Resources for congregational life
Resources I have developed over the years for use in Unitarian Universalist congregations.
Administration and program resources
Religious education resources
Worship and music resources
Administration and program resources
Creating great content for UU Web sites
Text of a presentation for General Assembly 2006.
Extended Family Group programs
A multi-generational group designed to build cross-generational connections in liberal congregations. Includes
FAQ, application form, sample newsletter announcement, pretty much everything you need to get started in a small or larger congregation.
"Mystery Visitor" project
"Mystery visitors" visit a congregation's worship service unannounced, and then report on what they experienced. This can be a great way for a congregation to find out how newcomers really experience them. Idea implemented at Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva (Illinois) in 2004-2005.
Pastoral listeners/ Lay ministers -- training handouts
Handouts developed for in-service training sessions with a pastoral listening team.
Support groups in congregations, a quick-and-dirty guide
Basic definitions and considerations when forming a support group in a congregational setting.
This checklist should take you through the basic steps for forming a support group.
Volunteer job descriptions
Sample job descriptions for congregational volunteers, with time frame, goals, accountability, etc.
Religious education resources
Annotated bibliography for faith development
An annotated bibliography of books on faith development, and other aspects of developmental psychology, that have been found useful by liberal religious educators. Includes critical comments on each book.
Evaluation process for Sunday school
A report of a successful evaluation process for a church school. This evaluation was conducted with children.
Forms for religious education
Some common forms used in religious education departments of local congregations.
"The Girl Who Dared To Ask"
A 20-minute play to be performed by children in a regular worship service.
"Learning Types and Their Needs"
An essay showing how developmental psychology is not sufficient for describing learners in Unitarian Universalist religious education settings.
Mentor information, for a Coming of Age program
A short manual for mentors working with youth in a Coming of Age program.
Notes on classroom schooling
Moving beyond the classroom method of schooling, currently the dominant model in liberal religious education.
Teacher manual, for Sunday school teachers
A sample manual for Sunday school teachers, from one I produced for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley in 2003.
Doing hands-on eco-theology with children at Ferry Beach.
Worship and music resources
Alternate hymn words and tunes
A few alternate hymn words and tunes, suitable for post-Christian worship services (definition of "post-Christian").
An experiment in alternative worship
Description of alternative evening circle worship services held at First Parish in Lexington from March, 2001 through May, 2002.
Christmas carols and Yuletide songs
Traditional words for Christmas carols from the 1937 and 1964 Unitarian Universalist hymnals; Yuletide songs not in any Unitarian Universalist hymnal; additional verses to carols in the 1993 hymnal; words to the parody song "God Rest Ye Unitarians."
Hymn with words from folk sources
Copyright-free hymn tunes with words (some transcribed from oral tradition), not found in current Unitarian Universalist hymnals.
Responsive readings
A few responsive reading, suitable for use in post-Christian worship, arranged from original sources (definition of "post-Christian").
Words for worship
As used at First Unitarian in New Bedford: words for welcome, offertory, closing words. (For the convenience of worship leaders at First Unitarian, link to a text file with these words, and all other transitional words.)
Zinging the Living Tradition
Parodies of some Unitarian Universalist hymns.