| SESSION 1 – 9:15 TO 10:45 A.M. |
|
Note:
Indicating a workshop preference at the time of registration does not
obligate the registrant to attend a particular workshop. Workshop preferences
are requested for the purpose of making room assignments.
The Unitarian
Universalist Association reserves the right to re-schedule or cancel individual
workshops.
Note:
Indicating a workshop preference at the time of registration does not
obligate the registrant to attend a particular workshop. Workshop preferences
are requested for the purpose of making room assignments.
The Unitarian
Universalist Association reserves the right to re-schedule or cancel individual
workshops.
Note:
Indicating a workshop preference at the time of registration does not
obligate the registrant to attend a particular workshop. Workshop preferences
are requested for the purpose of making room assignments.
The Unitarian
Universalist Association reserves the right to re-schedule or cancel individual
workshops.
Note:
Indicating a workshop preference at the time of registration does not
obligate the registrant to attend a particular workshop. Workshop preferences
are requested for the purpose of making room assignments.
The Unitarian
Universalist Association reserves the right to re-schedule or cancel individual
workshops.
Note:
Indicating a workshop preference at the time of registration does not
obligate the registrant to attend a particular workshop. Workshop preferences
are requested for the purpose of making room assignments.
The Unitarian
Universalist Association reserves the right to re-schedule or cancel individual
workshops.
|
1A – New Paths to Growth: Breakthrough Congregations and Leverage
Points
Last year, UUA President Bill Sinkford appointed a Growth Team, which was
charged “to hold a vision for what growth can mean for our Association”
and “to frame and recommend broad strategies that will engage all
Unitarian Universalists in an intentional effort to make Unitarian Universalism
available to those who need and want it.” During its deliberations,
the UUA Growth Team began talking about “breakthrough congregations”
and “leverage points.” What have they discovered so far? Is
your congregation, perchance, a breakthrough congregation?
Presenters:
Members of the UUA Growth Team.
|
1B – The Spangled Webs We Weave
In the electronic age in which we live, the congregational web site has
emerged as one of the most visible aspects of congregational life. A good
web site attracts newcomers and retains existing members by serving their
spiritual needs in user-friendly ways. We’ll examine ways to offer
seekers and members exciting, spiritually-enriching programs and components
for strong web presentations.
Presenter: Deborah Weiner is Director
of Electronic Communications at the UUA.
|
1C – Jericho Road: Where Business Meets Justice
The Jericho Road Project is an innovative attempt to bring the business
and professional skills of parishioners together with the needs of low-income
communities in nearby Lowell, Massachusetts. Social entrepreneurship puts
the often-distant worlds of social justice and business side by side. Come
learn about how you too may be able to provide transformative volunteer
experiences to your parishioners and a nearby community. In less than two
years, Jericho Road has engaged 115 volunteers in 135 projects with 37 different
Lowell nonprofits and has delivered to them close to $1-million in market-value
services!
Presenters: Tony Gallo is a Partner at Sherbrooke Associates
and President of the Jericho Road Board, Dan Holin is Executive Director
of the Jericho Road Project, and Rev. Jenny Rankin is Minister of First
Parish in Concord, Massachusetts.
|
1D – The Uncommon Denomination: The Next Generation
After the success of the 2003 media campaign in Kansas City, the UUA has
continued to develop and refine its media and marketing resources in light
of what was learned. This workshop will focus on the “next generation”
of The Uncommon Denomination – resources for congregational hospitality,
belonging and visibility. Our world will be a better place when our Unitarian
Universalist message of respect and acceptance is more widespread.
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Tracey Robinson-Harris is Director for Congregational
Services at the UUA and Valerie Holton is the UUA Marketing Consultant.
|
1E – Wright Tavern: A Model for Adult Programming and Spiritual
Growth
Since 1997, the Wright Tavern Center for Spiritual Renewal has been an “uncommon
school” for the members of First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts.
In this workshop, Caroline McCloy will share lessons learned from her experiences
in planning and delivering a diverse range of classes and other presentations
designed to renew the spirit and enhance life.
Presenter: Caroline
McCloy is the Director of the Wright Tavern Center for Spiritual Renewal
at the First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts.
|
1F – Behind the Trust in Trusteeship: Social Capital and Congregational
Governance
A sound governance system ensures that a congregation’s varied assets,
which its board holds in trust, will be protected and used in pursuing the
ends for which the congregation exists. Since social capital is one of a
congregation’s most valuable assets, it stands to reason that a highly
effective governance structure will seek to generate, conserve and expend
social capital. What is the nature of the relationship between social capital
and congregational governance?
Presenter: Rev. Stefan Jonasson
is Coordinator of Services for Large Congregations at the UUA.
|
1G – Becoming Transformational Congregations 1 – Transformational
Leadership
This workshop will identify the characteristics of transformational leaders
and their roles in leading change and transition in our congregations. What
is this leadership, how does it look, and how do professional and lay leaders
assume and support the roles?
Presenters: Angela Merkert is District
Congregational Services Director for Central Midwest District and Rev. Ken
Brown is District Executive for Pacific Southwest District.
|
1H – Growth By Young Adults
Young adults are underrepresented in our congregations and often attracted
to the diversity and breadth of programming that large congregations have
to offer. In this workshop, we will explore the benefits of and possibilities
for young adult-oriented growth campaigns.
Presenter: Michael Tino
is the Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry at the UUA and a former
large church staff member.
|
| SESSION 2 – 11:00 A.M. TO 12:30 P.M. |
2A – Pathways to Growth
Pathways Church is the first church in the history of the Unitarian Universalist
Association to start with the explicit goal of becoming large fast. If it
were a reality TV show, it would be called "Fear Factor: Starting A
Church From Scratch with Everybody Looking." In this workshop, Pathways’
Lead Pastor, the Rev. Anthony David, will share the successes, growing pains,
and knowledge gained about church planting and church growth that he’s
had since he started work in July 2003
Presenter: Rev. Anthony
David is Lead Pastor of Pathways Church, the new Unitarian Universalist
congregation in Southlake, Texas.
|
2B – Newsworthy Congregations and Public Ministry
Newsworthy congregations understand the different types of media coverage,
while identifying messages, spokespeople and audiences, so that they can
effectively share their faith and values with the public. This workshop
will offer insights and resources to help congregational leaders deal with
the news media.
Presenter: John Hurley is Director of Information
and Public Witness and Janet Hayes is Information Officer for the UUA.
|
2C – Family Ministry in Large Congregations
Churches are the only institution in our culture where people of all ages
have opportunities to learn, worship, and celebrate together. We are only
touching the tip of the iceberg in terms of possibilities for multigenerational
ministries. Join us to explore how ministry to families can be a vehicle
for growth in your church. We'll offer definitions of family and learn about
exciting programs that other churches are using to grow and strengthen our
faith across generations.
Presenters: Kelly Crocker is Minister
of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin,
and Dori Davenport is Religious Educator and Growth Consultant for Central
Midwest District.
|
2D – Building Trust: Story Telling and Fundraising
Annual stewardship drives are often designed to avoid personal conversations
about money. Each time we settle for something less than a face-to-face
conversation, we miss out on an opportunity to build social capital within
our congregations.
Presenters: Dr. Wayne Clark is Director of Congregational
Fundraising Services at the UUA and Mary Miles is Annual Program Fund Director
at the UUA.
|
2E – Faith–Based Community Organizing (FBCO)
Over 100 UU congregations are involved in this growing movement that includes
over 4,000 congregations and community and labor organizations. Faith-based
(also known as congregation-based) community organizations have won significant
funding on local and state levels for education, affordable housing, living
wages and more. Come hear a panel of UU ministers and leaders whose congregations
are members of FBCOs to learn how they work, the benefits to congregations,
and how to get involved.
Presenters: Rev. Dr. Michael Schuler
is Parish Minister of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin,
and Susan Leslie is Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness at
the UUA.
|
2F – Staff Teams That Make a Difference
While ministry and staffing becomes increasingly specialized as congregations
grow in size, the large church is no place for soloists! Effective staff
teams need the harmony of a choir or orchestra, even as individual staff
members focus on a particular “instrument” or “voice.”
What are the characteristics of staff teams that make a difference? How
can team spirit be cultivated amidst the distractions and pressures of everyday
responsibilities?
Presenter: Rev. Stefan Jonasson is Coordinator
of Services for Large Congregations at the UUA.
|
2G – Becoming Transformational Congregations 2 – New States
of Being
The foundation of mission/vision/covenant in congregational life will be
addressed. Assessment of the congregational system, including governance,
organizational structures and worship styles and their alignment with vision
and capacity for engaging diversity will be highlighted. A key component
will be focused on making the transitions from the current congregational
“state of being” to a more transformational model.
Presenters:
Angela Merkert is District Congregational Services Director for Central
Midwest District and Rev. Ken Brown is District Executive for Pacific Southwest
District.
|
2H – Covenant Group Ministry 1 – The Arlington Experience
After several years of rapid adoption of Small Group Ministry techniques,
we now have greater basis for judging the extent to which Covenant Groups,
by whatever name, enrich, deepen, and widen church programs and the lives
of individuals. We can also see where programs have faltered and some reasons
why. Three practitioners of this new (to us) type of ministry have agreed
to share their successes, disappointments, and insights.
Rev. Michael
McGee is Lead Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington,
Virginia.
|
| SESSION 3 – 2:15 TO 3:45 P.M. |
3A – Waltzing with the Gorilla: Recent Learnings from the Alban
Institute
According to Sam Leonard of the Alban Institute, working with large congregations
can be like “waltzing with the gorilla”. After studying 120
large congregations in various denominations, he identified several characteristics
that were common to such congregations. We will look at these distinctive
attributes, from the quality of worship to the polarity that frequently
exists between large congregations and their denominations – as well
as a host of characteristics in between.
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Richard
Speck is District Executive for Joseph Priestley District.
|
3B – What We All Wish We Had Known Then
Few ministers or other religious professionals arrive in large congregations
knowing all that they need to know, never mind all that they wish they knew.
Educating religious professionals for service in large congregations is
a challenge in every denomination. The coming decade promises new opportunities
and initiatives to provide the kind of training that we all wish we had
received before embarking on careers in large churches!
Presenter:
Rev. Dr. Lee Barker is President of Meadville/Lombard Theological School;
he was formerly the Senior Minister of Neighborhood UU Church in Pasadena,
California.
|
3C – Advocacy, Media, and Organizing: Power for Social Change
How can a UU congregation work effectively to influence culture and policy,
in a way that’s consistent with our religious values and rewarding
for those involved? This workshop will provide some answers, in the form
of training, resources, and best practices.
Presenters: Rob Keithan
is Director of the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy and Susan Leslie is
Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness at the UUA.
|
3D – Safe Congregations
If we acknowledge our vulnerabilities as a liberal faith community and educate
ourselves about possible risk factors that we potentially face, then we
can minimize those threats to our communities. The goal of this workshop
is to identify those factors that historically have compromised congregational
safety and encourage discussion about how to reduce those risk factors and
identify available resources.
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Tracey Robinson-Harris
is Director for Congregational Services at the UUA.
|
3E – New Models for Campus Ministry
Large congregations are in a unique position to develop campus ministries
in new and exciting ways. Learn about new models for campus ministry, including
a cluster model that partners congregations of different sizes to provide
multiple campus ministries for UU students.
Presenters: Joseph
Santos-Lyons is the Campus Ministry and Field Organizing Director in the
UUA Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministry. Dana Regan is the Director
of Religious Education for Youth at the First Unitarian Church of Portland,
Oregon, and the chairperson of the Portland Metropolitan Campus Ministry
Council.
|
3F – Programs for UU Spiritual Depth and Development
What would a full-service explicitly UU program for individual and congregational
spiritual deepening look like? This workshop will present the philosophy,
structure, and process behind the adult spiritual growth programs at Eno
River UU Fellowship in Durham, North Carolina, and First Unitarian Society
in Madison, Wisconsin. Bring questions and experience!
Presenters:
Rev. Mary Grigolia is Associate Minister of the Eno River Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship in Durham, North Carolina, and Diana Vezmar-Bailey is Coordinator
of Member Programs at the First Unitarian Society in Madison, Wisconsin.
|
3G – Developing Staffing Structures for Transformational Congregations
Multi-staff models currently in use in UU and other congregations will be
presented, with current wisdom regarding their strengths and effectiveness.
Expansion of staff in alignment with vision will be addressed..
Presenters:
Rev. Dr. John Weston is Settlement Director at the UUA; Angela Merkert is
District Congregational Services Director for Central Midwest District;
and Rev. Ken Brown is District Executive for Pacific Southwest District.
|
3H – Covenant Group Ministry 2 – The Shelter Rock Experience
After several years of rapid adoption of Small Group Ministry techniques,
we now have greater basis for judging the extent to which Covenant Groups,
by whatever name, enrich, deepen, and widen church programs and the lives
of individuals. We can also see where programs have faltered and some reasons
why. Three practitioners of this new (to us) type of ministry have agreed
to share their successes, disappointments, and insights.
Presenter:
Rev. Jennifer Brower is Minister for Pastoral Care at the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York.
|
| SESSION 4 – 4:00 TO 5:30 P.M. |
4A – Magnificent Methods and Powerful Passions
Unitarian Universalists have much to learn from the experience of other
denominations. At a recent United Methodist large church conference, which
included visits to five of the largest Methodist churches, a UUA staff team
discovered key insights – and methods – for building strong
congregations. Most of all, we discovered astonishing passion! Are you ready
to do church differently?
Presenters: Rev. Dr. Thomas Chulak is
District Executive for St. Lawrence District and Rev. Stefan Jonasson is
Coordinator of Services for Large Congregations at the UUA.
|
4B – Dancing With Change: Characteristics of Effective Leaders
Problem solvers cut through the jungle with machetes. Managers keep the
machetes sharp. Leaders climb the tallest tree and yell "Wrong Jungle!"
Characteristics of effective lay leaders will be explored.
Presenter:
Dr. Wayne Clark is Director of Congregational Fundraising Services at the
UUA.
|
4C – Real Ministry In Real Time
The internet is increasingly valuable as a vehicle for offering ministry
– real ministry – to growing numbers of people, including members,
friends and seekers. The electronic world has given us real opportunities
for providing ministry in many ways, through many media. In the religious
world of the future, one of the defining characteristics of large congregations
will involve their capacity to do real ministry in real time!
Presenter:
Deborah Weiner is Director of Electronic Communications at the UUA.
|
4D – Values Investing for Your Congregation: Socially Responsible
Investing for Your Congregation's Heart, Mind, and Pocketbook
Managing our congregations’ investments does not have to be a mysterious
process that is difficult to align with our UU principles and values. Learn
more about how Socially Responsible Investing can work for your congregation.
We will focus on debunking the myths, overcoming barriers, setting values-based
priorities and creating an action plan for your congregation to be better
able to walk the talk. Topics covered will include socially responsible
investing, social mutual funds, voting shareholder proxies, shareholder
advocacy, and community investing. Information about pooling with the UUA
General Investment Fund and the UUA Matching Program for Community Investments
(from $2,000 up to $10,000) will be provided.
Presenters: Susan
Leslie is Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness at the UUA. She
will be joined by members of the UUA Board of Trustees appointed Committee
on Socially Responsible Investing (CSRI).
|
4E – What is Religious Education Credentialing and How Can It
Benefit Your Congregation?
The basics of the Religious Education Credentialing Program will be explained
and your questions will be answered. Reasons why a congregation would support
REC for their Religious Educator and possible impact to the congregation
will be emphasized.
Presenters:
Liz Jones is Director of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Universalist
Church of San Diego and Rev. Kirk Loadman-Copeland is Senior Minister of
the First Universalist Church of Denver; both are members of the UUA Religious
Education Credentialing Committee.
|
4F – Young Adults as Agents for Change
Both hard data and anecdotal evidence has shown that young adults seek opportunities
to live our faith in the world. Because of this, young adults are often
at the cutting edge of change in our society and our congregations. Learn
how large congregations have benefited from this energy and how young adult
and campus ministry can be an effective path to advocacy and justice.
Presenter: Michael Tino is the Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry
at the UUA and a former large church staff member.
|
4G – The Challenges and Rewards of Large Congregations in Multi-cultural
Communities
This workshop will help participants by looking at processes and ideas that
deepen our understanding of MC communities and build our capacity to be
effective partners as well as “faith communities” that welcome
diverse memberships.
Presenter: Paula Cole Jones, a lifelong UU,
is a management consultant specializing in group facilitation, diversity
and quality improvement processes.
|
4H – Covenant Group Ministry 3 – The Augusta Experience
After several years of rapid adoption of Small Group Ministry techniques,
we now have greater basis for judging the extent to which Covenant Groups,
by whatever name, enrich, deepen, and widen church programs and the lives
of individuals. We can also see where programs have faltered and some reasons
why. Three practitioners of this new (to us) type of ministry have agreed
to share their successes, disappointments, and insights.
Presenter:
Rev. Calvin Dame is Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church
in Augusta, Maine and a member of the Board of Trustees of the UUA.
|
