Unconference 2012
An idea born from a conversation started on the social media site Twitter to provide a gathering space to focus on conversations about church is now in its third year. UNCO, or Unconference, or #unco to those in the Twitter-verse, has grown into an ecumenical three-day open discussion-format workshop for church leaders, pastors, and seminarians to collaborate, discuss, and envision the church in a changing world.
The first UNCO was essentially a Tweetup (a meet up coordinated through Twitter) in 2010 with a handful of Austin Seminary alumni. Then momentum grew and outside organizations became interested in partnering, they expanded to a formal retreat in 2011. For the first time, UNCO is going bi-coastal. In May they will gather in Stony Point, New York, and then in San Francisco, California in July.
Ryan Kemp-Pappan (MDiv’08), one of the UNCO 2012 hosts wrote, "UNCO was founded upon the idea that if we could get a diverse and dynamic range of God’s people together and hang out in one place we could share our stories and learn from each other so that we might live in to the call of reforming the church and being the church in creative ways."
Unlike traditional seminars and workshops, there are no set topics and no headlining speakers. As another host of UNCO 2012 Christopher Harris (MDiv’08) says in his vlog (video blog), the attendees are the “rock stars.” Sessions are formed from the interests of the participants with topics written onto an idea board at the start of the event.
“We don’t have a problem with traditional conferences with speakers,” Chris said. “We just don’t think that’s the only model.”
In the UNCO model, participants share ideas about planting communities, writing liturgy, creating art, innovating technology, worship, and prayer. From the discussions they work together to find ways to execute solutions, create resources, and support one another.
Austin Seminary alumni Carol Howard Merritt (MDiv’98), Brian Merritt (MDiv’98), Meredith Kemp-Pappan (MDiv’08), and Megan Dosher (MDiv’09) are among the hosts who have helped grow UNCO organically. Social media remains their primary vehicle for promotion. Through Twitter, the participants organize travel, discuss ideas, challenges, pose questions, get to know one another before the event, and stay in touch after. This year in an effort to continue encouraging growth and diversify the conversation, UNCO employed more traditional means of marketing as well, including offline promotions.
More than sixty participants, both adult and children, are registered for the UNCO East event later this month. This family affair includes Kid UNCO, led by Megan Dosher. Kid UNCO is a time for children and youth to explore their own experiences in church and ministry through open and flexible forms of stories, prayers, worship, and service.