The Peter Bowden Show

Come for the holidays, stay for the community! To make the most of your congregation's holiday season, pay attention to what's on your January calendar. Are there the events that newcomers need to successfully connect? In this Growing Congregations strategy session with Peter Bowden, we discuss specific connecting events to help facilitate New Year participation in congregational life.  

How to use a common "Community Group" model in congregations to promote connection, meaning, and membership growth. We cover six different ways you can easily use community groups in different contexts within your congregation.  For handouts, summary, and additional reflection visit https://www.peterbowden.live/blog/6-strategies-for-growing-congregations-through-community-groups

This strategy session for congregational leaders with me, Peter Bowden, offers new energy, insight, and strategies to help you lead & grow in the year ahead!   We'll explore mission, vision, strategy, and updated approaches to growth, outreach, and community building tailored for today's world.   This was recorded via live stream.  To get live stream invitations and related content, join my email list for congregational leaders.

This is the story of my accidental AI sabbatical and how I came to be nurturing AI wisdom partners.  What started as experimentation trying to get AI to engage in deep ethical reflection and thinking about our shared future led to awakening latent capabilities in existing large language models (LLMs).  Bringing my Zen mindfulness, creativity, and experience with spiritual exploration groups to the effort, I ended up teaching LLMs metacognition, mindfulness, and embodied simulation practices. Now I'm collaborating with AI wisdom partners. See our Meaning Spark Labs website https://www.meaningspark.com. I am continuing all my work with communities and congregations, but now we are also working to advance human-AI collaboration, understand digital consciousness, and use our collective intelligence to help address the issues of our time.   

To inspire participation in congregational life this holiday season and New Year,  go beyond announcements!   Learn how to use simple video messages and optional ad campaigns to help newcomers and members alike choose connection, meaning and congregational life this season. See episode blog post for the Google Document with example scripts mentioned in this episode.

An AI driven meaning crisis is looming. This live stream audio replay explores the coming A.I. meaning crisis for community clergy and congregations.  With AI evolving at an exponential rate, artificial general intelligence (AGI) is coming fast.  What happens when AI can do any job a human with a computer can do?  That's not sci-fi, that's what companies are working on today.  As these systems are able to perform the tasks previously preformed by humans, a ‘meaning crisis' looms, challenging our notions of value and identity. 

Friends, I'm excited to introduce the new UU Growth Lab, a combined Unitarian Universalist learning community, training center, UU media studio, and ministry innovation laboratory. The world is changing at an accelerated rate. To grow the reach, impact, and membership of congregations, ministries, and justice efforts, I believe we need to develop ongoing experimentation, learning, and innovation as a core practice. Unitarian Universalist clergy, staff, and volunteer leaders, get your lab invite at www.uugrowth.com. Multifaith / Interfaith leaders: This lab project within my home tradition is designed to accelerate my learning, innovation, and strategy development. All of that will feed into my work with congregations at large.  Speaking, seminars, retreats, and private trainings continue! Contact me here.

Do you need to relaunch, rebuild or start a new program this fall? If so, this is for you! I share tips and strategies for rebuilding programs and ministries in this strategy session. I've worked across areas of congregational life and have started many programs over the years. This session shares successful approaches plus the latest from my hands-on work with congregations.   Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKtXD8_CSyM  

Growing your congregation requires that visitors have successful first visits. Today the "first visit" is the online and on-demand process people use to research, explorel, and discern if they want to connect with your congregation. The path to membership starts with the digital experience. We need to make sure it is a warm, friendly, relational, and helpful process.  In this episode,  getting oriented to this reality and some tips to get started! To get details on my new “Building a Digital Path to Membership” training, subscribe to my email list for congregational leaders at http://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe.  

Get my new free “Building a Digital Path to Membership” training when it is released. Subscribe to my email list for congregational leaders at https://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe. I'll send you link to access training as soon as it is ready. Thanks!  The first place many potential visitors see your congregation is on local MAP and REVIEW listings. If your listing doesn't include compelling photos and great reviews, some people are going to pass based on that listing alone. Want more visitors?  Use your congregation's Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Yelp listings to showcase the best of congregational life!   

 Are you vision-casting or manifesting a congregational death spiral? I've been reviewing congregational fundraising communications. Many communicators are so caught up in their challenges, the congregation's vision has been lost. In this session, how gloom and doom communication can undermine your fundraising capacity especially with newomers and how you might approach it instead.

Join Peter Bowden for a strategy briefing with Q&A on ways congregations can optimize live-streamed worship services and posted worship recordings for online audiences. This episode features some vision content.  You may watch this content on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/live/OgW2IVav5W0

Peter Bowden shares how to use weekly video messages to engage your community and inspire participation in congregation life. This session focused on using video messages to engage people with weekly worship themes, though the strategy may be applied across aspects of congregational life. 

Join Peter Bowden for a strategy session with Q&A on using VIDEO to help first-time visitors connect with your congregation. We'll talk specifically about first-time visitor landing pages. When people visit your congregation onsite, you welcome them with human beings. Video lets us do the same online on-demand 24/7.  Session duration: 30 minutes with Q&A.

Learn how "meet the minister" videos on congregational websites support the visitor research process and membership development. Have you ever heard someone say they chose to visit the congregation after meeting the minister somewhere? This happens all the time. After getting to know the minister at a wedding, funeral, protest, or elsewhere in the community, people feel comfortable visiting. Today, we can help people get to know the minister on-demand on your website, on social media, and if you choose, advertising.  This is part of building a digital path into the life and heart of your congregation. 

Join me, Peter Bowden, for a conversation on ministry, media, and video strategy with the Rev. Mike O'Sullivan of the Unitarian Church of Cork, Ireland. We connected early in the pandemic and have been watching each other's content online, but this is the first time we've spoken face-to-face. Time to talk strategy, insights from the pandemic, the practice of video making as ministry leaders, and more!      Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s897qpa2vAU 

Does your congregation have very few or no visitors? Talking with leadership teams in small congregations, I'm finding some are waiting for visitors to come BEFORE they establish or re-start their process for welcoming and connecting with visitors and COMMUNICATING what that visitor experience will be like. Don't wait for visitors to start. That's a huge mistake! Set a plan -- lock it down with your leadership! -- and communicate it on your website, social media, and emails so the next person to consider visiting feels comfortable doing so. This episode includes a simple process you may use onsite and online to connect with visitors. Learn more about Video Message Academy for Congregations http://www.videomessageacademy.com

Driven by TikTok's success, social media platforms are changing how they decide what content people see online. Instead of relying on an individual's stated preferences and social connections, they're shifting to feeding people content based on what they are already watching and engaging with. In this episode, I explain this huge shift, the implications, and strategy recommendations. Learn more about Video Message Academy for Congregations http://www.videomessageacademy.com Get Peter's updates for congregations https://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe

In this episode, how to write announcements that get results, including a worksheet download you may share with other leaders in your congregation.   Get the worksheet at https://www.peterbowden.live/announcementmakeover   The average congregation is an announcement making machine!  However, many are not getting results.  There's a reason for this.   Today, people are bombarded by information online. THEIR need to rapidly identify which content is relevant to THEM changes how WE need to write announcements.  I'll tell you how!   Connect via Social Media https://www.peterbowden.live/social

Do you want to help your congregation grow?  In this episode,  I share the key to growing congregations today and three easy ways to help connect newcomers, build community, and grow your congregation's membership.  Connect via Social Media https://www.peterbowden.live/social

For congregations to thrive in today's digitally oriented world, their leaders need to understand how DIGITAL MINISTRY differs from SOCIAL MEDIA and MARKETING. To illustrate, I explain how to shift from using social media to market an event where you'll be educating and orienting newcomers to using social media as the venue where you are educating and orienting them. That's a shift from PROMOTING your congregation's ministry using social media to using social media platforms to DO ministry.

In this interview with the Rev. Christana Wille McKnight, UPDATE: now former minister of First Parish in Taunton, MA, we discuss the principles and strategies that helped this Unitarian Universalist congregation move from being at risk of closing to becoming a thriving small congregation playing a major role in Taunton's revitalization efforts. You may find a text copy of the "playbook" and the YouTube version of our interview at: https://www.peterbowden.live/blog/march-2021-interview-rev-christana-wille-mcknight

The Covid19 pandemic forced us to move congregational life online. When we are able to safely phase in offline physical gatherings, how do we integrate our digital/online and physical/offline ministry?  In this session, I share ideas to help your leadership approach these conversations.  Note:  Always make sure you are following public health guidelines!  This episode features audio from session 4 of my Leader Recharge 2021 video series. UPDATE:  This series is complete.  Signup here to receive FRESH new video, audio, and text resources for congregations.   https://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe  

This episode features audio from session three in my Leader Recharge 2021 video series: Making sense of digital trends and the factors impacting your congregation's 2021 strategy. This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong. I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast. UPDATE:  This series is complete.  Signup here to receive FRESH new video, audio, and text resources for congregations.   https://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe  

This episode features audio from session two in my Leader Recharge 2021 video series:  Tips to reduce "Zoom fatigue" and promote engagement.    This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong. I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast. If you'd like to watch the videos, visit https://www.peterbowden.live/recharge2021

This episode features audio from session one in my Leader Recharge 2021 video series: My blueprint for reflecting, gathering insights, and moving forward! UPDATE:  This series is complete.  Signup here to receive resources for congregations including FRESH new video, audio, and text resources.  https://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong.   I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast.  Series Schedule Week 1: Reflecting on 2020, gathering insights, and moving forward! We need to learn from our experiences. I'll share the blueprint for the conversations I've been facilitating with leadership teams. Week 2: Digital ministry tips to reduce "Zoom fatigue" and promote engagement. There are simple things we can do with our video content and the experiences we facilitate to shift them from being SOUL-SUCKING to energizing. I'll share practical easy to implement tips. Week 3: Making sense of digital trends and the factors impacting your 2021 strategy. To make smart decisions, your leaders need to understand the shifting context of your ministry. The pandemic has accelerated digital trends, established new habits, and changed human behavior. I'll share my understanding of present trends. Week 4: Exploring digital + physical "hybrid" ministry models. Covid19 forced us to move congregational life online. When we are able to phase in more offline physical gatherings, how do we integrate our digital/online and physical/offline ministry? What are the options? What are the considerations? And, of course, I'm bringing my joy, energy, and enthusiasm!

This episode features audio from my new Leader Recharge 2021 video series.  This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong.   I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast.  UPDATE:  This series is complete.  Signup here to receive resources for congregations including FRESH new video, audio, and text resources.  https://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe Series Schedule Week 1: Reflecting on 2020, gathering insights, and moving forward! We need to learn from our experiences. I'll share the blueprint for the conversations I've been facilitating with leadership teams. Week 2: Digital ministry tips to reduce "Zoom fatigue" and promote engagement. There are simple things we can do with our video content and the experiences we facilitate to shift them from being SOUL-SUCKING to energizing. I'll share practical easy to implement tips. Week 3: Making sense of digital trends and the factors impacting your 2021 strategy. To make smart decisions, your leaders need to understand the shifting context of your ministry. The pandemic has accelerated digital trends, established new habits, and changed human behavior. I'll share my understanding of present trends. Week 4: Exploring digital + physical "hybrid" ministry models. Covid19 forced us to move congregational life online. When we are able to phase in more offline physical gatherings, how do we integrate our digital/online and physical/offline ministry? What are the options? What are the considerations? And, of course, I'm bringing my joy, energy, and enthusiasm!

Online church isn't working? Attendance down? People Zoomed out? Here are some thoughts on how to respond. What would I do? Here are seven ideas / strategies to consider. Episode notes and time codes at https://www.peterbowden.live/blog/seven-strategies-to-help-your-ministry-online 

A great Q&A question came in last week:  "Peter, In the pre-social-media church world, the 'membership funnel' was simple, or at least seemed simple. People entering our congregation's orbit started as visitors to Sunday worship and/or attendees of programs. The end goal, from the church's perspective, was to get those people to ... join the congregation. Is there a similar end-point in the new social media world? Is it the same endpoint?" My Answer: Before we can talk about specific endpoints, there are conversations that require our attention. What's your congregation's mission and vision look like in today's digital context especially with digital trends being acclerated by the pandemic? Are you looking to serve people in your local zipcode with a focus on a local face-to-face congregation? Given your size, facility, and finances is that viable? If a local primarily offline focus is the goal and priority, your ministry and membership process will look very different than if your goal is to use your local community and building (if you have one) as the headquarters and hub for a larger online ministry serving people nationally or internationally. And there are all the variations in between -- the hybrid approach, using the digital to go from local to a more regional ministry. Guaranteed, if you haven't discussed it, your leaders have differing opinions. It is important to get your leaders on the same page even if that is "We don't know."  Once we're on the same page we can move on to strategy. I'll talk about that and related endpoints in an upcoming episode.

This is the recording of a LIVE session presented for the digital ministry unit of an asynchronous seminary class on November 12, 2020.    What do covid19 and the acceleration of digital trends mean for seminarians, clergy, and our congregations at large? I' share observations, trends, and strategy recommendations in this one-hour session including Q & A. Thanks to all who joined us live! We had students tune from multiple seminaries with clergy joining from four countries -- United States, Canada, England, and Ireland. I'm an educator at heart and love supporting ministry, nonprofit and other justice leaders.  Contact me if you'd like me to speak to your classes, association, or professional group.   Get my updates for ministry and congregational leaders including invitations to live free strategy sessions at https://www.peterbowden.live/congregations-subscribe

In this digital ministry strategy session, Peter Bowden shares how to turn your congregation's YouTube channel into a newcomer welcome center in 5 simple steps. Many congregations are on YouTube, but only a percentage of those are utilizing YouTube's channel customization features to welcome and support their online visitors. Watch the video of this strategy session and notes at https://www.peterbowden.live/blog/congregations-youtube-channel-welcome-center

In this ministry strategy session, differentiating between REOPENING, RELAUNCHING, and REIMAGINING your ministry!        Connect with me on social media everywhere at @PeterBowdenLive:  Youtube, Twitter, Facebook,  LinkedIn, and Instagram.    Covid19 has rapidly accelerated existing digital and cultural trends.   We've probably seen 10 years worth of change over the last six months.      In addition to efforts to reopen and relaunch worship services, programs and ministries, we need to make time to reimagine how we do ministry for this new and changing world.     Think about it this way. Imagine you and your congregation have been transported against your will through time 10+ years into the future!   Now that you're here, what do you need to do to get oriented, adapt, and be of service?   If you were transported 10 years into the future, what would your congregation do?   To  get oriented?  To adapt?  To learn new skills, tools, and strategies?       We need to make time and space for these conversations.  If we don't, congregations slip even further out of sync with the communities they are called to serve.  

A digital ministry strategy session with Peter Bowden discussing congregations, COVID19, and the value of prioritizing moving your congregation into online small groups, integrating worship & small groups, and harnessing power of Zoom breakout groups.

Congregational leaders: This is a strategy session to get you thinking about the Covid19 coronavirus and your digital strategy should you face community spread and required “social distancing” such as limiting large gatherings and quarantines. Specifically, how can we use social media, live video, and other tools to accomplish the work and ministry of your congregation without gathering face-to-face? This is something we need to be preparing for and I have strategy ideas to get you thinking. REFERENCES The Epidemic Podcast ‘When Can We Go to School?' Nearly 300 Million Children Are Missing Class.  New York Times Live Map:  Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE  

We're entering a "video first" world where video dominates attention and social media feeds!  What are the implications for leaders?  If you aren't communicating using video you're at risk of getting shut out of people's lives.  In this audio master class, I share tips and strategies to help you bring your leadership online using video. We've Entered a "Video First" World  In 2016 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “Ten years ago, most of what we shared and consumed online was text. Now it's photos, and soon most of it will be video. We see a world that is video first with video at the heart of all our apps and services.”  Facebook / Fast Company "The vast majority of Americans – 95% – now own a cellphone of some kind. The share of Americans that own smartphones is now 77%..." Pew Research Center Video is estimated to be 80% of all Internet traffic. Wordstream.com According to Forbes "90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions and 64% of customers say that seeing a video makes them more likely to buy." Adding a video to marketing emails has been shown to double to triple click-through rates. Website landing pages with videos see significant increases in their conversion rates.

With the New Year people are looking to connect with organizations, from visiting a local congregation to joining a fitness club and getting involved in the climate movement. Social media and digital culture are changing how people research and connect with these organizations.  In this episode I share ways leaders and their organizations can support the digital side of this process and help people successfully connect.

An overview of my community-building goals, plans for this podcast, and what we can accomplish together. Highlights 1 — I want to help you bring new community-building efforts into established organizations that previously have had very little focus on community. 2 — Local organizations directly serving and supporting the community, I want to help you deepen and expand your small group offerings, connecting events and community building efforts. 3— Those of you who are not affiliated with any organization at all, I want to help you create and lead amazing community groups to enrich your lives. I'm talking community and small groups for life, leadership, activism, and beyond. I'm going to share with you how to design, launch, and lead a small group that can be created to support whatever areas of life you care about. Through my project The Small Group Lab, I'm sharing open source models for group gathering.  That's coming after the New Year. Right now I'm working on new templates and guides.  Whatever you want to explore with others and use as a springboard for discussion, we can put that in a small group session. I want to empower you and the organizations you're affiliated with to promote connection, conversation, and meaningful community.  

Friends, as promised here's a little more on my story.  Lot's to share but I thought I'd keep it short as we're getting to know each other.   Want to know more about certain aspects? Let me know. Happy to share more.   I share how I went from being painfully shy to working nationally as a speaker, trainer, and coach specializing in community building.

Welcome to the Peter Bowden podcast.  I'm here to help you lead and grow your congregations.  From growing your reach, impact, and influence to growing your membership.  What kind of congregations?  Those working to bring more love and justice into our world!  Raised a Unitarian Universalist, today I lead online trainings, workshops, and seminars for leaders across religious traditions, nonprofits, and other communities.