Mid-South District UUA
What's UP! 
The Newsletter for UNLIMITED POTENTIAL Congregations  
September 2008 - Vol 1, Issue 1
The WEB SITE Issue !  
CONTENTS - VOL. 1, ISSUE 1
Your Web Site -- The New Front Door
UP! Team Work
Healthy Congregation Conference
  
CONFERENCE CALL
SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 
6:30 pm CDT ~ 7:30pm EDT
 
 FOR UP!  TEAM MEMBERS

Call:  866-295-5950
Code:  3766519#

----------
  Agenda :
Web Sites
 Being An UP! Team
Whatever Else Comes UP! 
 
 
 
HEALTHY
CONGREGATION
CONFERENCE
~
OCTOBER 11, 2008
Birmingham, AL  
~~~~~
UP! Supper Gathering
Friday Night - Oct. 10th
6pm - Birmingham Church
 ~~~~~
Register:  www.msduua.org  
 
MSD Website

 
Mid-South's Theme
for
2008-09
 
Beloved Community Log
 
Inspired by Rev. Tom Owen-Towle's book of the same name.
 
Find the book at the

Hello UP! Team Member! 

Welcome to Mid-South District's UNLIMITED POTENTIAL Program - the UP! PROGRAM - and the first WHAT'S UP! newsletter! 

So, what's the UP! Program?  "UP!" is  a unique enrichment program for congregations in Mid-South with 'unlimited potential' - those whose adult memberships are under seventy, have no full-time staff as yet, but are motivated to be all they can be!   

You're receiving this newsletter because you're a member of your congregation's UP! Team.  You're part of the connecting link between the UP! Program and your congregation. You're important!!  Read more about ideas for how to stay linked in the "Team Work"article below. 

You will want to find the UP! Calendar in the bar to the left and mark its special dates on your calendar. Note that the next upcoming events are a September 23rd conference call and the Healthy Congregation Conference on October 11.   

You will want to be sure that you participate in sharing information with the other congregations in the UP! Program through the e-list - msdupstreams@googlegroups.com.  You can swap ideas, ask questions about challenges that are puzzling your congregation, and share things that have worked for you.  Don't be shy about joining in the conversation on this list or in joining in the conference calls or the workshops and special UP! gatherings.    

You will also find information on the Mid-South web site - www.msduua.org - especially for the UP! Program.  Visit the site and find the link on the front page. 

Over the next eighteen month period congregations participating in the UP! Program will be offered special tracks at district conferences, special Internet training and resources, and a few unique gatherings just for the "UP!" congregations.  Participating congregations will also be able to stay connected through this electronic newsletter, conference calls and the e-list.  The UP! Calendar has initial information about what this will be. 

WELCOME ABOARD!  And READ ON ABOUT WHAT'S UP!    

Your Web Site - Your Front Door !
25 Beacon Front DoorMost newcomers to communities venture out to consider new churches for themselves and their families at the beginning of the school year. Where do they go to research churches they might visit?  Yep -- to the internet!

Many wise folks now agree:  a congregation's real front door, the place new folks get their first impression of the church, is its web site.  What the web site's front page conveys to visitors is crucial to a congregation's success in offering its message and ministry to the world.  
 
Especially for small congregations, an appealing web site is key! 
 
The front page of a site is especially crucial, with the most important information visible on the screen without having to scroll down.  A front page should include these items, which should be brief with clicks for more information where appropriate:  
  • The congregation's name and inviting photos or images
  • Times for Sunday services and key events (kept current!)
  • Directions and contacts for more information   
  • Short statements and links to longer ones that convey the congregation's values
  • A place to register for more news, either electronic or mailed 
  • Perhaps a special welcome statement for newcomers
  • Links to www.uua.org or other places that articulate UU values and beliefs

The site should use pictures of real people in the congregation. Prospective visitors want to know that they will see people that they can identify with, people who might be like them.  Look at the pictures you have and ask yourselves if only people who are just like the pictures feel welcomed who will be missing?  It's fine to use pictures of children, but do not identify or name the children in the pictures.

A congregation's web address should be included in all communications, printed or virtual, and the site should get serious priority. Once a site is up and going, keeping the information on it current and updated is critical! For prospective visitors and members alike, the importance of having the site have current, correct information is hard to overemphasize. In fact, it doesn't take long to figure out that, nowadays, a congregation's web site deserves more attention than almost any other communication tool.    
 
The UUA's web site and a number of its publications offer guidelines and tips for successfully building a web site. The UUA's InterConnections publication has a great article on web sites, with some good examples. And click here for lots of tools on the UUA site for making your website great.  
 
There is yet another fine essay from the Alban Institute, which develops great resources for churches of all faiths.
UP! Team  Work
Jugglers
What's it gonna take?  Team work!
What's it gonna take?  Team work!

The job of an UP! Team is to:
  • Keep in touch with the UP! communications
    • The WHAT'S UP newsletter
    • The monthly conference calls
    • The msdupteams@googlegroups postings
  • Keep in touch with your congregation
    • Forward info and report to the board
    • Share info via email and your newsletter
    • Have a few special congregation presentations
    • Invite other congregation members to UP! events
  • Keep in touch with the UP! coaches:  Eunice Benton, Connie Goodbread, and Norm Horofker

We'll talk more on our September 23rd conference call 

Healthy Congregation Conference
Gini Courter.jpgPlease be sure to mark your calendar for the MSD Healthy Congregation Conference, October 10 - 11 in Birmingham, Alabama. 

We have a fabulous opportunity this year to experience Gini Courter our UUA Moderator.  Gini is like a force of nature.  She is our Keynote Speaker and is presenting a morning workshop on "Leading for the Common Good".  Gini is an inspired and inspiring speaker.  She is very funny and brilliant - you will walk away with new insights!
 
The UP! congregations will  meet together for a program the Friday evening before the conference at the Birmingham Church  This UP! Team gathering will begin at 6:00 with dinner, a program and a lot of fun. Please be sure to come. 

On Saturday afternoon Norm Horofker and Connie Goodbread will present a workshop for the UP! Teams on "Sustainable Growth."  This workshop will not be the same old thing so again you will come away with new and deeper understanding and insights and some tools that you can use. 
 
You can register for the conference and find even more information at the MSD web site - www.msduua.org .