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What Professionals Can Do

Questions for Campus Ministry Organizers (Lay Leaders, Religious Professionals, and Students)

Why is Unitarian Universalist (UU) campus ministry important? What makes our UU voice timely on campus?
How can students be active and present in the local church?

Campus Ministry with a Lay Minister/Organizer

Committee Structure

I. Support students from your congregation who are headed for (or already in) college by doing these things:

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.
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.

Plus:

Creating a Host Homes Project to connect students with a local UU home.

II. Build congregational support for campus ministry by doing these from Levels A and B:

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.
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.

Plus:

Creating and sustaining a campus ministry committee which meets regularly.
Working to get supporting campus ministry written into your congregation’s mission statements; outreach materials; job descriptions, etc.

III. Promote UUism on campus by doing these things from Levels A and B:

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 UU World magazines and distributing them on campus.
Making sure that the campus chaplain or religious official knows about Unitarian Universalism and your congregation

IV. Support UU students by doing these things from Levels A and B:

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 newsletter.
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).
Tabling or helping to table at student activity fairs (usually held at the beginning of each semester).
Advocating for an annual budget allocation for the campus group.

Plus:

Recruiting a lay person to serve as a chaplain for the local student group.
Sending this person to a campus ministry training sponsored by CampUUs or the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.
Sponsor a coffeehouse or provide a quiet coffee and munchies space during finals.
Creating a Host Homes Project to connect students with a local UU home.

Level D

Professional Campus Ministry Staff

Supported by a Campus Ministry Committee

I. Support students from your congregation who are headed for (or already in) college by doing these things from Levels A through C:

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.
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.

II. Build congregational support for campus ministry by doing these things from Levels A through C:

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.
Creating and sustaining a campus ministry committee which meets regularly.
Working to get supporting campus ministry written into your congregation’s mission statements; outreach materials; job descriptions, etc.

III. Promote UUism on campus by doing these things from Levels A through C:

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.

IV. Support UU students by doing these things from Levels A through C:

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 newsletter.
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.
Tabling or helping to table at student activity fairs (usually held at the beginning of each semester).

Advocating for an annual budget allocation for the campus group.
Recruiting a layperson to serve as a chaplain for the local student group.

Sponsor a coffeehouse or provide a quiet coffee and munchies space during finals.
Sponsor a host homes program.

Plus:

Hiring a staff person or shifting the responsibilities of an existing staff person to include campus ministry.
Sending this person to a campus ministry training sponsored by CampUUs or the UUA Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office.

Campus Ministry Staff >

Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.