The Nested Bowls: The Promise and Practice of Good Governance

by Laura Park

A practical book for congregations interested in bringing clarity and focus to their ministry, The Nested Bowls defines and reframes the purpose of values, mission, and ends in congregational life, and provides an engaging, meaningful process for the entire congregation to inform the board’s articulation of these foundational policies. Distilling ten years of Unity Consulting’s experience in this work, The Nested Bowls offers both road map and inspiration for finding the core of your congregation’s purpose and the difference it makes in people’s lives.

75 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2018

Reviews

[Tom Coleman]

Perfect for a UU church (Unitarian Universalist) who wants to eliminate infighting and thrive in the future.

This book is a roadmap for the church board. The book describes how to start with the step of "Casting the Vision" then each of the following steps is "nested" like "bowls" (using that vision).

The book has exercises for the board to do, and it's all clear and straightforward. The book is a distillation (handbook) used by Unity Consulting, which helps Unitarian churches in their church governance.

It's a very specific book, used for a very specific purpose--but for a UU church who wants to thrive, this is the manual that the board should use. Great stuff, written by an experienced facilitator who has helped many UU churches!