Campus Congregation Connection Group
Overview: The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Office of Young Adult & Campus Ministry provides three year incentive grants of $3650 to establish a stipend coordinator and campus group structure institutionalized within the sponsoring congregation. These groups tend to be a more complete, sustainable and vibrant ministry modeled after the Congregation-Based Group type described earlier.
Leadership: Stipend funded campus ministry coordinator, generally a student (at least a sophomore) or a lay congregation member. Stipend is generally $1000 per semester, with $1000 in expense money for the fiscal year.
Congregation Connection: Campus Ministry authorized and sponsored by a vote of the congregation board of trustees. Budget line item to be grown to a goal of $3000 per fiscal year.
Please see the Campus Congregation Connection Grant for more information.
Contact the UUA Campus Ministry Coordinator:
campus @ uua.org
(toll-free) (877) 270-3302
or write:
UUA Campus Ministry
25 Beacon St
Boston MA 02108
Congregation Based with Paid Coordinator
Overview: Currently only a handful of congregations have a part-time (generally eight to ten hours per week) position for campus ministry, campus outreach, and campus coordination. They tend to be similar to Campus Congregation Connection groups however with more paid staff time.
Leadership: The paid coordinator tends to take on more responsibility and there is a challenge with student empowerment. Ideally the paid staff will focus energy on building the membership of the group through consistent outreach, information table on campus and meet and greet with other campus ministry staff at the designated college and sympathetic student groups (progressive, liberal, etc). Students ideally will be encouraged to take leadership in the group around worship, leading discussions, hosting events, however the paid staff will be a consistent presence especially during the busy and lull times (i.e. finals, midterms, after breaks).
See “Congregation-Based Groups Recommendations” for more information.
Please contact the UUA Office of Young Adult & Campus Ministry to register your paid staff so they may be connected with other paid staff who do this work and be invited to annual meetings of these staff.
Contact the UUA Campus Ministry Coordinator:
campus @ uua.org
(toll-free) (877) 270-3302
or write:
UUA Campus Ministry
25 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02108
Young Adult & Campus Ministry Professionals Email List (for any paid Young Adult/Campus Ministry paid staff): yacmprofessionals @ lists.uuyan.org
Professional Led Group
Overview: Only three congregations currently have half or more paid staff for Campus Ministry; All Souls Tulsa, OK; Wellesley, MA; and First Unitarian Society Madison, WI. Several other congregations are considering professional level staff, which include Eno River in Raleigh, NC and All Souls New York, NY. These groups are the strongest, longterm programs, which expand beyond general campus group meetings into many facets of building a campus ministry community.
The UUA Office of Young Adult & Campus Ministry offers grants for congregations seeking to establish a professional level Campus and/or Young Adult Ministry position.
Contact the UUA Young Adult & Campus Ministry Director:
youngadults @ uua.org
(617) 948-4273
or write:
UUA Campus Ministry
25 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02108
Grant Writing Tips
Suggested First Steps:
- Review grant materials, write down questions or
concerns.
Questions:
- Identify and speak with allies in your quest to establish campus ministry
(recommend one church staff—i.e. Minister or Director of Religious Education (DRE), one board member and one
college student).
- Write your allies here:
- Brainstorm funding sources that a campus ministry program could access:
- Congregation Annual Budget ($250-$3000).
- Campus Ministry Sunday & Special Collection for Program ($200-$2000).
- Annual Fundraising Letter to Alumni of the College/University ($100-$1000).
- Annual Fundraising Letter to Parents of the Students in your program ($100-$1000).
- Major Donor in the Congregation with special interest in campus ministry ($250+).
- Set a date to meet with the Congregational Board (contact the Board
Chair)
- Meeting date, time, location is:
- Board chair & contact info:
- Have a Campus Ministry Strategy Meeting to:
- Brainstorm and write up answers to the questions:
- Why is this program important for Unitarian Universalism (and the congregation).
- What would this program do?
- Write a funding plan up to present to the Congregational Board.
- Prepare presentation for Board Meeting date, time, and location.
- Board Meeting Presentation—Ask for Sponsorship of Program, Campus Ministry Line Item:
- Articulate clearly the mission of the campus ministry program (why is this important, what is the purpose of the program, how does it strengthen Unitarian Universalism and the congregation are some questions you might consider).
- Present written materials such as: Bio of campus ministry coordinator, written vision statement for the program, funding plan proposal, grant application.
- Be aware you may have only fifteen minutes to make your case and take questions, consider preparing by talking with the Board chair on the phone or email first.
Common Questions & Answers
Q: How do we select the campus ministry coordinator?
A: It is a good idea to have a known leader from the campus or congregation identified before going to the congregation board for approval of this program. The Young Adult & Campus Ministry Office may know some excellent people who have either recently moved to study at the university you're planning to do campus ministry at. You may also find a lay adult leader who has time and interest in advising and coordinating a campus group. We have found interest in this work from young adults on church staff, young parents, graduate students and youth advisors.
Q: Who will supervise this person?
A: This is very important, we recommend that a minister or Director of Religious Education be the agreed mentor and supervisor. Your campus ministry committee (hopefully of the board/congregation) would act as a regular place to discuss the work and progress of the campus ministry responsibilities. Here is a suggested annual schedule for personnel, supervision and accountability to the congregation:
- Monthly meetings with supervisor/mentor for twenty minutes.
- Monthly or bi-monthly meetings with campus ministry committee.
- Quarterly reports to the congregation board.
- Annual review meeting with supervisor/mentor and a member of campus ministry committee for forty-five minutes.
Q: How will our new campus ministry coordinator be trained?
A: Great question. The UUA Young Adult & Campus Ministry Office will be hosting two campus ministry trainings each year in different regions around the denomination. These will be Friday through Sunday trainings designed especially for your campus ministry coordinators and other lay leaders of your campus ministry program (both college-age and adult ally).The $1000 expenses fund for the program or congregational leadership development line may be sources for this training or others.
Q: How do we know if our campus ministry program is successful?
A: Don't be scared to measure the success of your program. Here are some suggestions on how to report on your campus ministry and to monitor its growth:
- Numeric—Track the number of people in your database for campus ministry.
- Maturational—Comment in writing annually on the people who have taken a leadership role in the campus ministry program.
- Organic—Comment in writing annually on the activities that have been institutionalized into a tradition (i.e. Hearty Unitarian Universalist Greetings (HUUGS) Baskets, Campus Ministry Service, Holiday Event with the Minister, etc).
- Incarnational—Comment in writing annually on activities
that the campus ministry program has provided that reached out beyond Unitarian
Universalism into the world.
Good Ideas:
- Keep a folder with all this information handy.
- Make yourself a roster of the people you're working with.
- Arrive early for meetings.
Continue reading in the next chapter: Resources >
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
