Front Range UU

Leadership and Technology Conference

PLEASE JOIN US WITH OTHER

FRONT RANGE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS

TO SHARE, LEARN, AND DEEPEN OUR KNOWLEDGE

ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND TECHNOLOGY

AND THE WAYS THAT WE CAN SHARE OUR GIFTS

WITH OUR CONGREGATIONS!

Front Range UU Leadership Conference

Date:

Saturday, February 21, 2015, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm

Location:

First Universalist Church, 4101 E. Hampden Avenue, Denver, CO 80222

Food:

Continental Breakfast and Catered Lunch are included

Cost:

$16 early bird, $21 after February 1, 2015

For:

Front Range Congregations

Registration

Opens on January 7, 2015 using Event Brite

Payment

Credit card through Event Brite-each person must register themselves

Please indicate your preference for workshops in each track by picking one workshop from each of the

two tracks (e.g., 1C, 2A). You may change your mind, but this will give us an idea of interest to assign rooms, etc.

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Workshops

Presenters

ALL

Worship and Opening: Why do you choose to serve?

ALL

Keynote: Leading from the Center

Gregory Rouillard

Track 1

1A

Technology 101: Facebook - A Tool for Connection & Communication

Lori Ragona

1B

Engaging Conflict with Curiosity and Compassion

Gregory Rouillard

1C

From Welcoming to Participating

Beth Chronister

ALL

Lunch

ALL

Technology Listening Circle

Gregory Rouillard

Track 2

2A

Technology 101 Part 2: Google Docs, Groups & Zoom- Collaboration & Communication Tools

Lori Ragona

2B

Technology 201: Tech for Committees and Boards

Glenn Barrows

2C

Deepening Faith through Participation

Kelly Dignan

ALL

Discussion: Congregations will gather individually to share what was learned

ALL

Discussion: How does your congregation do technology well?

ALL

Closing

TRACK 1 OPTIONS

1A: Technology 101: Facebook - A Tool for Connection & Communication - Lori Ragona, Training and Communications Specialist at Unitarian Universalist Association

A fun hands-on workshop on how to use Facebook to communicate and collaborate within and across your church committees, with other churches, and nonprofits. We’ll focus on the practical uses of Facebook including connecting with an organization and following their posts, posting your own status, creating an event, sharing someone else’s event, when to use a page and/or a group, security settings for groups, creating discussions in groups. All instruction will be focused on what to do after you have your account set up. Follow these instructions to do so: https://www.facebook.com/help/188157731232424 Bring your laptop and power cord.

1B: Engaging Conflict with Curiosity and Compassion - Gregory Rouillard, partner in the Seven Principles Project which is a UU ministry devoted to cultivating covenanted relationship within and among communities of faith

Most of us have been conditioned to view “conflict” as something to be feared, avoided or resolved. In this breakout session, we introduce a practical means for engaging difficult interactions with curiosity and compassion. After coming together through brief connecting activities we breathe life into the first UU principle, using activity and inquiry to introduce the framework of universal human needs. Through this lens, we then examine a typical congregational conflict. This activity offers learning through the lived experience of cultivating connection, understanding and compassion by practicing curiosity about the values by the actions of others. Finally, participants are invited to join in small groups to reflect upon their experience and to harvest the insights that ripened during the session.

1C: From Welcoming to Participating - Beth Chronister – Ministerial Resident at First Unitarian Society of Denver

Research shows that people need to be invited into participation by their third visit if they are going to commit to our church communities. This means that the window for engaging people and connecting them to the community in meaningful ways is very small. How do we prepare ourselves, our programming, and our communities to meet them during this crucial time of connection? What does it mean to be a connector? How can we work to shift the culture of not only welcoming the newcomer, but engaging them as well? Join in this interactive workshop and then take it home to your congregation!

TRACK 2 OPTIONS

2A: Technology 101 Part 2: Google Docs, Groups & Zoom- Collaboration & Communication Tools - Lori Ragona Training and Communications Specialist at Unitarian Universalist Association

Create, share and collaborate on documents and spreadsheets online and be able to access them from anywhere with Google Drive. With a little instruction, we can transform this sometimes mysterious system into the powerful collaboration and sharing tool it’s meant to be. Instruction will be based on participants having a Google account, and having Google Drive loaded on their laptop. Bring your laptop and power cord. Google Groups are just one of many features included in Google that we’ll explore as well. Google Groups help to streamline communications with your small group ministries, committees or task groups with closed, by invitation only, email groups. I’ll introduce Zoom, my favorite web conference platform and talk about a few of the endless possibilities of web conferencing for UU leaders using this simple, user friendly system.

2B: Technology 201: Tech for Committees and Boards - Glenn Barrows – Business Administrator at First Unitarian Society

Have you ever joined a committee with no information about what it had done in the past? Do you ever wish there was some way to access the institutional memory you need to be a leader? Join with other leaders to brainstorm and discuss how to overcome these obstacles using technology.

2C: Deepening Faith through Participation – Rev. Kelly Dignan – Minister at UU Church of Greeley

Participation in your church should be meaningful, not exhausting. In fact, it can be a way you deepen your faith and transform your life. We invite you to attend this workshop so you can:

· Learn how meaningful participation is a way to live our Unitarian Universalist theology

· Discern your gifts and interests

· Understand how to map your gifts to the needs of your church

· Consider how to balance between being filled up by the church and pouring out your gifts to the church

Not only will you experience the workshop yourself, you will receive all the materials so you can take it home to your congregation