our church is attending our Exploring Membership class....

All of us are welcoming. Right? Visitors come on Sunday morning, and as soon as they step in the door they feel the love, not only from the official greeters, but from everyone else....

What does our congregation need to do to grow? Should we be more welcoming, or is it a matter of adding more ways to integrate folks? Or should we really be focusing on outreach? It can be hard to know what to do if you're part of a membership committee....

Creating a night at midweek for friends and members to come out for a "church night" is a tradition for many of our congregations. It's an important time to build relationships in a more relaxed setting than on Sunday morning. And it provides a worship opportunity for those who have difficulty...

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...

Try as we might, conflict is a part of life in many of our congregations. A group may not like the direction the church is going. Someone feels left out. There is too much spirituality on Sunday morning. Or not enough. The minister or religious educator is going down the wrong path....

Q. Our church has just gone to two services and had our first congregational meeting after the second service. We wonder if we are disenfranchising those who attend the first service since few people return for the meeting....

Q. One of the things we struggle with as a congregation is cultivating enough leaders. Our current leaders are getting burned out and there aren’t enough new ones coming up to replace them. We’re getting frustrated. A. Try the following ways, says Eunice Benton, district executive for the...