DIY Small Church Learning Resources: Innovation and Change

There's been lots of attention paid to how churches respond to new 21st century realities. How we communicate, how we get information, even how we work and worship - so many things have changed in just the last couple decades. There's plenty of things your church continues to do well; but if you identify an area of congregational life where you'd like to explore a new approach, we've gathered some articles to spark your imagination. And if you feel ready to make a change, contact hallen [at] uua [dot] org (Hilary Allen), our Innovation Program Lead.

New ideas for religious education...

Four Ideas for Casting Vision for Parents: This blog post is written specifically about casting vision for a particular approach to religious education, but the tips for casting vision and planning for trying new things are broadly applicable.

Growing Religious Exploration, One Sunday Night Supper at a Time: Blog post about how one UU religious educator in a small church instituted a new tradition and grew community.

New ideas for hospitality...

Why Most Churches Greet You Like it's 1999: Blog post about how to use your congregation's online presence to reach your church families throughout the week, and not just on Sunday mornings, when not all of our people can necessarily be with us.

New life for existing churches....

Mustard Seed Church: Blog post from a UCC perspective on recognizing the strengths of small churches. The trend toward more small churches as a percentage of all congregations in this country parallels what we are experiencing in our UUA as well.

Once Patrons, Now Landlords: Churches Rehab Buildings for Artists Spaces: News article on how some congregations are changing their relationship to their buildings and discovering new ways to serve their mission in the process.