Comments for UUGrowth.com

Comment on Congregations and Beyond by JRHerold

JRHerold — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:11:39 +0000

Need a Vision Before We Go Beyond:
I’ve been thinking a lot about the paper and have been in conversation with people at my church about it. I’ve written more about it and focused on a bigger picture rather than on just the social media components. http://www.thenewuu.com

Comment on “Congregations and Beyond” vision from UUA President Morales by Peter Bowden

Peter Bowden — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:07:57 +0000

Thanks for your reply, Tom. We have many views and need to here them. Glad you commented.

Comment on “Congregations and Beyond” vision from UUA President Morales by Tom

Tom — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:50:38 +0000

Peter,
Rev. Morales talks about people who share UUA core values but don’t participate in congregations. I am one of the many people who _don’t_ share UUA core values but _do_ participate in congregational life a great deal.

It seems to me that the core value, or at least the central ritual, of the UUA is assembling thousands of people every year in some conference hotel to vote on lengthy creedal statements, often about subjects about which the assembled people know little. (As a real scientist I am particularly annoyed when GA invokes religious authority to express scientific opinions.) I am painfully aware that the few references to the UUA I have come across in general political writing are efforts by right-wing Christians to use the UUA to prove that “Liberals don’t really believe in separation of church and politics.”

I am aware that people like me aren’t very popular at GA or 25, so I avoid those places. But there are many people like me in my congregation. I would say that out of 370 members we have three who take an interest in UUA affairs, including GA. It appears from the Morales article that the general feeling of disinterest is mutual.

So maybe we could have an amicable divorce. The UUA could become a direct mail fundraising outfit like SPLC. The congregations could form a new organization, patterned on the NACCC, which would help with settlements and print hymnals but not try to tell us all what to think. We could still be friends. How about it?

Tom

Comment on A Unitarian response to Garrison Keillor’s “Don’t Mess with Christmas” campaign by Joe Peterson

Joe Peterson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:56:11 +0000

I find this funny……. In the past I could understand the Unitarian voice in Christianity. Unitarians believed in many of the central doctrines of the faith but understood God’s grace to ultimately extend to everyone in final united humanity.. Today I look at Unitarianism and I ask what is the point? Gone is any belief in Christ’s work on the cross as the Son of man and God as well as other previously held beliefs. Now all are welcome to come to develop their own sense of spirituality amongst a ground of truth seekers many of whom at their core question universal ideas of truth. With that being said let Unitarians dance, play, and sound out their monotone hi-order fashion. Impressing others through the theater of their own self made importance. ….No problem here ……

Best
Joe P

PS What a mixed up world… Is it even worthy of intellectual or spiritual respect????

Comment on Congregations and Beyond by help them grow « So May We Be

help them grow « So May We Be — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:24:46 +0000

[...] is a lot of discussion, these days, about what people need and want from church, and how to engage them most effectively. [...]

Comment on Congregations and Beyond by Some Thoughts on the “Congregations & Beyond” Whitepaper by Rev. Peter Morales « The New UU

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:58:48 +0000

[...] various forms of ministry in the digital world has helped pave the way for the recognition and a call to action by Rev. Morales, the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Given all of this ground laying work, [...]

Comment on Congregations and Beyond by Some Thoughts on the “Congregations & Beyond” Whitepaper by Rev. Peter Morales « The New UU

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:57:05 +0000

[...] various forms of ministry in the digital world has helped pave the way for the recognition and a call to action by Rev. Morales. Given all of this ground laying work, I would have liked to see a deeper summary of general tactics [...]

Comment on Congregations and Beyond by Peter Bowden

Peter Bowden — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:29:36 +0000

June, post with error removed. Not sure why names were fused.

Comment on Congregations and Beyond by june herold

june herold — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:21:24 +0000

I am very happy to see that the work of many UU ministers and lay people who have been practicing various forms of ministry in the digital world has helped pave the way for the recognition and a call to action by Rev. Morales. For two years, the 1,000 member UU of Arlington, VA, http://www.uucava.org, has extended its church life online – primarily with its own social network and also through twitter, facebook and YouTube. We have learned much. First and foremost: No amount of great content and transparency in online ministry is guaranteed to cultivate new comers who stay. My church has attracted, according to Google Analytics, about 40,000 unique individuals to its site in two years — 94% from the USA, and the rest from 170 countries viewing content in 94 different languages. We are struggling to turn this overwhelming interest into new physical members. Unless there is a coordinated, multi-pronged (marketing) effort to maximize this good fortune, digital ministry by a congregation will only help retention. New people who come to our services, thoroughly check us out online and come because they see us in action and get to know us. But after the one or two services they attend, we lose them because of follow up challenges. I believe, the UUA could help us significantly in working with congregations make this conversion possible. Second: When a congregation extends its practice online, it extends its liberal religious voice into a very large, worldwide conversation. Together, our congregations, the UUA and the Church of the Larger Fellowship can effectively consolidate a UU Identity that is understandable to all and seen a leader in restoring liberal religious voices in our national and local issues. I hope to offer a few ways of doing this in the grant work I have through the UUFS to create a model online ministry program. I will be completing it this spring, when I should be able to release it online. I’m in debted to many lay folk and clergy who have been working and experimenting in this effort long before me.

Comment on “Congregations and Beyond” vision from UUA President Morales by Peter Bowden

Peter Bowden — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:33:42 +0000

Hi David, I think that is an important point which I’ve heard from a number of people already. When we talk about the “UUA” doing more in certain areas, such as social media, we need to have clarity about what the UUA staff, programs and offices are doing vs. what we can accomplish via the work and ministry of our congregations.