Don't Forget: February is "Strengthening Congregations Webinar Month"!

February 17, 2015
As you may know, February is "Strengthening Congregations Webinar Month" here at the URJ. At the halfway point, more than 300 congregational leaders have joined live webinars to learn more about what makes a congregation strong and how the URJ is evolving to help you become or continue to be a strong congregation. The feedback and engagement on the webinars has been productive and valuable. There are still eight live webinars that will take place over the next few weeks, and I hope you will join one. Join a webinar to learn more about how you can:
  • Connect with geographically-based URJ Communities to help your congregation's lay leaders network and learn together
  • Join The Tent to get answers to your questions and to join discussions with peers across North America
  • Learn about the forthcoming "Leadership Institute," which will expand leadership development opportunities for your congregation
  • Contact the Knowledge Network for answers and resources related to all aspects of congregational life (1.855.URJ.1800 or urj1800@urj.org)
  • Learn about the corps of volunteers available to run board workshops at your congregation or congregational retreat
  • Tap into the corps of experts (in conjunction with other Reform institutions and individuals) that is available for specialized advice
  • Help your congregation's new president get off on the right foot with the specialized training available at the Scheidt Seminar (registration now open)
All webinars are recorded so you can watch at your convenience. In the meantime, I hope you will read and discuss Amy Asin's recent post about voluntary dues in light of the recent UJA-Federation Synergy report. Several Reform congregations are experimenting with new dues models and the lessons they're learning can be valuable for all congregations. If you're considering how you might adjust your congregation's dues policy, keep an eye out for the forthcoming report from our recently concluded Community of Practice, Reimagining Financial Support for Your 21st Century Congregation. A new Community of Practice dedicated to this topic is slated to be launched in the coming months. Applications for this and other CoPs will be available in early May and there will be a kick-off meeting for new CoPs at the 73rd URJ Biennial in Orlando, FL, on Nov. 4-8, 2015.

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