Getting Started Series

Getting started with a Blog

You’re reading a blog right now!

A blog is a website or part of a website that publishes posts written by one or more authors. Posts are displayed in reverse chronological order and readers may be allowed to write comments on posts.

Most blogs that are related to Unitarian Universalism are authored by a single individual. For example, many Unitarian Universalist ministers have blogs that they use for sharing personal reflections as well as news about Unitarian Universalism and their congregation.

While single-author blogs are most common, it is possible to have a successful institutional blog; these usually feature multiple authors writing about related topics.

Here are some examples of Unitarian Universalist congregational blogs: the FUUN Blog by the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, Tennessee; the UUCSR Writers blog at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Rosa, CA; the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma blog; the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Lake Norman blog; and the Westside UU Congregation Religious Education blog.

The UUA has launched a new blogging platform and a list of UUA blogs is available at http://www.uua.org/blogs/

If you are a new Unitarian Universalist blogger and would like to find and connect with others, let me suggest two good starting points for finding other Unitarian Universalist blogs.

The first is UUpdates.net, which aggregates posts from hundreds of blogs written by Unitarian Universalists. (If you would like to promote your blog to other Unitarian Universalists, you can submit it for inclusion on UUpdates.net.)

The second is “The Interdependent Web,” a UU World weekly feature highlighting the best of the Unitarian Universalist blogosphere.

To help you get started with your blog, the UUA has developed several how-to resources:

“Best Practices for Unitarian Universalist Blogging” is a report based on survey responses from prominent Unitarian Universalist blogs. The bloggers featured write from different perspectives and about different topics in Unitarian Universalism.  The report shares their insights on issues like setting a tone, creating a safe space, respecting confidentiality, and responding to comments.

The other UUA resources for designed especially for bloggers are “How to Set Up a Blog” and “Tips for Unitarian Universalist Beginner Bloggers.”

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Blogs, Getting Started Series

Getting started with Twitter

Twitter is a short messaging service (SMS) that allows users to send short text messages to a large group of readers. Readers may view their messages on their cell phone or on the internet, and may reply to messages. Posts are “tagged” with relevant keywords; tags are formed by using the # symbol directly preceding the keyword.  For example, #uu can be used to denote a post about Unitarian Universalism.

Congregational leaders may use a Twitter feed to highlight congregational news, share weekly meditations, promote upcoming events, or otherwise provide content that serves newcomers and keeps members engaged in the life of the congregation.

The UUA started using Twitter in October 2008.  Since then, we’ve seen our follower base grow, to over 700 followers today. We use the UUA Twitter feed to share links to UUA news stories, meditations, and other resources that are relevant to Unitarian Universalists and seekers.

Congregations may be concerned about the amount of time required to manage a Twitter feed. A Twitter feed should be updated on a regular basis and questions from followers should be answered in a timely manner. But while fulfilling these responsibilities requires consistency and attention, it need not require vast amounts of time.

However, Twitter can be more time consuming if it used to post original content (rather than links to existing content), to provide multiple updates in a single day, or to engage in deeper conversations with followers. Congregational leaders and religious professionals can discern if the potentially more significant benefits of extended engagement with Twitter make it worthwhile to invest more time.

Here are some more examples of how the UUA and Unitarian Universalist congregations are using Twitter:

For General Assembly (GA) 2009, the UUA set up an event-specific Twitter feed and encouraged the use of #uuga2009 by anyone Twittering about GA.

In addition, Beacon Press, Standing on the Side of Love, and UU World have their own successful Twitter feeds.

And congregations and ministers are using Twitter too! Examples include the Twitter feed for Rev. Naomi King of the River of Grass UU Congregation in Plantation, Florida; the Twitter feed for Kitsap UU Fellowship of Bremerton, Washington; or the Twitter feed for UU Fellowship of Elkhart, Indiana.

 

The UUA's Twitter Feed
The UUA's Twitter Feed

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Getting Started Series, New Media Tools, Twitter

Getting started with Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site for individuals and organizations.

The UUA has a page on Facebook, as do many groups within the UUA, including the following:  Advocacy and Witness, Beacon Press, Central Midwest District, Church of the Younger Fellowship, CLF Unitarian Universalist Military Ministries,  Heartland District, International Resources Office, the Mosaic Project, Prairie Star District, Skinner House Books, Standing on the Side of Love,  Thomas Jefferson District, UU World, and the UUA’s Youth and Young Adult Ministries Office.

Many congregations also have Facebook pages. UU World recently described the efforts of several congregations in Michelle Deakin’s article, “Dallas, Atlanta UU churches make ‘friends’ on Facebook.”

Congregational leaders interested in examples of how congregations are using Facebook can also search Facebook for “Unitarian,” or check out the following Facebook pages: Northwest Community Unitarian Universalist Church and Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church.

One of the UUA’s most popular new media resources is our “Dos and Don’ts for Unitarian Universalist Congregations using Facebook,“ which provides advice on creating, administering and promoting congregational Facebook pages.

The UUA's Facebook page
The UUA's Facebook page

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Facebook, Getting Started Series, New Media Tools