Peter Bowden

“Congregations and Beyond” vision from UUA President Morales

January 19, 2012 By Peter Bowden 6 Comments

The Rev. Peter Morales has issued a white paper detailing what he sees as “a historic opportunity for our faith.” Released by the UUA on January 19, 2012, you may read the paper on uua.org or download as PDF below.

I very much look forward to the conversations “Congregations and Beyond” will stimulate. Download it, read it, then join the conversation. Connect with me via Twitter, Facebook Page and UU Growth Lab group on Facebook.

See my compilation of related resources and responses

Read “Congregations and Beyond” statement on UUA website
Download Congregations and Beyond (PDF, 4 pages)

Congregations and Beyond: a strategic vision for our #UU religious movement by #UUA President Rev Peter Morales: bit.ly/zu25di—
(@UUA) January 19, 2012

Filed Under: Announcements, Growth Tagged With: Rev. Peter Morales, Unitarian Universalist Association

Radical Spirit and “Sh*t Seminarians Say”

January 11, 2012 By Peter Bowden 1 Comment

A new UU publication, the RADICAL SPIRIT, is about to launch. To hold you over the publishers have produced the following video spoof entitled “Sh*t Seminarians Say.” Note there are a number of videos circulating online with similar titles. High marks for jumping on that meme before its old news. Radical indeed!

Get THE RADICAL SPIRIT

Video Description
The Radical Spirit, in a bout of uncontrollable ridiculousness, brings you “Sh*t Seminarians Say,” or “Assertions Seminarians Posit.” We love seminary, including its moments of grace and absurdity. Visit our online Journal of profound and provocative reflection on the future of Unitarian Universalism at: www.theradicalspirit.org. A special note of gratitude to Robin Barraza and Andrew Linscott.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Harvard Divinity School, Seminar, The Radical Spirit

What is Small Group Ministry all about?

January 11, 2012 By Peter Bowden Leave a Comment

This video by the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis does a great job of sharing what small groups in our congregations can be like. Thanks to First Universalist for producing this, great to have video testimonials!

Interested in small groups for your congregation? Check out the website of the UU Small Group Ministry Network. It is filled with resources, including a great quarterly journal, and hundreds of free session plans.

The UU SGM Network started as a website I launched in 2001 with a focus on networking and exchanging resources. In 2004 other small group early adopters and I launched the network as an organization with a membership program to better support these ministries.

Today the network is a non-profit, with a great board, and continues to support small group ministry and covenant groups across the UUA. Those of you passionate about growth, master small group ministry. Ministry is relational. No groups, no growth.

PS — An important shout out to Rev. Justin Schroeder for his ongoing work with small groups. He’s on my short list of UU clergy who *really* understand the power of small groups. Want to get on that list? Write a blog post like this about small group ministry and share the link with me.

Filed Under: Growth, Small Group Ministry Tagged With: covenant groups, Small Group Ministry

Social Media for Ministry and Outreach 2/25, Metro DC Area

January 10, 2012 By Peter Bowden Leave a Comment

Social Media for Ministry and Outreach
with Peter Bowden

Saturday, February 25, 2012 * 9AM – 3PM
At the UU Church of Silver Spring (Website | Google Map)
10309 New Hampshire Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20903

Social media is fundamentally changing how people form relationships, consume information and make important life decisions. This has significant implications for congregations. For our ministry to thrive in the 21^stCentury, we must understand these changes and learn to use the communication tools of our time with purpose, skill and integrity.

Join us for this day-long social media event for congregational leaders with Unitarian Universalist growth, outreach and media consultant, Peter Bowden. With a focus on ministry and outreach, we will explore major social networking tools including blogs, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

Clergy, staff and volunteers from all dimensions of congregational life will benefit from this training.

Peter Bowden is a consultant working with Unitarian Universalist congregations across the United States, as as well as a TV producer working on multiple PBS programs. Known for his work with growth, outreach and media, Peter has led trainings for a growing number of UUA Districts, UUMA & LREDA Chapters, at UUA General Assembly conferences, Ferry Beach and the Star Island conference center. Peter lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife, the Rev. Amy Freedman, and their daughter.

Event coordinated and hosted by
the U Church of Silver Spring

Filed Under: Events, Uncategorized Tagged With: Clergy, Facebook, Peter Bowden, Social Media, Twitter, Unitarian Universalism, unitarian universalist

Thoughts on a UU Roku Channel?

January 6, 2012 By Peter Bowden 3 Comments

Image by abeckstrom via Flickr

Friends, I just received the following message from a user of my site UnitarianUniversalism.TV inquiring about a the development of a ROKU channel for distributing Unitarian Universalist video content via streaming video.

“Hey guys. I wonder if there’s any news about UUTV potentially creating a channel on the Roku box to stream its way into people’s homes? Roku has a huge user-base and features new channels in its channel store. That would be a great way to get the message of Unitarian Universalism out to millions of people. UUTV could make its way right into millions of American living rooms. Other denominations are doing it – Jews, evangelical Christians, Mormons, Catholics, you name it. Shouldn’t UUs if we’re to be the “religion for our time”? Just a thought. I’ve been using my Roku and would love to have UUTV on there. Regards and thanks for all your hard work.”

He reports there being a growing number of other religious channels using the internet streaming video service, see SPIRITUALITY section of the Roku Channel directory.

I see the potential of being able to stream high quality UU video directly to people on their TVs. However, I do not personally use a Roku Box, don’t many who do, and it would require serious UU collaboration to make such a thing happen.

When it comes to increased outreach, right now I’m thinking that I can do more by focusing what time I have available into producing social media optimized short Youtube videos about our faith. Videos that can capitalize on the social media technology I know people are using such as Facebook and Twitter, and the increasing number of people with mobile devices.

Questions

Any thoughts?
Any other tech you think we should be looking at?
If you could have a one minute UU video produced about any relevant topic, what would you have produced? We’re talking outreach and education.

Feedback/Ideas

Comment on this post
Connect with me via @uugrowth on Twitter
Join our Facebook group, the UU Growth Lab.

You may learn more about Roku at www.roku.com and watch web based UU TV at UnitarianUniversalism.TV.

Interested in Unitarian Universalism, social media and technology? See upcoming events including Feb 25th in METRO DC area and Mid-July STAR ISLAND conference. Subscribe to my e-newsletter to receive updates. Booking: (617) 744-9784 Office | Email Peter.

Filed Under: Communication, Outreach, Video Tagged With: Roku, Unitarian Universalism, UU TV

Creating a “Culture of Yes” Tweetchats 12/22 and 1/5

December 19, 2011 By Peter Bowden 3 Comments

We have two upcoming Tweetchat’s scheduled on the topic of creating a “Culture of Yes!” — one this Thursday, the other the first Thursday of the new year. This subject follows our last #UURiskFaithers Tweetchat on Supporting emerging & entrepreneurial Unitarian Universalist ministries.

Tweetchat Times

For these conversations we’ll be chatting using the #uuriskfaithers tag. To access the Tweetchat.com room CLICK HERE at times listed below.

Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 1pm ET
A more UK friendly time for this international conversation!
Tweetchat archive on Storify by RevNaomi

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 8PM EST /7PM CST (corrected time)

Hosts:

Phillip Lund: @UURevPhil Minnesota MSP Saint Paul USA
UU minister, husband, wannabe GeekDad. Interests: parenting, religion, interspirituality, digital ministry, interfaith relations, social media, & more.

http://philontheprairie.wordpress.com/

Rev. Naomi King: @revnaomi Western Broward County, FL

Unitarian Universalist preacher, teacher, knitter, swimmer, reader, coffee drinker, lover of life!

http://www.cityofrefugefl.com/

Andy Pakula: @apakula What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding? A Unitarian minister in London.
http://throwyourselflikeseed.blogspot.com/

Filed Under: Events, Twitter Tagged With: Andy Pakula, Culture of Yes, Naomi King, Phillip Lund, Tweetchat, Unitarian Universalism, UUA

Rev. Nate Walker — “Whose God Rules?”

December 18, 2011 By Peter Bowden Leave a Comment

My colleague the Rev. Nate Walker has just announced his book “Whose God Rules?: Is the United States a Secular Nation or a Theolegal Democracy?” co-edited with Edwin J. Greenlee is being released Dec. 20th and is ready to pre-order.

This scholarly volume includes a foreward by Tony Blair. Contributors include Alan Dershowtiz, Martha Nussbaum, Kent Greenawalt, Robby George, Bill Schultz, Joe Grieboski, Mark Rozel, and other distinguished scholars.

From WhoseGodRules.com

In Whose God Rules?, preeminent scholars debate the theolegal theory, which describes the gray area between a secular legal system, where theology is dismissed as irrational and a threat to the separation of religion and state, and a theocracy, where a single religion determines all law.

The United States is neither a secular nation nor a theocracy, leading scholars to ask whether the United States is a theolegal democracy. If so, whose God rules?

Reviews

Cornel West says, “This book is a provocative and pioneering effort to rethink the complex relation of religion and the state in the American past and present. Don’t miss it!”

According to the late Forrest Church, “Whose God Rules? offers an illuminating new frame to revitalize the stale debate over church-state separation. Bringing a thoughtful and diverse group of experts to the table, Walker and Greenlee present a feast for the intellect that challenges us all to become better citizens.”

In Phili?

Nate tells me that Philadelphians can secure signed-copies for a discounted price of $51.00 by attending Sunday services or visiting the church office M-F 10 to 4 pm of the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

About Nate Walker

The Rev. Nathan C. Walker an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and serves the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. He is currently an advanced doctoral student in Law, Education and Religion at Columbia University where he received his Master of Education and Master of Arts degrees. He also graduated from Union Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree and from Emerson College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He is a mindfulness practitioner in the Zen Buddhist tradition led by Thich Nhat Hahn. More at natewalker.com.

Filed Under: Announcements, Books Tagged With: Alan Dershowtiz, Bill Schultz, Joe Grieboski, Kent Greenawalt, Mark Rozel, Martha Nussbaum, Nate Walker, Robby George, Tony Blair

“Gamification” of Church

December 6, 2011 By Peter Bowden 3 Comments

I just watched the following videos by Gamification expert, author and speaker, Gabe Zichermann.

If you, as a congregational leader, want to understanding the coming generations, watch one of the following presentations.

At present we are, as Zichermann says, more disconnected from our youth than any other generation. That’s right, the technological cultural differences between generations are greater than they have ever been. You still making phone calls? Exactly.

While you watch Gabe’s talk, consider what “gamification” of your congregation and its ministry might look like.

TEDxKids@Brussels – Gabe Zichermann – Gamification

Fun is the Future: Mastering Gamification

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Gamification, Video Games

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“Congregations and Beyond” vision from UUA President Morales

Radical Spirit and “Sh*t Seminarians Say”

What is Small Group Ministry all about?

Thoughts on a UU Roku Channel?