What Congregations Can Do
Why Congregation-Based Campus Ministry?
Several assumptions form the basis, or motivation, for doing young adult and campus ministry work. They are:
We owe it to our Unitarian Universalist (UU) youth to create opportunities for their continued spiritual growth as young adults.
Large numbers of college students and young adults would find a home in Unitarian Universalism is only they knew about us or were invited in.
Investing in young adult and campus ministry is something that should and can be done by virtually all of our congregations.
Our congregations have gifts and resources to share with UU young adults and college students, and these individuals have gifts and resources to share with our UU congregations.
Unitarian Universalism will be a larger, stronger movement when doing young adult and campus ministry is an expectation that Unitarian Universalists and UU congregations share.
What’s Right for our Congregation?
The most important factor in determining how your congregation can (should) support campus ministry work is how committed your membership, leadership, and staff are to doing it.The other two factors—proximity to a campus and presence of UU students there—are secondary: there are many ways for any congregation to support meaningful campus ministry.
Congregations Far from Campus
Level 1
Things a single individual can do to support campus ministry—Even if
you’re not near a campus!
I. Support students from your congregation who are headed for (or already in) college by:
- Making sure they receive your congregation’s newsletter at their college address.
- Passing on their addresses to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
- Making sure they are welcomed back during services at semester/holiday breaks.
- With the student’s permission, calling the congregation nearest to their campus and letting them know of the student’s presence.
- Encouraging your minister to preach about campus ministry, especially on CampUUs Sunday (held in October of odd-numbered years).
- Establishing an annual budget allocation to support the CampUUs program.
- Encouraging members of your congregation to contribute financially to the CampUUs program.
- Educating yourself and members of your congregation about campus ministry using resource from the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
- Writing articles about campus ministry for the newsletter, with stories or quotes from the young adult students in your congregation.
- Speaking about the importance of supporting campus ministry at congregational functions (in other committees you serve on, etc).
Level 2
Things a few people can do to support campus
ministry—Even if you’re not near a campus!
I. Support students from your congregation who are headed for (or
already in)
college by doing these things from Level 1:
- Making sure they receive your congregation’s newsletter at their college address.
- Passing on their addresses to the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
- Making sure they are welcomed back during services at semester/holiday breaks.
- With the student’s permission, calling the congregation nearest to their
campus and letting them know of the student’s presence.
Plus:
- Sponsoring a bridging ceremony in which graduating seniors are welcomed into young adulthood or the congregations as a whole. (This is meant to differ from a graduation ceremony, which honors an “end” rather than a transition).
- Sending UU care packages to students at the beginning of semesters or around holidays.
II. Build congregational support for campus ministry by doing these things from Level 1:
- Encouraging your minister to preach about campus ministry, especially on CampUUs Sunday (held in October of odd-numbered years).
- Establishing an annual budget allocation to support the CampUUs program.
- Encouraging members of your congregation to contribute financially to the CampUUs program.
- Educating yourself and members of your congregation about campus ministry using resource from the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
- Writing articles about campus ministry for the newsletter, with stories or quotes from the young adult students in your congregation.
- Speaking about the importance of supporting campus ministry at
congregational functions (in other committees you serve on, etc).
Plus:
- Encouraging members of your congregation to serve on the district CampUUs
Committee
Sponsoring a workshop or training led by the CampUUs program or UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office
Congregations Close to Campus
Level A
Things a Single Individual can do to
Support Campus if your congregation is near a campus.
I. Support students from your congregation who are headed for (or already in) college by:
- Making sure they receive your congregation’s newsletter at their college address.
- Passing on their addresses to the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
- Making sure they are welcomed back during services at semester/holiday breaks.
- With the student’s permission, calling the congregation nearest to their campus and letting them know of the student’s presence.
II. Building congregational support for campus ministry by:
- Encouraging your minister to preach about campus ministry, especially on CampUUs Sunday (held in October of odd-numbered years).
- Establishing an annual budget allocation to support the CampUUs program.
- Encouraging members of your congregation to contribute financially to the CampUUs program.
- Educating yourself and members of your congregation about campus ministry using resources from the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office, and/or attending a campus ministry training.
- Writing articles about campus ministry for the newsletter, with stories or quotes from the young adult students in your congregation.
- Speaking about the importance of supporting campus ministry at congregational functions (in other committees you serve on, etc).
- Working to get support for campus ministry written into your congregation’s official mission statements; outreach materials; job descriptions, etc.
III. Promote Unitarian Universalism on campus by:
- Making sure that the congregation is listed in student handbooks or materials distributed by the religious life office, and on any surveys taken of incoming students.
- Making sure that materials about UUism and your congregation are on display in the campus chapel or appropriate office (with offers of rides to services!) Consider labeling old UUWorld magazines with info about your congregation and distributing them on campus.
- Making sure that the campus chaplain or religious official knows about Unitarian Universalism and your congregation.
- Finding out what steps are necessary to establish a UU student group on campus.
IV. Support UU students by:
- Offering or coordinating the provision of rides to services.
- Sending welcome letters to UU students arriving on campus (the chaplain will often not release this info but will mail letters you write).
- Maintaining a database of students.
- Making sure students get the congregation’s newsletter.
Level B
Things a Small Group of People can do to Support Campus Ministry if your congregation is near a campus.
I.
Support students from your congregation who are headed for (or already
in) college by doing these things from Level A:
- Making sure they receive your congregation’s newsletter at their college address.
- Passing on their addresses to the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
- Making sure they are welcomed back during services at semester/holiday breaks.
- With the student’s permission, calling the congregation nearest to their campus and letting them know of the student’s presence.
Plus:
- Sponsoring a bridging ceremony in which graduating seniors are welcomed into young adulthood or the congregation as a whole. (This is meant to differ from a graduation ceremony, which honors an “end” rather than a transition).
- Sending UU care packages to students at the beginning of semesters or around holidays.
- Encouraging your minister to preach about campus ministry, especially on CampUUs Sunday (held in October of odd-numbered years).
- Establishing an annual budget allocation to support the CampUUs program.
- Encouraging members of your congregation to contribute financially to the CampUUs program.
- Educating yourself and members of your congregation about campus ministry using resources from the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office, and/or attending a campus ministry training.
- Writing articles about campus ministry for the newsletter, with stories or quotes from the young adult students in your congregation.
- Speaking about the importance of supporting campus ministry at congregational functions (in other committees you serve on, etc).
- Working to get support for campus ministry written into your congregation’s
official mission statements; outreach materials; job descriptions,
etc.
Plus:
- Encouraging members of your congregation to serve on the district CampUUs Committee.
- Sponsoring a workshop or training led by the CampUUs program or UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
- Making sure that the congregation is listed in student handbooks or materials distributed by the religious life office, and on any surveys taken of incoming students.
- Making sure that materials about UUism and your congregation are on display in the campus chapel or appropriate office (with offers of rides to services!) Consider labeling old UUWorld magazines and distributing them on campus.
- Making sure that the campus chaplain or religious official knows about Unitarian Universalism and your congregation.
- Offering or coordinating the provision of rides to services.
- Sending welcome letters to UU students arriving on campus (the chaplain will often not release this info but will mail letters you write).
- Maintaining a database of students.
- Making sure students get the congregation’s
newsletter.
Plus:
- Offering to provide food at events and/or host a holiday party.
- Sending UU care packages to students at the beginning of semesters or around holidays.
- Sending welcome letters to UU students arriving on campus (the chaplain will often not release this info but will mail letters you write).
- Set up a booth or table (or help do so) at student activity fairs (usually held at the beginning of each semester).
- Establishing an annual budget allocation for the campus group.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
