The following is an update for UU Growth Lab members. Links require a member login. If you are part of a team, use your team login. If you are not a member, learn more here. Questions? Contact me.
Hi UU Growth Lab members,
This Peter Bowden with a big member content update!
We had three great live sessions in January which ran later in the month than usual. This informed the VIDEO STRATEGY UPDATE I recorded for you.
We also just had our February live session which informed the CREATING A COLLABORATIVE (STEWARDSHIP) CULTURE training I recorded yesterday.
All the training content links are below. Note that our extra sessions in January mushed these training cycles together. We're back on track!
👍 PRO TIP: Download linked handouts below to maximize impact of your membership. I recommend doing this before you watch trainings. Get the handouts into your physical world. Print a copy. Have training notes on-hand in your related meetings.
😎 You might even make a -- dare I say it? -- a hard copy binder. Oh yeah! Old school's back in fashion.
Member early Zoom RSVP
- RSVP for our next live session on March 10
I'm working on our topic focus for the next three months including March. If you have special requests, including things we discussed possibly doing but haven't yet, I'd love to hear from you. Drop your requests in my question box here. Just note its for UU Growth Lab topic requests. - Responding to AI Crisis
I must admit, I'm very concerned after "Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI." (Video). I've been following AI development and associated trends and things are accelerating rapidly.
I'm working on discerning how best to weave this into my work with our congregations. If we aren't leading on AI, we aren't leading anymore...
Maybe a quarterly AI related session? Could be rotating practical AI, organizing community events discussing AI, understanding risks to support advocacy. Could be separate series. Thoughts?
Latest Member Content
- Creating a Collaborative Culture that Sustains Stewardship
Watch On-Demand Member Training (48 Minutes)
Downloads
Many congregation's run a pledge campaign where they ramp up meaning-making, reflection, and vision-casting. While valuable, leaving the "meaning making" process for the pledge campaign can make it feel more about the money than the vision. More of a transactional pitch than an authentic process. Some congregations try to make stewardship a year-round effort to increase effectiveness.This training suggests a deeper shift.
Instead of intensifying fundraising, we focus on cultivating year-round collaborative leadership! We embrace and implement a culture where people experience real ownership in congregational life because they help shape it.
People fund what they help build. If you want people to support your congregation, ministry, programs, and justice efforts, they need to develop a sense of ownership of those efforts.
- Video Strategy for Thriving Congregations 2026
Watch On-Demand Member Training (67 Minutes)
This session is designed to help UU leaders make confident, practical decisions about video, websites, and online engagement. It is for congregations that want to strengthen their digital welcome, support newcomer discernment, and use video strategically without adding unnecessary complexity or workload.
Download
- The Big Picture
Understand the cultural shifts shaping how people explore and engage with congregations today — and why video is now mission-critical, not optional. -
Website Video Essentials
Learn what videos you need, where they go, and how to use them to help first-time visitors feel welcome, informed, and ready to connect. -
Weekly Engagement Strategy
Discover how to use your Sunday worship content to generate shortform “highlight clips” that help people experience your message — and your community — through interest-based platforms like Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook. -
Turn Your YouTube Channel into a 24/7 Welcome Center
We’ll walk you through how to make your YouTube presence more welcoming and useful — including title strategy, descriptions, calls to action, and chapter markers to help newcomers easily explore your services.
- The Big Picture
- Live Session Replays
You may access Zoom replays of previous live sessions in our member area the links below. I'm featuring the on-demand trainings I've recorded for you in this email because they are a greater synthesis of information and include handouts.
2026 Live Zoom Replays
2025 Live Zoom Replays - Our Member-Only Training Podcast
A reminder that we now have a podcast audio feed of our monthly trainings. You need to do a one time setup to get the feed in your podcast app of choice.
🎙️ Member-only Podcast Setup Instructions
🎧 Listen to podcast on web
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