Friends, this training is coming up fast! I’m delighted that so many congregations have come together to help bring me out for this training. Scroll down for the sponsoring congregations and full program outline below. This is going to be a fun, exciting and practical training. If you have questions, please email me. Hope to see you in Colorado Springs!
~ Peter
Growing UU Membership Using Social Media and Visitor Integration Strategies
With Peter Bowden
Saturday, October 4, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (MDT)
High Plains Church, UU
1825 Dominion Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
- Online Registration
- Print Flyer & Offline Registration Form (PDF) Updated with full sponsor list
Event Sponsors
- High Plains Church Unitarian Universalist
- All Souls Unitarian Universalist
- First Unitarian Society of Denver
- Foothills Unitarian Church of Fort Collins
- Jefferson Unitarian Church
- UU Church of Greeley
Overview
Social media is fundamentally changing how people form relationships, consume information and make important life decisions. This has significant implications for congregations, especially with regard to how we share our news and announcements, and how we invite people into membership. For our congregations to thrive in the 21stCentury, we must understand these changes and learn to use the communication tools of our time with purpose, skill and integrity. Join us for this day-long training on social media and membership integration with church growth, outreach and media consultant, Peter Bowden.
Program Outline
The following is the near final program outline for the day.
8:30 Registration & Refreshments
9:00 Opening Worship & Welcome
9:15 Technology, Culture and the Challenge to Congregations
How is changing technology changing us? We’ll look at the new technology norms for how people are connecting, learning and making decisions. Understanding these changes is critical to effective outreach, social media use, and membership development.9:25 Social Media and the New Path to Membership
The path to becoming a member in a congregation has changed significantly in recent years. Not in terms of what has to happen for people to connect with a congregation, but how, when and where these connections happen. Today much of what happens in the course of “church shopping” happens online via congregational social media channels.10:45 Break
11:00 Increasing Engagement, Understanding Social Media Today
For congregations to maximize engagement with newcomers, members and friends, we need to understand what communication platforms people are using, what they are using them for, and the new norms for institutional communication. We’ll identify the top social media platforms today, look at their use by demographic, and identify key ways congregations need to shift their approach in order to communicate effectively today.11:30 Break Out Session
What have you tried? What works? What doesn’t? We’ll take some time to learn from each other, share successes and challenges. This will also prime our lunch time conversation.12:00 Lunch
We’ll take a nice full hour lunch to allow for conversations to continue, connections to be made, and to let our brains cool down as needed!1:00 Report Back
When we gather after lunch, we will take some time to hear some of our success stories and insights from our lunch conversations.1:20 Social Media Storytelling, Relationship and Membership Growth
We’ll go deeper into the strategy of communicating with newcomers, members and friends via social media with the goal of building relationships, increasing participation in congregational life, and growing your membership. To be successful at this, we need to master the art and science of telling the many stories of congregational life in ways that are interesting, meaningful, and invite participation.2:00 Best Practices for Keeping Members Engaged and Coming Back
If we’re successful in brining newcomers into our communities, soon we will have new members. Which raises the question, how do we keep members coming back in today’s world with so many competing demands for people’s attention and time.2:20 Developing Social Media Plans, a Small Group Exercise
We’ll break into small groups and go through the process of developing a social media plan for one primary event or happening within the life of your congregation using strategies detailed earlier in the day. This may be for a large fundraiser, your monthly newcomer class, or a special holiday event.2:45 Discussion on Small Group Exercise
3:00 Q & A Time
3:30 Closing
Testimonials
“Peter provided our team with an opportunity to learn together about social media giving us a common understanding of the benefits and costs of utilizing it. His enthusiasm for social media is infectious, making us feel not only that implementing it is possible and perhaps inevitable as our world continues to evolve.” — Sara Deshler, Church Administrator, Cedar Lane U U Church.
“Peter’s passion for social media communications and Unitarian Universalism is contagious. His vision for our future is something we need to learn and embrace.” – Don Southworth, UUMA Executive Director
Peter’s training on Social Media was clear, instructive, and interactive. He is dynamic, engaging and brings an enthusiasm to his sessions that is contagious. I recommend him highly.” — Mark Bernstein, Regional Growth Development Consultant, Central East Region of the UUA
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