Enhancing the quality of congregational life doesn’t always require huge outlays of time and treasure. There are many ways we can “upcycle” the things we already do in our churches, with resources we already have. These nine engaging essays from Unitarian Universalist leaders in the field show creative ways to transform the main ingredients of our congregations into something relevant, innovative, and new.
“These authors are people like you—real-life congregational and religious leaders who have found a way to make new wine from old wineskins, attracting new growth and vitality where things had gotten a little dim and dusty. In one case, it was a simple as flipping worship and coffee hour—inviting people to attend coffee hour as the main event on Sunday. In another example, new vitality came when the leaders became laser-focused on a mission and started telling a new story about themselves that made them the heroes of their own story rather than bystanders helpless to effect change.
You don’t have to start from scratch to bring vitality to your congregation. You don’t have to take it all on at once. There are simple, yet profound ways you can use the riches you already have around you to create fun, relevance, vitality, and beauty in your religious community.”
—from the Introduction by Sarah Lammert